Kevin Smith: Too Fat to Fly?

Kevin Smith is one of my personal heroes. I've often talked about his movies, which quite honestly aren't for everyone, but for those of you who like me possess a certain sense of humor, they're great!

But he's also an amazing public speaker, and I saw him at one of his famous Q&A "evening with's" at the University of Hartford (poster above) about 5 years ago. Kevin often waxes hysterically about his personal experiences, and as a result we all know probably way too many details about his life.

So just this week, when I heard Kevin was kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight allegedly for being too fat, I thought "This is gonna make a great story!"

Sure enough, as soon as Kevin returned home from his Oakland to L.A. flight, he sat down with his wife Jen and recorded a 90-minute podcast that liberally smashes the errant airline. The "SModcast" (so named because it usually features Smith and his long-time producer Scott Mosier) is available for free from the website linked below.

Trust me, it's a really funny hour and a half, with Smith alternating between humorous rage and mock outrage. The place to get it is SModcast.com and you want to download or listen online to SModcast #106, "In which, surely, our hero is Too Fat To Fly. And don't call me Shirley."

And the music that plays in the background is, of course, the musical score to the film "Airplane". Obviously.

Oh, and it strikes me as a public relations bonanza for Smith, who's latest movie "Cop Out" is opening in a week or two. You can't BUY that kind of publicity!

10 Second Movie Reviews, Vol. 3

More reviews. And more spoilers. So don’t read beyond THIS point if you don’t want to find out that Adam Sandler doesn’t die in “Funny People”.

The Boat That Rocked (2009) - This could have been great. A “dramatic re-creation” of the Radio Caroline story. They should have made it a straight retelling of the saga instead of this lame fictionalization of it. It kind of sucked.

Overnight (2003) - Documentary about the biggest asshole in the film business. Troy Duffy struck Hollywood gold and got his movie made ("The Boondock Saints"), but he alienated so many important people by being a dick that he blew his shot and ended up in movie jail for a decade. Finally this year they let him direct the sequel. Let's see how he fucks this chance up.

Julia (2008) - Tilda Swinton is showcased in a fearless performance as a desperate kidnapper. With a huge drinking problem. Which makes her even more fun. Especially if you’re turned on by slutty drunken ginger scarecrows.

Doubt (2008) - Great fucking drama, but really, how can you go wrong with Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, AND Philip Seymour Hoffman in the same goddamned movie? Streep and Adams teamed up again in 2009 in "Julie & Julia", a tale of two woman who like food.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - Ridiculously overrated rags-to-riches (literally) story. OK, so you're poor and your whole life leads up to your winning a game show, we GET it!

My Dinner with Andre (1981) - I tried, I really did, to stay awake during this film because it was so highly rated and I like Mamet. It ended up being the most boring film I've watched since "Revolutionary Road". Fuck Andre and his fucking restaurant!

Revolutionary Road (2008) - Kids, don't get married!…or you might end up like Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in this 50s-based snooze fest. The good news is she croaks in the end. Leo finally gets his revenge on Kate for ending up like a human popsicle in “Titanic”.

RockNRolla (2008) - I kind of hate to admit it, but I fuckin’ LOVE Guy Ritchie movies! Well, except for “Sherlock Holmes”…that kinda sucked.

Funny People (2009) - It would have been a much better movie if it were true. And if Adam Sandler didn’t get cured of his supposedly fatal illness. Yes, I hate that guy.

Antichrist (2009) - Lars von Trier’s joyful tale about a charming couple and their precocious yet clumsy toddler. See what happens when the adorable little tyke decides to explore the world outside his crib. Heartwarming entertainment for the entire family!