Saturday, April 28, 7 & 11 p.m.
Codfish Hollow Barn, 5013 288th Avenue, Maquoketa IA
One of the most beloved forces in comedy, comic books, movies, and podcasting visits Maquoketa's Codfish Hollow Barn for two April 28 performances of An Evening with Kevin Smith – 7 and 11 p.m. presentations and Q&A sessions featuring the legendary, baseball-cap-wearing indie filmmaker, author, and “Silent Bob” icon.
Born in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 1970, Smith first came to international prominence with his 1994 low-budget comedy Clerks, now considered one of the most influential films of its decade. To finance the movie, Smith maxed out more than a dozen credit cards, sold his treasured comic book collection, and raised $27,575, with friends and acquaintances cast in the major roles. Clerks was eventually screened at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Filmmaker's Trophy, and at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won both the Prix de la Jeunesse and the International Critics' Week Prize. The film went on to earn $3.1 million and emerge as a true cult classic, and also introduced to world to his and co-star Jason Mewes' alter egos Jay and Silent Bob, who have appeared in numerous other Smith entertainments and are showcased in comics, TV series, music videos, and the in-development video game Jay & Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch.
Smith's follow-up films have included Mallrats, Chasing Amy (for which he won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay), Dogma, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, Dogma, and Clerks 2, all of which were set primarily in his home state of New Jersey. He also directed and produced films such as the action comedy Cop Out, the horror film Red State, and the horror comedy Tusk, and is the owner of Jay & Silent Bob's Secret Stash – a Red Bank-based comic-book store that is the subject of the reality-TV series Comic Book Men. As a podcaster, Smith co-hosts several shows on his own Smodcast Podcast Network including Smodcast, Fatman on Batman, and the live show Hollywood Babble-On, and as of 2001, he's become well-known for his live An Evening with Kevin Smith presentations in which the artist discusses his movie-industry beginnings, how different films came about, and his relationships with the media, fans, and other celebrities.
Tickets to both the 7 and 11 p.m. presentations of An Evening with Kevin Smith are $30-35, and more information and reservations are available by visiting CodfishHollowBarnstormers.com.
