Kevin Smith’s second movie in his True North trilogy, Yoga Hosers, debuted at Sundance last week and was trashed by virtually every outlet and critic. The movie, which stars his daughter Harley Quinn Smith and Johnny Depp’s daughter Lily-Rose, was described by the director as “the movie I always wanted to see when I was a 12-year old girl”.
“I was at 3 screenings, and it played wonderfully,” he said on his Hollywood Babble-On podcast. “It was a wonderful experience watching the girls ascend and start doing interviews. People ate them up like candy, it was really fucking sweet. The critics on the other hand – holy fuck. Like I get it, the movie’s not for everyone. And based on what I read it’s not for anyone. But, wow. I was ready for it, but I didn’t read much. I just got a sense from everyone around me. I’d saying things like, ‘Reporter?’ and they’d say, ‘no’. And I’m like, ‘Variety’ and they’re like, ‘no’.”
Smith has always had a love-hate relationship with film critics following the very poor reception to his studio comedy Cop Out starring Bruce Willis and Tracey Morgan. He did rescind his comments on the press following the positive reaction to Tusk, however.
“I don’t even get mad, it’s not for the critics,” the director continues. “The same with Tusk. I can stand next to somebody who’d be like, ‘this is the greatest movie you’ve ever made’ and I’d say, ‘isn’t it?’. But there could also be someone who’d say, ‘this is the worst piece of shit you’ve ever inflicted upon the planet’ and I’d say, ‘isn’t it?’ It totally works both ways. Yoga Hosers is the movie I wanted to see when I was a 12-year old girl, and people have said about that saying, ‘you’re a 45-year old man – act your age’. And I’m like, ‘what the fuck? Now!?’.”
“Yoga Hosers centers on 15-year-old yoga nuts Colleen Collette (Lily-Rose Depp) and Colleen McKenzie (Harley Quinn Smith), who have an after-school job at a Manitoba convenience store called Eh-2-Zed. When an ancient evil rises from beneath Canada’s crust and threatens their big invitation to a Grade 12 party, the Colleens join forces with a legendary man-hunter from Montreal named Guy Lapointe (Johnny Depp) to fight for their lives with all seven chakras, one Warrior Pose at a time.”
Yoga Hosers features a cast that also includes Tony Hale (Arrested Development), Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the new Black), Austin Butler (Aliens in the Attic), Adam Brody (The O.C.), Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf), Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series), Stan Lee (Mallrats) and Jason Mewes (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back), along with Tusk stars Johnny Depp, Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Genesis Rodriguez, Ralph Garman and Harley Morenstein.
Originally published February 2, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
