Siegel Walks Out On Clerks II Screening

[Ian]

Good Morning America's film critic, Joel Siegel, walked out on a screening of Clerks II:

http://www.viewaskew.com/news/jul06/1.html

Sitting in the front row of a packed midtown Manhattan screening room Monday night, Siegel dramatically stood up only 30 minutes into the film and stormed out, to the amazement of those in attendance.

And he didn't go quietly.

"Time to go!" he yelled as he stood up and proceeding to walk out, passing dozens of critics and writers on his way to the door. And his tirade continued all the way out, as he yelled over the film's dialogue that this was the first time "in thirty (expletive) years" he had walked out on a film.

The apparent reason for Siegel's vulgar outburst? A line of dialogue in the film - well, one of many, actually - about sex between a woman and a donkey. Later in the screening, one other unnamed critic appeared to make an early departure.

Yet these critics can stomach those artsy fartsy movies about gay cowboys? I want to see this movie even more now!

[MonteLDS]

sounds pretty lame... the movie that is.

[Ian]

You ever see the first one or any of Kevin Smith's other movies?

Wait.. aren't you the one who's never even seen Star Wars?

[MonteLDS]

that's right. i have never see star wars (go me!)

i don't watch movies, but movies that are talking about sex all the time seem pretty low brow and not my style

[hoxlund]

i loved all the movies, mall rats, chasing amy, dogma, jay and silent bob, clerks

[LoneWolf]

Have to admit, my wife and I returned our rented copy of "The 40 Year Old Virgin" with only 10 minutes or so watched. The whole discussion of the sex show with a horse was more than we were willing to take. Perhaps it was worse in the Unrated version (don't get me started on these, I don't want to watch some "unrated" version, I want to freaking watch what they showed in the freaking theater --no more, no less, but of course that isn't available for rental).

I'm sure parts of the movie were funny, but we both found it disgusting. I think everyone has to draw the line somewhere --perhaps some people's lines are at a different place than mine, but I respect Siegel's choice to do so.

I think the Jay and Silent Bob movies can be really funny --a Catholic friend sent me Dogma, and if you can see through the sacrilege, it has some really funny moments. But if they take it a step too far for me, I won't watch it, no matter how funny the rest of the movie is. Gotta draw the line somewhere.

[dolphinius_rex]

I'm a firm believer of finishing what you start. If I start a movie, I like to sit through it until the end, even it is painful. The only exception I ever made to this rule was Spice World... which I didn't really want to be watching in the first place (long story).

I know if I were ever to be so offended as to walk out of a movie, I'd do it quietly, with respect to those around me. I suspect Joe Siegel probably had planned his little scene ahead of time from the way it sounds.

[oslik3]

....... I suspect Joe Siegel probably had planned his little scene ahead of time from the way it sounds.

it could have been a conspiracy !!
he could have planned it with the film studio execs as a free publicity stunt/advertisement for the movie.

[TheWizard]

While Kevin Smith's movies are hilarious, he is actually a pretty clever director. Looking passed all the humorous dialogue, he manages to sneak in smart, sociological sub-plots. If Joel Siegel wasn't so stubborn, he may have learned something from the film.

[Ian]

Yeah, they're kinda like Southpark. If you can get past the crude humor, there are a lot of hidden messages and gags.