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(Prelude: Empireonline.com offer a blog service. Sadly, it doesn’t reach many people. But it is a good place to blog after just reading an interesting movie news story. Here are my ramblings.)

From: 05 August 2008

So I’ve been reading “Silent Bob Speaks”, the collection of articles written by Kevin Smith for various publications and it gave me a craving for more from the fat man. I decided to throw on Mallrats and I was taken back. Only, this was a Mallrats that I couldn’t remember experiencing before. I’ve seen the film before but I guess I’ve never taken it in as much as I did this time.

Was it the endless comic book references? Maybe, over the past few years since I last saw ‘Rats I’ve certainly developed my taste for all things geek. The wonderfully written dialogue that just rolls so seemlessly off the characters as they talk about various super-hero libidos and Superman’s super-spunk that if he fertilized a mere mortal Lois Lane, as soon as she put on her base tan the baby Supes would judo kick her across the room. The Wyle Coyote style blue-prints, the crudeness of Jay, the references to yet more geek favourites, all these combine to the genius of such a film.

Coupled with the writing and direction of Smith, whose candid columns have given me a new perspective and respect for the legend just go down to making this and the other films icons in cinema history. Sure Mallrats wasn’t well recieved when it hit the cinema’s but if Father Time has taught us anything it’s that box office flop + cult director = internet hype + dvd sales.

Since ‘Rats I’ve revisited Clerks and am lining up Dogma for the weekend. Why not join me in homage to the man who will soon be bringing us another of his wacky delights in Zack & Miri Make A Porno staring the beautiful Seth Rogen.

Much rock,