Fans of comedies like Clerks,"" ""Mallrats,"" ""Dogma"" and ""Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"" are no strangers to the works of Kevin Smith. As a young screenwriter, Smith made his mark with his unique brand of irreverent, brash and self-reflexive humor, and over the course of a decade he carved out a place for himself as a major writer/director as well as a connoisseur of comics and ""Star Wars."" Smith bars no information and spares no details in his autobiography ""My Boring-Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith,"" his latest foray from film to writing.
While the title accurately suggests Smith's willingness to spill all the juicy (and sometimes uncomfortable) private details of his life, the reader will discover the life of Kevin Smith is anything but boring.
The diary documents the day-to-day activities of the cult-favorite filmmaker for almost two years, spanning some of his major films, his best friend's struggle with drug addiction and a personal loss through Smith's witty repartee and unique storytelling.
Smith begins on the brink of the re-release of ""Mallrats,"" one of his most well-known and successful movies of the early '90s. As he finishes the final extended cut, Smith lands his first major role as an actor in a major film. After extensive discussion with his cast of equally quirky family members - his wife Jen, to whom he affectionately refers by her last name Schwalbach, his daughter Harley (otherwise known to Smith as Quinnster) and his live-in in-laws - Smith opts to climb out of the director's chair and migrate to Vancouver to co-star as Sam in the unlikely chick-flick ""Catch and Release.""
He wraps the movie and moves straight on to the production of the highly anticipated ""Clerks II,"" sequel to the low-budget ""Clerks,"" which Smith wrote more than a decade ago, putting him on the map as an up-and-coming filmmaker. Based on Smith's own experiences working at a convenience store in New Jersey with childhood buddy Jason Mewes, ""Clerks"" set the tone for all his movies to follow. However, years later, Smith was too in demand to make the shoot go off without a hitch. After several postponements so Smith could fulfill other engagements, shooting finally began.
Smith guides readers through the pre-production, filming and post-production of ""Clerks II"" and introduces them to a variety of industry insiders, producers and actors. He goes from discussing Mark Hamill's poetry reading fundraiser to his radio interviews with Stan Lee and Frank Miller. Smith also delves into his feature ""Star Wars"" article in Rolling Stone, a home visit from Zach Braff and his detailed phone conversation with Quentin Tarantino.
In the book, life isn't all fun and games for Smith. His celebrity friends and commercial success can't prevent the passing of Jen's uncle Ted or his best friend's recurring struggles with a very serious drug problem.
The delightfully cheeky Smith incorporates his same script-writing prowess and crass sense of humor into this page-turning autobiography. Although Smith's incredible inclusion of daily routines can drag at times, he makes up for it with witty observations, incessant sarcasm and insight into Hollywood through the eyes of one of its own. Seeing life through the eyes of Kevin Smith proves he is far from boring.
