Clerks (Collector's Series)
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Movie Reviews of Clerks (Collector's Series)
Movie Review: Could I give it "37" stars?
Summary: 5 Stars
To anyone who's seen the movie, that line makes sense.
Of all the movie's that Kevin Smith has made, this one if by far the best. People say it's overrated, including Kevin Smith, if you caught the interviews on the Chasing Amy disc.
What makes this movie great? First of all, I like the fact that it was shot on a next to nothing budget. No-name actors go hand in hand with the budget. The blatant mistakes on screen don't bother me; I think that these imperfections add to the whole "indie film" experience of this movie.
The next thing that's great is, of course, the story. A slacker 20-something gets called early in the morning to fill in at a job he hates. But relax, he only has to work until noon.
Upon getting to work, things start to go wrong, in the form of chewing gum jammed in the padlocks of the store's protective shutters. So, to assure customers that the store is open, Dante, the pseudo-protagonist of the story, makes a sign out a tarp and shoe polish. So begins his tortured day.
The person scheduled to work at noon doesn't show up. In fact, he leaves the state. So, Dante gets stuck working later than planned. He did have a hockey game scheduled... so on, and so on, and bad things happen to Dante. Worst synopsis ever.
The other really captivating thing was the dialogue. The characters in the movie seem to take the simplest things and add a new level of intelligence to it.
-Can the independent contractors constructing the Death Star be considered "innocents" when the Death Star was destroyed in The Empire Strikes Back?
-What counts as infidelity?
-Is it ethical to simply close a store for a hockey game?
This is also Jay and Silent Bob's first movie. For the most part, they hang around in front of the convenience store where Dante works. The events that follow are essentially a conversation involving a Russian metal singer, lots of cursing, and the roots of Jay's ambiguous sexuality.
If you think this review makes the film sound terrible, you might be right. It's hard to write a review that encompasses how great this film truly is. You have to see it to know its value. So do that.
Movie Review: One Of The Funniest and Most Underrated Comedies Of The 90's
Summary: 5 Stars
"Clerks," director/writer Kevin Smith's film-making debut, shot after-hours in the convenience store he worked in, on a shoe-string budget, with various friends playing random parts, is pure comic gold. It has struck a chord with so many people (mostly Gen-X slackers) for a reason: it's honest, and unrelentingly hilarious. Shot in completely black & white, "Clerks" has a down-home, gritty feeling that works well (even if unintentionally) with the tone of the film. The movie revolves around a day in the life of two clerks who also happen to be friends: Dante, who runs the convenience store (Quik Stop), is a self-pitying everyday joe, stuck in a rut. Randall is almost his polar opposite. He runs the video-store next door and although both hate their jobs, Randall seems to find the fun in it, while Dante seems to focus on the drama of everything in his life --from arguing with his girlfriend about school, to pining for a past flame, to simply being degraded on a day to day basis. Most of their time is spent inside Quik Stop, while Randall keeps would-be customers locked outside for half of the day. They anger customers with their foul language (well, Randall does), they close the store to play hockey on the roof (only to return 12 minutes later after losing the ball) and to go to a wake, learn about "snowballing" and even find a surprise in the employee bathroom. For all of it's vulgar humor, "Clerks" is very easy to relate to and enjoy, and for anyone who has had a job serving the public, much of what is presented in this movie rings true. This movie is a landmark to not only me, but to every Kevin Smith fan. His great sense of humor and talent for writing interesting dialogue for his characters is all established in this one movie. Not to mention it also marks the debut of the infamous Jay & Silent Bob. If you hate your job, or are finding yourself in a rut, "Clerks" may be the movie you need to see. The DVD is only satisfactory. The alternate ending is, well, interesting to say the least, and the commentary with Kevin Smith & crew is always interesting -- be sure to keep an ear out for Jason Mewes (Jay) falling asleep during the recording session.Movie Review: A simple film that's simply funny
Summary: 5 Stars
Kevin Smith writes some of the best scripts in today's cinema world. Sure, he can be crude and even a little too descriptive, but he can also be clever and insightful. "Clerks" was his first attempt at movie making, and it created such a splash that he now has the money and ego of one of today's top director. "Clerks," a black-and-white, not necessarily visually-pleasing film, tells the story of Dante (Brian O'Halloran), an unhappy convenience store clerk with relationship troubles. His carefree video store worker pal Randal (Jeff Anderson) provides advice, good or bad, and comic relief to try and brighten Dante's day. This movie was sort of a behind-the-scenes at the Quick Stop in addition to being a comedy about Dante's lovelife. We get a look at annoying customers, being stuck at work on your day off, drug dealers making sales outside the store, and challenging authority. These are all issues clerks deal with, although maybe not everyday. After all, it's not everyday that an old man has a heart attack in the employee restroom. But for comedic purposes, Smith crammed as much as he could into this sort of mockumentary, giving Dante and Randal plenty to deal with and keeping the plot going.
This movie is kind of an acquired taste. A lot of people don't like the long dialogues between Randal and Dante, such as the one about independent contractors in the Death Star. But I found them to be to funny. Lots of people sit around and talk about nothing like these two guys do. Therefore, those conversations are something audience members should relate to. But to each his own. Some viewers want more action in lieu of long, intelligent dialogue.
The DVD has some good stuff on it, including commentary by the director, cast and crew, and extended scenes. One of the coolest features is the original ending. I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen it. For the record, I like the way the movie ended in the final cut better.
Love it or hate it, this movie was groundbreaking and one of the most inexpensive success stories in film history. Bravo to Kevin Smith for a great first effort.
Movie Review: And to think, he wasn't even supposed to be there that day..
Summary: 5 Stars
Let's get one thing straight: for the most part, I HATE independent films. Really. When I hear those words, I always think of a five-hour, beatnik-friendly black-and-white film of two french people talking and smoking cigarettes, while their conversation is subtitled in English, and the end card reads "Fin". Sometimes I think "independent film" refers to the movie being independent from having to make a lick of sense. Yes, this movie is in black-and-white, but in all honestly, that's the only thing it has in common with other "independent films". This movie is real, funny, and raw, and it helped to boost the career of a young filmmaker in the rough, Mr. Kevin P. Smith of Red Bank, NJ.The movie focuses on the comings and goings and comings of the Quick Stop Convienience Store, and its head clerk, Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran). It is Dante's day off, but unfortunately for him, he gets called in to work. (I know how that feels, and believe me, it bites.) Hence his catchphrase: "I'm not even supposed to be here today!" The next 90 minutes deal with Dante's love life (37?!), his sarcastic (and witty as hell) friend Randal Graves who works at the nearby video store (Jeff Anderson), and of course, the dumb customers he gets. I am a cashier at a grocery store as well, so I know exactly what it's like to have to deal with these people. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten people like that and I just wanted to use one of Randal's lines against them. Also, watch the scene at the video store, when a mother asks Randal for a kid's video for her daughter (who is with her). What ensues... classic. Oh yeah, and how can I forget, this is also the flick that introduced America to Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith). Snoochie Boochie Noochies!
All in all, if you're a cashier/clerk, or even if you're not, this is a great movie, and should be seen by everyone, along with the rest of the movies in the View Askew-niverse.
Movie Review: So It Begins...
Summary: 5 Stars
The reason to buy a DVD player is to get these kind of movies and watch them with the added features. Sure, you can buy the Blockbuster Pre-Viewed VHS for 8.99 and watch it once every six years until it turns to dust or gets lost in the next move, but DVDs, man...you have to watch the flick more than once to get into it, get the whole picture. I think that's the point. You have to want to know more about the artists and the craft than just watch a parade of light and shadow on a screen. You want to know how and why this picture was made. "Clerks" is a perfect movie for this purpose.The commentary track is made during the filming of Mallrats, where none of the cast or crew really know how the second of the five "Jersey" films would gross or play to the audience. Its a time of innocence and excitement for Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier and the View Askew crew as they talk up their great, groundbreaking film. There is none of the resentment or bad ju-ju you can hear in the "Mallrats" or "Chasing Amy" commentaries about how the critics were overly harsh with it. There is just joy in the idea that "Clerks" did so well and that, though changes were made, it was all for the best. Only with DVD can you go back and hear Smith and Mosier "back in the day" like this and compare it to today. Their honesty and frankness make the track work.
In addition, it is great to be able to see the lost scenes of Clerks, even if you agree they don't really add to the film. They are extra bits of coolness to enjoy while waiting for "Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back" to hit theaters for new material. The video for "Can't Even Tell" is the first time, I believe, you get to see the Clerks crew in color as well...a little bit of Askew history there, too.
Great work and a wonderful time capsule for one of our generation's greatest writers.