"I wasn't even supposed to be here today" (Clerks (DVD))

Member Name: miss-kitty

Product:	Clerks (DVD)
Date:	16/11/00 (202 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Dialogue, scarily accurate observations and a well acted cast

Disadvantages: Don't expect a big budget epic and you'll be fine

Let me tell you a story, it’s about this film and the unusual path I took to loving it…

I rented this film a couple of years ago now from Blockbusters. It was one of those night where you go to the video store with a few films in mind that you’d like to see and guess what –Yup, they were all out!

So, we perused the shelves for a while looking for something, anything to watch and we spotted this. We read the back cover “seems ok, it won an award” so we took it home. The film started and it was black and white, we looked confused – “ermmm, what’s going on? Isn’t this a modern film” We sat for a bit and watched, cue more confused expression “There’s only 2 different locations, what’s going on” In the end we fast forward it, still the same scene. It was at this point that the film got ejected, shoved back in the case and branded as “rubbish”

Still with me? That’s by no way the end of the story – Fast Forward a year or so and I’m at university. We decide to have a film evening in someone room and everyone suggest a Kevin Smith Night (He directs and stars in this film as well as Dogma, Chasing Amy, and Mallrats) I was dubious but also curiosity took over as I’d been told by many people since then that it was a classic. So once again the film started….

And guess what? This time around I loved it. The basic premise of the story in a day in the life of a convenience store and the clerks that work there (hence the title, obvious but not THAT obvious) The main characters are Dante and Randel who work at the convenience store and the adjoining video store respectively. The film follows their day at work, which is eventful without anything really happening. Dante’s catchphrase of the film is “I wasn’t even supposed to be here today” and is portrayed well as an average likeable
guy. The high point of the film for me was the dialogue with some very apt observations coming through. Having worked in a shop myself I loved the parts about annoying types of customers.

Then there's Jay and Silent Bob, who have come to be a link running through all of Kevin's movies....and now have even featured as a cameo in Scream 3. I can't explain why or how they're so funny but are only getting started in this film - see Mallrats to see them in full comic swing.

I wont give away what happens in the rest of the film, you’ll have to watch it and see for yourself. So now are you wondering what put me off in the first place? Basically I went to watch the film expecting something completely different to what the film actually is. It isn’t a big budget drama, high on visual eye-candy. Kevin Smith was working at the actual shop portrayed in the film and shot the film at this location after closing time. It is however a very funny, low-key film with some very accurate observations on modern life.

Summary: