It's the Mallrats cast hot tub photo you didn't realize you've been waiting for, and it's not even #TBT! Seriously, if more movie casts would stop for a moment, get in a jacuzzi and snap a photo, the world would be a more interesting place, wouldn't it? This great little piece of movie nostalgia comes from Kevin Smith himself. The director dropped the photo on his Facebook page, along with a lengthy explanation of everything from who we're seeing to when and where the photo was taken, to his and Ethan Suplee's decision to go full-shirt for the hot tub photo.
First, let's just pause for a moment and accept the fact that Mallrats is nearly twenty years old. At that age, I like to imagine it hanging out in its basement, surrounded by comics, considering a trip to the mall. At twenty, it's not quite old enough to be shopping at Fashionable Male, but maybe it'll hit the food court cookie stand for something to eat before checking out the comic book store.
Now let's take a closer look at that photo. Kevin Smith made it easy for us by pointing out who's who, though if you're familiar with the movie, a key may not be required...
From the left, there’s my bro, Scotty-Mo (12 years before SModcast), Ben Batfleck Begins, my hetero life-mate Jay Mewes, Rene Humphrey (whose coded-calendar idea for Trish I stole from my friend Michelle), Jeremy London (not to be confused with his DAZED brother Jason), Shannen Doherty ("Brenda?"), Claire Forlani (who has an English accent IRL), Michael Rooker (before he cut off his hand to escape the Walkers), Jason Lee (doing APOCALYPSE NOW before his name was Earl), Ethan Suplee (the real star of BOY MEETS WORLD) and writer/director Silent Blob (offering up David Copperfield "magic hands" for some reason). Missing are the already-wrapped Joey Adams, Stan Lee, Sven Ole Thorsen and Brian O’Halloran.
So, by the point this photo was taken, it sounds like Stan Lee had already done his amazing cameo, Joey Lauren Adams had done all of her Gwen scenes. And La Fours' stuff was wrapped, as was the case for Gil. Remember Gil? He was definitely a jackhammer. He's in there with some pressure and when he's done, you're not the same as before. You're changed.
Smith says they took this picture in the pool room at the hotel they were staying at in Minnetonka, Minnesota, which wasn't far from Eden Praire Mall, where they shot Mallrats. Smith credits the photography to either Vincent Pereira (credited as set production assistant in the movie) or Carlo Ontal (still photographer). Per an update added later, Smith says that Malcolm Ingram may have snapped the photo. As for whose idea it was, that was Jason Mewes, the (actual) Jay to Smith's Silent Bob.
And Kevin Smith makes a great point that this photo would look right at home in a high school yearbook. Though it sounds like it took some effort to organize this little cast get-together for the snapshot, it has that casual look of your friends just hanging out in a hot tub together. If your friends include Shannen Doherty, Ben Affleck, Jeremy Not-Jason London, Michael Rooker, Ethan Suplee, Jay and Silent Bob.
