Kevin Smith...Writer or Director?

[Axe Cold Killer]

What do you like him better as? A writer or director?

Personally, I like him way better as a writer.

What do you guys think?

[Tweek]

Writer. He's a much better writer. He even knows he ain't that good as a director.

[JohnTheHenchman]

Well, let me put it this way...I wouldn't want anyone else directing his screenplays. He may not be Stanley Kubrick, but I'm willing to bet that had people other than Kevin directed the movies he wrote, they wouldn't be as good.

He's a good writer and a capable director, so I like him as both just fine.

[APzombie]

Writer. He mostly points and shoots and his stories never really require more than just good actors delivering his cool dialouge.

[Jim Law]

Both. His scripts wouldn't be as effective with someone else directing and he would be out of place handling someone else's work. This isn't a decision we have to make as Smith himself has said he would never direct something he didn't write and no studios have the balls to produce something he wrote without him behind the camera. Superman is a great example.

[Scarface98.9]

He's a better writer, although to make a KS movie, you don't really need to move the camera around that much since they're mostly talking movies. A tripod with a brain would be in the same style as a KS movie. Luckily, the dialogue is good, and the movies interesting. Between the 2, he's the better writer

[Sad man]

Okay writer. Mediocre director. I find most of his movies to be overrated, I still enjoy most of them, but they are overrated.

[Rick-James]

Writer.

[krazy drako]

Awesome writer. His directing works hand in hand with his writing though. Can't imagine anyone else doing one of his movies.

[Jim Morrison]

Writer. There's nothing that special about his directing.

[Spirito]

His style as a director isn't noticable at least to me but his writing skills are... so I say writer all the way!

Chris

[Joel Barish]

I'll admit....I was one of those filmgoers that was originally sucked into Smith's world of comic geeks/film dorks (i.e. myself), downright loving the screenplay of Clerks, enjoying Mallrats for what it was (a big, stupid, commercial teen flick), and respecting Chasing Amy for reaching past jokes about yambags and going for the heart. Then Dogma came out, a movie that I really admired for it's attempt to fully flesh out a fantastical universe where angels traipse around, and shit demons are brought to life in seedy bars....Oh and Jason Lee as the epitome of evil, complete with seersucker suit. But it didn't hit me as close as Smith's earlier stuff, although he attempted to actually direct the flick, which really was still pretty unnoticeable....Then Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back came out, and what was supposed to be a loving nod to the "View Askew" fans, turned out to be a royal punch to the scrotum, lacking any sort of merit other then making multiple weed jokes, multitudes of cheesy nods to Smith's other stuff, and a plethora of "fucks"...It was really disappointing, showing a lack in both screenplay and visual flair....Now after Smith's 6th, I can only say that he only needs to do one more mediocre flick, and I can say I've offically stopped being a fan, despite his earlier, better work...Jersey Girl's screenplay, while packing a good scene or two, and a couple of trademark Smith moments, is the epitome of selling out to mainstream Hollywood...And I am not just saying this because I'm jumping on the bandwagon, and I have said the same thing about the Coens as of late too, and there have been plenty others, but the movie comes across as a blatant beg for money, for audience acceptance, at the cost of alienating anyone that liked his style to begin with. It's a total step back for Smith, and Green Hornet, I have a feeling, is just going to further that...He seems to me that if he really attributes himself to making something that matters, not romantic comedy puff or LCD shite, that he could have a career that would put out plenty of cool films, something like what a Robert Rodriguez has done...Provide genuinely entertaining cinema that really aspires to do just that, entertain...If he even hones his craft, I could see something that has the epic scale of Tarantino's latest, Kill Bill in him, although decidedly it wouldn't have that same flair, but could still be something...So my verdict...At this point he's teetering on the edge of respectability..If Green Hornet sucks, and something tells me it will, then anticipation for his next films will definitely be low...but we shall all see.