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Clerks

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Clerks (1994)

October. 19,1994
|
7.7
|
R
| Comedy
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Convenience and video store clerks Dante and Randal are sharp-witted, potty-mouthed and bored out of their minds. So in between needling customers, the counter jockeys play hockey on the roof, visit a funeral home and deal with their love lives.

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SunnyHello
1994/10/19

Nice effects though.

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Beystiman
1994/10/20

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

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Rosie Searle
1994/10/21

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

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Logan
1994/10/22

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

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Osmosis Iron
1994/10/23

Some of the most hilarious and at the same time thought-provoking dialogue I have heard! This is what all indie movies should strive to be! This movie also contains the best explanation ever why Empire is the best and most liked Star Wars movie.. and it's deep.. also the same explanation applies to TDK! Jay and Silent Bob have become legends!

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bonhommecarnaval
1994/10/24

One of the best film ever made in history. i worked as a clerk many years and i've met all these kinds of people.. i did some randall's quotes and stuff lol

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Nick Dozer
1994/10/25

When was the last time you had a day at work turn into an existential crisis? If you work in retail or any other service industry for that matter, it's likely more often than you care to admit. If you're Dante Hicks, it was on your day off. Played by Brian O'Halloran, Dante gets called in to cover for a sick co-worker at the Quick Stop convenience store. Dante is joined by his articulate slacker co-worker, Randal (Jeff Anderson), who mans the video store next door, albeit poorly. In between closing shop to play hockey on the roof and getting thrown out of a wake for knocking over a casket, the duo encounters a revolving cast of exaggeratedly eccentric characters; including the loitering drug dealers, Jay and Silent Bob, played by Jason Mewes and writer/director himself, Kevin Smith. An already trying day only gets worse for Dante as he finds himself caught in between his current girlfriend Veronica (Marilyn Ghigliotti) and his ex, Caitlin (Lisa Spoonauer). Dante is forced into self-examination, with plenty of witty and profane commentary from friends and patrons along the way.Are we defined by what we do for a living? This question seems to be ingrained in almost every scene. Throughout the film, many of the roles are characterized by the person's job. They define themselves by what they do. Each with a different standard for what it means to be happy or successful. Education, sex, relationships, physical appearance, and dealing with fears or anxieties are all addressed in some way, but none more so than occupation. Each customer with substantial dialogue relates via their employment; the Chewlie's gum rep. that incites an anti-tobacco riot. The roofer who weighs in on the Star Wars debate. The personal trainer who insists Dante is out of shape. The most eloquent and insightful, however, comes when a customer states "It's important to have a job that makes a difference, boys. That's why I manually masturbate caged animals for artificial insemination."Dante and Randal's outlook and subsequent behavior in this regard is wildly different. Dante believes his job defines him but is unable to change his situation for the better. Begrudgingly, he performs his job duties, for the most part, in consideration of his employer to maintain some semblance of being good at his job. He is obedient and non-confrontational. On several occasions his passive subservience is explicit in his attempts to pacify customers for their inconveniences; letting an old man have a roll of softer toilet paper and a nudie mag to take to the employee bathroom, or refunding money to a customer Randal spits on. When Veronica suggests he quit and go back to school he avoids the notion by saying "the last thing I need at this point is a lecture" followed by his oft exclaimed "I'm not even supposed to be here today" (Smith, 1994). Randall, on the other hand, either doesn't believe his job defines him, or doesn't care if that is how others perceive him. He is insubordinate and impulsive. He disregards his responsibilities and is content in his deficiency. He confronts Dante, saying "You overcompensate for having what's basically a monkey's job. You push f#%kin' buttons! Anybody could waltz in here and do our jobs. You're so obsessed with making it seem so much more epic, so much more important than it really is."Shot on a tight budget, and its setting limited almost entirely to the convenience store, the film was shot in black and white as a solution to lighting issues and as a cost saving measure. However, it adds to the overall film by allowing the viewer to focus on the characters and on-screen action without diversion. Efficient and creative use of camera angles keeps the setting from becoming dull. As a result, the film has a unique and pleasant texture and following the characters for the entirety of their workday ties in nicely with the theme.Ultimately, Clerks doesn't offer any profound insights, or even really tackle the question asked by its theme. None of the characters really change in an appreciable way, and for all the trouble they go through, seem likely to continue their lives unaffected. That being said, Dante and Randal are convincing and relatable, the dialog is witty and memorable, and the caricature exaggeration of the customers is genuinely funny, especially to anyone who has had the joy of working in customer service or retail. I think we could all agree with Randal when he says, "This job would be great if it wasn't for the f#%kin' customers." Clerks is a satirical observation of the customer service industry much like Office Space (1999) is of white collar careers, but with its own uniquely charismatic style. I've seen this film at least a couple dozen times now, and it's still hilarious every time.

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Scott LeBrun
1994/10/26

Writer / director / co-editor / supporting player Kevin Smith made a Hell of a breakthrough film with this fresh and funny comedy, which spans one whole day and night. Brian O'Halloran stars as Dante, a convenience store clerk who reluctantly reports to work on his day off. Discontent with his lot in life, he's frequently visited throughout the day by his friend Randal (Jeff Anderson). Randal is supposed to be working as a clerk at the video rental shop next door, but he can hardly be bothered to show up there. The movie shows what happens as Dante deals with the melodrama in his life, and deals with the assorted troublesome customers that come into his store.The main draw in this effectively paced movie is Smiths' often hilarious dialogue. Now, the dialogue ensures that the easily offended, or those people bothered by excess profanity, will be annoyed, but there are still some DAMN funny lines in this. Loosely based on "The Divine Comedy" (with nine breaks in the movie to represent the nine rings of Hell), it's all breathlessly performed by Smiths' capable cast of newcomers. O'Halloran is very engaging as a rather uptight guy who needs to learn to take some responsibility for his lot in life. Anderson is hilarious as his more carefree buddy. Sexy ladies Marilyn Ghigliotti and Lisa Spoonauer have plenty of appeal as the women in Dantes' life: Spoonauer is Caitlin, the ex- girlfriend whom he continues to pine over, and Ghigliotti is Veronica, the patient current girlfriend who encourages him to better himself, and does nice things for him, but whose sexual history becomes a sticking point for him. Jason Mewes and director Smith himself debut their slacker characters Jay and Silent Bob, who became fixtures in Smiths' filmography. Some of the various eccentric convenience store customers are amusing with their particular quirks. Shooting in black & white may have been a budgetary choice, but it gives "Clerks" a definite low budget charm.It's all made even more enjoyable with the eclectic rock soundtrack, including one of this viewers' favorite bands, Alice in Chains. That "Berserker" song is pretty damn priceless. And it's wrapped up in a rather tidy but satisfying fashion.Eight out of 10.

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