Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Very entertaining!
Clerks is a very entertaining film from writer-director Kevin Smith(Mallrats,Chasing Amy).It was originally made for around $27,000 if I'm not mistaken,and(in the tradition of El Mariachi and other very low budget films)it outshines numerous other movies made for many,many times more money.The plot is very simple.It's one crazy day in the life of convenience store clerk Dante Hicks(Brian O'Halloran),and all the interesting characters he has to deal with.The film costars Jeff Anderson as Dante's best friend Randal,who works(allegedly anyway) in the video store next door and loves to torment the customers.Marilyn Ghigliotti plays Dante's girlfriend Veronica,and Lisa Spoonhauer plays Dante's ex Caitlin Bree(who has somewhat of a breakdown towards the end of the film,but I won't say why here!).Numerous other wacky characters find their way in and out of the store during the course of the day as well.
The movie also introduces the world to the characters of Jay and Silent Bob,played by Jason Mewes and director Kevin Smith. The DVD is great-sound and picture aren't exactly fantastic(but hey it's a very low budget film)-but the special features are very cool,including deleted scenes,alternate ending,and an interesting commentary by Kevin Smith and other members of the cast and crew(including Jason Mewes,who was obviously very intoxicated at the time!). Overall a very entertaining film,although because of some of the subject matter and foul language younger viewers shouldn't watch.
Rating: - A simple film that's simply funny
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.
Rating: - Absolutely hilarious!
This was the first Kevin Smith movie I ever saw, and instantly, I was hooked. From beginning to end, this is the funniest movie since Joel Coen's "The Big Lebowski". "Clerks" is a departure from the mainstream Hollywood hoo-ha, not sporting any big-name actors, high production values, and superficial characters. Heck, this movie cost about $27,000 to make and was filmed in the same Quik Stop that Smith was working in at the time, taking advantage of meal breaks and off-hours to film the movie. The film was edited in the nextdoor video store where the character Randal was employed in the movie. So don't expect breathtaking cinematography, flashy special effects, or revolutionary surround-sound technology. The "plot", so to say, is a day in the life of a convenience store clerk, Dante, who has been called in to work on his day off. It portrays how dealing with picky and sometimes downright rude customers can drive even the simplest person to the brink of insanity. If you work as a cashier at a convenience or grocery store, like me, this film lets you know that you're not alone. The antics the customers pull off are hilarious, ranging from the man trying to find the "perfect dozen of eggs" by emptying all the egg cartons, the elderly man who takes an adult magazine into the bathroom, only to die while looking at it, and of course, Jay and Silent Bob, who tape comic book-style voice bubbles containing pleas for homosexual sex favors to the entrance door so that when Randal opens the door, it appears he's actually saying it. Jay (played by Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (played by Kevin Smith himself) have appeared in all of Smith's films, proving to be possibly the funniest on-screen duo ever. While this film is non-stop, rolling on the floor, teary-eyed comedy, it also has a very strong yet often overlooked moral that I got from it: Make the most out of every day, and if your life is in a rut, don't let it stay that way. Now I'm not going to say that was the point Smith was trying to get across, because I have no place to dictate his artistic vision. It's just what I got from the film. The humor in this movie is all pretty much what you would call high school locker room humor, but the way in which it is presented (the black and white film makes it seem much more human), makes it impossible not to laugh. So, all in all, "Clerks" is an extremely funny movie that proves as a nice abandon from the recent string of superficial pre-pubescent bubble-gum flicks and over-the-top "Die Hard" clones. Also see Smith's other gem, "Dogma".
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