First Review: Clerks

CLERKS (1994)

Directed by: Kevin Smith

Synopsis (IMDB): Made for less than the cost of an SUV, Kevin Smith's first film finds 22-year-old Quick Stop clerk Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran) called into work on his precious day off. There he is besieged by customers ranging from the agitated to the insane, not to mention Randal (Jeff Anderson), the clerk from the video store next door whose commitment to service is made clear when he observes, "This job would be great if it wasn't for the f@&%!#* customers." Dante's love life is a shambles, and the situation at the store goes from bad to worse, but he and Randal are never so beleaguered that they can't find time to discuss why the destruction of the Death Star in RETURN OF THE JEDI may have been morally dubious (uninvolved contractors were probably aboard). In fact, it was the clerks' clever dialogue, saturated with pop-culture references, that elevated CLERKS to cult-hit status among Generation-Xers and transformed Kevin Smith from film school dropout to indie auteur. Smith himself plays Silent Bob, while Jason Mewes plays Jay, his drug-dealing other half. Together the duo provide added comic relief, continuity, and wisdom in each of the the director's films.

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Impressions that I Get: As I was viewing this, it became very clear to me where Judd Apatow got his original inspiration for his recent string of off-kilter (and especially dirty) comedies. Kevin Smith makes hilarity out of the most mundane setting you may ever see: A run of the mill Conveinance Store. While just plain filthy sex jokes and bizzare occurances such as guidance counselors searching for the perfect egg dozen and philosophical musings on Star Wars may leave a lot of people shaking their heads, I found it to quite entertaining as one could never possibly guess what would occur next. While the film clearly lacks any sort of extravagent plot or cinematic trickery, it more than makes up for it with the joy ride of odd characters and profound (sometimes at least) dialouge between the clerks. However, a fair warning to anybody who can't handle their fair share of perverted humor, as Smith loads it on and loads it on often. It doesn't suprise me that NC-17 was the intial rating for this movie until Smith filed a lawsuit to bring it back down to "R". With all of that in mind though, this movie is one of the better indie comedies I've ever seen and probably the best Kevin Smith has ever made. As Randal ironically says to Dante at the end of the film, "You're so obsessed with making it seem so much more epic, so much more important than it really is. Christ, you work in a convenience store". Yet after watching this, being a store clerk really doesn't really seem all that bad. -AT

Acting (7/10)

Cinematography (5/10)

Plot (5/10)

Originality (9/10)

My Grade: B+ (No, I don't go directly by the math)

Rating system (for reference)

Quick note on rating system used:

I will have four categories in which the movie is given a score out of ten. They are meant to balance each other out so that if a movie is lacking in one particular regard, it doesn't bring down the whole film.

Categories (and the criteria used to judge them)

1. Acting (Do you see the actor or do you see the character? How much passion and nuance is put into each character?)

2. Cinematography (Is the film visually entertaining with various vantage points? Is the scenery and setting well shown and does it add much to the atmosphere?)

3. Plot (Does the story keep you on your toes and anticipatory? Is there a certain degree of complexity that requires thought and perhaps multiple viewing to fully grasp?)

4. Originality (Does this film play as something I have never seen before? Will it stand out in a crowd when compared to other movies of the year?)

welcome/intro

Hello all! I have always been an avid watcher of all kinds of films whether they be new or old, independent or major,tragedy or comedy. However, I've felt a recent urge to document my findings in both good and bad (but mostly good) films for both my own sake of rememberance and for others potential enjoyment or viewing. I tend to lean towards movies that I find to be more nuanced and artistic rather than your average Hollywood "rainy day" action or comedy, but I do this becuase I believe people (including myself) would be more inclined to read about something they haven't seen or is worth multiple viewings. I am not trying to be a pompous ass who thinks he knows more than anyone else, but rather a critic who is trying to find out which films have substance rather than "sizzle". I will usually do not do films that are currently in the box office since I don't make my ways to the theaters often and I will typically award a letter grade to each film at the end of my post. I take any suggestions for movies worth watching and I hope you can take something away from me too. thanks!

I'll get to actually reviewing next week, but for now I'll leave this list of my top ten favorites with some description for each.

Here is a current list of my top ten favorites (as always, this is very subject to change)

1.Memento (Christopher Nolan is incredible, the most mind blowing concept ever put into play. The meaning of time and memory changes after seeing this.Why have I never seen Guy Pierce in anything else?)

2.No Country for Old Men (I left the theater with my jaw dropped after this, I thought the Coens could never beat Millers Crossing. sounds of silence, unbelievable cinematography, great acting. They exceeded the limits of Cormac McCarthy's book)

3.School of Rock (A personal favorite that changed me from being non-musical to now calling my music one of my passions. Mostly fun, but communicates a strong message for not only the art of "rock", but music in general that is so rarely seen these days.)

4.Little Miss Sunshine(Great ensemble cast with a message that tightropes down the line between comedy and family tragedy. captures what it means to be a dysfunctional family in the truest way I ever seen.)

5.Donnie Darko (Ahh, the pop movie of dark, independent films. Every time I watch this, I always end up with more questions than the time before. still, ed kelly (with great acting from jake g.)brings philosophy and angst into a film that communicates to the dark side of all of us.)

6.Big Fish (A Tim Burton that is oftentimes forgotten, but which I think conveys the essence of what it means to tell a story and be a storyteller. In an age where the oral tradition of stories is lost and replaced with video games and the internet, this movie captures just that.)

7.Adaptation (Wow, could there be any more inventive, yet quirky screenwriter that Charlie Kaufman? He really takes it to the next level here by inserting himself into the plot of a story that is so complex you'll just have to watch to understand. Trust me, this film hurts to think about sometimes.)

8.There Will Be Blood (A very recent movie, but it is almost timeless in it's John steinbeck-esque tale of a father and son in a land where greed rules over humility. The portrayal of religion with Paul Dano as the minister is very interesting. The scope of this movie is just stunning, P.T. Anderson is great.

9.American Beauty(I had not seen this movie until after it won best picture, but it really did live up to all of the critical acclaim it recieved. Kevin Spacey is phenominal and the sam mendes doesn't try to be too clever or emotional. He just shows what life and beauty is. Scene with the plastic garbage bag and the wind gives me chills everytime I see it.)

10.Almost Famous (This film truly made me want to get out and make something of my young life. The coming of age story of both the boy and the band blends perfectly and touches a nostalgic chord. Acting isn't incredible, but the story is perfect.)