Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)

Kevin Smith set out to make JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK the comedy to end all Jay and Silent Bob comedies. With this film, Smith has decided to give a fond farewell kiss to the universe of colorful characters he created in such films as "Clerks," "Mallrats," "Chasing Amy" and "Dogma" — including Jay and Silent Bob.

"It's time to put 'em away," Smith says simply. "I'm 30 now and it's the right moment to move on to something completely different, to totally new characters.., like maybe Ray and Silent Phil, for example." Seriously, Smith says he intends to explore a different side to moviemaking for awhile after this one. But first, he decided to throw the entire works — every outrageous joke, wild stunt, clever lampoon and laugh-out-loud moment Jay and Silent Bob could ever imagine — into one final film adventure. "This movie has everything — a road trip, girls, a monkey, a movie studio and a cast of thousands," summarizes Smith. "And Jay gets his first on-screen kiss. What better way to end it all?"

Smith decided to make a movie in the tradition of the super-comedies of the past, the kind with a mega-cast and a non-stop flow of funny moments. He explains: "In this flick, Jay and Silent Bob get to be the stars of the picture, but there's such a large and funny cast, you can enjoy other people as well. It's the best of both worlds."

The history of Jay and Silent Bob began just a few years ago when then unknown writer/director Kevin Smith sold his comic book collection, maxed out his credit cards and made a small independent feature with his friends and local talent. "Clerks" became the surprise comedy hit of 1994, a frank, funny, shoot-from-the-hip look at New Jersey convenience store clerks, with irreverent jabs at pop culture. "I saw 'Clerks' and I was like, this guy's a genius. I have to work with him," says comedian Chris Rock (Chaka). "It was so funny; it made me want to write a movie." The film also introduced the world to two consummate ne'er-do-wells: Jay, a loud-mouthed stoner played by Jason Mewes, and Silent Bob, his taciturn sidekick played by Kevin Smith.

Jay and Silent Bob struck a chord in audiences around the world with their hip, hilarious send-up of the Generation X lifestyle, and the duo went on to make an indelibly funny mark in Kevin Smith's next three features. Their trademark slacker humor made Smith one of Gen X's most championed indie filmmakers.

Says Ben Affleck ( Holden/Chuckie/Ben): "Kevin and I have always had the same sense of humor, the same world view. From the first time I worked with him on 'Mallrats,' I was amazed. Here was a guy my age who just really, really, knew what's funny to our generation."

Jay and Silent Bob also became the stars of their own comic book series, as well as being transformed into action figures, T-shirt logos and even comic book convention costume contest subjects. They became heroes.., in spite of themselves.

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