Clerks – Review

Dante (O’Halloran) falls out of his closet after a late night, waking up to his ringing phone. He doesn’t work today he tells the caller, especially since he has a hockey game at 2. Finally, he relents as someone is sick, and because he only needs to cover until noon. 12, or he walks!!! He makes a fast breakfast and hits the Quick Stop Groceries mini-mart, opening the shutters and preparing for business.

What will his day bring? Heated cigarette debates, a visit from his flame Veronica (Ghighliotti), movie arguments, an ex-girlfriend getting engaged, appendages stuck in Pringles cans, discussions of sex, life, the universe and everything, and mayyyybe an unfortunate bathroom user. It is anything but a typical day in more ways than one however… but will there be time for hockey!?

As Jay (Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) post up outside the nearby video store, they feel good on this day. It’s time to make some monaaayyyyy and hopefully get some ass. Jay and his non-stop mouth are real class acts. Perhaps a joint will mellow him out.

Maybe Dante’s friend and next-door movie store worker Randle (Anderson) can turn the day around. The banter will reach astronomical levels when he hits the scene, that is if he ever shows up for work. He’s probably just resting his eyes.

While Kevin Smith’s first film may have a rough edge and an unknown cast, the raunchy jokes and observational slog of low-wage customer service job minutiae are still worth the watch. The dialogue is entertaining and has a nice cadence and flow to it, and truly is the main feature of the film. Despite this being a comedy of words and not much else, it still fully works.

Kevin Smith crafted a solid debut film despite a shoestring budget. It is well shot and despite the crude jokes, it is fairly clever and most always entertaining. The black and white production almost enhances the mundane convenience and video store job focus. While it is a slice of life, there is a lot of truth in the examinations presented within.

"Chewbacca!! What a wookie!!"

There was a short animated series which continued some of these characters’ hijinks, before a live action sequel hit the screens later.

There are multiple future Kevin Smith films which contain similar characters or references to a “shared” ViewAskewniverse (movie production company), which will all be reviewed next and in release order. I am sticking to Kevin Smith directed live-action features, despite the company releasing a few tangentially related films or cartoons.