Celebrity Feuds
Smith vs. Siegel -- Round 2

Kevin Smith & Joel SiegelFor a movie he didn't like, film critic Joel Siegel is sure helping "Clerks 2" gain some publicity ... though it's not necessarily good. According to Kevin Smith's MySpace blog and Page Six, Siegel made the unprofessional move of disruptively storming out of a press screening for the new film. Both critic and filmmaker were on CBS Radio's "Opie and Anthony Show" this morning and the fight raged on.

"There's no reason I wanted to listen to anymore of it, I stood up and got a little carried away," Siegel said of his reaction to the film. The critic continued to defend himself on the radio show, apparently not realizing that he was talking to the director himself until 10 minutes into the tirade.

Smith refused to back down though saying, "You're a paid professional,sir, it's your job to sit there and watch a movie and review it, that's what you get paid for. It's one thing to walk out and if you don't want to do your job, fine, I understand the movie's not your cup of tea."

Siegel did note that he told Page Six he thought Kevin Smith was a very good filmmaker and he thought the original "Clerks" was one of the most important films of all time, something the gossip page forgot to mention. He also made a semi-apology, "If you'd like an apology, I'm glad to apologize. This was indeed the first movie I've walked out on in 30 years. If there's a second movie I walk out on, I'll be much quieter."

The film opens this Friday.

Listen to Smith & Siegel on CBS Radio



Tags: Joel Siegel, JoelSiegel, Kevin Smith, KevinSmith

Reader Comments

(Page 2 of 3) Previous 15 Comments | 1 | 2 | 3 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

16. Sue, downtowngirl, and CANDY: you ignorant sluts.

Posted at 5:32PM on Jul 20th 2006 by Heather

17. of course you would agree with the first post. go watch devil wears prada then get back in the kitchen.

Posted at 8:13PM on Jul 20th 2006 by yourmomsbox

18. This is why movie critics should be an endangered species. I understand their potential role of helping a movie out and I think Joel did just that with his reaction (pubicity!). However, If he didn't walk out on Ishtar or Gigli, how could he possibly understand what kind of movie people ARE willing to sit through. Kevin Smith's movies identify with an ever-growing population of America and I guess that Siegel is not one of them. If he is unwilling to expand his tolerance thresholds to understand the world that I live in for the sake of his job, then he should consider reporting on gardening events or start his own show called "Movies for people who piss themselves." If Siegel really holds the first Clerks as high as he claims then he should have considered that 'down payment' on his butt staying in his chair for the entire 97 minutes. I'm sure there are copies of Wild, Wild West at the video store that you could somehow sit through again. Enjoy the spider!

God loves Kevin Smith and so should you!

Posted at 10:12AM on Jul 21st 2006 by Chris Ransom

19. that's ok. not everyone gets jokes.

Posted at 8:04PM on Jul 21st 2006 by Guy

20. I agree with Marquis. Should chicks criticize the comfort level of jock straps? No. The target audience should be the ones to review the movie. This is why more and more studios are not letting critics see movies before they are released. Critics moan when a studio does this and then act like this when they have access to a film that they don't want to see in the first place.

Posted at 9:09PM on Jul 21st 2006 by Paul

21. Snootchi Bootchies Bishes, Down with the siegel beagel.

Posted at 11:01AM on Jul 22nd 2006 by Jason

22. Kevin Smith is one of the best writer directors of our generation. His directorial tradecraft may be basic, but that takes nothing away from his brilliant dialogue. Well written and poignent, with a level of humor that delves into the gutter on occasion, or more often. Kevin captures the essence of the average conversations between friends in the late-twenties, early-thirties demographic.
I for one applaud him for his work and eagerly await his next film.

Posted at 11:52AM on Jul 22nd 2006 by Jay

23. Kevin Smith ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Joels Seigal looks like a walking turd, with those yellow teeth and that big ass f*cking red nose. ILU Kevin! (but I want to bone Jay)

Posted at 7:43PM on Jul 22nd 2006 by Meredith

24. 'Kevin Smith is wayyyyyyyyy overated."

learn to spell overrated, Kevin Smith does put intellectual humor into his movies, probably went right over your head though.

Smith owned Siegel in that interview, it's definitely time to retire for Siegel.

Posted at 12:59AM on Jul 23rd 2006 by OptimusPrime

25. Kevin Smith is wonderful and talented and funny. Joel Siegel is just a corporate shill. I don't give a shit what he says. I never have. In fact, his thumbs up is a guarantee of movie sucking (yes I know thats not a real word). But he's paid by the people who make the worst movies... what can he do? He had the balls to stand up to Smith. Good one Joel Siegel.

Ash

Posted at 8:52PM on Jul 23rd 2006 by ash

26. I saw Clerks 2 and it's hilarious. The problem with critics like Siegel is that they're too far detached from what the 18-40 audience is looking for in a movie!!! If I wanted to know how a movie about World War II was, I would ask Joel Siegel... but a Kevin Smith movie?!?! I wouldn't reccomend it to my Grandmother and I certainly wouldn't reccomend it to Siegel. As far as the professionalism... if I walk off my job, I get fired!!!

Posted at 9:40PM on Jul 23rd 2006 by Kristina

27. Marquis, the reason is that smart, young people are too busy making movies or doing anything else. Critics tend to be people that have failed at their profession and are resigned to criticising because they have some knowledge of it.

Posted at 4:08AM on Jul 24th 2006 by infinitespecter

28. Siegel is old school. Did he not see Porky's, American Pie 1, 2,3, 4?
Apparenlty when people get old~they get dumb and arrogant as well.
If an Intern had got up and left dring the screening of the movie, then he or she would have been fired witihin hours.
Listen to the radio interview and hear Siegel "hold-no-water" the entire disput.
DEW-FUS!

Posted at 12:45PM on Jul 27th 2006 by Paulo

29. i have noticed that most negative comments towards the clerks 2 movie have come from women and old men who think they have far to much class to watch a movie like this. I for one loved the movie just cause it pisses people off. Christians a few prude women and upity people only make the movie that much more funnier. So i say thank you and keep on bitchin

Posted at 4:19PM on Jul 28th 2006 by Justin

30. Kevin Smith will win this battle, Joel Siegle was child-like and rude and should be ashamed.

Posted at 5:28PM on Jul 28th 2006 by Hill

Previous 15 Comments | 1 | 2 | 3 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments