5 Best Movies Ever Made, According to Kevin Smith

Director Kevin Smith rose to prominence with his 1994 film Clerks, a low-budget indie that’s now regarded as a cult classic. Since then, he’s become one of the most popular and well-known directors in Hollywood. Smith’s movies are known for their irreverent comedy, verbose dialogue, New Jersey settings, and inclusion of geek culture, particularly Star Wars, comic books, and all things Stan Lee. His films also share a canonical universe and feature various crossover elements and characters. Smith’s most famous recurring characters by far are the stoner drug-dealing duo, Jay and Silent Bob, played respectively by Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith himself. Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back — these are all quintessential and iconic Kevin Smith movies.

Even Hollywood’s biggest directors once started out as movie fans. Like us, many of them were captivated by remarkable, well-crafted films that influenced their career paths and fueled their creativity. Every director has a list of favorite movies, and the Clerks director is no exception. Here are Kevin Smith’s top 5 favorite movies of all time.

5

‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ (1988)

The Last Temptation of Christ is a religious epic by legendary director, Martin Scorsese. Adapted from the eponymous 1955 novel, The Last Temptation of Christ stars Willem Dafoe as Jesus Christ and captures his life’s story, from devilish temptations, to struggles with fear and doubt, to his crucifixion on the cross. The Last Temptation of Christ attracted controversy for its sensitive subject matter and for focusing on the very human side of Jesus.

Despite that, it received positive reviews from some critics and religious leaders. And also from Kevin Smith. When speaking to Far Out about The Last Temptation of Christ, Smith said, “It’s just a fantastic Martin Scorsese picture. Great performances in it. The first portrayal of Christ where I was like, ‘Wow, this might be what it was like.’”

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4

‘Do the Right Thing’ (1989)

In Do the Right Thing, tensions escalate among a diverse cast of characters on a scorching-hot day in Brooklyn. Although it wasn’t Spike Lee’s directorial debut, Do the Right Thing launched Spike’s career and put him on the map. It also established future A-list stars, such as Samuel L. Jackson, John Turturro, and Martin Lawrence. To this day, Do the Right Thing is widely considered Spike Lee’s best film.

It’s no surprise that this low-budget indie film, with its distinct auteur style, caught the eye of an indie filmmaker like Kevin Smith. He praised the film in his conversation with Far Out, calling it, “one of the movies that made me want to get into the movies as well.” This 1989 classic particularly influenced Smith’s first film, Clerks, which hit theaters just 4 years later. “That movie informed Clerks to a large degree: it takes place all in one day, in one particular block, in one very specific city,” he told Far Out.

3

‘A Man for All Seasons’ (1966)

A Man for All Seasons

Release Date

December 16, 1966

Runtime

120 Minutes

Director

Fred Zinnemann

Writers

Robert Bolt

A Man for All Seasons is one film that you wouldn’t expect to find on Kevin Smith’s shortlist of favorite movies, though it makes more sense once you read what he has to say about it. Adapted from the play of the same name, this historical drama tells the story of Sir Thomas More, who opposed King Henry VIII when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church in order to divorce and remarry.

A Man For All Seasons was a critical and commercial success that claimed the Oscar for Best Picture, though it may feel old, dry, and long-winded to modern viewers. But not to Kevin Smith. “A Man For All Seasons is basically porn for people who love dialogue,” he told Far Out. “It’s always appealed to me. Absolutely fell in love with it because it’s wall-to-wall language, with compelling performances.” It makes sense, given Smith’s love for witty, verbose dialogue in his own films.

2

‘JFK’ (1991)

JFK

Release Date

December 20, 1991

Runtime

189 minutes

Writers

Oliver Stone, Zachary Sklar, Jim Garrison, Jim Marrs

JFK isn’t a biopic about President John F. Kennedy. Rather, it’s a political thriller that captures the investigation into John F. Kennedy’s assassination, examining everything from the notorious Zapruder footage, to the grassy knoll, to the magic bullet. The film was controversial at the time for peddling a long-believed conspiracy that the US government assassinated Kennedy and used his killer, Lee Harvey Oswald, as a scapegoat. Directed by Oliver Stone, JFK stars Kevin Costner, who plays the district attorney overseeing the investigation.

Despite its controversy, JFK was a commercial and critical success. “Brilliant writing. Brilliant performances. Fantastic editing,” Smith told Far Out. “That is the most well-edited film I have ever seen in my life.” And he’s not the only one who believes that. JFK won two Academy Awards that year, including for Best Film Editing.

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1

‘Jaws’ (1975)

Jaws

Release Date

June 20, 1975

Runtime

124 minutes

Writers

Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb

Producers

David Brown

Based on the eponymous 1974 novel, Jaws takes place in a New England beach town that’s being terrorized by an enormous, man-eating shark. Determined to end its reign of terror, a ragtag crew is assembled to hunt and kill the great white shark, which includes local police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), marine biologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), and eccentric shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw). Jaws was only the third film by a young, up-and-coming filmmaker by the name of Steven Spielberg. And it forever changed the scope of cinema.

A massive commercial success, Jaws is widely regarded as the first Hollywood blockbuster, creating the blueprint that Hollywood has followed over the last 50 years. Jaws is also known as one of the greatest films ever made, a milestone that birthed one of cinema’s most significant pioneers. Kevin Smith has repeatedly called Jaws his favorite movie of all time. He was apparently just five years old when he saw the film for the first time, watching it with his parents at a drive-through theater. It had a profound impact on the young Smith, forging his career path. “Come on, it’s common sense. Jaws is a fantastic film. Jaws is the first one that made a deep, deep impression.”

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