Mallrats (1995)

Director:

Kevin Smith

Writer (WGA):

Kevin Smith (written by)

Release Date:

20 October 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Get off your TV watching brown eye and come see our movie!

Plot:

Both dumped by their girlfriends, two best friends seek refuge in the local mall.

Plot Keywords:

Mall | Ex Girlfriend | Comic | Jay And Silent Bob | Video Game

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Shannen Doherty	...	Rene
Jeremy London	...	TS Quint
Jason Lee	...	Brodie
Claire Forlani	...	Brandi
Ben Affleck	...	Shannon
Joey Lauren Adams	...	Gwen
Renée Humphrey	...	Tricia (as Renee Humphrey)
Jason Mewes	...	Jay
Ethan Suplee	...	Willam
Stan Lee	...	Himself
Priscilla Barnes	...	Ivannah
Michael Rooker	...	Svenning
Carol Banker	...	Security Guard
Steven Blackwell	...	Arresting Cop #2
Kyle Boe	...	Pull Toy Kid

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language, including sexual dialogue, and for some scenes of sexuality and drug content.

Runtime:

94 min | 123 min (extended version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo | DTS

Certification:

USA:Not Rated (extended version) | Argentina:13 | Iceland:L | USA:R (NO. 34072) | Brazil:12 | Australia:MA | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | Germany:12 | Israel:16 | Norway:18 | Singapore:M18 (cut) | Spain:13 | UK:15 (re-rating) (2003) | UK:18 (video rating) (1997)

Filming Locations:

Eden Prairie Center Mall - 8251 Flying Cloud Drive, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA

Company:

Gramercy Pictures (I)

Trivia:

Trisha Jones is given a $20,000 advance for her book "Boregasm" by Pendant Publishing. Pendant Publishing is the company that Elaine Benes works for during the first five seasons of the TV show "Seinfeld" (1990)

Goofs:

Continuity: The ring on Mr. Svenning's finger when he's talking to TS and Brodie in the mall changes hands (it is switched in a deleted scene, but not in the released version of the movie).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Brodie: [Brodie's voice] One time my cousin Walter got this cat stuck up his ass. True story. He bought it at our local mall, so the whole fiasco wound up on the news. It was embarrasing for my relatives and all, but next week, he did it again. Different cat, same results, complete with another trip to the emergency room...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Vulgar (2000)

Soundtrack:

Boogie Shoes

Hilarious comedy

Mallrats tells the story of two friends who are dumped by their girlfriends on the same day. They seek solace at the local mall where they hang out all day doing nothing but talk about their girlfriends and comic books. They get into a series of situations that eventually leads to the two enlisting the help of slackers Jay and Silent Bob to get their girlfriends back. This is the second film in the "New Jersey" series by Kevin Smith. This entry is miles better than its predecessor Clerks.

I loved how Kevin Smith did this movie. Kevin Smith is a comic book geek, so I'm glad he made a movie to portray that taste. Comic book lovers will truly enjoy all the references and parodies within the film. I know I did. That's what made the movie even more enjoyable to me. The appearance of Stan Lee was the cherry on the ice cream for me. Aside from that, this movie is just paced and styled better than Clerks was. This was non stop laughs whereas Clerks was more of a satirical black comedy. Also, a lot happened throughout the film even though it only takes place within a day and within the same mall, rather than Clerks which was slow moving and downright boring in some parts.

I enjoyed the acting in this movie. Jason Lee is hilarious as comic book fanatic Brodie Bruce. Jay and Silent Bob have a lot more to do in this film than in Clerks, and they make some of the funniest scenes in the movie.

Overall, Kevin Smith had his practice with Clerks, so he had the resources to make a better film, and he certainly did. If you liked Clerks, or even if you didn't, you'll love Mallrats.

8/10