Clerks (Collector's Series)
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Movie Reviews of Clerks (Collector's Series)
Movie Review: Noise, noise, noise, watchin' films, laughin' hard
Summary: 5 Stars
CLERKS is a film that a bunch of buddies and I watched repeatedly in college. Even after having seen the film more times that I can count, there's still something there that can make me laugh. If you haven't seen it, then you certainly should, as long as you aren't one to be easily offended. However, a word of warning to the uninitiated: the movie originally received an NC-17 rating based purely on the raunchy dialog. The characters in CLERKS are some of the most memorable and entertaining people that you'll ever see in a movie. Becoming more familiar with the film after multiple viewings, it may surprise you when you realize exactly how small the roles are of some of the unforgettable inhabitants of Clerksworld. Olaf the Berserker, Snowball, the various angry, irritable customers, and others don't really have all that much screen-time, but I'll wager that many people will be quoting their favorite lines and insults to their friends for weeks after seeing the film.
Of course, the main selling points of the film are the two lead characters, the eponymous Dante and Randall. Relatively speaking, they both have the same job. Dante works in a convenience store, Randall in a video store. Because he lets his boss walk all over him, Dante always gets stuck with the worst shifts, and dealing with the worst customers. He can't make up his mind over his love life or his future. He has no idea what he wants to make of himself. On the other hand, Randall delights in showing up late for work, temporarily closing the store any time he wants to hang out in the convenience store (which is practically the entire movie), and "ripping into the occasional customer". He is in exactly the place he wants to be, as the low ambitions he sets for himself have been achieved. The two characters play off of each other perfectly. One is angry, but content to mutter and complain about the terrible hand of fate, while the other is satisfied by hanging out with his friend on company time and wasting as much of the work day as possible.
The commentary track on the DVD (originally recorded during a break in the filming of MALLRATS and meant for the Laserdisc edition of the film) offers quite a bit of insight in the script, the background, and the filming. Unfortunately, the recording took place using only a single microphone that was passed around to the various people sitting in the room. So while the DVD box claims that a lot of the cast and crew were involved, it is actually made up primarily of Kevin Smith with only cameos from the rest of the participants. Still, Smith does offer quite a bit of behind the scenes trivia, and after starting in a faintly overly-defensive mood, really loosens up and gives one the impression of someone who is still quite proud of his work, but isn't blind to all faults.
The most notable person on the commentary track without the initials K.S. is Jason Mewes, who spends the entirety in a drunken stupor, only waking up briefly to swear, to claim that he loves chicks, and to incorrectly quote his own lines from MALLRATS. The primitive method of recording the commentary means that when other people in the room remark on parts of the movie, we can hear Smith responding to them, but we can't hear the original comment that inspired the reply. It's a fairly frustrating listening experience, but ultimately one that is still rewarding.
The other DVD extras are well worth viewing as well. There's a whole bunch of scenes that were cut from the final version of the film and there is also an alternative ending that, thankfully, Kevin Smith had the good sense to remove before releasing the film to theatres. The Soul Asylum music video is entertaining enough, and lets you watch a short version of the CLERKS hockey game sequence in color and with the band members playing along.
Buy this DVD. It's a whole lot of fun. It's got comedy, romance, action, idiots, stoners, and geeks talking about science fiction. It's also got Jay and Silent Bob, who are worth the price of admission just by themselves.
Movie Review: Customer Service Rocks
Summary: 5 Stars
Title: ClerksDirector: Kevin Smith
Cast: Brian O'Halloran ... Dante Hicks
Jeff Anderson ... Randal Graves
Marilyn Ghigliotti ... Veronica Loughran
Lisa Spoonhauer ... Caitlin Bree
Jason Mewes ... Jay
Kevin Smith ... Silent Bob
Tagline: "Just because they serve you...doesn't mean they like you."
Plot Summary: Two guys spend a day at work in adjacent stores, and a lot of weird things happen.
Review and Comments: Like that summary? Very concise. The problem with writing a review of this movie is that what happens is an overview of a day at work for these two characters, and anything I say can and will ruin the jokes that make this film worth seeing. I'll attempt to apply my vast amounts of reviewing skill to this review in order to convince you why this movie is worth seeing WITHOUT giving away every single thing that happens.
So. Has anyone here ever worked a crappy, low-paying service job that required immense amounts of patience and customer service skills not to wring the necks of everyone that came into the place asking stupid questions? This movie is for you. Here lies a collection of anecdotes about all the things that can happen throughout the years working at a convenience store (and a video rental place) all set in the timeframe of one incredible day at work. The customers that ask stupid questions, the things that break and must be fixed, everything that can and will go wrong at once, it's all here. To give away the little things that happen would be to rob the viewer of the enjoyment of watching it happen, so I'll say no more. There are several exaggerated things that happen, comedic moments that we hope are fictional, but at its core what works about the comedy is that there are recognizable hilarious moments that we recognize if we've worked these kinds of jobs before.
Holding this film together, there is a relationship between the main character, Dante, (played by Brian O'Halloran) and his girlfriend Marilyn, (played by Veronica Loughran). Their relationship has lasted awhile, and they're hitting some rough spots in trying to see whether it should continue or end immediately. Most relationships hit such a spot, and the revelations they make to each other and the reactions that occur should be recognizable to anyone who's ever had a relationship that hit some rough spots ("I can't believe you never told me that..." "You're overreacting..."). Again, I'm not going to give anything away, but suffice it to say that much of the dialogue here is funny because it's true.
So throughout the day, strange things happen, the main characters react, and the relationship problems are discussed. The problems get worse, the tension mounts, and at the end, everything is resolved in such a way that the characters may or may not have learned something. The plot follows the standard film school outline, but the twist is that the whole story occurs in the midst of vignettes that follow the quirky things that can happen throughout a day at a customer service job (with a few fantastical, exaggerated situations) and the little stories are interwoven with the main character's dilemma in a way that I found highly entertaining.
The grainy, black and white style of this movie (slightly above surveillance camera quality...no joke) belies the small budget, but I found it effective. It may annoy a lot of people, though, so be forewarned. This movie doesn't look slick and polished. This movie is full of "inappropriate" language. Don't let your four-year-old watch this movie unless you want him to get kicked out or preschool for repeating the dialogue. Lots of people don't like this movie (or any of Smith's movies, come to think of it) because they complain that it has no plot and it's not funny-it's annoying. Keep that in mind. If you don't like the comedy, you won't like the movie.
The Bottom Line: I loved it.
Movie Review: I'm Not Even S'posed To Be Here Today!
Summary: 5 Stars
Financed largely by credit cards and money borrowed on good will from his family and close friends, "Clerks" was a surprise hit for independent filmmaker Kevin Smith in 1994, winning the Young Cinema Award at the Sundance Film Festival and later that year a Filmmakers Trophy at Cannes. It would eventually spawn an animated series that only aired two episodes (a DVD that was released included all six episodes that were made, along with several special features for the most devoted fans). On a budget barely tipping the scale at $27,000, the film grossed $3.1 million in the states and Smith created a cult classic, earning a devoted fan base that would analyze, collect and quote his films for years to come.
The story is based loosely on Smith himself, the movie filmed at QuickStop Groceries in Red Bank, NJ (the same convenience store at which he was employed at the time). Because he was only allowed to film outside of business hours, the plot included a "shoe polish" scenario (which manufactured a brilliant recurring joke throughout the film) to explain the perpetually closed shutters.
Smith's alter ego is Dante Hicks (O'Halloran), a store clerk for QuickStop Groceries who gets called in on his day off after the employee assigned to the shift phones in sick. He proceeds to spend the entire day kvetching with his friend Randall (Anderson), the clerk of a video store adjoined to QuickStop, pining over ex-girlfriend Caitlin Bree (Spoonhauer) while placating his current squeeze Veronica (Ghigliotti). In between monologues on Star Wars, sex and various other wild and random topics, Randall and Dante attend - and sabotage - a funeral, play hockey on the roof, watch hermaphroditic porn and discover a dead guy in their employee bathroom. As his day transforms from bad to worse, Dante continuously and contemptuously yells, "I'm not even supposed to be here today!"
The script is the film's strongest point - it's obvious that a lot of Smith's cast is pretty green and he cut corners by placing his actors in multiple roles as the many quirky personalities that happen upon the QuickStop throughout the day. O'Halloran is the least stiff, making Dante a mewling but memorable character. Anderson is meager but nevertheless entertaining as Randall - most of the time he sounds as if he's reading off of cue cards. Spoonhauer and Ghigliotti are fair, whilst Mewes probably improvised most of his dialogue (not to mention being incredibly shy; the guy has the most loud and obnoxious role and he got really nervous when he and Smith had to dance). Smith plays a part as well as Silent Bob to Mewes's Jay, two miscreants who hang out in front of the QuickStop from dawn to dusk and smoke pot, sell pot, yell salacious comments towards women, dance to a boombox and generally amuse themselves by harassing not only customers but also Randall and Dante themselves (by the way, it's Jay that does most of this - Silent Bob says little and dances well).
The Miramax Collector's Series DVD has some fairly good bonus material, including deleted scenes (with introductions by Kevin Smith) and an alternate ending that will have people either raising an eyebrow, dropping their jaw or just laughing out loud at the absurdity of it all. Also included is a music video by Soul Asylum that has lead singer Dave Pirner making a cameo but Jay and Silent Bob pantomiming the song (this song plays during the end credits). Audio commentary from Kevin Smith and cast/crew and a theatrical trailer round out the rest.
If you're looking to start a Kevin Smith anthology of your own, "Clerks" is a good start. Your next best bet is his magnum opus thus far: "Chasing Amy" (and buy the Criterion Collection DVD - the bonus material is well worth the price for Smith fans).
Movie Review: "Clerks" begins the saga of the films of Kevin Smith
Summary: 5 Stars
The story of the making of Clerks is outstanding. It is amazing that the young filmaker Kevin Smith would risk making a movie that no one might see, and be drowned in credit card bills for years. "Clerks" cost under thirty thousand dollars, which would be peanuts to any film production company. Smith was in the habbit of collecting credit cards, so he charged all of the expenses to those. He hired some actors and used lots of his friends in the making of the movie. The Quik Stop that was used in "Clerks" was actually the place that he worked at. The film is really based off his experience as a worker there."Clerks" is the story of a full day in the job of a store clerk. Dante Hicks(Brian O'Halloran) is called into work on an off day, and because he always gives in, he agrees to come in on the basis that he will be able to leave by twelve. Right when he gets to work, his problems begin. First off, the shades for the windows will not open because some punks jammed the locks with gum. He therefore has to remind customers that the store is now open, with the sign: I ASSURE YOU WE ARE OPEN.
He is then harassed by such customers as a cigarette hater, who rallies the cigarette buying customers against the seller of the cancer sticks. Randal(Jeff Anderson), who works next store in the video shop, spends more time doing his own thing instead of working. He also hangs out with Dante and takes pride in heckling the customers that make him tick, and there are many.
The customers that come into the Quick Stop are extremely wierd. One guy is obsessed with finding the perfect dozen of eggs, and on top of that, there are the milkmaids, the girl who obviously can't read, and a strange old man who is interested in adult magazines.
There is really no plot, but just an unusual day in the life of a store clerk. Dante is a college dropout, and his girlfriend tries to push him back into school. He really likes her, but he has trouble with the type of things that she has done with past boyfriends. He has gotten the news that his old girlfiend is getting married, and he becomes jealous.
Jay and Silent Bob: Possibly the funniest duo in a comedy. The pair are drug dealers, but they have trouble selling their product. Jay shoots his mouth off, steals, and marks his spot right in front of the Quick Stop. Silent Bob is just about the exact opposite. It is true that he marks his spot in front of the Quick Stop with Jay, but he does not speak. This may be to give what he finally does say some sort of insightment. The pair are played by Jason Mewes and the director himself; Kevin Smith. Kevin originally was going to play the part of Randal, but he didn't want to juggle director duty and play a part with so many lines, so he opted to play the non speaking role. Jay and Silent Bob are the funniest part of the movie, mainly because of the way that they are suited for each other. Jay calls Silent Bob his heterosexual lifemate.
"Clerks" was originally NC-17 not for nudity or violence, but for the language which describes various sexual situations in great detail. It grossed 3 million in theaters for Miramax and they had bought it for 227,000 dollars. Therefore, it was a giant success. "Clerks" is not about achieving a certain visual style as it is with many films, but about the conversations and relationships between the characters. The production of "Clerks" and the film itself should serve as a standard to other independent filmakers who are out there trying to make it in an already overcrowded business.
Movie Review: A Very Realistic Movie!
Summary: 5 Stars
"Clerks" is a movie written and directed by Kevin Smith. I have almost seen all of Smiths works. He has made six movies in total. The ones I have seen are "Clerks," "Mallrats," "Chasing Amy," "Dogma," and "Jersey Girl." The one I didn't see was "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" but I plan on seeing that. I have already rewarded "Dogma" with five stars, and this is probably the second best movie that he has made. The difference is that this movie is probably more realistic. The entire movie is just conversations between these characters except for one scene one the roof with a hockey match. The entire film is shot in black and white and the movie works better with the black and white. The color could describe the lives of the characters. There lives aren't so great to have everything in color, and the black and white shows how everything is the same. Every day for these characters is the same. "Clerks" is hilarious, fun, and provides some very insightful dialouge. Interesting dialouge is things about "Star Wars", the customers, and just everyday things. It is very interesting to hear what these people have to say. They are saying things that me and you would say.The movie is a day in the life of two grocery store clerks. Dante and Randall. Dante has to get up every mourning, clean the grafitti off the side of the store, and have to deal with various customers. Some make him angry, and some of the them aren't a problem at all. Randall is the wise cracking and insightful guy who works right next door at the video store. The only thing is, he works in the video store, but he is always hanging out with Dante at the grocery store with the name Quick Stop. Throughout the movie, we get a look at the character's personal lives. Dante is dating Veronica Loughran, but he really wants to go out with Caitlin Bree, who he has liked since high school. As the day goes on, Dante and Randall have encounters with a hocket game that Dante has to go play, a funeral, and Jay and Silent Bob, who are two drug addicts. Jay, who is always talking and using profanity in his dialouge, while Silent Bob never talks. Every now and then he'll say one word or so, but mostly he just stands there and smokes with Jay. Dante knows that the day will end soon, but it's getting there that'll be hard.
"Clerks" was a great movie. It was one of the most entertaining movies that I have ever seen, and at a 90 minute running time, it felt that it was very fast. Some of the conversations were very interesting, my favorite being the one about Star Wars, and which movie is better. "The Empire Strikes Back," or "Return of the Jedi." It is very interesting to hear what Dante and Randall have to say about each movie. "Clerks" has been around for about ten years now, and a Ten Year Anniversary DVD is coming this year. Be sure to check it out once it comes out. The movie was originally going to be NC-17 only because of the dialouge, but an appeal brought it down to an R. I didn't think that the dialouge was that bad or explicit, but in 1994 it was a different time, and this movie is very different from others.
ENJOY!
Rated R on appeal for extensive use of extremely explicit sex-related dialogue.