Clerks, honestly, what do you think?

Jeremy Ordan

Jeremy Ordan

Major Contributor
Last night after watching the Panthers get completely destroyed I wanted something to laugh about. After spending some time going through my DVDs and finding nothing that I thought would make me laugh I decided to watch Clerks again for the first time in a year, maybe two or three.

Something hit me as I watched this film this time through that either I had forgotten or just not noticed... There are hardly any cuts. Everything is shot as a master shot with the camera just locked down and the actors going through their diatribe monologues as if on a collision course with idiosyncratic language.

I am curious as to what people think of this film, looking back on it, ten years after release...

Personally I think it shows that if you have an entertaining script, actors capable of delivering solid dialogue, and enough giggles that a film can succeed with no involvement from the camera. I'm curious what other people think of this approach.
 
Kevin Smith may be the most successful director of all time who never moves the camera.

He says in the commentary that he rarely shot any coverage because he was trying something new. I think he was just nervous about it -- and I can understand that.

But I think his movies are all about idiosyncracies, and that's what makes them cult favorites. It's not about cinematic artistry.
 
He's such a great, comedy, dialogue writer.... And that's one of the hardest things to accomplish, in my opinion. "Clerks" is hilarious.

"Chasing Amy" is such a good film.

I've also read his script for "Superman" and it was awesome.
 
I stopped watching after Indy and Patriots got knocked off.. Dammit. Couldn't care less about the teams that's left....
Then again I am a 49ers fan and to slightly lesser degree Oakland so this is not the moment to celebrate ... :cry:

(Yes it is televised in Denmark - 2 games pr. sunday ...)

CLERKS.. haven't seen it yet and I am annoyed I haven't. It is high on my list of films I should see but didn't get around to (though that list is short haha)...
 
Kevin is a great writer. I'm not sure he's a great film director.

The first time I tried to watch Clerks in highschool, I couldn't sit through it on VHS -- it looked horrible. After I saw Mallrats (which is my favorite Kevin Smith movie), I had to go back and give Clerks a chance -- it's very funny. The Clerks cartoons are good too.

Has anyone seen Kevin's cut of Mallrats? I think it pales next to the theatrical cut.

The bottom line is that I don't think I find his self-referential style that charming anymore and I'm a little tired of his cash-in mentality. From watching J&SBSB, I know he'll probably show up at my door with Jay to beat me stupid with a baseball bat. Just know that I'm ready for you, mos.
 
I don't think he's a great director either. But then neither does he and he does not try to pass himself off as one. He knows his strength is in writing and dialogue so he sticks with that. Remember when he was attached to do the Green Hornet? I was very happy he bowed out cause I do not think he was capable of directing a project like that and apparently neither did he and thats something i gotta respect.
 
Everyone was talking so much about Clerks that I watched a while back. Sorry, I hated it. I know he has a lot of fans that love his stuff and that's great for him and his fans...I'm just not one of them. That's one of the things that makes the movies great, there's something out there for everyone; plenty of choice so if you don't like one thing there is always something else. :thumbsup:


p.s. Didn't he give a boost to the careers of the next Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? :grin:
 
Didn't he give a boost to the careers of the next Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?
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Yes he did. And the thing about clerks that I've noticed is that it loses alot of its novelty with repeated viewings. I just dont find it as funny as i once did. And from what I've seen of clerks 2, it looks like the worst idea since Greedo shooting first.
 
Having bought the 10 year anniversary DVD of CLERKS and watched it a few months ago, I must say that I have grown up a lot. It wasn't as funny or poignant as it seemed 10 years ago to me. I don't think it's the movie that changed as much as I have. I did not enjoy it was much, and laughed a lot less.

CLERKS' strength has always been it's writing not filmmaking or directing. No matter what, it was extremely well written and showed promise, which in some ways paid off (Chasing Amy, Dogma) and others not (Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back + Jersey Girl).

What do you think of CLERKS 2?
 
i also have the 10 year anniversary disc and love it. the second disc is the original cut taken straight from hi8 tape that they shot it on. the audio is so crappy and so is the picture but its so funny still. it gives an authentic look to it. as for clerks 2.... i cant wait for it.
 
I fall into the 'Kevin Smith is a hack' Club (More on this in a bit).

Clerks was a fun film. It was one of the first (maybe the 1st ?) to show 'My generation' in some dead end job and realizing we are screwed (I jest a bit; but hopfully you get my drift). With remarks about Star Wars , the honest vulgarity and sarcasm and showcasing an indiependent film; shot for pennies on video and 16mm. A film that was really about nothing and still made you laugh.

The film itself is **** as for as technical filmmaking goes. I haven't watched it in years myself but it is not in my favorites folder if that tell's you something.

--

As for Smith himself. This guy is just a hack filmmaker. It is astonishing and encouraging to see him at the level he is at cause it gives my hack booty some hope. Chasing Amy was another fun film that took on some real subject matter (I mean face it, who hasn't wanted that lesbian chick ?) but films like Mallrats, Dogma (One of the lamest poorest films I have ever seen), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jersey Girl and OH YIPPEE Clerks 2....

He's a hack and can't direct and should stick to writing. I would think that after 10 years he would have grown a bit as a filmmaker but it proves you need talent not just experience and that's something KS jus't doesn't have.

IMO
 
If I had seen Clerks first, I wouldn't have bothered with the rest. But I didn't. I saw Chasing Amy.

Sorry to burst anyone's bubble, but Kevin is not a great writer, unless you're only talking about the situations/stories.

The dialog...? That's how we talk there. He just wrote down the kinds of things he heard around him.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. :)
 
I thought the movie sucked the first time I put it in the player. The lead character was annoying (pathetic) and the movie seemed to be going nowhere. I caught it on comedy central and started to like it. If I had watched it when I had it, I might not have worked two whole years in retail before realizing I had to go to college.
 
uhrgl said:
Thank god those are only rumors. That is my absolute favorite movie and I'm not sure my psyche could handle a remake with anyone else in those roles.
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The ONLY thing I didn't like about that movie was "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" :thumbsup:
 
ravinesedge said:
i also have the 10 year anniversary disc and love it. the second disc is the original cut taken straight from hi8 tape that they shot it on. the audio is so crappy and so is the picture but its so funny still. it gives an authentic look to it. as for clerks 2.... i cant wait for it.
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It wasn't shot on Hi8. It was shot on B&W film.
 
Apparently the 'First Cut' of the movie that is on the DVD set came off a SVHS dub of the movie -
which is where the confusion may have come in.

Like David said, it was shot on film (16mm B&W).


Here's a snipet from a review on NewsAskew.com
Quality: Taken from the original SVHS that passed between all the critics and Miramax execs, for a "bootleg", this ain't too bad. As this is a full frame off 16mm, the presentation is not letterboxed at any way, and will run full screen on your television. Thus, you're seeing more material on the top and bottom of the screen than originally projected in this cut. Sound is also video quality, fairly muffled but loud and quite audible. Would this be the only copy of Clerks in this set, of course, we'd give it poor marks, but the fact that it's a second full length copy of the flick, and presented this way FOR A REASON, that can certainly be appreciated. Just let yourself be taken back to 1994 as you watch this, and remember a time when independent film was just starting to catch the notice of critics and audiences.
 
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