I had just seen this movie last month and I feel like killing myself for not having watched it sooner.
CLERKS is a very critically acclaimed movie from way back in the early 90's. It basically tells the story of Dante Hicks [Brian O'Halloran] and Randal Graves [Jeff Anderson] who are two guys behind the counter. Dante is a clerk at the QUICK STOP GROCERIES and Randal works at the video rental right next to it[RST VIDEOS].
Dante and Randal are the exact opposite. Their views, philosophy and everything is ENTIRELY DIFFERENT! I'll just let wiki explain both the characters;
DANTE: "...still lives with his parents. He feels that because he runs the store, he is independent and in control of his life, and yet, he is a push-over who often agrees to work when he doesn't have to (hence his catch phrase, "I'm not even supposed to be here today!"). He frequently gets into debates ranging from philosophy to Star Wars with his best friend, fellow clerk Randal Graves..."
RANDAL"...Whereas Dante believes that title dictates behavior, Randal does whatever he pleases. He has been known to order porn movies for RST Video in front of children, spit water in customers' faces, and intrude on private conversations about sex."
Dante and Randal discussing sex and ex-girlfriends
The two characters totally complement each other and makes the movie more enjoyable. In addition to the two of them, the movie has a whole array of other interesting and memorable characters. The ones I felt were really great are;
-Veronica (Dante's Girlfriend)
-Jay and Silent Bob (two dope dealing stoners outside the store)
-Snowballs
-Silent Bob's cousin from Moscow (I love his singing "BERSERKER!!!!!!" )
The story is actually Dante's INFERNO.... only with store clerks. The director Kevin James (who also plays the role of Silent Bob) had shot the movie in black and white because of the movie's budget (View Askew Productions). This was his first movie and he een had to sell some of his stuff (collector's edition comic books) to get the the money.
Though the movie was a great success and spawned a sequel (DO NOT WATCH CLERKS 2!) and a spin-off movie (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) and further expansion of the View Askew Universe (View Askewniverse), I didn't like a single one of them,..... mind you, I am yet to watch Chasing Amy and Dogma.
Clerks was one heck of a memorable movie. It's filled with jokes and lines you can quote when you're with friends. It's filled with swearing (approx. 1 swear word every 5 minutes) but I'm sure the movie wouldn't have done much worse if there was none in it.
Very very low budget but wonderfully made. You'll never be bored watching it, for every line is a joke.
Amateurish acting but very much forgivable because of the excellent script and storyline.
A definite must-watch. This is legendary stuff here. A pop culture phenomenon!
