Clerks. (1994)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Kevin Smith

Writer:

Kevin Smith (written by)

Release Date:

19 October 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Just Because They Serve You... Doesn't Mean They Like You.

Plot:

A day in the lives of two convenience clerks named Dante and Randal as they annoy customers, discuss movies, and play hockey on the store roof.

Plot Keywords:

Day | Clerk | Video | Hockey | Video Store

Awards:

4 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Brian O'Halloran	...	Dante
Jeff Anderson	...	Randal
Marilyn Ghigliotti	...	Veronica
Lisa Spoonhauer	...	Caitlin (as Lisa Spoonauer)
Jason Mewes	...	Jay
Kevin Smith	...	Silent Bob
Scott Mosier	...	Willam the Idiot Manchild / Angry Hockey-Playing Customer / Angry Mourner
Scott Schiaffo	...	Chewlies Rep
Al Berkowitz	...	Old Man
Walter Flanagan	...	Woolen Cap Smoker / Egg Man / Offended Customer / Cat-Admiring Bitter Customer (as Walt Flanagan)
Ed Hapstak	...	Sanford / Angry Mourner
Lee Bendick	...	#812 Wynarski
David Klein	...	Hunting Cap Smoking Boy / Low I.Q. Video Customer / Hubcap Searching Customer / Angry Mourner / Angry Crowd at Door
Pattijean Csik	...	Coroner
Ken Clark	...	Administer of Fine / Orderly

Also Known As:

Clerks (USA) (alternative spelling)
Clerks X: Tenth Anniversary Edition (USA) (DVD title)
Inconvenience (USA) (working title)
Rude Clarks (USA) (working title)
cLeRKs (USA) (poster title)

MPAA:

Rated R on appeal for extensive use of extremely explicit sex-related dialogue.

Runtime:

92 min | Turkey:87 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | Mono (original Sundance cut)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:M18 | Argentina:13 | USA:TV-MA (tv rating) | Australia:MA (2008 re-rating) | Australia:R (original rating) | South Africa:16 | Ireland:18 | Australia:R | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Finland:K-12 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:III | Israel:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:Btl | UK:18 | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | USA:R (re-rating after appeal) | UK:15 (2005 re-rating) | Canada:14A (Nova Scotia) (video rating) (10th anniversary edition)

Filming Locations:

Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, USA

Company:

View Askew Productions

Trivia:

The role of Dante was written for Ernest O'Donnell, but Kevin Smith felt he wasn't quite right and also the fact that he did not learn his lines for the audition and cast him as Rick Derris instead.

Goofs:

Continuity: Dante's beard changes because Kevin Smith asked 'Brian O'Halloran' to shave his goatee before filming started during rehearsals, then, after seeing what it looked like without it, told him to grow it back. The scenes shot earlier in the shoot show a thinner beard while the ones shot last show a thicker goatee as it had longer to grow back.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dante Hicks: [phone rings and Dante falles out of a closet] Hello. What? No I don't work today, I'm playing hockey at two.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007)

Soundtrack:

Kill the Sex Player

"Clerks." - Period.

In 1994, an ambitious filmmaker named Kevin Smith was left nearly dead-broke by his commitment to his low-budget debut feature, "Clerks." Shot in black & white and filmed in and around a New Jersey convenience store, "Clerks." is genius on celluloid despite little change of scenery, wooden acting (none of the actors are professionals), and a shoe-string budget; it's also pretty damn funny. "Just because they serve you, doesn't me they like you" became an immortal tagline for one of the best independent comedies of all time, which also launched the career of its director. There's nothing PC about this debut feature, and the relentlessly explicit sex-related dialogue got the film its original certificate, the dreaded "NC-17" rating, which was later dropped down to an "R" rating on a successful appeal by the filmmakers; the characters harass their customers, leave the store during the day to tend to personal matters, and hang-out with girlfriends - not the stuff of responsible employees - and definitely NOT something you would see in any Hollywood production today. In an era rife with censorship and political-correctness, "Clerks." would undoubtedly receive the scorn and protests of the fundamental religious Right and Left. The film features Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson), two bored New Jersey convenience store employees who are both called in on a Saturday (Dante is especially upset because it's his day off) and the two break every rule in the book as they meander through the day and encounter all sorts of colorful characters. Throughout the day, Dante complains about about his girlfriend Veronica's (Marilyn Ghigliotti) sex life, Randal shirks his convenience store duties by shooting the breeze with Dante, philosophize about their daily predicaments, play hockey on the roof of the store, and observe unruly and bizarre shoppers. There's little plot but it's pure fun all the way to the ending with plenty of laughs too. But if you're the sensitive type, you should stay as far away from "Clerks." as possible, as the dialogue will certainly make you squirm in your seat. "Clerks." also contains many Smith trademarks including "Star Wars" talk, references to Spielberg movies, comic books and hockey, all qualities of which would do Smith good in his so-called "New Jersey Trilogy." P.S.: Watch out for Smith in his iconic role as Silent Bob with sidekick Jay (Jason Mewes) as they loiter outside the store and hassle customers.

10/10