Jay and Silent Bob Grow Old

Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes, aka Silent Bob and Jay, rolled through Durham yesterday for a show at the Carolina Theatre. I'm a huge fan of Kevin Smith's films, particularly Dogma, which I consider to be a masterwork. So, I caught the show.

As I'd read before going, basically the two of them sit around and talk for two hours. Smith conceived of the show in part as a kind of talking therapy for Mewes, who is trying to stay clean and sober after addictions to heroin and opiates in pill form. (As of last night's performance, Mewes had 717 days clean and sober; well done, Jason!) Though I'm far more interested in what Smith has to say than Mewes's contribution, I applaud the idea behind the show.

Photo courtesy of Steve. Click on it to see a larger image.

It was, all said, a lot of fun. They told stories, read from Twitter responses, and enacted various scenarios. Mewes's twitchy presence is a striking contrast to Smith's more polished presentation, but the bond between the two is clear and strong.

They talked about sex--a lot--and each other and shared experiences. The one thing they almost never discussed, however, was filmmaking. If your goal is to learn from Kevin Smith the writer and director, you will not be happy.

With that caveat, I can recommend the show to those who like the work of these guys and who don't mind (or, of course, who seek) a raunchy evening.