1953-1963 On the corner of 58 Leonard Ave. Leonardo, New Jersey, is a building that first holds two (1953), then three stores, including the future RST Video (1957). It was later expanded to include an apartment and what would later become the Quick Stop Groceries (1963).
08/02/1970 Kevin Patrick Smith is born in Red Bank, NJ. He would be raised in Highlands, NJ.
1984-1988 Smith attends Harry Hudson Regional High School. Meets Brian Johnson, Jason Mewes, and Walt Flannigan. Befriends Johnson and Flannigan, but hesitates on friending Mewes due to his youth.
1988 Smith graduates High School. Began working at a youth center. Soon befriends Mewes because they both love comics (and also because Smith thinks he's funny).
1988-1991 Smith lands job at RST Video/Quick Stop. Smith is happy because he can now watch movies while getting paid.
08/02/1991 Smith's 21st birthday. He travels to New York where he watches the movie "Slackers" and becomes inspired to make his own movie.
02/27/1992 Smith applied to Vancouver Film School and was accepted. Meets Scott Mosier and Dave Kline.
Mid 1992 While on break, Smith/Mosier/Kline try to make a documentary in NJ, but fail. Mosier/Kline go back to Vancouver. Smith drops out & begins working at the Quick Stop again. Smith starts writing "Clerks" (originally called "Inconvenience"). He also has ideas for a movie called "God".
12/08/1992 First draft of Clerks is complete.
12/12/1992 A Nor'easter flooded NJ. Smith's home is flooded/car is totaled. He received $3,000 from FEMA.
03/19/1993 Auditions for Clerks at First Avenue Playhouse. Smith meets Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson.
04/15/1993 Production begins with Smith/Mosier/Kline/O'Halloran/Anderson/Mewes/Johnson/etc. at the Quick Stop and RST Video Store.
05/06/1993 Production ends. Clerks is edited inside the RST Video store. Clerks put Smith $27,575 in debt.
10/03/1993 1st Clerks Screening @ Angelika Film Center on Sun 11am for the IFFM . Empty.
10/1993 Bob Hawk sees Clerks, recommends it to Peter Broderick who recommends it to Amy Taubin. Taubin calls Smith/asks for a copy of Clerks. Broderick calls Smith/Tells John Pierson about Clerks.
10/15/1993 Smith writes a $50 check to the Sundance Film Festival.
10/20/1993 Mark Tusk from Miramax fax's Kevin about Clerks. Wants to see movie. Asks about Sundance.
10/26/1993 Taubin's article on Clerks is published.
Early 11/1993 Smith gets call from Pierson. Pierson likes Clerks, but doesn't know if the audience exists for it.
11/12/1993 Pierson calls Smith again. Hawk and Pierson advises Smith to cut the ending.
11/1993 Tusk sets of a screening of Clerks for Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein walked out after 15 minutes.
01/22/1994 First Sundance Screening. Full house. Lots of laughs.
01/28/1994 Final Sundance Screening. Weinstein attends and sees it plays well with an audience. Weinstein offers to buy Clerks from Smith for $227,000. Smith would keep Jay & Bob characters so he could put them in another movie.
05/12/1994 First Cannes International Film Festival screening.
05/23/1994 Final Cannes screening.
10/4-11/1994 MPAA rates Clerks NC-17. Miramax appeals and rating is brought down to an R.
10/19/1994 Clerks released in theaters. Makes $3.2 million at the box office.
11/29/1994 Smith finishes first draft of "Mallrats".
02/14/1995 2nd (shooting) draft of Mallrats is finished.
03/1995 Smith begins dating Joey Lauren Adams.
03-04/1995 Mallrats is in production.
08/24/1995 Smith's first visit to San Diego Comic Con. Mallrats premieres to thunderous applause.
10/20/1995 Mallrats is released. Makes only $2.1 million with a budget of $6.1 million.
05/15/1996 Smith finishes third draft of "Dogma" (Formally God).
11/27/1996 Smith finishes fourth draft of Dogma.
01/1997 Smith bought Comixology for $30,000 with his Clerks money and put Walt Flanagan in charge. Becomes Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash.
04/04/1997 "Chasing Amy" is released. Makes $12 million with a budget of $250,000.
06/1997 Smith and Adams break up.
02/16/1998
02/17/1998 04/25/1999 05/21/1999 06/26/1999 11/12/1999 07/01/2000 08/24/2001 02/25/2018 |
Smith finishes fifth draft of Dogma.
Jay and Silent Bob shorts are aired on MTV. Smith married Jennifer Schwalbach at Skywalker Ranch. Dogma debuted at Cannes. Smith's daughter, Harley-Quinn Smith was born. Dogma is released. Makes $44 million with a budget of $10 million. Smith finishes first draft of "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back". Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is released. Makes $33.8 million out of a budget of $22 million. Smith suffers a heart attack in-between recording sessions at a live show called "Silent But Deadly" in Glendale, California. He was taken to Glendale Adventist Hospital where he says his "life was saved". The next morning he posted a video, detailing what had happened. |