Kevin Smith’s Smodcastle Cinemas welcomes filmmakers Anthony and Joe Russo for an epic talk

Guests attend a lively discussion between director/actor Kevin Smith and AGBO Co-founders Anthony and Joe Russo on Friday, November 3, 2023 in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey.

By Adriana Toma

The Russo brothers made waves on Friday, November 3 in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, where director Kevin Smith hosted an in-depth chat with the AGBO co-founders and filmmaking legends alongside eager fans at Smodcastle Cinemas. Now you can listen in on their epic conversation.

Smith, who made his film debut with Clerks in 1994, followed by Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Jay and Silent Bob, and more, hails from the Jersey Shore area and recently acquired Smodcastle theater, which he frequented throughout his childhood. After kicking off the night with an auction, where the crowd outbid one another for Avengers posters signed by the Russos, Smith described the significance of watching movies on the big screen as a fan, and how much it meant for him to host the Russo brothers at the venue. 

“One of the things that I love about being in this theater, is that this is where my fandom was born,” Smith told the audience, adding, “The older I get, the tougher it is to feel like I did as a kid in this very room. Anything that re-engages me as a fan, that’s a gift. And [the Russos] have done that for me.”

Throughout the talk, Smith asked the brothers about their path as filmmakers, from their early days as kids growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, all the way to the height of their box office success. 

“We had an uncle who would take us to the movies, it was a big event for us,” Joe Russo shared. “As we got into high school, the crowd we hung out with started getting really into film. Our appreciation for movies came from that collective experience, we were all film fans,” he added.  

The brothers went on to detail their days of scrappy, independent filmmaking in Cleveland, and the pivotal moment in their career when they had lunch with visionary director Steven Soderbergh, who ultimately became their mentor. 

“When Sundance started highlighting these regional filmmakers [like Soderbergh] who were making stuff that exploded on the national scene, there was this spate of movies that were exciting and had a very different perspective,” Joe reflected, adding, “We thought, ‘Let’s make a movie.’”

Anthony said of their first film, Pieces, “It was an expression of everything we loved and hated about movies, which we had been talking about our whole lives. There was this natural flow to creating that movie.” 

In 1997, Pieces premiered at Slamdance, a low-key sister festival to Sundance – and caught the attention of Steven Soderbergh. 

“I think [Soderbergh] saw kindred spirits when he saw our movie. I got a call from him a week after the festival, and we had a lunch that probably shaped our careers more than anything had before. He told us film was a tricky business, and pushed us to try to make something more commercial,” Joe recalled.

Next, Smith and the Russos discussed the 10-year chunk of time the brothers spent working in TV, with Arrested Development and Community. The Russos described their experimental, “mockumentary” style, key lessons, and the physical toll of TV production. As Smith traced the chronology of their career, the brothers discussed their foray into Marvel Studios, and spoke about the call they received from their agent saying they’d been placed on a list of 10 directors for the next Captain America film. 

“We couldn’t believe this opportunity,” Anthony said. “There was so much in us creatively that we wanted to bring to the film. [At the time] I told my wife that I felt we were destined to make it.”

Later, Joe affirmed Smith’s passion for absorbing movies in the theater setting.

“The audience is the ultimate litmus test,” Joe said.

After the event, the theater still buzzed with excitement and passion. One attendee drove up to New Jersey from Wilmington, North Carolina, where she recently moved, to watch the brothers talk. 

“I’m a huge Marvel fan,” Karol Tumanyan said. “It was interesting to hear their backstory and how they shot their films and put them together.” 

Smodcastle Cinemas manager Connor Murphy-Smith expressed his excitement, too. “When I first got the job, I wasn’t expecting to see a lot of famous people. I’ve been looking forward to the Russos being here,” he said. 

Indeed, the brothers’ presence, paired with Smith’s curiosity, enthusiasm, and nostalgic reflections, lit up the movie theater on the otherwise quiet downtown strip of the small, coastal town. 

Smith, who also owns an apartment above the movie theater, concluded the night with a piece of advice for fans and aspiring filmmakers: “When things are bleak in the world, make some stuff. Art first — always make stuff.”

Get the latest from AGBO: Sign up for the AGBOVERSE newsletter today.