h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Saturday I went to see "Dogma." I must admit there were fewer cameos than I was expecting, (although there were plenty). Brian O'Halloran returns as a reporter (last name of Hicks, for the third time. Is this a running gag?) Dwight Ewell (Hooper from "Chasing Amy") shows up as well. Ethan Suplee appears under too much makeup as The Golgothan.
Kudos to Alanis for a sweet performance as God. Alan Rickman delivers an unexpected turn as an nice angel, after playing such sinister villans as the Sheriff of Nottingham in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" and the terrorist Hans Gruber in "Die Hard."
All of the other performances (stable actors or new major names) were very up to snuff. I have no complaints. The big name cast and impressive visuals are a true testament (no pun intended) to Kevin's quality as a film maker.
For more information about the Kevin Smith Universe, I recommend reading the "Jay and Silent Bob" comics, a four part series that explares their exploits between "Chasing Amy" and "Dogma." Also of note, there is a "Clerks" TV series scheduled for 2000, with the cast from the first movie reprising their roles. I have heard rumor that the funeral scene will be included in this version.

Thanks for the additional info Captain. If you don't mind I might incorperate it into my article. I saw Dogma opening night and was truly pleased. I was even impressed with Chris Rock's character, I usually do not like him. I will soon be updating this article with a sysopsis of Dogma and I will add the actors names I am missing. Thanks again for those You get a credit from me on that. I was also pleased to see "Randall" come back, as he did not have any other cameos that I ever picked up on in the last two movies. As for a clerks series on tv? I don't think they could do it well as the actors have aged considerably and the language while foul at times in the movie is somthing of a defining feature of it. "37.... My Girlfriend s****d 37 d***s" etc. would be very unappropriate on TV but is one of the things you remember from the movie. But it is always interesting to see movie to tv spinnoffs, they can work at times.

I think they were planning on having the show on HBO, so language wouldn't be a problem as such. Pluss they were going to resurrect the expurgated funeral scene from the movie, (I thought) so aging of the actors might not be as noticible. Maybe it would even be animated. (That scene from "Chasing Amy" seems a little more plausible with that in mind now...)
For more info on those cameos I recommend www.imdb.com -the internet movie database. (Is that legal in here?)

I'm not going to be reading this forum until after Boxing Day (when the film is released here in the UK), but I do admire Kevin Smith's work, esp. "Clerks".
Did you know you can get all sorts of Silent Bob & Jay merchendising (silly question!) The model Silent Bob & Jay are very cool (by McFarlane Toys I think...?)

For news and information about Kevin Smith projects go to http://www.newsaskew.com The Clerks series is actually animated - not a live action one, although Brian and Jeff are reprising their roles in the sense that they provide the voice-overs for Dante and Randal.

Kevin Smith:
co-executive produced Good Will Hunting

Wrote scripts for:
Six Million Dollar Man, Superman Lives & Reborn

Written comic-strips of:
Silent Bob & Jay
1st 8 issues of Marvel's "Daredevil"

Owns a comic-store with Jason Mewes - who plays Jay.

And originally intended to play Randall in Clerks, and NOT Silent Bob

The Hicks last name is to imply relation I believe. Two characters dropped out of the cycle.

Jay and Silent Bob are in all four movies.

A Hicks popped up in all four.

Walt Flannagan was in all four.

However, the Jones sister was not in this one, and neither was Rick Derris. They were slacking on their continuity. Or perhaps the world was blessed and Rick Derris died of an STD.

Joey Lauren-Adams was in two of the films. I seem to recall seeing Kevin Smiths name on Good Will Hunting. I will have to add that as well. I am getting ready to rewrite the peice soon and I will give you all credit for the assist. Marv

Yes, Kevin Smith was co-executive producer. The story with Good Will Hunting goes something like this.

Matt Damon wrote a one-act play that never got put on. It was pretty good, and ol' Ben Affleck catches a wiff of it.

Ben has been inspired by Keven Smith's recent success and helps Matt write it into a film. Kevin takes it to Harvey Wienstein at Miramax, and thus a great film is born. I think they say about Harvey Wienstein, his defication does not have an unpleasant aroma, or something like that.

Joey-Lauren Adams played in Mallrats. Silent Bob kept busting in on her in changing rooms. Consequently Kevin and Joey fell in love, and Chasing Amy was written for her.

My mind is blanking here and I can't believe it. Joey's charater in Mallrats has the same last name as the one of the characters from Clerks. Joey's character in Chasing Amy has that same last name. I think this is a family, like the Hicks family who is obviously all over New Jersey.

Hi, Just thought I'd pop in and explain the whole "Joey's character thing" It goes like this. In Clerks, the girl in the scene was playing Heather Jones, and when introduced to Derris, he responded, "Holy S#1T, You're Alyssa's sister?"... Flash forward to Mallrats, (or backward if you want to stick with continuity) where Heather's younger sister Tricia Jones(a.k.a. Trish the dish) is currently working on her debut novel. (Joey Lauren Adams, plays a girl named Gwen Turner) And finally we move on to Chasing Amy, where Joey plays a straight-lesbian named Alyssa Jones. who mentions that Rick Derris used to "bug my sisters, look for porno tapes in my dad's closet and raid our fridge." Oddly enough there's no mention of any of them in Dogma. Oh well, perhaps they'll pop up in Clerks 2 when that comes out... (oh and an interesting side note. In Amy, when Alyssa and Holden are fighting outside the hockey rink, she spouts off about having sex with Gwen turner in the back of a limo at senior prom. So, since Joey played both Gwen and Alyssa..... ) Well, i obviously spend too much time watching Kevin's movies so I'm gonna stop rambling and head up to Red Bank and bask in the wonderous glow of the Garden State.
-The Monkey has spoken-

Wow and I thought I has rather obsessive. Again more good info. Thanks.

I thought there were references to both of their characters from Mallrats in that scene. There are a million little references like those in the movies.

Oh, here's some more info for your article.

Kevin Smith published a script book that has Clerks, Chasing Amy and notes. Kevin Smith also worked on "Spike, Mike, Slackers and Dykes" which is considered the bible of independent film. Kevin Smith can be seen reading that book in Mallrats when they are in the bookstore, and Jay is reading the porno mag.

There are also references to the chick witht he embalism popping in her brain in Clerks and a line about Alyssa (circa Chassing Amy) sleeping with Shannon Hamilton (which is really funny if you remember that Ben played Shannon Hamilton too!)

~Beeblefish

Hey marv ...

I'm surprised you havent mentioned anything about Troops or Trooper Clerks in here . . .

Errrrrm, I thought the I would leave that alone as it is a whole different ball of wax. I have both troops and trooper clerks, but as Kevin Smith did not direct them I left it out. Kevin Smith has a love for Starwars though.

The Hicks characters are all cousins. I read that on the website for Dogma, which is really cool.

What order does everyone put Smith's movies by how much they like them? From best to worst, mine are: Clerks, Dogma, Mallrats, Chasing Amy.

Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Mallrats.

Clerks, Dogma, Chasing Amy, Mallrats

Chasing Amy clear first. Dogma and Clerks equal second. Mallrats a close third. However, I reckon Mallrats is the funniest of his films...