WTF Happened to Kevin Smith's CLERKS?

[@aikisteven0616]

I was a 20-something Gen X slacker who worked in a video rental store when this came out. This movie WAS my life, and I'll never get tired of watching it!

[@icey984]

Can’t wait for the third..

[@michaelm9920]

gay sex

[@robzilla730]

I worked fast food around the same time. dittos

[@BlookbugIV]

Same age, similar employment level, hate that movie and everything Smith has ever done. Other than his anecdotes about Prince, he’s a great raconteur.

[@BlookbugIV]

@@travzimmerman1340 face it he was always a talentless nobody and you were easily impressed in your 20s

[@SkolneyVikings]

Clerks, Mallrats and Chasing Amy all came out when I was in high school. It's impossible to overstate how big these movies were to me and my friends.

[@skyden24195]

All great movies, but I gotta give a special call out to Dogma for one of my favorite lines of all the ViewAskew Universe movies: Loki: "Kill us?! Why do they want to kill us?" Azrael: "Because you're pissing people off!!!" 😆😆😆😆😆🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@JohnnyNiteTrain]

Totally

[@TexZenMaster]

I cracked up when they called Kevin Smith "The voice of a generation" Not everyone in that generation was a burnt-out, nihilistic loser.

[@demo3456]

@@TexZenMaster not all but most it was social engineering to the max just like the boomer generation and the hippies

[@glennlove5202]

Anybody else starting to think Smith peeked with dogma and it was down hill from there? I do like clerks 2 and Jay n silent Bob strike bk butttt 😆😊😇😈

[@jmhaces]

I always liked that the movie was shot in black and white because it was cheaper but people thought it was a deliberate aesthetic choice that made it better than it would've otherwise been. That bit of trivia kind of encapsulates this whole movie and the way it came to be.

[@stephenshelton4267]

I saw a few low budget movies back then and low budget color looked absolutely terrible. It's definitely not like today where even a basic smartphone shoots in quality HD.

[@Phoenix-xn3sf]

It's 2 AM, just got home and watched this, and now I have to put on Clerks again... Kevin Smith is a f-ing nerd god, and a proper decent human being. I saw Clerks right after I turned 19, a month before I moved out of my parents house to go start my adult life, perfect timing. It's been with me ever since.

[@boneappletea3858]

Alice in Chains's- Got Me Wrong is also a highlight music choice for Randall's entrance.

[@cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245]

Leaders and Followers for the funeral scene lol

[@rustyshackelford1413]

I was going to say something about Stabbing Westward getting a shout out and no love for AIC until I saw your comment

[@moo-snuckle]

@@cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245 OLAF...:BERSERKER

[@map3384]

So damn right. Alice In Chains forever.

[@jlobiafra]

I prefer the most underrated band ever GIRLS AGAINST BOYS song Kill the sexplayer being played during the introduction of Jay and Silent Bob

[@WhatAboutZoidberg]

Sam Raimi and Kevin Smith showed that you could put together a film on a razor thin budget with nothing but passion and hope.

[@octoman511]

and ed wood too

[@SmoothCriminal12]

@Ted Wilson Not in Raimi's case. He got outside funding from investors for Evil Dead.

[@TommyJonesProductions]

And a LOT of luck.

[@screwgoogle128]

@@TommyJonesProductions or just talent

[@TommyJonesProductions]

@@screwgoogle128 Talent without luck happens all the time, but nobody notices. Luck without talent will only go so far. Best to have both.

[@topochijo]

This movie holds a special place in my heart. I was in college and working as a video store clerk, when this movie came out. First watched it on one of those promotional VHS tapes distributors send out to the buyers. Fell in love right away. Totally related to the story, situations, characters, etc. It told my tale at that time of my life. Been Kevin Smith fan ever since. Yeah, not everything he makes are great, but I sure enjoy them.

[@JustSomeCanadianGuy]

This is still the best indie movie debut I’ve seen. Where a guy just make a movie with his friends and it’s great.

[@PaStef37]

Man this is so much nostalgia... I don't know how many times I saw this movie. I clearly remember the day in the heart of the 90s when a friend of mine at college told me "Do you know Clerks? You'll love it." It was one of those things that were like the ost of that time for me. Every movie in that "universe" is great. That's the kind of true things that made the 90s great. That kind of honesty seems to be gone forever now.

[@MrDazzlerdarren]

JoBLo: 91 F-bombs Me: In a row?!

[@masterred82]

lol

[@WackadoodleMalarkey]

Bunch of savages in this town

[@cubencis]

I think a lot of knew parts of his story but the details are even more fantastical than I realized. Thanks for providing this.

[@johnclifford1537]

I am the same age as Kevin and was so pleased when this film came out. It was the first movie I had seen that had almost all Gen X characters and for anyone who has worked at a convenience store it is so perfectly a true representation of the type of people you have to endure. I have always thought that if Easy Rider is the Baby Boomers generational movie then Clerks is ours.

[@conservat1vepatr1ot]

That friendship origins story of Smith and Mews is really sweet.

[@mmickle6191]

This is an excellent movie. Utterly true to what 1990's life was like. Still resonates today, except for the lack of video rental stores.

[@moo-snuckle]

they will be fondly referenced in a increasingly forgetful world for years to come,surely. i still have trouble mentally being as satisfied with how much a bargain it is to take home other peoples movies for such low prices and stakes and still be able to enjoy them as much as owning them with any other times i spend money nowadays.well...maybe hulu .

[@Morgil27]

When I was in college in the early 2000s, a friend of mine showed me all of Kevin Smith's movies on DVD. Clerks 2 was the first of his movies I saw in a theater, and the following summer, we saw him doing a Q&A session at a convention in Chicago.

[@trishrobinson5828]

I have always loved this film. My kids were almost teenaged and I let them watch this film. They were blown away and told all their friends and suddenly our house was real popular. Much popcorn and snacks were eaten and the film was discussed and parodied. Wish Kevin hadn't lost him mind over the comic book movie situation.

[@user-pq6mr6op3p]

Bullshit

[@moo-snuckle]

i salute you sir, i tried to subconsciously slip it into my sons movie diet, but hes only 7, so it hasnt worked yet. im hopin that eventually he comes to his senses lol i can watch this movie twice a month for the forseable future, completely alone, and be like" spff lmao ....37! hehe " for the foreseeable future it seems like, so ill wait it out

[@bowlseedreal]

@@moo-snuckle hes 7

[@linden6190]

@@moo-snuckleshow it to him in high school bro

[@moo-snuckle]

@@linden6190 you know it

[@fikrizainudin6376]

"Clerks" to me always a have place in my heart. First time knew about "Clerks" through pages of Wizards Magazine as they were promoting the "Clerks" comic- books series.

[@map3384]

I was a college kid in 94 working as a clerk at Riteaid pharmacy. When I saw this movie I related to it instantly. The 90s chill feeling, the crazy people used to come in the store, the girls I worked with who all slept around and bragged about. The best was the feeling of pure youth where besides college I had no worries. I was as dating my wife who was also in college. Totally freedom. Im very sentimental about Clerks.

[@michaelploskina1681]

This is by far my all time favorite movie

[@hblee88]

Having been a clerk, this is the best documentary ever...lol.

[@ericfritz8805]

This was a piece of my youth. Working low paying jobs while in college, using the dialog on stupid customers and just trying tonenjoy some terrible jobs. But always a fan of Kevin Smith. And he is an A lister !!

[@map3384]

OM God right. I was working at Riteaid pharmacy in 94 and was a junior in college. The customers were assholes. They’d come in pissed they waited until they were out of pills. The women were the worst. They waited till they had one pill left and no refills. They’d be cursing like sailors when the pharmacist told them their doctor wouldn’t give them a refill until they made a doctors visit. The girls I worked with, all pretty were all sleeping around and bragged about it. The pathetic low money I was making, $5.50 and hour. The store manager was a bitch who got pregnant at age 17 by a married dude and became a raging feminist who hated men but still slept around too. God knows I hated the place. But I loved the 90s.

[@haroonabassi1821]

2:43 has to be the most wholesome thing ever. Imagine you're in a group of buddies and I can only assume that you're one of the quieter guys there and here comes bombastic Jason Mewes and low and behold of everyone he clung onto and appreciated the company of it turned out to be you so much so he visits your house unnanounced like a puppy that just wants to hang out and appreciate your company. And then the two of you go onto make some of the most iconic characters ever.

[@InVinoVeratas]

Wow, a time where Kevin Smith wasn't hated by everyone, Fans and non-fans alike. Also, a time where he hadn't yet realized that Bruce Willis hates working with him.

[@youknowwhoyouare2269]

Wow, a time when I realized how passive aggressive someone can truly be Also, a time where people aren't aware of their obvious tells and reveal more about themselves in the process of snidely taking down a public figure Congratulations karen

[@InVinoVeratas]

@@youknowwhoyouare2269Keep projecting.

[@georgekirby7150]

@@youknowwhoyouare2269 I agree with Bailey

[@wstine79]

"I'm not even supposed to be here today!"

[@youknowwhoyouare2269]

You had one job That you couldn't get through without editing

[@zlatanp479]

13:50 that Blockbuster label on that VHS tape triggered a lot of nostalgia...

[@willshaw3493]

"This guy wasn't kind, he didn't rewind...now, Mister, you're getting fined!" - Carlos Jacott, "Kicking and Screaming" (not the Will Ferrell film)

[@georgemercer402]

I watched my Clerks DVD yesterday and felt it appropriate to watch this video; THX for the history.

[@jackmackakaheavyguyhaiku545]

One note: While Alan Dershowitz was hired to defend the film to the MPAA, he never showed, instead leaving it to Smith to argue on its behalf.

[@youknowwhoyouare2269]

In his typical fashion As we all know #weknowdis

[@charlessaints]

you should do a WTF happened to Kevin Smith he use to be cool, now he's . . . something else

[@ramdom_assortment]

He married a "feminist". This is what happens to men when they marry a radicalized woman.

[@frankthespank]

Oh you guys didn’t like Jay and Silent Bob Reboot? Why not?! Didn’t you like seeing Kevin Smiths fuck-face daughter act like she was on the r a g for 90 minutes?! Oh and you guys better watch what you say, she’ll kick all our asses ‘cause she’s tough! 🙄 I loved Clerks and all of Smith’s movies but I didn’t even finish watching that turd. At some scene where they were walking on some road and it was yet ANOTHER shot of Smith’s bitch-face pissed-off daughter and I was like “enough. ENOUGH!!!!” and I stopped it there. I think I was like 20 minutes into it and I couldn’t take it anymore. Clerks III will be the same…

[@Siris101]

@@frankthespank I tried to watch that abomination on three separate occasions, continuing where I left off each time didn't get past 30mins. Drugs can't make that movie watchable.

[@frankthespank]

@@Siris101 I KNOW!!! I think I tried to continue watching it one more time to see if there was ANYTHING left of Kevin Smith’s “charm” that made me a huge fan of his all the way back to the 90’s and I just couldn’t do it. That movie kept making me sick every time I tried to watch it. What the hell happened to our beloved Kevin Smith?! I loved his movies and brand of humor but god damn WHAT was that pile of shit Jay and Silent Bob Reboot supposed to be?! A “passion project” for his daughter? That’s fine Kevin, you love your daughter and want to do everything for her, you’ve made movies for her in the past, I didn’t watch them because I knew I wouldn’t like it, I get it, she wants to be an actress and you’re trying to do that for her, but did you have to RUIN the sequel to Jay and Silent Bob?! Did you have to shit on your fans that made you a millionaire?

[@RedheadDevito]

Dogma was his last decent film in my opinion. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back was the beginning of the end for Smith. At least we have his earlier stuff we can always go back and watch.

[@timothyj.wright5833]

Had to watch the documentary that’s on the Clerks X 3 disc DVD today to compliment this WTF episode…now, I’m gonna actually watch Clerks. Thanks for the content, folks! Had some seriously great times watchin’ this movie.

[@koolz765]

I was 16 when this shit came out. It still sums up the 90s very well.

[@scalefreakgaming]

This was so great to watch. Thanks for covering it.

[@PozerAdultRacingTeam]

Clerks is a brilliant movie. Since I have been working in a grocery store I realized they hit the nail right on the head with this movie.

[@ceebee491]

WTF happened to Dirty Work?! (Norm Macdonald)

[@TheKronikone]

Dammit Joblo you made him cry again. We just got him to smile for the first time since endgame.

[@design1of470]

If you're mad about Kevin Smith for making a He-Man cartoon or whatever, I'd highly recommend that you cry about it.

[@DropNinety]

I love Clerks. I caught it on tv the other day and had a blast watching it.

[@ryanlee3131]

Just went to Quickstop in NJ....what a trip going in there! Highly recommend checking it out!!

[@joea4936]

Kev, you need to finish the trilogy. Im 63 now for crying out loud. Hurry!

[@PhoenixSheriden]

They're filming Clerks 3 right now bro.

[@NewbombedTurk]

@@PhoenixSheriden You mean ruining the trilogy right now?

[@saratov99]

Kevin Smith turned out to be massive corporate schill.

[@seanodeli7031]

I think he always was but we the fans ignored the signs looking back at his career it’s pretty awful with just a few gems that you had to be born at the right time to appreciate

[@TRJ2241987]

It's sad how the spirit of the 90s has been stomped out

[@theguyonthecouch42024]

Back in the day, being a sellout was shameful. Now we literally see movies that are garbage. I prefer to admire a film without the behind the scenes.

[@jammin5442]

Ummmm really? How so?

[@erwerwewerwer4575]

“You Either Die A Hero, Or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain” - I'll just leave this quote here lol

[@ktoner9485]

Sam Raimi and Kevin Smith showed that you could put together a film on a razor thin budget with nothing but passion and hope.

[@KnucklesMcGirk-m8r]

Not to stab a hole in your great inspirational quote but Master Yoda lived long enough life and still died a hero...

[@Redthepunkrocker]

Greatest indie movie with a kick ass soundtrack

[@Ontime2day]

must be on the same wave length, just finished watching the First Cut of Clerks.

[@youknowwhoyouare2269]

The video is in response to news of Clerks 3

[@Rekaert]

Clerks is the perfect example of "write what you know".

[@CS-rk9bf]

*What movie script was Scott working on when Kevin was writing the movie script for Clerks?*

[@jasonnn2284]

Scott has said he doesn't even remember the movie he was writing at that time

[@WickedDealer]

Kevin and Scott talking with each other is pretty funny.

[@-NateTheGreat]

This film aged wonderfully. Can't say the same for Weistein.

[@robertfrazier6563]

I was in my mid-20s when I watch Clerks. That movie really made Jay and Silent Bob a house hold name.

[@sierra2bork29]

I took my brother to see Clerks 3, it was the last movie we will ever see together. He thought it was funny and it was a good night

[@stefen-emilpedersen9859]

You guys did a good work on this one👍🏻

[@RadioofHorror]

The sounds track kicks ass

[@Real_N3m3sis]

The video should be “WTF Happened to Kevin Smith”

[@PeugeotRocket]

No, because the video is specifically about Clerks, not Kevin Smith and his filmography.

[@jdraven0890]

This was great. Love your channel!

[@123gozane]

Clerks is by far the best movie ever made! I watch all the time and never get tired of it..

[@setaside2]

Saw Mallrats on opening night in Greeley, CO, my friends and I being the only people in the theater. One of the great movie nights of my life. Surprised you didn't mention that Kevin met his wife, Jennifer, when she was assigned by USA Today to interview him. Damn fine story. Frankly, none of us are supposed to be anywhere, today :)

[@joeyd1404]

one of my favorite movies of all time!!!!

[@tecpaocelotl]

I remember seeing this as a teen. I think it was Starz or Hbo. Loved it.

[@Brad772006]

The comments speak loudly regarding Mr. Smith's recent career choices. Like many others. I really looked up to this guy. Starting from so little and making a film that actually resonated with it's audience. Then the future looked much darker. I will watch Clerks 3. Although my expectations are really low for it.

[@HerrDeutschBlood]

I for one will be forgoing the debut of Clerks 3 after sitting through the self gratifying dumpster fire that was The Jay & Silent Bob Reboot.

[@Pressed_For_Time]

@@HerrDeutschBlood I felt robbed after I watched the reboot. That man has no business behind a camera.

[@PeugeotRocket]

@@HerrDeutschBlood So because of one failed reboot you just dismiss all his other great works and the potential to create another one?

[@HerrDeutschBlood]

@@PeugeotRocket Smith hasn’t made a decent film since the early 2000s and his tainted world view and massive ego has only hindered any chance of him making another good movie, so I’m sorry if you fail to see him as the hack that he has become.

[@youknowwhoyouare2269]

Your comment spoke loudest, while also having the least overall significance- especially when directly compared with those who embrace Smith's journey and respect for all he's done for the industry. Y'all are just desperate for role models, someone to influence and shape your lives instead of...I don't know, charting your own paths forward

[@Jabberstax]

More videos like this please.

[@maxrockatansky2976]

"You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

[@bennuinspace6688]

i cant believe he donates all the money from the first half of his career. amazing.

[@spokojnik]

Just to clarify, The Divine Comedy is a book by Dante Alighieri, consists of three parts, the first part being Inferno.. not the entire book is Inferno, as you seem to suggest.

[@SuperiorityQomplex]

You think they read books or something? ;)

[@alejandromolinac]

I have come to realized most “nerds” whose only hobby is watching movies have little knowledge of anything

[@spokojnik]

@@alejandromolinac and yet we still watch them

[@kylemendes7246]

@@alejandromolinac gotta love asuming something based off of the people you know. avid movie nerd here chuckling as i look at my copy of The Devine Comedy.

[@ccole5386]

I love Clerks and I love JoBlo's videos

[@Menleah]

Another terrific JoBlo original.

[@Philosophy42DaysUth]

First mention I've ever heard that he attended a film school, even if briefly, and that he met Scott Mosier there. That makes sense.

[@ratmdex]

Clerks was my life back in the 90's. also Red State is such a great film. I love it

[@jfrancis2768]

honestly one of the best movies i think ive ever seen, in terms of reality

[@davehandelman2832]

Such a bummer that he made a sequel. But the original slaps FOREVER!!

[@ernestaguirre4300]

Dante dying at the end makes for a more compelling ending, Kevin gave in and sold out from the get go

[@jasonnn2284]

He killed Dante at the end b/c he didn't know how to end the movie. The studio wanted him to take the scene out but they weren't going to force him to remove it.

[@rwed13]

Harney W was always a monster. The signs were there for the looking.

[@1pcfred]

What monster? Men have needs. Men in the right circumstances will satisfy those needs too.

[@ryanjavierortega8513]

The new Doctor Wolfula is about to drop, so this fits in perfectly (time wise)

[@austria9811]

Dr. Wolfula is that Scooby doo guy, isn`t he?

[@southerncinephile6258]

@@austria9811 yeah we suppose

[@DarthThorfinn]

Mallrats was my intro to the world's of Kevin Smith but Clerks will always be my favorite

[@thatonemovieguy-h4b]

It spawned a Career for Smith, that lead into becoming the Askewuniverse. Which lead to many films, and now 2 sequels to this one. That's what the fuck happened with that!

[@kylepatrickmurphy4058]

Great vid!

[@Seanmm8855]

Gotta love that "don't copywrite me" music

[@cavemanbum]

Best. Soundtrack. Ever.

[@orionalexander2918]

I believe they announced a third one being in production recently.

[@thomasbarca9297]

This is my favourite movie ever. I’m still a huge fan of anything Kevin Smith

[@MrRamone420]

It's my favorite film of Kevin's. But I lost faith in Kevin a long time ago. When you get weird about the press and you wanna put your kid in everything, that's concerning.

[@barbiquearea]

Can you guys do a WTF video about Eric Bana? Seriously he was once one of Hollywood's biggest stars a decade ago and yet for a long while now he has fallen in obscurity.

[@youknowwhoyouare2269]

It was all good, just a..."decade ago" Don't be sad that he had to go, rejoice that he's gone. Glass Full.

[@Made_In_Heaven88]

He was in a Aussie film not too long ago called "The Dry" he's still acting, Chopper is still his greatest acting role imo

[@KEVMAN7987]

At least Smith didn't have to sleep with Weinstein to get his film distributed.

[@shadowaccount]

He probably did.

[@Lou-T-Fisk]

I worked graveyards at a conscience store had a tv with built in vhs 📼 player and I watched clerks every night for 3 years sometimes twice a night

[@robzilla730]

awesome sauce! I work graveyard too and my job let's me indulge in movies and videos!

[@likecrazyhorse]

Michael Parks in Red State still gives me goosebumps

[@kamandi1362]

Slacker, Clerks, and Reservoir Dogs. Those were the days…

[@joshhoke5637]

I wonder if such a movie would be as well received these days. I really enjoyed this movie and others like it when it came out.

[@donniesalami4921]

I still want to hit up the Quick Stop convenient store where this was filmed.

[@deacongowan117]

Texas Chainsaw was a much more influential independent movie than Clerks(I love Clerks but come on, Texas Chainsaw created almost all horror tropes in the slasher genre). The first Clerks was amazing and launched a few good careers.

[@kylemendes7246]

texas chainsaw did have some tropes for slasher genre, and predated halloween, john carpenters halloween was ultimately more influential to the slasher genre and making it popular and where ALL the tropes where seen. theres a difference between being somewhat of the first slasher to being the first slasher to influence other films

[@albertchehade9916]

I wasn't even supposed to watch this today!! 😂 😃 😄 😅

[@Philbert-s2c]

Last time I checked, it was still there.

[@PerfectedCeII]

once upon a time kevin smith had a couple of good flicks. then the 90’s passed

[@JamieKitchens6]

Very accurate.

[@dudermcdudeface3674]

He had a couple of *great flicks that resonated. And saying that as a criticism is like saying someone "Only won the Medal of Honor that one time."

[@JBob08]

@@dudermcdudeface3674 well said. I really don't understand all the hate towards Kevin Smith. I've always found him extremely likeable.

[@PerfectedCeII]

@@dudermcdudeface3674 disagree. i didn’t find clerks as good as it was made out to be. so to me yes, he only had a couple of good movies. nothing great.

[@PerfectedCeII]

@@JBob08 definitely don’t hate him. comic book men was one of my favorite shows. and i really enjoyed clerks 2 but i relate kevin smith fans to batman fans. i don’t understand the pedastal. but to be fair he has become a parody of himself in today’s age queue the Heman horror show or yogahosers to find that meaning.

[@laustcawz2089]

It got added to The National Film Registry.

[@ChadBeezly]

So when did you give up on Kevin Smith? For me it was Cop Out.

[@bartman898]

This movie grossed over 100 times it's budget. That must be a record.

[@SkolneyVikings]

I'm guessing The Blair Witch Project might hold that record

[@bartman898]

@@SkolneyVikings I was thinking the same thing as I wrote that.

[@bartman898]

@@SkolneyVikings You are right. Blair Witch comes in at about 5000 times the original budget. Wow.

[@mastakush4272]

I thought the Cannes film festival stuff happened during Clerks 2?

[@1pcfred]

Clerks is so good because it is real. Is it even a work of fiction?

[@1pcfred]

@Jack Torrance you never know.

[@Panthror]

FYI: Filming on Clerks 3 has been completed and the movie is now in post-production.

[@southerncinephile6258]

Exactly!!!

[@benreilly5951]

Cool. Looking foward to seeing it.

[@collinmc90]

I did a project in high school where we needed to do a report and then make out movie. I did mine on low budget films and indy directors. I was thinking I would be so edgy and offend my teacher with my segment on CLERKS. Teacher absolutely loved it and really supported me and my friends shitty movie project it was great lol.

[@SpiceofLifevariety]

"that bastard's faster than Walt Flanagan's dog"

[@godmaentertainment4375]

In the 80s, theatres and all night independent theatres were stacked with independent and/or foreign movies...B movies. By the late 90s, all things good had been sold out and/or collapsed...Mirrormax. Did you guys ever do a story of Full Moon Productions?

[@imnotbrucewayne8259]

Of course they knew Weinstein would be convinced to stay after he heard the 37 line...smh

[@PeugeotRocket]

Yeah, but she did it willingly. Harvey likes things a bit more.... hardcore.

[@skyden24195]

Do you know what the real tragedy is? I wasn't even supposed to watch this JoBlo Video today!!!