Jay and Silent Bob Strike Backis a 2001 Americansatiricalstonerbuddy comedy filmwritten, co-edited, and directed byKevin Smithand produced and co-edited byScott Mosier.The film is the fifth set in theView Askewniverse,a growing collection of characters and settings that developed out of Smith's cult-favoriteClerks.It starsJason Mewesand Smith respectively as thetwo eponymous characters.The film also starsShannon Elizabeth,Jason Lee,Ben Affleck,Matt Damon,Will Ferrell,Eliza Dushku,Ali Larter,andChris Rock,among many others, most of which makecameo appearances.The title and logo forJay and Silent Bob Strike Backare direct references toThe Empire Strikes Back.
| Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Kevin Smith |
| Written by | Kevin Smith |
| Produced by | Scott Mosier |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jamie Anderson |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by | James L. Venable |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Miramax Films (through Dimension Films) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 104 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $22 million[2] |
| Box office | $33.8 million[2] |
Originally intended to be the last film set in the Askewniverse, or to feature Jay and Silent Bob,Strike Backfeatures many characters from the previous Askew films, some indual rolesand/or reprising roles fromthepreviousfourentries.The film received mixed reviews from critics.
Smith announced in February 2017 that he was writing a sequel calledJay and Silent Bob Rebootand started filming in February 2019[3][4][5][6]and was released on October 15 that same year.[7][8]From February to June 2019, Smith additionally re-adapted the plot of the film to the character ofMindy McCready / Hit-Girlin the relaunchedImagecomic book series,titledHit-Girl: The Golden Rage of Hollywood,withDave Lizewskifilling the role ofBanky Edwards.[9]
Plot
editDante Hicks and Randal Gravesget arestraining orderagainstJay and Silent Bob,finally fed up with theirdrug dealingoutside the strip mall where they work after Jay and Silent Bob tell a pair of teenagers that they were married in aStar Wars-themed wedding. Not allowed within 100 feet of the strip mall for at least a year, Jay and Silent Bob visitBrodie Bruceat his comic shop where they learn thatMiramax Filmsis adaptingBluntman and Chronic,the comic book based on their likenesses.
The pair visitHolden McNeil,co-creator and co-writer ofBluntman and Chronic,and demand that he give them their royalty money from the film, but Holden explains he sold his half of the rights to co-creator and artist Banky Edwards. Seeing the film's negative reception online,[10]the pair set out forHollywoodto prevent the film from ruining their image, or at least to receive the royalties owed to them.
En route, they befriend an animal liberation group: Justice, Sissy, Missy, Chrissy, and Brent. The organization is a front; Brent is apatsy,who will free animals from a laboratory as a diversion while the girls rob a diamond depository. Jay throws Brent out of their van to get closer to Justice, to whom he is attracted to. Justice is fond of the pair, but reluctantly accepts them as new patsies. While the girls steal the diamonds, Jay and Silent Bob free the animals, stealing anorangutannamed Suzanne. They escape as the police arrive and the van explodes, believing the girls have perished.
Federal Wildlife Marshal Willenholly (whose name is taken fromLand of the Lostcharacters[1]) arrives at the crime scene; oblivious to the diamond heist, he claims jurisdiction due to the escaped animals, all of which have been recovered but Suzanne. The police find footage of a video Sissy made of Jay claiming to be "theclitcommander ", with" Clit "edited to be an acronym forCoalition for the Liberation of Itinerant Tree-Dwellers.Willenholly declares the crime an act ofterrorismand calls for backup to hunt "the two most dangerous men on the planet." He finds Jay and Silent Bob at a diner nearVasquez Rocks,and chases them into the sewer system of a nearby dam. Suzanne helps the duo in losing Willenholly by luring him off the dam, but is subsequently abducted by a Hollywood animal acting agency.
The duo then hitch a ride and arrive in Hollywood, and eventually, the Miramax lot. Chased by a team of security guards through the lot and several movie sets, includingGood Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season,and reclaiming Suzanne from the set ofScream 4,Jay and Silent Bob end up in the dressing room ofJason BiggsandJames Van Der Beek,the actors playing Bluntman and Chronic respectively in the film. Suzanne beats up the actors, knocking them out, and Jay and Silent Bob assume the roles while Van Der Beek and Biggs are arrested after getting mistaken for the duo.
Meeting the film's anti-white director Chaka Luther King, who mistakes them for Biggs and Van Der Beek's stunt doubles, Jay and Silent Bob are then escorted onto the set and forced to fightMark Hamill,playing the supervillain of the film Cocknocker (a combination of Hamill's roles asThe Joker,The Trickster,andLuke Skywalker) in a Star Wars-esque battle. Willenholly, armed with a shotgun, arrives to capture the pair, but Justice protects them, admitting the CLIT organization was only a diversion. The other thieves arrive and a climactic gun fight ensues. Jay and Silent Bob locate Banky and demand that he shut down production of the movie. Banky refuses on account of both the large sum of money Miramax offered him for the film and that the internet will continue to troll them regardless. Silent Bob then informs Banky that he violated their original likeness rights contract by selling the film rights of Bluntman and Chronic to Miramax without their permission, and therefore could face legal trouble if he doesn't give them their legally entitled royalties. Banky finally relents and agrees to give the duo half of his payment for the film.
Justice then turns herself and her former team in to Willenholly in exchange for a shorter sentence and dropping the charges on Jay and Silent Bob. The duo spend their royalty money locating everyone who mocked them, their characters, and the movie on the internet, including children and members of the clergy, and travel to assault them. The scene cuts to the El Rey theater where a bunch of people exit, including Dante, Randal, Banky, Steve-Dave Pulski, Walt "The Fanboy" Grover, Willam Black, Hooper LaMonte, and sisters Alyssa and Tricia Jones, having just watched theBluntman and Chronicmovie, to poor reception. Jay and Silent Bob, accompanied by Justice and Willenholly (now an FBI agent), go across the street to enjoy the after party, featuring a performance fromMorris DayandThe Time.
After the credits, God (Dogma) closes theView Askewniversebook.[2]
Cast
edit- Jason MewesasJay/Chronic
- Kevin SmithasSilent Bob/Bluntman
- Ben Affleckas himself / Holden McNeil /Chuckie Sullivan/ voice of Echo Base (Guard Over Radio)
- Jason Leeas Brodie Bruce / Banky Edwards
- Shannon Elizabethas Justice
- Eliza Dushkuas Sissy
- Ali Larteras Chrissy
- Jennifer Schwalbachas Missy
- Will Ferrellas Federal Wildlife Marshal Willenholly
- Matt Damonas himself /Will Hunting
- Brian O'Halloranas Dante Hicks
- Jeff Andersonas Randal Graves
- Judd Nelsonas Sheriff
- George Carlinas Hitchhiker
- Carrie Fisheras Nun
- Seann William Scottas Brent
- Jon Stewartas Reg Hartner
- Tracy Morganas Pumpkin Escobar
- Chris Rockas Chaka Luther King
- Jamie Kennedyas Chaka's production assistant
- Mark Hamillas himself / Cocknocker / voice ofScooby-Doo
- Marc BlucasasFredlookalike
- Matthew JamesasShaggylookalike
- Jane Silvia asVelmalookalike
- Carmen LlywelynasDaphnelookalike
- Diedrich Baderas Gordon, the Miramax security guard
- Bryan Johnsonas Steve-Dave Pulski
- Walter Flanaganas Walter "The Fanboy" Grover
- Scott Mosieras Willam Black /Good Will Hunting 2assistant director
- Renee Humphreyas Tricia Jones
- Joey Lauren Adamsas Alyssa Jones
- Dwight Ewellas Hooper LaMont/Hooper X
- Scott William Wintersas himself / Clark
- William B. Davis(uncredited cameo) asThe Smoking Man
- Joe Quesada(uncredited cameo) as Pizza Delivery Man
- Alanis Morissette(cameo) asGod
Additionally,Wes Craven,Jules Asner,Steve Kmetko,Gus Van Sant,Jason Biggs,James Van Der Beek,Shannen Doherty,andMorris Dayall appear as themselves.
Production
editThe film's plot was heavily inspired byChasing Dogma,a comic book miniseries that Smith wrote in 1998 and 1999 to explore events that happened in the Askewniverse betweenChasing AmyandDogma.[11]
The film was originally titledView Askew 5and the title was changed toJay and Silent Bob Strike Back.Filming began on January 14, 2001, and ended on April 19, 2001. Filming took in place in New Jersey, and mostly in California.
On his podcastJay & Silent Bob Get Old,Kevin Smithexplained at length about how much of a "headache" the film was to make, mostly owing toJason Mewes's drug and alcohol abuse turning him into a "ticking time bomb", which threatened to shut the project down at any moment. During pre-production, Mewes would have constant mood swings due to heroin withdrawal, to the point that Smith actually threw him out of his car on their way to the set one day. Mewes would compensate for his lack of drugs by drinking heavily after every day of shooting and nearly got into a fist fight with producerScott Mosierwhen he had to come back one night for a re-shoot while drunk. When filming wrapped, Smith told Mewes point-blank to get sober or he would never speak to him again.
Release
editBox office
editJay and Silent Bob Strike Backgrossed $30.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $3.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $33.8 million, against a production budget of $22 million.[2]
The film grossed $11 million in its opening weekend, finishing third at the box office behind two other comedy sequels,American Pie 2($12.5 million) andRush Hour 2($11.6 million).[12]
Critical reception
editOn review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes,Jay and Silent Bob Strike Backhas an approval rating of 52% based on 151 reviews, with an average rating of 5.60/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Fans can expect a good laugh as the cast from Smith's previous films reunite for Jay and Silent Bob's last bow. The loose plotting and crude language may be too much for others though."[13]OnMetacriticthe film has a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[14]Audiences surveyed byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[15]
Roger Ebertgave the film three out of four stars, writing that "[w]hether you will like 'Jay and Silent Bob' depends on who you are... Kevin Smith's movies are either made specifically for you, or specifically not made for you".[16]Adam Smith ofEmpiregave the film 3/5 stars, writing that "[w]hen it's good it's very, very good, but when it's bad it's offensive", and noting that "the gag hit/miss ratio is really only about 50/50".[17]Scott Tobias ofThe A.V. Clubwrote that "[e]ven at a slim 95 minutes,Jay And Silent Boblets initially funny scenes trail off into long-winded monologues and silly digressions ", and Elvis Mitchell ofThe New York Timescalled the film "[may]be the greatest picture ever made for 14-year-old boys. Mr. Smith may have hit his target, but he aimed very low."[18][19]In August 2001, Mike Schulz ofRiver Cities' Readerwrote that, "for sheer laughs, both mindless and incredibly smart, nothing since 1997'sWaiting for Guffmanhas even compared. "[20]
Home media
editJay and Silent Bob Strike Backwas released onVHSand on a two-disc DVD set on February 26, 2002, by Dimension Home Video as a part of their "Dimension Collector's Series", presented in its original 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio. Among the bonus features on the DVD is an audio commentary by Smith, Mosier, and Mewes, 42 deleted, extended, and alternate scenes, music videos forStroke 9's "Kick Some Ass"andAfroman's "Because I Got High",storyboards, a gag reel, a behind the scenes special, still galleries, cast and crew filmographies, and TV spots.[21][22]ABlu-rayversion of the film was released on September 19, 2006, with all features carried over from the DVD. As for 2020, the film's home media distribution has been handled byParamount Pictures Home EntertainmentfollowingParamount Global's purchase of 49% of Miramax (which includes Dimension Films' pre-2006 film and television catalog).
Soundtrack
edit| Music from the Dimension Motion PictureJay and Silent Bob Strike Back | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack albumto the filmJay and Silent Bob Strike Backby Various artists | ||||
| Released | August 14, 2001 | |||
| Recorded | Various | |||
| Genre | Various | |||
| Length | 56:41 | |||
| Label | Universal | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| View Askewniversesoundtrack chronology | ||||
| ||||
| SinglesfromMusic from the Dimension Motion PictureJay and Silent Bob Strike Back | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [23] |
Music from the Dimension Motion Picture: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,the soundtrack to the film, was released on August 14, 2001, byUniversal Records.Varèse Sarabandereleased the original score by James L. Venable. It alternates film dialogue with songs of various genres that appear in the film. It features the 2001Afromanhit, "Because I Got High",whosemusic videofeatured the characters Jay and Silent Bob. "Tube Of Wonderful" was previously used as the theme song from Smith's 1997 filmChasing Amy.
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Interlude: Cue Music" (dialogue) | Kevin P. Smith | Jason Lee(as Brodie Bruce) | 0:03 |
| 2. | "Jay's Rap 2001" |
| Jason Mewes(as Jay) | 0:32 |
| 3. | "Kick Some Ass" |
| Stroke 9 | 4:05 |
| 4. | "Holden on Affleck" (dialogue) | Kevin P. Smith | Ben Affleck(as Holden McNeil) | 0:28 |
| 5. | "Tube of Wonderful" | Dave Pirner | Dave Pirner | 1:45 |
| 6. | "Cyber Savvy" (dialogue) | Kevin P. Smith | Ben Affleck (as Holden McNeil) and Jason Mewes (as Jay) | 0:07 |
| 7. | "Choked Up" | Ryan Adams | Minibar | 2:58 |
| 8. | "Doobie Snacks" (dialogue) | Kevin P. Smith | Jason Mewes (as Jay) | 0:08 |
| 9. | "Magic Carpet Ride" | Steppenwolf | 2:43 | |
| 10. | "Jay & Justice" (dialogue) | Kevin P. Smith | Shannon Elizabeth(as Justice) and Jason Mewes (as Jay) | 0:11 |
| 11. | "Bad Medicine" | Bon Jovi | 3:55 | |
| 12. | "Stealing Monkeys" (dialogue) | Kevin P. Smith | Jason Mewes (as Jay) | 0:09 |
| 13. | "This Is Love" | Polly Jean Harvey | PJ Harvey | 3:45 |
| 14. | "Advice From Above" (dialogue) | Kevin P. Smith | Jason Mewes (as Jay) | 0:23 |
| 15. | "The Devil's Song" | John Wozniak | Marcy Playground | 2:52 |
| 16. | "Idiots vs. The Internet" (dialogue) | Kevin P. Smith | Jason Mewes (as Jay) | 0:06 |
| 17. | "Tougher Than Leather" |
| Run-D.M.C | 4:23 |
| 18. | "Willenholly's Woe" (dialogue) | Kevin P. Smith | Will Ferrell(as Federal Wildlife Marshal Willenholly) | 0:09 |
| 19. | "Bullets" | Bob Schneider | Bob Schneider | 4:23 |
| 20. | "Touching a Brother's Heart" (dialogue) | Kevin P. Smith | Tracy Morgan(as Pumpkin Escobar) and Jason Mewes (as Jay) | 0:23 |
| 21. | "Hiphopper" |
| Thomas Rusiak featuringTeddybears STHLM | 4:46 |
| 22. | "Two Thumbs Up" (dialogue) | Kevin P. Smith | Chris Rock(as Chaka Luther King) | 0:07 |
| 23. | "Jackass" | Jimmy Pop | Bloodhound Gang | 2:26 |
| 24. | "A Smooth Pimp and a Man Servant" (dialogue) | Kevin P. Smith | Jason Mewes (as Jay) | 0:09 |
| 25. | "Jungle Love(Live) " | Morris Day and The Time | 3:03 | |
| 26. | "NWP" (dialogue) | Kevin P. Smith | Chris Rock (as Chaka Luther King) | 0:14 |
| 27. | "Because I Got High" | Joseph Foreman | Afroman | 3:18 |
| 28. | "Stop Stealing Monkeys" (dialogue) | Kevin P. Smith | Will Ferrell (as Federal Wildlife Marshal Willenholly) and Jason Mewes (as Jay) | 0:10 |
| Total length: | 56:41 | |||
Other songs that featured in the film but weren't included on the soundtrack album include "Life's Been Good"byJoe Walsh,"Too Much Heaven"byThe Bee Gees,and Jason Mewes' cover of "Fuck tha Police"byIce Cube.
MPAA rating and GLAAD controversy
editIn August 2001, three weeks prior to release, the film came under fire from theGay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation(GLAAD), for an alleged "overwhelminglyhomophobictone ",[24]which included an abundance of gay jokes and characters excessively using the term "gay" to mean something derogatory. The scenes deemed particularly offensive included Jay's vehement refusal of giving oral sex to a male driver when hitchhiking, and Jay chastising Silent Bob for being willing to perform fellatio on him to get the security guard to let them go. Following an advance screening of the film, former GLAAD media director Scott Seomin asked Smith to make a $10,000 donation to theMatthew Shepard Foundation,as well as to include a reference to GLAAD's cause in the ending credits.[25][26]Roger Ebert responded to this controversy, writing: "GLAAD should give audiences credit for enough intelligence to know the difference between satire and bigotry."[16]
On the bonus DVD, Smith explains in the on-camera intros of the deleted scenes that several scenes had to be cut from the theatrical release, due to the film initially receiving anNC-17rating from theMPAA.He also mentions in the audio commentary of the feature film that it took three submissions to the MPAA for the film to finally earn an R rating.
See also
edit- Hit-Girl: The Golden Rage of Hollywood,Smith's comic book re-adaptation of the concept.
- Oh, What a Lovely Tea Party,a documentary about the making of the film.
- Jay & Silent Bob Reboot,Smith's "requel"to the film.
- List of films featuring fictional films
Notes
edit^According to Ethan Alter ofFilm Journal International,Smith did not intend to makeanother View Askewniverse filmupon completion ofJay and Silent Bob Strike Back,but only decided to do so several years later, following the unsuccessful release ofJersey Girl.[27]
^Will Ferrell would later star in the2009 film adaptationofLand of the Lostas Dr. Rick Marshall alongsideDanny McBrideas Will Stanton andAnna Frielas Holly Cantrell.
References
edit- ^"JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK(18) ".British Board of Film Classification.September 4, 2001.Archivedfrom the original on October 24, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 14,2014.
- ^abc"Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)".Box Office Mojo.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2019.RetrievedJanuary 30,2017.
- ^Anderton, Ethan (February 10, 2017)."'Jay And Silent Bob Reboot' Is Kevin Smith's New Film, 'Clerks III' And 'Mallrats 2' Are Dead ".SlashFilm.Archivedfrom the original on December 23, 2022.RetrievedApril 18,2024.
- ^"Jay And Silent Bob Reboot' Set To Start Filming This Summer".May 28, 2018.
- ^"Jay And Silent Bob Reboot Movie Shooting This Year".July 23, 2018.Archivedfrom the original on August 1, 2018.RetrievedAugust 1,2018.
- ^"Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Begins Filming in Early 2019".November 13, 2018.Archivedfrom the original on April 19, 2019.RetrievedNovember 20,2018.
- ^"KEVIN SMITH REVEALS 'JAY AND SILENT BOB REBOOT' DETAILS AND RELEASE DATE".May 29, 2018.Archivedfrom the original on February 9, 2023.RetrievedJune 8,2018.
- ^Mancuso, Vinnie (February 25, 2019)."Kevin Smith Marks 'Jay and Silent Bob Reboot' Production Start with Behind-the-Scenes Photo".Collider.com.Archivedfrom the original on August 3, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 25,2019.
- ^"Kevin Smith to Write Hit-Girl Miniseries".CBR. 2019.Archivedfrom the original on December 13, 2018.RetrievedDecember 12,2018.
- ^"Movie Poop Shoot - the Poop Scoop".Archived fromthe originalon June 26, 2012.RetrievedJuly 3,2013.
- ^Meisfjord, Tom (August 5, 2019)."The Entire Jay And Silent Bob Story Finally Explained".Looper.RetrievedMarch 28,2022.
- ^"Weekend Box Office: August 24-26, 2001".Box Office Mojo.Archivedfrom the original on December 26, 2011.RetrievedJune 2,2010.
- ^"Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | Rotten Tomatoes".www.rottentomatoes.com.Archivedfrom the original on August 29, 2024.RetrievedApril 18,2024.
- ^"Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back".Metacritic.Archivedfrom the original on February 14, 2017.RetrievedFebruary 3,2017.
- ^"CinemaScore".cinemascore.com.Archived fromthe originalon September 14, 2002.RetrievedSeptember 9,2020.
- ^abRoger Ebert(August 24, 2001)."Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) Movie Review".Archivedfrom the original on December 2, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 12,2017.
- ^Adam Smith (January 2000)."Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back Review".Empire.Archivedfrom the original on January 18, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 12,2017.
- ^Scott Tobias (August 31, 2001)."Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back".The A.V. Club.Archivedfrom the original on January 13, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 12,2017.
- ^Elvis Mitchell (August 24, 2001)."FILM REVIEW; Hitchhiking in a Hurry: What Does That Tell You?".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on December 26, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 12,2017.
- ^"Smith Strikes it Rich with" Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back ": Also," The Curse of the Jade Scorpion "and" Captain Corelli's Mandolin "".August 28, 2001.Archivedfrom the original on September 8, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 8,2021.
- ^Topel, Fred (January 4, 2002)."Jay and Silent Bob's Creator Plots DVDs".hive4media.com.Archivedfrom the original on March 9, 2002.RetrievedSeptember 9,2019.
- ^Wolf, Jessica (February 7, 2002)."Little-Seen Kevin Smith Film Bows Same Day as Silent Bob".hive4media.com.Archivedfrom the original on March 4, 2002.RetrievedSeptember 9,2019.
- ^Love, Bret."Original Soundtrack - Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back".AllMusic.Archivedfrom the original on March 30, 2019.RetrievedMarch 30,2019.
- ^Armstrong, Mark (August 2, 2001)."GLAAD Strikes Back at 'Silent Bob'".eonline.com.Archivedfrom the original on August 13, 2009.RetrievedJune 2,2010.
- ^Ascher-Walsh, Rebecca (August 3, 2001)."GLAAD, Don't Get Mad".EW.com.Archived fromthe originalon April 21, 2009.RetrievedJune 2,2010.
- ^Smith, Kevin (July 31, 2001)."Some bad, bad news concerning me and GLAAD".viewaskew.com. Archived fromthe originalon March 1, 2010.RetrievedJune 2,2010.
- ^Alter, Ethan."CLERKS II".Film Journal International.RetrievedJune 27,2013.
External links
edit
- Jay and Silent Bob Strike BackatIMDb
- Jay and Silent Bob Strike BackatBox Office Mojo
- Jay and Silent Bob Strike BackatMetacritic
- Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back Filming Locationsat Movie Locations Guide
- Jay and Silent Bob Strike Backmovie stillsat Virtual History Film
