Probably the dialogue Mr Smith will always be remembered for: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OQl89ewXvc Dante Hicks: You said you only had sex with three different guys; you never mentioned him! Veronica Loughran: Because I never HAD sex with him. Dante Hicks: You sucked his dick! Veronica Loughran: We went out a few times. We never had sex but we fooled around. Dante Hicks: Oh my God, WHY did you tell me you only had sex with three different guys? Veronica Loughran: Because I DID only have sex with three different guys; that doesn't mean I didn't just go with people. Dante Hicks: Oh my God, I feel so nauseous! Veronica Loughran: I'm sorry, Dante, I thought you understood! Dante Hicks: I did understand! I understood that you had sex with three different guys and that's all you said! Veronica Loughran: Please calm down. Dante Hicks: How many? Veronica Loughran: Dante... Dante Hicks: How many dicks have you sucked? Veronica Loughran: Let it go! Dante Hicks: How many? Veronica Loughran: All right, shut up a second and I'll tell you! Jesus! I didn't freak out like this when you told me how many girls you fucked! Dante Hicks: This is different, this is important. How many? [long pause as customer buys something] Dante Hicks: Well? Veronica Loughran: Something like... 36. Dante Hicks: What? Something like 36? Veronica Loughran: Lower your voice. Dante Hicks: Wait, what is that anyway, something like 36? Does that INCLUDE me? Veronica Loughran: Ummm... 37. Dante Hicks: I'm 37? Dante Hicks: 37! My girlfriend sucked 37 dicks! Customer with Diapers: In a row? Dante Hicks: [to Veronica] Hey, try not to suck any dick on the way through the parking lot!

Chasing Amy: The Star Wars is Racist Scene! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgTuarwFm6s&feature=related INT. COMIC BOOK CONVENTION LECTURE HALL - DAY HOOPER fills the frame. He comes off like a typical, pro- black/anti-white homeboy. HOOPER: For years in this industry whenever an African-American character - hero or villain - was introduced usually by white artists and writers - they got slapped with racist names that singled them out as negroes: Black Panther, Black Lightning, Black Goliath, Black Mantra, Black Talon, Black Spider, Black Hand, Black Falcon, Black Cat.. VOICE FROM CROWD: She's white. HOOPER: She is? (beat) Well bust this - regardless. We're at a panel discussion. The room is full. Five creators sit at a long table, their names on placards in front of them. (One of them is a very striking Girl.) The banner behind them reads: WORDS UP - MINORITY VOICES IN COMICS'. HOOPER (holds up comic): Now my book,'White-Hating Coon', doesn't have any of that bullshit. The hero's name is Maleekwa, and he's a descendant of the black tribe that established the first society on the planet, while all you European motherfuckers were still hiding in caves and, all terrified of the sun. He's a strong role model that a young black reader can look up to, .Cause I'm here to tell you - the chickens are comin' home to roost, ya'll: the black man's no longer gonna play the minstrel in the medium of comics and Sci-Fi/Fantasy! We're keeping it real, and we're gonna get respect - by any means necessary! During the speech, Holden and Banky enter and sit up front. HOLDEN (calling out): Bullshit! Lando Calrissian was a black man, and he got to fly the Millennium Falcon! Hooper whips his head around, looking for the source of the comment. HOOPER: Who said that?!? HOLDEN (standing): I did! Lando Calrissian is a positive black role model in the realm of Science Fiction/Fantasy. HOOPER: Fuck Lando Calrissian! Uncle Tom nigger! Always some white boy gotta invoke the holy trilogy'! Bust this - those movies are about how the white man keeps the brother man down - even in a galaxy far, far away. Check this shit. You got cracker farm-boy Luke Skywalker, Nazi poster boy - blond hair, blue eyes. And then you've got Darth Vader: the blackest brother in the galaxy. Nubian God. BANKY: What's a Nubian? HOOPER: Shut the fuck up! Now Vader, he's a spiritual brother, with the force and all that shit. Then this cracker Skywalker gets his hands on a light-saber, and the boy decides he's gonna run the fucking universe - gets a whole Klan of whites together, and they're gonna bust up Vader's hood the Death Star. Now what the fuck do you call that! BANKY: Intergalactic Civil War! HOOPER: Gentrification. They're gonna drive our the black element, to make the galaxy quote, unquote .safe' for white folks. HOLDEN: But Vader turns, out to be Luke's father. And in Jedi, they become friends. HOOPER: Don't make me bust a cap in your ass, yo! Jedi's the most insulting installment, because Vader's beautiful, black visage is sullied when he pulls off his mask to reveal a feeble, crusty white man! They're trying to tell us that deep inside, we all want to be white! BANKY: Well isn't that true! Hooper explodes, He pulls a nine millimeter from his belt, draws on Banky and fires. Banky goes down, falling forward into the crowd The crowd screams and starts to scatter, Hooper jumps over the table and raises his fists in the air. HOOPER: BLACK RAGE! BLACK RAGE!! I'LL KILL ANY WHITE FOLKS I LAY MY MOTHER FUCKIN' EYES ON!!! The crowd-is gone. Holden sits in his chair, laughing. Hooper steps off the stage and picks Banky's head up off the floor. HOOPER(breaking character): What's a Nubian!' Bitch, you almost made me laugh! Hooper sounds different Actually, he sounds gay. Actually - he is. Banky smiles. BANKY: Well what about you! You didn't tell me you were going to scream .Black Rage'. I nearly pissed myself.

Had a ton of trouble narrowing this down - glad these two above made it, they're absolutely necessary for this theme. I chose a couple, whatever works. The first two highlight Smith's ability to give my generation it's claim to a literary canon different than the one I learned in college (take THAT Shakespeare!) It's a pop culture canon that is no less important (one might argue more) to its characters and to the people who were at the absolute right age watching these movies. ...me. So a discussion of John Hughes movies has a built in wink-and-a-nod to those who can keep up, forming a bond between those who "get it" and those who don't. There's even a built in acknowledgement of this practice - sort of a split between the popular and the elite - in Jay referring to Silent Bob as 'Ebert' - the sophisticated critic who, for some reason, sees past a movie's use of T & A. Dogma Jay: [Bethany, Jay, and Silent Bob are sitting in a diner; the guys are staring at Bethany expectantly] So what's up? You have a friend for Silent Bob or are you just gonna do us both? If so, I'm first. I hate sloppy seconds. Bethany: You're a man of principle. Jersey's pretty far from McHenry, may I ask what brought you here? Jay: Some fuck named John Hughes. Bethany: "16 Candles" John Hughes? Jay: You know that guy too? That fuckin' guy. He made this flick, "16 Candles". Not bad, there's tits in it but no bush. But Ebert over here don't give a shit about that kind of thing, 'cause he's like, all in love with this John Hughes guy. [Silent Bob shakes his head with a "whatever" look on his face] Jay: He goes out and rents, like, every one of his movies. Fuckin' "Breakfast Club", where all these stupid kids actually show up for detention. Fuckin' "Weird Science", where this babe wants to take her gear off and get down, but oh no, she don't, 'cause it's a PG movie. And then "Pretty in Pink", which I can't even watch with this tubby bitch anymore 'cause every time he gets to the part where the redhead hooks up with her dream guy, he starts sobbin' like a little bitch with a skinned knee and shit. And there's nothing worse than watching a fuckin' fat man weep. [Silent Bob blows out his cigarette smoke angrily] Bethany: What exactly brought you to Illinois? Jay: See, all these movies take place in this small town called Shermer in Illinois, where all the honeys are top-shelf but all the dudes are whiny pussies. Except for Judd Nelson, he was fuckin' harsh. [he and Silent Bob bump fists] Jay: But best of all, there was no one dealin', man. And then it hits me: we could live like FAT rats if we were the blunt connection in Shermer, Illinois. So we collected some money we were owed and caught a bus. But you know what the fuck we found out when we got there? There IS no Shermer in Illinois. Movies are fuckin' bullshit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqYUVOHqTns This next scene is a further example of the above, it just makes me laugh like crazy (as does the later "Good Will Hunting 2" scene.) For Damon and Affleck, there is a playful acknowledgement, even as Oscar winners, of the varied content any actor or filmmaker will have in a career, and choosing to label people elite doesn't necessarily encapsulate them. Also, I love that they are part of the continuing development of the pop culture canon I mentioned above. For instance, at the end of his career, Affleck looks like he's going to be remembered as quite the director. And Gigli was his big 'terrible movie' as an actor, but he's had some fine performances (Chasing Amy, Changing Lanes) as well. But who's going to remember Reindeer Games, except those of us who watched in the theater? Yes. I did. It speaks to the necessary UN-timelessness of a lot of Smith's work. A teenager watching this movie, even if they were the same age as I was when I saw it, will probably think it's lame, because it doesn't reference things they have any idea about. I also think it's handled more deftly than a parody movie - as these references don't destroy the plot or anything, they're just allusions that give the audience an extra level of "part of the family." Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back Matt Damon: Just take it from "It's a good course." Ben Affleck: Oh, now you're the director. Matt Damon: Hey shove it, Bounce-boy. Let's remember who talked who into doing this shit in the first place. Talking me into Dogma was one thing, but this... Ben Affleck: Hey look, I'm sorry I dragged you away from whatever-gay-serial-killers-who-ride-horses-and-like-to-play-golf-touchy-feely-picture you're supposed to be doing this week. Matt Damon: I take it you haven't seen Forces of Nature? Ben Affleck: You're like a child. What've I been telling you? You gotta do the safe picture. Then you can do the art picture. But then sometimes you gotta do the payback picture because your friend says you owe him. [They both take a beat and look at the camera] And sometimes, you have to go back to the well. Matt Damon: And sometimes, you do Reindeer Games. Ben Affleck: See, that's just mean. I'd also probably enjoy seeing Banky's "figments of your fucking imagination" SAT question and Holden's confession of love from "Chasing Amy" but I'll leave it at that. :)

These are some of my favorites from Clerks. (1994) [talking about the second Death Star] Randal Graves: A construction job of that magnitude would require a helluva lot more manpower than the Imperial army had to offer. I'll bet there were independent contractors working on that thing: plumbers, aluminum siders, roofers. Dante Hicks: Not just Imperials, is what you're getting at... Randal Graves: Exactly. In order to get it built quickly and quietly they'd hire anybody who could do the job. Do you think the average storm trooper knows how to install a toilet main? All they know is killing and white uniforms. Dante Hicks: All right, so even if independent contractors are working on the Death Star, why are you uneasy with its destruction? Randal Graves: All those innocent contractors hired to do a job were killed - casualties of a war they had nothing to do with. [notices Dante's confusion] Randal Graves: All right, look-you're a roofer, and some juicy government contract comes your way; you got the wife and kids and the two-story in suburbia - this is a government contract, which means all sorts of benefits. All of a sudden these left-wing militants blast you with lasers and wipe out everyone within a three-mile radius. You didn't ask for that. You have no personal politics. You're just trying to scrape out a living. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGOVbXF7Iog&feature=related Dante Hicks: It wasn't me. Caitlin Bree: [scoffs] Yeah, right. What was it, then? Randal? Dante Hicks: [to Randal] Was it you? Randal Graves: I was up here the whole time. Caitlin Bree: You two better quit it. Dante Hicks: I'm serious. Caitlin Bree: Oh, so, we didn't just have sex in the bathroom? Dante Hicks: No. Caitlin Bree: Stop it. This isn't funny. Dante Hicks: I'm not fooling around. I just came in from outside. Caitlin Bree: This isn't fucking funny, Dante! Dante Hicks: I'm not kidding! [to Randal] Dante Hicks: Who went back there? Randal Graves: Nobody, I swear! Caitlin Bree: I feel nauseous. Dante Hicks: Are you sure there was someone back there? Caitlin Bree: Well, I didn't just fuck myself! Jesus Christ! God, I'm gonna be sick! Randal Graves: You just fucked a total stranger? Dante Hicks: Shut the fuck up! Caitlin Bree: I can't believe this. Dante Hicks: Call the police! Caitlin Bree: No, don't! Randal Graves: Why? Dante Hicks: Because there's a stranger in our bathroom and he just raped Caitlin! Randal Graves: She said she did all the work. Dante Hicks: Will you shut the fuck up! Who the fuck's in our bathroom? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDYj5ChFwbU Smith was one of the most original voices in the early 90s. It's fun to go back and rewatch his work when he wasn't bogged down with studio red tape and notes...