Kevin Smith brings stoner heroes to Washington

Filmmaker, podcaster and noted weed enthusiast Kevin Smith rebooted his own life after a heart attack nearly killed him in 2018. He drastically changed his diet and a significant amount of weight before setting his sights on his latest cinematic adventure, “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot”. While the physical transformation was profound, the slimmer Smith still makes ridiculous movies about foul-mouthed stoners. Fans can see “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot” alongside Smith when the “Reboot Roadshow” arrives at the Olympia’s Capitol Theater on Jan. 14 and the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox in Spokane on Jan. 15. Smith and collaborator/co-star Jason Mewes will speak and host one of his famed Q&As after the screenings. Jay (Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) are officially Hollywood icons, as the fictional Jersey weed dealers recently received their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Smith’s former cinematic muse, Ben Affleck, even delivered a heartfelt speech at the ceremony. The characters appear in many of Smith’s most beloved films, including his directorial debut, 1994’s “Clerks,” as well as “Mallrats,” “Chasing Amy,” “Dogma,” “Clerks II,” and, of course, their own filthy, star-studded epic, “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.” Though he starred as one-half of a famous duo in the ’90s and 2000s, Smith’s personal adoration for weed came much later, while Jay and Silent Bob took a long hiatus from the big screen. It certainly seems like marijuana factored into Smith’s more recent movie efforts, which have included the bizarre body horror entry, “Tusk” in 2014, and 2016’s “Yoga Hosers,” about little Canadian Bratwurst Nazi monsters. Really. Marijuana remains a passion for the rebooted, post-heart attack Smith, and, prior to the October premiere of “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot,” he and Mewes became legal weed dealers through a partnership with Caviar Gold. They launched three Jay and Bob-branded products – the sativa “Berserker,” hybrid “Snootchie Bootchies” and the indica “Snoogans.” Known for his connection to fans, Smith has taken an unorthodox approach to releasing “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot” in theaters. The film screened for just two nights in October as a Fathom Event in national theater chains, including at Regal Cinemas in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene. Since then Smith has been doing Q&A alongside screenings across the country, with Mewes joining him on several dates of the “Reboot Roadshow.” At the Spokane event, both Mewes and Smith will talk about the making of the movie, take questions, and meet with fans as part of several VIP ticket package options. Longtime fans looking for a “classic View Askewniverse” experience will be pleased with “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot,” which purposefully retreads plot elements of “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” while also satirizing Hollywood’s obsession with reboots, sequels, remakes and superhero flicks. Though it still contains an aggressive amount of crude humor, “Reboot” is also surprisingly introspective and heartfelt, with Smith’s own daughter, Harley Quinn Smith, appearing in a key supporting performance. Silent Bob still doesn’t speak much, but the director has a second role in the film that’s much chattier. Also, as revealed in the film’s marketing, many friendly faces from View Askew drop in, including Matt Damon and Jason Lee, and a few other “weed icons,” like Tommy Chong, Method Man and Redman appear. And it turns out Affleck is not only the bomb in “Phantoms,” but also “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.”