CLERKS (1994) // Reaction & Commentary // INSPIRING!!

This week was my FIRST TIME WATCHING CLERKS! (1994)...I LOVE Independent films so to get this one on the channel was a real treat!
what do you think of this one?!
PATREON INFORMATION!!
See my full-length reaction on Patreon:
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*AS ALWAYS* I do NOT claim ownership of any clips used in this watch. Used for entertainment purposes only

[@tdrewman]

Fun fact. This was the most stolen VHS tape at rental stores back in the day.

[@johnfriday5169]

@@xjamesxreedx I say that all the time, nobody so far has gotten the reference.

[@Realhamdip]

Smells like shoe polish

[@dagan2000]

and then came Boondock Saints to break that record a few years later

[@centuryrox]

Word is it was 37 of them... In a row.

[@mickymoist]

First time I watched it was on a stolen pre-release VHS copy that my friend who managed a Mr. Movies ganked a month before its video release date. Had that annoying waning that ran across the bottom the whole time warning us it was only supposed to be viewed by approved audiences.

[@robertsanssouci2093]

“Very surprising reveal. I did not see that coming” ~ Shanelle “Neither did Kaitlin”….. ~ me 🤣🤣🤦🏻‍♂️

[@TheAbstruseOne]

There's a lot of detail that went into this. For one thing, NOBODY thinks that Dante's getting off work at noon except Dante. Even Veronica shows up with a lasagna knowing that he's going to be stuck there all day.

[@ShatteredTrousers]

I mean, the boss knows Dante ain't getting off at noon. If you remember, the boss promised to come in and finish Dante's shift and promptly left the country!

[@billhicks6449]

@@ShatteredTrousers state. Vermont is still the US.

[@ShatteredTrousers]

@@billhicks6449 Ah, right on! All this time I thought the boss had crossed the border into Canada.

[@billhicks6449]

@@ShatteredTrousers it almost would have been better if he had gone to Canada. I can hear Dante now. "He left the f$&@ing country"!?!?!

[@ShatteredTrousers]

@@billhicks6449 I just imagined the most egregious thing my boss could possibly do to screw me over after I've agreed to come in to work for a couple of hours on my day off. And I know how enamored Smith has always been with Canada, reaching all the way back to Brian's Canadian girlfriend in 'The Breakfast Club.'

[@44excalibur]

This was Generation X cinema at its height in the 1990s. Clerks, along with Heathers, Dazed and Confused, Reality Bites, Pulp Fiction, Fight Club, Swingers, Slacker, and Boyz N The Hood, were what defined Generation X cinema.

[@scottrabie]

Yes, Gen X, growing up on the 80's classics of Back To The Future, Breakfast Club, Goonies, Ghostbusters, Police Academy, Karate Kid; all fantastic movies. But they were never really violent and they were never too dark, and they never had language that was too bad. It's like they were safe. And then in the 90's there was a run of movies that pushed the envelope of what Hollywood put out and we ate it up like it was ambrosia.

[@MikeB12800]

Add Red Dawn, Gremlins, and The Outsiders

[@SherriLyle80s]

Yes!

[@chefskiss6179]

...Before Sunrise...

[@ericyoungstrom5745]

Agreed..... Gen-X'd approved (born in 1973).

[@sarataylor6164]

"Why is this like the anti-Ferris Beuller?" is quality commentary! Great movie pick.

[@radwolf76]

Kevin Smith did a limited run comic book series to explain what happened between Chasing Amy and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back. The two are trying to get to Shermer, Illinois, because all of the John Hughes films set there.

[@notmee2388]

@@radwolf76 Great book!

[@MarkCalise]

@@radwolf76 the comic was set between Chasing Amy and Dogma, in fact it was titled Chasing Dogma. Parts of the comic were adapted into Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

[@radwolf76]

@@MarkCalise thanks, it's been years since I'd looked at it.

[@dustywaynemusic6297]

Never made the Ferris Bueller connection but you're probably right. Kevin Smith is a huge John Hughes fan. Check out Dogma for more on that 😉

[@atti97]

His favorite John Hughes film was She's having a Baby. Very underrated.

[@AtomixIGN]

The original jersey trilogy have clerks mallrats and chasing Amy are great. But Dogma. That's the good stuff

[@AstroXeno]

This movie really captures the retail experience in a very truthful, if exaggerated manor. My time in Retail Hell coincided with this movie coming out on video, and we had it for rent. Of course, nobody ever actually treated the jerkoff customers the way Randall did, but we were all thinking it...

[@billhicks6449]

I was 16 and working at a convenience store as well, and had worked part time at a mom and pop video store until it had closed. This movie was amazing.

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

I spent most of the 90s as a convenience store clerk. The movie is dead on.

[@jkhoover]

Just because they serve you, doesn't mean they like you.

[@kevinramsey417]

Exactly. Dante was who we were but Randal was who we wanted to be.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

@@kevinramsey417 This

[@ExhaustedElox]

"In a row?" Still the funniest line of screen writing committed to film! 🤣

[@cardiac19]

At least Randel wasn't "36."

[@johncrawford5225]

Not even the funniest line in the film. For me it's Jay with "About the biggest pair you've ever seen, dingleberry!"

[@cardiac19]

@@johncrawford5225 #fact

[@daylin3907]

That's still one of the greatest one liners ever

[@nicks1063]

If you want to talk funniest lines in Clerks "Try not to suck any dick on the way through the parking lot!" takes the cake.

[@RossWrock]

Shanelle, this was a groundbreaking film at the time, because it told a story with no pretense or budgetary concerns. What's even better though, is how each Kevin Smith film in succession (in the View Askewverse) builds to the overall love for these characters/locations/stories. Not all Kevin Smith films are a mandatory watch, but I highly suggest if you want to view the rest of these, the next films to watch (in this order) are Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

[@linoarquiza5433]

Actually, Mallrats happens before Clerks.

[@PomegranateStaindGrn]

@@linoarquiza5433 nope. Details from Clerks (1994) are referenced in Mallrats (1995)…he had financing for Mallrats (they didn’t want Jason Mewes but Kevin Smith fought to keep him in with tons of dailies submissions - they finally capitulated).

[@dosnostalgic]

@@PomegranateStaindGrn Mallrats does *take place* before Clerks. One day to be exact. Julie Dwyer dies the night before the day Mallrats takes place on. In Clerks they go to her funeral.

[@Psilocybin77]

Where does Cop Out fit in?

[@dustyb58]

I assume if she watches Strike Back she won't have that same I've never heard of any of these actors" moment

[@matthewgrady3423]

Keep going on this. I have a feeling you’ll enjoy “Chasing Amy.” It has a Clerks feel with bigger stars(Ben Affleck, Jason, Lee, Joey Lauren Adams, and a cameo from Matt Damon) and in color. But ESPECIALLY check out “An Evening With Kevin Smith.” Smith did a series of college Q and A’s with this being a video release. There’s a lot of talk about the movies but also stories about a documentary he did for Prince, almost writing “Superman Reborn” before it went to Tim Burton, and meeting his wife.

[@BAYBAY_316]

Love chasing amy. I could relate so much.

[@Madbandit77]

He did write a draft for "Superman Returns". Producer Jon Peters pestered him to put a giant spider in it.

[@tyzerro]

dont forget Mallrats those first three are considered the Redbank Trilogy before the J&SB movies and Clerks sequels

[@paulobrien9572]

Love me some Kevin Smith this movie along with Chasing Amy and Mallrats are great, but being a lapse Catholic Dogma is my favorite

[@tempsitch5632]

Dogma is probably his best writing ever.

[@sappyhead]

Dogma is his best. Awesome movie.

[@deacongowan117]

Dogma sucked

[@sinizin]

Chasing Amy is in my top 5 all-time movies. You should definitely check it out!

[@Twangsk8r]

Seconded!

[@3DJapan]

But Mallrats first.

[@zeroman614]

The screaming scene kills the mood though.

[@thenationaltimelyactionhou9328]

Yeah, it's great!

[@Psilocybin77]

Snowball is played by Scott Mosier, Kevin's producing partner. He attended film school with Kevin and the two agreed to work on whose ever film was made first. Kevin dropped out of film school to make Clerks and Scott acted as producer. Scott Mosier is a legend and one of the driest, most well spoken, and FUNNY people I've ever heard. Scott and Kevin were pioneers in podcasting, and did their SMODCAST for a number of years. I highly recommend listening to any of the older episodes of SMODCAST as it is a hilarious insight into the lives of Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier.

[@tempsitch5632]

Scott Mosier is an instant fucking legend. A good man. High end professional. Autodidact genius. Adventurer. Life liver. Smart n funny.

[@ocularnervosa]

There's a whole series of these films that have overlapping story lines. It's worth watching them. There's an alternate ending where a guy comes in and shoots Dante. The distributor convinced Smith that he had a great comedy and shouldn't end it on such a downer so they cut everything after Randal throws the "Yes we're open" sign at him.

[@frankrossi6972]

Indeed, this was really Gen-X's first important post-high-school cinematic statement in the early '90s, after the rather-white-bread John Hughes '80s era. Much more textured and gritty, in aesthetics and characters. As a student of film, you should be big on Smith and Tarantino, whom you've examined earlier. The other Askewniverse films are pretty good, but the more money he got to make films, the less personal and "independent" they felt, which is fine as long as it's entertaining. You also might like his underrated non-Askew film "Jersey Girl," which is more adult and less quirky, but still has his signature dialogue and spirit in many ways. (And J.Lo. dies in the first five minutes, which is a plus).

[@TranzparentMethods]

Kevin Smith is the punk rock John Hughes. Honestly, "Clerks" is the X-Rated "The Breakfast Club". There is REAL SHIT spoken in both of those films.

[@albinorhino6]

Kevin worked in this convenient store, they filmed everything at night when the store was closed. Even the exterior shots, it’s actually at night lit up with some fluorescent lights. That’s also why the shutters on the store are closed. You gotta do the rest of the Kevin Smith movies in this series….Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Dogma…these are the good ones, they’re amazing. Then comes Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and Clerks 2, which are basically just one long dick joke, not that great IMO. But Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Dogma are classics that you must see!

[@greenpeasuit]

I still would recommend Clerks II. A great revisit of the characters even if it is void of any of the deep thought provoking commentary. Still a lot of great comedic lines delivered by an all star cast. "You can't taste racism!"

[@caddyguy5369]

I LMAO at Clerks 2 personally.

[@albinorhino6]

Ya maybe I need to rewatch it. Clerks 2 was definitely better than Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, but mostly because Randal can carry any scene he’s in.

[@jasonknight1085]

Which did you like better? Mallrats or Chasing Amy? Chasing Amy. Blasphemy! Chasing Amy had the better story. Guy likes girl, girl likes girls, girl sleeps with guy, then dumps him to go sleep with more girls. It ends on a down note. That's all life is, a series of down notes. All Mallrats had was a bunch of anal sex jokes.

[@albinorhino6]

Agree Chasing Amy was better than Mallrats. For me it goes Dogma -> Chasing Amy -> Mallrats

[@Hopehubris1492]

Groundbreaking to say the least. This was the Nirvana of filmmaking. Meaning they both ushered in a slew of wannabes and genuinely inspired a whole new era, in this case, of independent film.

[@centuryrox]

Great indy movie! I'm with you in that I love great dialog over everything else. RIP Lisa Spoonauer (Caitlin).

[@alhollywood6486]

This is the first, and maybe the best, of a trilogy including Mallrats and Chasing Amy.

[@spikejr3113jr]

Clerks 2, dogma, jay and silent bob strike back, and reboot.

[@Trapper50cal]

I like Mallrats more and Chasing Amy less - Dogma rocks. RIP George Carlin

[@GradyBroyles]

Dogma, this, and mallrats are amazing. I remember seeing Chasing Amy in theater (double feat with Romy & Michelle) and being flat-out offended by Chasing Amy. The premise of straight guy wears down lesbian until she turns straight for HIM... it should never have been made.

[@jaybird4038]

The ViewAskewniverse was a thing WAY before the MCU

[@CrowTRobot]

Mallrats lives better in my memory. Dogma holds up well though.

[@shadypelican]

There's a version out there that adds in an animated scene when they go to the funeral--which if I remember right was from the brief "Clerks" animated series that followed many years after.

[@blackraven85_1]

You can find it on KZbin pretty easy too

[@mcgilj1]

It's not from the animated series.. But they do use the same style of the animated series... It was originally on the 10th anniversary DVD

[@Zozo-K-]

All of Kevin Smith’s Askewniverse films are great. And Silent Bob always drops one nugget of wisdom at some point in each film.

[@spacesergeant101]

I gotta recommend El Mariachi for a super low budget independent film.

[@Psilocybin77]

That was a special one. I'm a huge fan of Kevin Smith, and his podcast has kept me company for hundreds if not thousands of hours. I genuinely love Kevin Smith as a person,despite all of the negativity he receives, he remains extremely positive. He always says it is far better to create than to destroy, and he encourages people to pursue the things they love and have passion for. I could go on for hours about information about this movie and what the film has meant to me for a long time. I won't, but I will say that Clerks 2 is far superior lol. I only say that because Clerks 2 became my go to movie when I was feeling sad. The movie is essentially the same idea, but the jokes and production are tighter. Jeff Anderson, as Randall Graves, is a revelation lol. His rant against Lord of the Rings and his plea to Dante at the end of Clerks 2, are some of my favourite pieces of cinema. Anyhow, love him or hate him, Kevin Smith has brought a lot of happiness into my life and the lives of many others, so that's a wonderful thing. Thanks for sharing this reaction Shanelle.

[@deacongowan117]

He’s a coward

[@toddtangen6750]

I was in college when this was released. My buddy and I saw it at the student center that was able to bring in independent movies for the students to watch. We all loved it.

[@MrDarkwing78]

So glad you're the first reactor to get to Clerks! This movie deserves your style of treatment. Can't wait for Clerks 2 now, though it may be worth doing, as we called it, the ever increasingly inaccurately named Jersey Trilogy, in order.

[@patrickholt2270]

One of the big things at the time was the swearing. It felt like one of the first things ever where people spoke like me and my friends spoke. Another was the young lawyers series *This Life* on late night TV in the UK around the same time. Kevin Smith blazed a trail that others followed after, including having people talking about Star Wars and comics in movie and TV dialogue. And in helping normalise comic books, especially so in *Mallrats* but also here, it helped create the market for the seeming incessant comic book character based films and TV shows we're stuck with today. I'm not such a fan of that. I kind of preferred it when it was a young men's nerdy thing we could enjoy outside the mainstream. Part of cool is exclusion: being the only ones in on something. But Clerks definitely appealed to the young male nerd demographic I was part of at the time. It was ours. And then came the comedy series *Spaced,* which is essential viewing and very faithful to struggling early twenties life in London in the mid-90s. You should watch *Spaced* and the rest of Edgar Wrights's work obviously, starting with *A Fistful of Fingers* which he started filming while still in high school.

[@patrikohman4617]

Ah...Clerks. Mallrats and Chasing Amy next. Until we reach Jay and Silent Bob strikes back. And when it's all over we all say "oooh, what a lovely tea-party".

[@matthewurquhart5495]

I keep thinking about the deleted "final" scene, in which a would be robber shoots and kills Dante and the film just quietly ends on him laying face down in his own blood. I can see why it wasn't kept, but at the same time, it kind of fits the whole "I'm not even supposed to be here" vibe.

[@superhippie2000]

I think they will wind up making that the end of Clerks 3. Will be a giant screw you to dante. Have him like really happy with his life for a change and boom dead.

[@JonPaulMaki]

I was aware of the movie's existence at the time of its release, but didn't see it until a few years later. There was a lot written/said about it at the time, and it was typically mentioned in the same breath as movies like Slacker, Reality Bites, and Singles, as they were all some of the first major examples of films by and/or about Generation X. (At least the first ones about us as young adults rather than as teens or kids). I think it's kind of timeless in some respects in terms of relatability, but it was especially relatable to me at the time, as I"m in the same age cohort - just slightly younger - as Smith and the characters in the movie, and share some other commonalities with Smith in terms of nerdy interests. While he got a bit more polished as a filmmaker, I think his later films show him increasingly losing some of what made this such a standout, as he began giving in to the excess of success and the bigger budgets - and bigger names - he had to work with. Still, his films almost always resonate with me to at least some extent.

[@Madbandit77]

But, despite the different projects he's worked on, Kevin hasn't forgotten where he started (He remained friends with his high school chums, who have worked on Clerks). He always had a healthy fear of being a failure and not having a career in film and heading back to the convenience store (it's still there). There are next to no film directors who share his sense of public humility while putting themselves out in the public eye (Smith was the first filmmaker to embrace the Internet).

[@ghigliotti]

Thanks for the love! Also, I love watching others' reactions while watching the movie. 😊

[@ShanelleRiccio]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting!! Very cool to hear from you! :)

[@hallrecords5122]

I graduated from high school in Metuchen NJ in 1994 and I saw this movie in the theater at least 10 times. It really spoke to me and most of my friends. We all were excited to see Mallrats when it came out but all my friends hated it because it was in color and "too slick" but I absolutely loved it. I'll always have a soft spot for Clerks but Mallrats is my favorite Kevin Smith movie with Dogma a close second.

[@michellepeters7066]

Please watch "Monty Python's Life of Brian"!

[@sean---the-other-one]

You need to watch all of these now. Mall rats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, Clerks II.

[@jasondolph2785]

Randall is probably the character I am most jealous of in cinema, because he says exactly what he thinks with no fs given.

[@hayatotheninja]

Saw it in '95, and I really connected to it because I was in that world. I was a clerk at a mom n pop comic shop, and all day I would have to listen to people's hot takes on various Marvel and DC storylines (including the at the time controversial "Spider-Man clone saga"). Also, being a huge Bad Religion fan, it was cool to hear them in a movie! Glad you enjoyed the flick! (New subscriber BTW!)

[@iKvetch558]

OK, Shanelle...now you have really opened a big can of Pringles. LOL Now you have to watch all of KSmith's movies in order so you can see him evolve...and see the ways he does not. Mallrats would be next, and you will love love love it, I guarantee. 💯😁

[@indridcold3762]

Mom and Pop video stores were the best back in the day. Blockbuster was very family oriented and didn't have a lot of the best horror movies and such.

[@DragonWolfEntertainmentFilms]

Not going to scan the 1000 + comments to see if this was already said so.... The original ending.... that was filmed and you can find...was Dante getting shot in a hold up...which is why 'dark' 'down' endings were talked about. Kevin eventually decided against it and ended the film with Randle saying 'your closed', which happens just before the shooting.

[@serralinda73]

God, I love this movie! And yes, I saw it back in 1994, though not in the theater - I rented it (I was 21 that year). Anyone who's had a job similar to being a store clerk knows - it's incredibly boring and repetitive and menial yet you still feel responsible (like Dante - not Randall, lol), and well...you need the job or you wouldn't be working there to begin with. Putting up with whackjob customers is the worst! I absolutely loved watching them cursing out a customer or just fucking around and then practically destroying the place with their very lame fight. They were totally relatable in many ways - one doing what most of us do and the other saying what we all wish we could say out loud. And being that age, without having a real clue of what to do next, treading water in this sort of job rather than pursuing a "career" - many, many of us know what that's like. It a tough rut to be stuck in but also a comfortable one. So relatable! I never cared at all that this movie was cheaply made or that the acting wasn't great - it was raw, emotional, and authentic which is not something we get a lot of in media. Yes, they may have crammed a year's worth of weird scenarios into one day, but they were such realistic scenarios that I recognized many of them from my own experiences. This movie is a gem.

[@Madbandit77]

Truth. I saw the film at a college screening when I was a freshman, and it scared me out of not staying in dead end jobs while making me laugh out loud.

[@ravenofroses]

if you watch no other kevin smith movie, watch dogma. it's my favorite of all his films, and i feel like it really is his best. it obviously has a bigger budget, but it's still very character-driven and intimate. and the story/message is great too, but i might be a bit biased (being an ex-catholic). be aware that if you watch anything he's done after that, though, that as happens with a lot of comedy filmmakers, the more freedom (and money) he gets to do what he wants, the less....focused the result becomes. i'd suggest watching his films in release order so you can ease into his newer ones.

[@Mordraith]

you need to find the 10th anniversary edition DVD set and watch the included documentary. It's so good and the story of making clerks is fantastic.

[@markfilla9305]

And there's the added bonus of seeing the scene that was supposed to take place in the funeral home at the wake. Although it was never filmed, they ended up animating it using the people that animated the Jay and Silent Bob cartoon series. They used the dialog that had been written for the film, however. It was hilarious!

[@Bigdogfindley]

I have not, IMO, seen a bad Kevin Smith film. Some are better than others, obviously, but as a whole I think he makes really good films. Most are underacted and kind of childish, but always send some sort of message (which can be REALLY hard to distinguish if I`m honest). Clerks was a great indie movie IMO. The cast was basically all part of Kevins inner circle, so they kind of knew his vision going in, I think. The rest of his films are all higher budgets, but they still have a kind of "Kevin Smith feel". Maybe because Jay and Silent Bob are a recurring vein in almost all of them. Watch Clerks 2. It`s probably more offensive in a lot of ways, but also VERY Kevin Smith...And Clerks 3 is a complete MIND F**K.

[@NxtLvlProd]

One of my all time favorite comedies...and yes, I was 23 when this movie came out. I know the black and white film was used for budgetary reasons, but I always felt the B&W, the graininess of the picture, and the very steady long scenes made it feel like you were watching footage from a surveillance camera...like the one you'd find in a 1994 convenience store.

[@RraMakutsi]

You must watch Mallrats next... Kevin Smith's 2nd film, bigger budget, recognizable cast, and in color. Love your reactions!

[@iChristyD]

Kevin Smith is such an amazing dude. I’ve seen everything he’s done over & over. If you ever get a chance to meet him, he’s an absolute dream. Like seriously, every time I’ve met him he remembers who I am and he always makes you feel like you’re one of the most important people in the world to him right then. I was a Clerk like him and also worked at a video store too not to long after this movie came. It was like my life on film so I really connected with Kevin. We View Askew fans are die hard and will follow Kevin anywhere! I can’t tell you how many times me & the Hubby have gone to see Kevin or Jason Mewes live somewhere or when Kevin takes his movies on the road with Q & A’s, but it’s the best experience and just so much fun. I even have Kevin’s autograph tattooed on my arm and several pics of him with my tattoo taken with his phone lol. You’ve got to see all his other movies now, you’ll really appreciate them.

[@Bus_Driver117]

I've met him. Cool dude

[@iChristyD]

@@Bus_Driver117 Extremely cool dude! Have you seen the new documentary yet that Malcom did? The second time I met Kevin wasn’t too long after his heart attack and I have a cardiomyopathy & congestive heart failure (I might of already said that above, but didn’t go back to look) so he was super into asking me questions and wanting to know more about that internal defibrillator I have attached to my heart (ICD) and while he was doing that, I noticed Malcolm laying down on the couch scrolling through something on his phone. I flipped out because duh of course I’d seen Kevin with him and I’d actually seen the documentaries that Malcolm did. So I begged him for a pick too & he couldn’t figure out why I was so excited to see him lol. I’ve been friends with him now on Facebook & he engages a lot. That Clerk. documentary he did of Kevin was so good!!

[@Phi1618033]

I was around when this film came out. Before _Clerks_ and _Pulp Fiction_ audiences weren't used to characters simply going around making small talk for long stretches of film. That was considered poor screenwriting. Richard Linklater took this new device to the extreme with _Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise_ and, especially, _Waking Life,_ in which characters literally just walk and talk without any story at all.

[@jimmygreer6172]

I think you'd really enjoy other Kevin movies. Mallrats, Dogma, Red State, Clerks 2. Also, a little bit of trivia. Kevin played a pretty big part in getting Good Will Hunting made. While working with Matt Damon & Ben Affleck on Mallrats he had gotten to read the script and got it on the desk of people at Miramax.

[@chrisfeld3650]

For real, this was my young teen life. My friends and I lived and loved this movie. It went so far as my friend and I dressing as Jay and Silent Bob and going to the pool store our friend worked at, who was working on his day off. He, without influence, had a shitty customer and after they left, "I'm not even supposed to be here today", escaped his lips. We turned and said, "you're fucking Dante"! That being said, (oh, the "said's" lined up) those being said, El Mariachi if you haven't seen it is another low budget, awesome indie film made by a now big time director... and I'm remice. I haven't gone through your catalog. I apologize if it's a movie you've seen already. I'll remedy this miss-step. Hah! Like Puck in Midsummernights Dream! Forgive us now and all is mended, or something close to that. Regardless, I'll keep watching the videos you put out, and if you haven't watched El Mariachi, you should.

[@BronsonSlayer]

I would highly recommend watching the entire View Askewniverse collection in order. Kevin Smith is who inspired my love for film. Some of the best movies of all time.

[@mcgilj1]

People rag on it.. But Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno is very much an in joke but almost biographical film.. About friends coming together and being made as well as the family that comes together from the film.. Chasing Amy is another great Indy entry after he got burnt on Mallrats. Smith refused the cast Miramax wanted.. And instead got the cast he wanted and made it for only 250,000 including the at the time very unorthodox Ben Affleck as a leading man.

[@JakeToll37]

I've been waiting for the longest time for someone to react to this wonderful film. I'm glad that ur the first to see this. I strongly recommend that u react to the other movies connected to this. Before the MCU, there was the View Askewniverse. 37?!

[@johnnyspaceman1]

Melverse 4 months ago

[@KabukiKid]

I worked in a convenience store... in New Jersey... in 1994. Yeah, this movie was basically my life at the time. lol This movie gets a "Jeff's Kiss" from me. ;-)

[@gavinsheridan4680]

In a row ??

[@martinbraun1211]

My Birthday is in december. Please watch "Harry and the Hendersons" (1987)! It's one of my favorite childhood movies!

[@steved1135]

Nice one Shanelle. This movie literally changed my life. So much so that, in 2002, on a whim, I drove from my home in Canada to the Quick Stop itself in Red Bank New Jersey. Amazing.

[@andrewcharles459]

I hope you brought your stick and jersey.

[@krdragon6950]

Two best quotes from this movie is “I’m not even supposed to be here today!” and “In a row?”

[@robertmccauley754]

I showed this movie to everyone in high school. We thought it was the realist, most life inspiring movie we’d ever seen. Nothing captured the beauty in the mundane like Clerks.

[@indade]

The DIALOGUE. This movie exposed me to the back and forth delivery of dialogue.

[@ReallyCoolSite]

Clerks was groundbreaking at the time. It was something you knew about but you didn't go see in the theatre and you eventually saw someone's bootleg copy on VHS. I'm Kevin Smith's age, so roughly the same age of everyone in the movie. A lot of people think that 'Mallrats' is the funnier movie (and was a movie aired on the networks), but it began with Clerks and it's probably Kevin's best work. I do like your comparison to a reverse Ferris, I can see it, never thought of it that way but you do have a good point. it was my generation's 'American Graffiti.' Just a slice of the 1990s. Glad you enjoyed it! New sub!

[@TairnKA]

For several years I went to a Sci-fi, Fantasy convention (Norwescon) and participated (crew member) in a movie making panel (3 times), creating a story, character and going around ton convention site filming, then it was presented to the con members on Saturday night.

[@alhollywood6486]

I'm Gen X and love this movie, but I REALLY love that you called it a reverse Ferris. I never thought of it like that, but it's like a realistic post-high school Ferris.

[@webdrude]

well i'll recommend the independent Slacker (singular) 1990. you might enjoy going in blind.

[@3dartstudio007]

Never forget the movie is about the story. The medium used to deliver the visuals is insignificant compared to the power of a good story. (also see new star wars movies for examples of millions of dollars in special effects wasted on crap stories). Whenever I get dismayed about my digital animation skills, I watch South Park and remember their decade spanning work started with just paper cutout characters and interesting stories. In other words... YES you can do it!

[@thane9]

Clerks was WAY bigger than Napoleon Dynamite among my circle. I was in college, saw it in the theater, then later about a million times on video. Lots of phrases, and full on dialogue, became part of our speech. Heh.

[@ethanparr]

I cannot wait for you to make your way through the Askewniverse and hear your thoughts on Clerks 3. It's a journey. If you're going to eventually watch it, please try and avoid spoilers.

[@JustCallMeMeghan]

Um, excuse me ma'am. It's been 9 months. We need a Clerks 2 reaction and commentary. Lol.

[@Jon.A.Scholt]

Dante's line to his GF "Try not to suck any d*** on your way to your car" (or something near that) is hilarious and savage and kinda pitiful. This movie is so good.

[@alltaira5922]

While in the Navy, my ship was home ported 1 mile down the road from this store. Of coarse I drove by the spot just to see it though I didn't want to go inside as I figured I might annoy the workers. There was a large cult following on base because of how close we were to this location.

[@deucekewlage776]

Would love to see your reaction to; Dogma (another Kevin Smith movie). More mainstream, but out of this world. ;)

[@RoGueNavy]

When this came out, I was working at both a convenience store, and a video store. It SPOKE to me. I recall hearing that this movie's soundtrack rights cost more than the entire rest of the movie.

[@thesaltnation5570]

please watch clerks 2 and now the new 3rd one!

[@bobcobb3654]

The long takes were probably because they didn’t have much time to shoot each day. All the scenes inside the Quick Stop were shot after the store closed at 11pm until they opened at 6am. So, after setup and rehearsals, they had maybe 5 hours a night to shoot. The steel shutters being jammed was entirely to cover up why there was no daylight coming into the store.

[@MathMan271]

When 'Clerks' came out, my friends and I (juniors in highschool) probably watched this movie more than 25 times that year - not an exaggeration.

[@bellyOfaTiger]

I will be severely disappointed if there's not a "37?!" edition of Clerks in 2031.

[@DisturbedShifty]

Fun fact. Kevin Smith was a stickler for sticking to the script early on. Ben Affleck used to adlib in his movies and it used to irritate Smith. But as time went on he allowed adlibing and even encourages it now.

[@skapunker21]

you did the mario them in your intro. cool. i'm commenting as i'm watching. leonardo nj, it's near near red bank. this might be too much for me. i grew up on the jersey shore near LBI. when kevin smith opened his comic book store, "jay and silent bob's secret stash", in red bank, my friends and i went there to see it. we met kevin (who is an awesome dood in person) and i bought a signed copy of the scripts of mallrats and chasing amy. the mother of a friend of mine was a neighbor of kevin's when he was a kid, and she babysat him on and off for a few years. she was so proud to tell me that someone she knew when they were a child ended up making fantastic movies. betty henningson i believe was her name. she was a cool person.

[@cavalryscout9519]

I'd like to say I saw "Clerks" when it came out, but I saw "Chasing Amy" first. It seemed like *EVERYBODY* saw "Chasing Amy", and that's still one of my favorite movies.

[@thelorax9622]

Some of the actors are Kevin's friends, not actually actors - it only cost about $27k.

[@lordmortarius538]

THIRTY-SEVEN!? Randal Graves is my spirit animal lol

[@AllThatJazz707]

“Veronica loves you, you bitch! She brought you lasagna!” 😂

[@nihildark]

Clerks 2 is worth a watch if you don't want a Kev Smith deep dive. It's same characters 20 years later and it's fantastic.

[@koelekahuna9370]

I've fallen asleep every time I've tried to watch it. This is the only way I could get through it. Thanks

[@neighborlyfiend1484]

I was in HS when this came out. It was like only the cool kids knew about it. The kids that went off campus to smoke. But also like the Nepolion Dinomite of it's time.

[@nrrork]

I was 11 when it came out. I went and saw Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back when it came out because a bunch of my friends wanted to see it, that was the first movie of his that I saw. But I loved it, so I was over the moon to find out there were four more I could rent.

[@apb672]

"Anti-Ferris Buelller" Goddamn that's succinct.

[@michaelrosenblum4170]

Congratulations on the hockey playing. Played for 6 years growing up, we did have a girl one year on our team who was better than most of us

[@MacGuffinExMachina]

We had a few video stores and all of them had their features. I feel very little nostalgia for Blockbuster but so much for those. I had a feeling you would like this movie. Commenting before finishing and hoping you see the trivia about how this was made.

[@Wix_Mitwirth]

Just found your channel. This was fun. I'm excited to see if (read: when) you cover the rest of the series.

[@cometogether999]

Shanelle: it makes me think I can write and make a movie. Rob Schneider: You can do it!!!

[@McBeelzebub]

I don’t know why but I never made the Ferris Bueller connection and never would have but once you said it it was so obvious!

[@spud69g]

Late to the comment party, but you gotta do Mallrats! Then Chasing Amy and Dogma!

[@jediyakare]

On the DVD you can see an alternative ending, where a thief appears and shoots Dante, ending the movie His best films are still Dogma

[@CanadianRetro]

That was one of my favourite movies as a teen in my early 90s and to this day, it is really a great movie.

[@logankerlee]

This movie easily ranks highly for me. It's such a great movie to watch!

[@peppyd]

I miss video stores as well. We had a couple of video stores in Toronto called Queen Video which only closed a few years ago. You could find all kinds of films from all over the world. A great selection on Hong Kong films. Sadly, those days are gone

[@BlackavarWD]

I miss browsing the store with friends or a date and talking about what looks good, what we've seen. Even interacting with others in the store. It was friendly.

[@robertlopez628]

When I first watched it I didn't get it. I was younger and in my teens and as grew older and watched it again and again I related to it more. I love this Movie and all his work

[@christophersims3319]

If you’re between 40 and 45 this movie is the soundtrack of your teens

[@radiof00le]

its also on the national film registry of culturally important film, library of congress.