... But can he really leave best mate Randal and true love Becky behind?
To be honest, I wasn't a fan of the original "Clerks" - I thought it was totally overrated and found it impossible to empathise with the foul-mouthed characters who'd rather talk about nothing all day than do their work. ... Read review
Writer-director Kevin Smith returns to the scene of his cult comedy classic Clerks to pick ... more
up his nothing-is-scared style of humour ... and push it right over the edge!Ten years after the original, slacker heroes Dante and Randal have become funployees...
In 1994, writer-director Kevin Smith scored a surprise indie hit with the low-budget, ... more
black and white CLERKS, which won awards at the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals and has attracted a growing cult audience over the years. Following such movies as MALLRATS, CHASING AMY, and DOGMA, Smith returns to his roots for CLERKS II, a very funny, very raunchy sequel. It's been more than 10 years, but Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) are still working at the same Quick Stop video and convenience store in New Jersey--until it burns down. They both end up finding jobs at the nearby Mooby's, a fast-food joint (with the motto 'I'm Eating It!') managed by Becky (Rosario Dawson). While Dante gets prepared to move to Florida to marry Emma (Smith's real-life wife, Jennifer Schwalbach), Randal harasses geeky 'Funployee of the Month' Elias (Trevor Fehrman), a dweeb who worships the TRANSFORMERS and believes, much to Randal's consternation, that THE LORD OF THE RINGS is superior to STAR WARS. Also back are Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith), who contribute their own warped world view of sex, drugs, and rock & roll. The film features a string of cameos by familiar faces from other Smith films, and an eclectic soundtrack ranging from Talking Heads and the Smashing Pumpkins to King Diamond and the godly Alanis Morissette.
(+) Because of the new series the box set isn't complete, which means it will be cheaper! (-) It isnt the complete box set so you'll have to buy the new dvds seperatly or wait for the new set!
Production Year: 2003 - Comedy - Director: John Crowley - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Colin Farrell, Shirley Henderson, Cillian Murphy, Colm Meaney, Rory Keenan, Laurence Kinlan
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Advantages: Popcorn-chokingly funny. Disadvantages: Not a film for the faint-hearted because of the swearing and sexual references.
After the Quick Stop burns down, slackers Dante and Randal find new McJobs at Mooby's fast food restaurant. It's a case of same stuff, different location as they continue to shoot the breeze instead of getting on with their jobs. Dante is about to move to Florida with his fiancée Emma. But can he really leave best mate Randal and true love Becky behind?
To be honest, I wasn't a fan of the original "Clerks" - I thought it ... ...the foul-mouthed characters who'd rather talk about nothing all day than do their work. But the times they are a-changing and this time around I loved Kevin Smith's View Askew-niverse. Maybe it's just that now I understand what the characters are about, having been through a few brain-numbing McJobs myself and heading towards my thirties wondering why I don't feel like a grown-up yet and being freaked out by the possibilities of new responsibilities ... more
After the Quick Stop burns down, slackers Dante and Randal find new McJobs at Mooby's fast food restaurant. It's a case of same stuff, different location as they continue to shoot the breeze instead of getting on with their jobs. Dante is about to move to Florida with his fiancée Emma. But can he really leave best mate Randal and true love Becky behind?
To be honest, I wasn't a fan of the original "Clerks" - I thought it was totally overrated and found it impossible to empathise with the foul-mouthed characters who'd rather talk about nothing all day than do their work. But the times they are a-changing and this time around I loved Kevin Smith's View Askew-niverse. Maybe it's just that now I understand what the characters are about, having been through a few brain-numbing McJobs myself and heading towards my thirties wondering why I don't feel like a grown-up yet and being freaked out by the possibilities of new responsibilities like settling down and buying a house. I see the appeal of shooting the breeze rather than buckling down and doing something. And I swear a lot more now.
As the film opened, I thought it was going to be more of the same as Dante rolls up at the Quick Stop, bathed in black and white. Then the shutters go up, we see the flames devouring the store in glorious Technicolor and we're off into a new era. I think that this time there's more of a sense of the film belonging to a complete world instead of existing in a microcosm. Some of that is to do with the fact that it is shot in colour so it feels more real and you see more of strip mall New Jersey. There's a bigger cast and because of the prequel, the players have a sense of history. But much like the original, there's no definitive directorial style. As long as his characters are in focus and the gags are framed well, Smith seems happy enough. He occasionally shifts from static to hand-held camera, but that is determined by the needs of the shooting environment rather than the need to convey a particular mood by the director. The lighting states shift in a similarly haphazard manner. But I suppose the lack of directorial ego means you aren't distracted from the performances and you get the impression Smith is entirely confident in his cast's abilities. Most of them know the characters as well as he does, having played them before, so everyone appears relaxed on set. His timing is still sharp and he nails the jokes without fail, whether verbal or slapstick. And he knows when to end the movie, leaving on a high after a mere ninety-seven minutes.
Smith's screenplay is as foul-mouthed as you might expect but is also very funny. He steadfastly ignores political correctness and goes down some very dark little alleys in search of laughs. Whether it's "interspecies erotica" or attempting to reclaim the racial slur "porch monkey", there are chuckles to be had. But he balances the near-the-knuckle japes with schmaltzy sentiment, teetering on the brink of mawkishness without ever quite tipping over the edge (though the cheddary closing line makes it a close thing). There is a surprisingly tender romance between Dante and Mooby's manager Becky and the friendship between Dante and Randal is as strong as ever, despite the latter's talent for the inappropriate. Smith supplements the original key players with some new ones. Love interest Becky is the most significant, embodying Dante's ideal woman; smart, sassy, funny, occasionally crude and smoking hot. Even though he has a lovely fiancée, the fit with his boss is so perfect that you'll spend the entire film rooting for them to get together. The greatest comic addition is Elias, the Lord of the Rings-obsessed Christian teenager that works alongside the leads at Mooby's. His worldview and naivety are so contrary to Dante and Randal's cynical take on life that comedy can't help but ensue. They can't even agree on the greatest film trilogy ever; arguing over the merits of "Lord of the Rings" and "Star Wars" to amusing effect. The dialogue alone will put off some people because it is so heavily loaded with swear words and is often sexual and sometimes scatological. But it includes some cracking conversations, including one about a little creature called Pillowpants that nearly had me choking with laughter on my popcorn. Essentially the whole script is sharp, smutty and funny (sometimes in a deeply wrong way).
The casting generally works because so many of the parts have been written for specific people that Smith knows on a personal level. That means the words coming out of their mouths sound natural and spontaneous and the characterisation feels genuine. But that's not to say you can't tell most of them are acting. Brian O'Halloran, who plays Dante comes across as a warm, friendly good guy with a smart mouth and a tendency towards being tightly wound. He's a sympathetic player and the straight man to Jeff Anderson's Randal, but there are times when his dialogue feels stilted. Jeff Anderson appears completely at home with the part of Randal; a laconic, sarcastic, sex-obsessed waster determined never to grow up. His streams of invective against everything from Transformers to Christianity well up as if from nowhere and it really feels like there's no filter between his brain and mouth.
I recently discovered that Jason Mewes, who plays Jay is a recovering heroin addict, which certainly explains some aspects of the character. But having come off the skag, he's now more manic, though still as sweary and prone to the odd bout of public nudity and/or singing. Director/writer Smith continues to mug manically as the rarely heard Silent Bob, seeming affable enough.
The jewels in the new film's crown though are Rosario Dawson as Becky and Trevor Fehrman as Elias. She fits the franchise like a glove, coming across as a modern-day sassy broad, able to out-gross the guys when necessary, but also having a cool head on her shoulders. She's effortlessly smart and sexy and lands a big dollop of cynicism on the proceedings when required. As Elias, Fehrman is a comic gem, throwing himself into the part of the unabashedly geeky and naïve Christian. Despite being high-pitched, twitchy and blindly obedient, he manages to remain likable. Ben Affleck gives the best performance of his career in a minute-long cameo where he does little other than stare.
The original music by James L Venable is much like Smith's direction in that it doesn't have a particular style. Various characters have their own little themes, like the metal riffs for Jay and Silent Bob and the Spanish guitar for Becky, but the incidental tracks struggle to be heard amidst the other soundtrack choices that include "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head", "Misery Loves Company", Alanis Morissette, random alternative rock tracks and one of the best uses of the Jackson Five's "ABC" I've heard for a long time. It's all kind of slapdash, but it works.
Though I enjoyed this film very much, it hasn't converted me into a Kevin Smith fan; the quality of his films is variable at best. But for once he gets the balance between sentiment and smutty verbal comedy right. So you feel for the characters regardless of their quirks and failings. It also features one of the most unexpected and joyous dance routines you're likely to see and some nicely observed tender moments. If you aren't easily offended and you're still not sure you want to grow up just yet, this will probably be one of the most oddly life-affirming films of 2006. If, however, sexual swear-words and scatological humour make you want to curl up and die, I'd avoid it like the plague.
Advantages: Pretty amusing, good pop culture references, a lot of extras for your money Disadvantages: Jay and Silent Bob having too large a role
Clerks II is the story of two clerks stuck in a dead end job.
The story is based 10 years after the original Clerks where Dante (Brian O’Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) are still working at the Quick Stop, however Dante opens up the Quick Stop shutters to find the place burning down from there the film credits roll and we find a year has passed and now Dante and Randal are working at a place called ‘Mooby’s’ – a fast food restaurant that is ... ...and Silent Bob Strike Back) Clerks II is the first sequel he has actually done to any of his films, although the characters Jay and Silent Bob have featured regularly.
Personally I find the film really amusing, Clerks is my favourite Kevin Smith and partly that’s down to the strength of the two main characters Dante and Randal who are quite easy to sympathise with. With the second film you can sympathise even more because they are still seen as ...
thebluehippo 14.06.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Clerks 2 (DVD)
Advantages: Still as funny as the original, better production values Disadvantages: Loses some of the grittiness of the original
...movies later we come to Clerks 2, a movie that Smith for years has said he'd never do as he didn't believe in writing sequels, however as a promise to his close friend Jason Mewes, (He offered to write it if Mewes stayed off of drugs) he's wrote it, re-visiting the characters that made him, embellishing on their story 12 years later and introducing more new characters as well, oh and one more thing - it includes scenes of Inter-species erotica.
... ...worried about them doing a Clerks 2, just in case it was too similar to the original, or if the characters were just too old for my liking now, but I was wrong, its as funny as if not funnier than the original, the crude jokes are still there but not too crude that you don't laugh at them and there's enough of a storyline to the movie that it flows well enough to constantly keep you interested.
One trademark of any Kevin Smith movie is nods back ...
Angelus 21.03.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Clerks 2 (DVD)
Advantages: amazing film, brilliant special features Disadvantages: need to see original before diving straight in with this
although (suposedly) smith's last delve into the view askiewniverse, and set as a sequel to the cult classic Clerks, this movie is amazing. from Randall's 'lord of the rings' bash ("theres only one return, OK, and it aint of the king its of the jedi") to Dante and Becky's Michael Jackson dance number on the roof, and Jay and Silent Bob's somwhat....disturbing... dance number of their own. this movie completely envompasses the heart and warmth of ... ...new jersey.
bonus features too are hilarious, with interviews from cast and characers, tv spots (featuring Jay Bob) outtakes, deleted scene, essentially, this DVD is the essential purchase for any Kevin Smith fan. despite this movie being as good as it is, it would probably be beneficial to watch the prequel before diving straight into this, to understand a bit of Smith's philosophies of film ...
lasvegasdisastermovie 01.05.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Clerks 2 (DVD)
...it happens, but not often. Clerks was a good film, a dark black comedy, one of Kevin Smith's hidden gems. I liked it but wasn't raving about it to friends. I felt much better about Chasing Amy and Dogma, but Kevin Smith is one clever writer/director. No one can deny it. Clerks 2 brings some of the original cast back for another outing in a different location. The quick stop having burnt down, the two heroes are found working in a fast food joint ... ...a brilliant film. Clerks 2 is bloody funny, no doubt about it. I laughed out loud many times. Another classic Kevin Smith film. If you like dick jokes, watching someone giving a donkey a blow job (not literally obviously) and laughing at Jay and Silent bobs antics, then this is the film for you.
"You don't go ass to mouth! you NEVER go ass to mouth"
"Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, its okay to go ass to mouth" ...
AgeUK 23.09.2008 (29.10.2009)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Clerks 2 (DVD)
Advantages: hilarious, made by the leg-end kevin smith, enough said. Disadvantages: Dante is still a stud? what is up with that? that is all
...stylee...and to be truthful a Clerks II was a long time coming. It brings into force the funnier side of Moobie's, a sober Jay and Silent Bob, a 'stud' of a Dante and a ridiculously argumentative Randall who in my opinion steals the show along with his over-religious counter-part ruled by a mouth goblin...Overall it is hilarity at it's best and is another accomplished film on the part of Kevin Smith. ...
smithsgal 01.04.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Clerks 2 (DVD)
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Advantages: such a funny film and will amuse you Disadvantages: Some peope may be put casue its in black and white
) on the other hand never talks apart from one line which he may say through the film. They are so funny in this film, the characters Jay and Silent bob also star in other films by Kevin smith such as clerks2, mall rats, Jay and Silent bob strike back and lots of others. It's all part of The View Askewniverse.
That's all I'll say about the film it's self so I don't spoil it for anyone wanting to watch it. But honestly don't be put of by the fact its in black and white.
WHAT ELSE THE DVD CONTAINS.
This verstion of the film, "Clerks. X," was a special verstion relised for the 10th anversity of the film. This contains a lot of extras and is a 3-disc set. A 24 page booklet featuring thoughts on the film from Kevin Smith and ten years after making it. The booklet also features various reprints of reviews and images of posters and memorabilia ...
Advantages: Fantastic script, one of the funniest films you'll ever see Disadvantages: It's crude humour may not appeal to everyone
go back over topics covered elsewhere on the disc but it?s worth a look just too see how, despite the setbacks, things eventually fell into place.
Articles and Reviews
Eight pieces of journalism, some reviewing the movie and others detailing the constraints of low budget filmmaking. Not bad at all and worth checking out seeing as the authors are all featured in the ?Snowball Effect? documentary.
24 Page Booklet
This includes an introduction by Kevin himself, a section by Scott Mosier, quotes, poster designs, reviews and various scribblings. Fully comprehensive and Smith reveals that Clerks2 will be arriving in 2005!
In conclusion, this 3 Disc DVD is absolutely essential. The bonus material is extensive, so much so that you could spend the day trawling through it all, but it?s definitely worth it. What?s even better is that ...
Audio commentaries, Podcast commentary, Introduction to the film by Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier , 'A Closer Look At Interspecies Erotica' featurette , 'Back To The Wall' documentary , Video production diaries , Deleted scenes , Blooper reel , Easter Eggs
Sound
Dolby Digital
DVD Description
In 1994, writer-director Kevin Smith scored a surprise indie hit with the low-budget, black and white CLERKS, which won awards at the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals and has attracted a growing cult audience over the years. Following such movies as MALLRATS, CHASING AMY, and DOGMA, Smith returns to his roots for CLERKS II, a very funny, very raunchy sequel. It's been more than 10 years, but Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) are still working at the same Quick Stop video and convenience store in New Jersey--until it burns down. They both end up finding jobs at the nearby Mooby's, a fast-food joint (with the motto 'I'm Eating It!') managed by Becky (Rosario Dawson). While Dante gets prepared to move to Florida to marry Emma (Smith's real-life wife, Jennifer Schwalbach), Randal harasses geeky 'Funployee of the Month' Elias (Trevor Fehrman), a dweeb who worships the TRANSFORMERS and believes, much to Randal's consternation, that THE LORD OF THE RINGS is superior to STAR WARS. Also back are Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith), who contribute their own warped world view of sex, drugs, and rock & roll. The film features a string of cameos by familiar faces from other Smith films, and an eclectic soundtrack ranging from Talking Heads and the Smashing Pumpkins to King Diamond and the godly Alanis Morissette.
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