Kevin Smith’s Secret Stash: The Definitive Visual History (Classic Movies, Film History, Cinema Books)

In this kaleidoscopic collection of anecdotes, appreciations, and artifacts, actor-director Smith (Tough Sh*t) delivers an entertaining look at the making of his movies and the ups and downs of his personal life. From the moment he saw Richard Linklater’s Slacker in 1991, Smith wanted to be a director. After a year of film school in Vancouver, he dropped out and returned to his New Jersey home to develop the low-budget film that would become Clerks—based on his own work at the Quick Stop convenience store and RST Video—borrowing money from his parents, maxing out his credit cards, and casting his friends. Without ever veering from his trademark irreverence, Smith recalls how the flick became a cult favorite, following its premiere at Sundance in 1994 (“Clerks was like constantly fucking scratching off a lottery ticket and each time winning $10,000”), and lead to his next film, Mallrats, which initially flopped but “became the buoy” for subsequent fan-favorites, including 1999’s Dogma and 2001’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Along the way, he chronicles his break with the Weinsteins and Miramax, his high-profile skirmish with Southwest Airlines after being told he was “too fat to fit” in his seat, and the heart attack that almost killed him in 2018. Smith fanatics will relish every bit. (Sept.)