brandonsears

It's been 10 years since I watched my first Kevin Smith movie. Since then, I've seen all of his films, read all of his books and graphic novels, listened to hundreds of episodes of shows contained on the SModcast network and taken in two live shows. Therefore, it's fair to say that I'm a pretty big fan of his. With that information, it's hard to feel like I'm really reviewing this book given my massive bias. I'm going to give it a shot though.

I knew that even before I picked up this memoir/motivational book, I was going to be confronted with stories and events that I already know a great deal about. If anything, Smith is known by his fans for being incredibly transparent. So much so that no aspect of his life ever seems to be off limits for discussion (look for the chapter when he discusses - in detail - his sexual exploits with one Jennifer Schwalbach, his wife). Given that I generally enjoy going for long walks with my iPod (which I've renamed iSMod - I know, I know), I spend the majority of those long walks listening to him talk about everything from his recent physical (in incredible detail, mind you) to his life-altering obsession with Wayne Gretzky.

I already knew all about topics like the Red State development, the incident on South West and the story about his Dad's passing but he makes it all seem fresh. There's something to be said about his writing - it's pretty effortless.

Despite the fact that with the exception of a few select films in Clerks, Clerks 2, Chasing Amy and Red State, he's usually publically lambasted by critics for his poor efforts. When facing those oh so important opinions whenever he approaches a new direction in life, he often needs to find a way to remain positive.

After answering several questions on Twitter, he had the idea to write a full book dispensing his advice for those who seek it. A self-help or motivational book makes perfect sense for Smith, so it's a wonder he hasn't done this already. Granted, he'll be the first person to tell you that he certainly isn't perfect but he'll also let you know that if he can achieve his dreams then so can you.