Clerks.

Review #794: Clerks.

Cast
Brian O'Halloran (Dante Hicks), Jeff Anderson (Randal Graves), Marilyn Ghigliotti (Veronica Loughran), Lisa Spoonhauer (Caitlin Bree), Jason Mewes (Jay), and Kevin Smith (Silent Bob) Directed by Kevin Smith.

Review
When my local Blockbuster closed down last month (which part of that sentence shocks you, the former or the latter part?), I decided that it was important to give my thanks to the place that had been in my town for years, with my thanks being expressed towards buying a bunch of films. One of those movies was Clerks.

Clerks, for all of its language and quirks, is an enjoyable movie. It's not a movie just with raunchy lines to it, it's a movie with a brazen approach to showing these characters be who they are, without anything (like, say, a different ending) tacked on. The movie is quick with its approach and lines (alongside editing, due to the budget), and we can identify with the characters right away. The ending is admirable in its honestly with regards to the main two characters; none of the characters are inherently easy to root for, but they are at least with personality, which makes them memorable. O'Halloran and Anderson just click together, with their conversations (such as if there were any independent (and thereby, innocent) contractors working on the Death Star in Return of the Jedi when it blew up) being very effective. Their final one at the end (after a fight) seals the movie up nicely; even at the end of a day that had numerous things happen (good and bad), they still are friends. There's something about the movie being black-and-white (due to the budget) that just works for a movie like this, I think it's because it fits the sharp edge of the movie that color probably wouldn't have done as well for. This was the first film directed by Kevin Smith, who hedged money for the film by maxing out some credit cards, selling his comic books and other ways; it was actually filmed at the convenience store he worked at, done over a three week period. I applaud his efforts, which led to a well-done movie that pulls all the stops and does what it wants rather successfully.

Countdown: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6...

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.