Clerks

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Clerks

89% Liked It
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Clerks

Brian O'Halloran, Jason Mewes, Jeff Anderson, Lisa Spoonauer, Lisa Spoonhauer

The trials and tribulations of a New Jersey convenience store clerk and his best friend, a video store employee.

Id: 9910726

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Clerks Recent Reviews
  • SirPant
    September 18, 2009
    SirPant
    Clerks is a nice little independent film and you have to admire how well Kevin Smith did with it. It's just not as good as everyone says it is, it's ridiculously overhyped!
  • katharinec
    September 9, 2009
    katharinec
    Wow. So I somehow managed to have never seen this before this weekend, and despite the fact that I've been lukewarm on Kevin Smith in the past, I ADORED this! Hilarious and endearing, proof that a shoestring budget doesn't mean you can't spin gold.
  • mrpopcorn
    August 14, 2009
    mrpopcorn
    "Just Because They Serve You...Doesn't Mean They Like You."

    A day in the lives of two convenience clerks named Dante and Randal as they annoy customers, discuss movies, and play hockey on the store roof.

    REVIEW</
    ...( read more)u>
    This ultra-cheap debut of Kevin Smith has none of the elements that make movies work, but somehow still does. It's unconventional, it's experimental, and some people have stated that it's actually barely a movie, which leaves me with little rebuttal. However, this grainy, black and white recording about nobodies doing nothing is hypnotic in a way, and most of all strangely funny. Having Jay and Silent Bob (both seldom seen) dance is one of the most random things I've ever seen in a movie, but it really cracked me up. There isn't really a plot, and nothing is ever resolved, but this doesn't matter, cue off the wall dialogue about hermaphrodite porn. I have no idea why I laughed, I have no idea what I've even watched, but this is really good stuff. Only thing that bothers me is the little relationship story, it doesn't feel realistic because I'm a superficial bastard. The girl playing Veronica is quite a lot more attractive than the girl playing Caitlin, which makes the last twenty minutes or so a bit bothersome. Either way, this is an instant classic.
  • DrZeek
    July 17, 2009
    DrZeek
    Randal: This job would be great if it wasn't for the fucking customers.

    Along with Dogma, this is my favorite Kevin Smith film. A cheaply made film focused on 20 somethings reflecting on their life status, which started the whole Smith View Askweniverse.

    Dante Hicks: I'm not e...( read more)ven supposed to be here today!

    The story centers around Dante Hicks, a college dropout who works in a convenience store. The movie moves over the course of a particular day where a number of things happen including Dante dealing with his ex and current girlfriends, his interaction with his best friend/foil Randal, where to stage a hockey game, how to attend a funeral, and the antics of the drug dealers hanging outside the store, Jay and Silent Bob.

    Randal Graves: Which did you like better? "Jedi" or "The Empire Strikes Back"?
    Dante Hicks: "Empire".
    Randal Graves: Blasphemy.
    Dante Hicks: "Empire" had the better ending. I mean, Luke gets his hand cut off, finds out Vader's his father, Han gets frozen and taken away by Boba Fett. It ends on such a down note. I mean, that's what life is, a series of down endings. All "Jedi" had was a bunch of Muppets.

    What I love about this movie is the rapid fire, quick witted dialog that makes up all of Smith's films, this being where it started. As Smith has stated himself, people don't talk in real life the way he writes dialog, but its still much more interesting than scattered sentences, as well as much funnier and poignant at times.

    Dante Hicks: You hate people!
    Randal Graves: But I love gatherings. Isn't it ironic?

    Dante and Randal make a great team, and I am glad that I was able to see their further exploits in a cartoon series along with the sequel. The movie is very funny and manages to hit a number of relatable issues. Sure, a lot happens all in one day, but it's a movie, why would I want to watch a story of an uneventful day?

    Dante Hicks: Embolism in a pool, what an embarrassing way to die.
    Randal Graves: That's nothing compared to how my cousin Walter died.
    Dante Hicks: How did he go?
    Randal Graves: He broke his neck.
    Dante Hicks: You call that embarrassing?
    Randal Graves: He broke his neck while trying to suck his own dick!

    Shot super cheap, with some shotty acting from some supporting players, the movie still moves along great through Smith's written dialog patterns, which includes plenty of sexual, pop culture, and Star Wars references. I can easily watch it over and over.

    Blue Collar Man: Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt, but what are you talking about?
    Randal Graves: The ending of "Return of the Jedi".
    Dante Hicks: My friend here is trying to convince me that any independent contractors working on the uncompleted Death Star were innocent victims when it was destroyed by the Rebels.

    The extremely quotable nature of the movie also makes it great along with the hysterics of the building sequence of events that occur and the cool enough alternative rock soundtrack.

    Randal Graves: Some guy came into the store refusing to pay late fees. Said the store was closed for two hours yesterday. I tore up his membership.
    Dante Hicks: Shocking abuse of authority.
    Randal Graves: Hey, I'm a firm believer in the philosophy of a ruling class. Especially since I rule.

    Just a great movie, full of vulgar dialog, plenty of memorable lines and good fun to enjoy.

    Randal Graves: Fine then, just let me borrow your car.
    Dante Hicks: What for?
    Randal Graves: I want to go rent a movie. What was that?
    Dante Hicks: You work at a video store!
    Randal Graves: I work at a shitty video store! I want to go to a good video store and get a good movie!
  • jsd35
    June 10, 2009
    jsd35
    Well, you have to admire Kevin Smith, sinking $25,000 or so of his own money into this, without having developed any real skill in movie making.

    It is as flawed as the Beardmore Glacier: the aspiring movie-makers fell into the age-old trap of neglecting sound, and as a result re...( read more)corded a nigh-on unusable track that subsequently required a lot of processing to bring it up to some sort of standard. They also lacked full coverage of the material they needed (resulting in a rather random cut at one point), and the film has no narrative development whatsoever. If that wasn't enough, the humour is hardly sophisticated. Oh, and the acting is laughable - really. They are method actors insofar as their method is to say their lines deadpan no matter the occasion.

    Yet it works.

    The grainy black-and-white footage with it's snowy, dropped out sound alll forms part of the atmosphere in it. I might even go so far as to say that its amateurish nature warms you to the characters and helps overcome some of the more disgusting elements in Smith's writing. That, and the eminently likeable Silent Bob, who adds a measure of decorum to the occasion (what am I saying?).

    And that's something to think about. Kevin Smith is often discussed in some circles for his writing skills. And he can write an enjoyable romp. However, in large part he has played one (cheap) trick, a low flush of controvery. He would do well to broaden his humour.
  • skinnyfists
    January 1, 2010
    skinnyfists
    Kevin Smith's dialogue screams 'LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT HOW CLEVER I AM!'. This, coupled with some lackluster performances gives Clerks limited appeal but there's enough amusing encounters to keep the ball rolling.
  • dyronwhite
    December 29, 2009
    dyronwhite
    To this day, this film appeals to the slackers and fanboys of the like. Hilariously crude, foul-mouthed, roughly edited but insightful with some degree of charm based on it's black and white photography, this film is a perfect example of how a low budget can equal high quality ba...( read more)sed on how Kevin Smith made it work. I'm glad that this film's success lead to establish Smith's long running career as a director (and getting him out of a possible 20-year debt for funding the film) and giving the world Jay and Silent Bob. Snoogans.
  • thekingofcomedy
    December 27, 2009
    thekingofcomedy
    overrated Kevin Smith nonsense.
    Having said that, good but not as amazing as some tw*ts claim. The fact it was made is a credit to Smith and his determination though.
  • TomBowler
    December 20, 2009
    TomBowler
    The great thing about this film is its originality. It really is one of a kind. The characters talk in a stilted dialogue, painfully obvious that it's scripted, and the subject matter is more than ridiculous, and yet, the film works, because of its purely original storyline and c...( read more)oncepts.

    Comedies like this are a dying breed, where the main characters are actually established as characters, not some sideshow freak which trips over and makes a silly face for a laugh. Dante Hicks is a down-on-his-luck guy who doesn't seem to care about the fact or be willing to do anything about it. His best friend, Randal Graves, is a man who seems to know what he's doing, even though what he does most of the time is take advantage of his position at the video store ordering porn. Veronica is Dante's frustrated girlfriend who has just about had it with Dante's defeatist attitude. These three characters have one hell of a day, interrupted by Jewish guys, customers and hecklers who turn out to be salesmen for chewing gum just trying to get a commission. And these are just a few of the incidents, not even getting started on the menagerie of golden conversations which ensue, especially between Dante and Randall, covering everything from weird death positions to Return of the Jedi.

    The black and white was a very bold choice for director Kevin Smith, as well as the extremely long takes and static camera shots which are prominent throughout the movie. This sort of style mimics the view of a security camera and makes the audience feel as if they are spying on the characters who are having the weirdest day of their lives.

    Even though the set pieces themsleves are surprisingly subdued for such a critically acclaimed movie, there are a lot of laughs to be had here, and the film will only get better after repeat viewings. Great film.

    Defining Scene:
    My favourite scene is definitely playing hockey on the roof. Such an original thought.
  • eryri
    December 20, 2009
    eryri
    I love all of Kevin Smith's movies except Jersey Girl but this was the one that I first watched. Brilliant comedy classic.
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