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Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Lisa Spoonhauer, Jason Mewes ... see more see more... , Kevin Smith , Scott Mosier , Walter Flanagan , Virginia Smith , David Klein , Ken Clark , Leslie Hope , Grace Smith , Lisa Spoonauer

When Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran) is reluctantly put in charge of the Quick Stop market on his day off, he tries, though half-heartedly, to perform his minimum-wage duties as efficiently as possible... read more read more.... This gets tough amidst the on-going fight with his girlfriend, Veronica (Marilyn Ghigliotti), and his attempt to get back together with his ex-girlfriend, Caitlyn Bree (Lisa Spoonhauer). Meanwhile, his friend and alter ego Randall (Jeff Anderson) is working behind the counter of the adjacent video store -- at least when he feels like it. Randall's unabashed disdain of his place of employment, a long with his self-admitted hatred towards its customers is a sharp contrast to Dante's feeble attempts at the niceties of customer service. Much of the film consists of Randall and Dante's criticism of their customers, their lives, and the world in general. Clerks, filmed in black-and-white on a budget of only $27,000, began the career of writer director Kevin Smith, who would go on to make Mallrats (1995), Chasing Amy (1997), Dogma (1999), and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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89% liked it

254,036 ratings

Critics

88% liked it

49 critics

R, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Kevin Smith

Release Date: October 19, 1994

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DVD Release Date: June 29, 1999

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Stats: 18,346 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (18,346)

  • danperry17
    January 16, 2012
    danperry17
    What's strange about Clerks is that the characters speak of such hyperbolically disgusting things all the time - the first, but certainly not the last, time we see this technique from Smith - but the illusion never breaks. These people seem incredibly real. The acting in Smith's ... read moredebut is pretty rough, and the budget is famously low, but this is a seminal 1990s film, gritty and honest and flying in the face of the economic recovery, showing us the children of the 1970s, all grown up now with no place to go. Take a Woody Allen movie and transpose it to your New Jersey garage, and you're getting close. These vignettes come together well enough in the end, and if one or two don't quite pay out, they're over quickly enough that you won't lose the enjoyment. Can't believe I waited so long to watch this, it's a great and original film.
  • fb1664868775
    November 20, 2011
    fb1664868775
    Kevin Smith's wiity debut is a great introduction to the world of Kevin Smith.
  • CreedsDelight
    September 12, 2011
    CreedsDelight
    Randal: My mom's been fuckin' a dead guy for 30 years. I call him dad. 'Clerks' is the greatest comedy ever made, no arguments, it is a flawless treat. It took me fifteen years to see this great film that inspired a cartoon series, spawned a sequel, and sold action figures. It's ... read morea masterpiece with great laughs. Has very few flaws and great performances. I thought the sequel was funnier though. Clerks is the story of two clerks, Randall and Dante, who hate interacting with customers. The whole film takes place throughout a very long day; involving a funeral, a hockey match, and a death. Okay, this is my second favorite Kevin Smith film, first being Clerks II and third being Zack and Miri Make a Porno. For a first time writer/director, Kevin Smith does flawlessly, and does so with so little of a budget, about $30,000. This proves that you don't need a big budget or big stars to make something special (suck it, non-independent filmmakers). Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson did super, especially considering Jeff's little-to-no acting experience, and Brian's only theater experience. The characters they have each created are so memorable, I have memorized each of their individual lines (seriously), and watching these two go back in forth with their arguments that range from philosophy to 'Star Wars' are a real delight to see. 'Clerks' brings back the good old black and white movie, unintentionally though, based on the budget, which is one of the most memorable aspects that makes this film so great. All in all, Clerks is a great cult movie that remains one of my favorite Kevin Smith films, actually, one of my favorite films of all time. (Note: The ending of Clerks: The First Cut sucks) Highly recommended.
  • stevenecarrier
    August 9, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    Kevin Smith's "Clerks" is an interesting 1990's relic. If someone watches the film today, with no context of what it meant to independent cinema at the time of it's release, would see it as no more than a amateurish and shoddy raunch fest. Thankfully the amateurish nature and end... read moreless poor taste are combated with "Clerks'" place in film history. I found the film only sightly amusing. Smith has an ear for dialogue but none of it is screamingly funny. "Clerks" is a film that you should see for the simple fact that it changed so much in terms of what upcoming filmmakers can accomplish on a shoestring budget. "Clerks" became a phenomenon but undeservingly so. The film is ultimately a feature length film school project.
  • FilmFanatik
    August 3, 2011
    FilmFanatik
    Kevin Smith's triumphant first film, Clerks, is easily one of the funniest movies of the 90's. It's quite a snapshot of a bunch of amateur filmmakers managing to pull off a very funny script. The film isn't perfect in parts - people flub lines, sound effects are a little silly an... read mored even the camera work is a little dodgy at times - but that just makes the whole piece a little stronger. The fact that it's in black and white makes it sort of documentary-ish, or like discovering an old tape that you love. Its lack of quality is mostly its strong point, along with extremely sharp and witty dialogue. It's not for everybody, but it's one of my favorites.
  • fb791220692
    June 20, 2011
    fb791220692
    Ridiculously raunchy and full of truth, Clerks is an odd coming of age comedy which is hilarious and honest, but lacks an engaging, coherent narrative.
  • blkbomb
    June 5, 2011
    blkbomb
    Clerks is an inspired and hilarious film from Kevin Smith. Being that it was made on such a small budget and that it was his debut, a lot of things were against Smith. He took a huge risk with this movie and put his future in jeopardy in order to make it. His dialogue is second t... read moreo none and hilarious. The characters he created are foul mouthed and perverted, but they have heart and care about each other. Clerks is one of the greatest comedies ever made and one of my favorite movies.
  • fb535316333
    June 1, 2011
    fb535316333
    Smith commands such excellence in this otherwise boring premise that it really makes the mundane life of these two "deadbeats" incredibly entertaining and more importantly, insightful.

    It's a particular brand of down-to-earth vulgar humor that Smith is known for that really hold... read mores the viewer's attention but it shines most when he finds maturity and sophistication in characters that often carry themselves with such simplicity we'd often see right through them.

    And such is this movie appropriately named and is about; Clerks.
  • ajv2688
    May 24, 2011
    ajv2688
    A simply hilarious low budget comedy, I love it. It's Smith's first film, so if you like his work, you need to see it.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    May 22, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    The directorial debut of Kevin Smith is definitely one of the best independent films ever made. The film is a comedy classic. Not only is it Smith's debut as a director, but Clerks also is the debut of Jay & Silent Bob, the rapping, dope smoking marijuana dealers. What makes this... read more an interesting film is that it was filmed in black & white. The humour is witty and well conceived. One thing about Kevin Smith is his knack for writing a very funny film with lots of hilarious dialogue. Clerks has some very well written dialogue despite the fact it's fairly vulgar, but then again it's the whole point of a viewaskew film, right? Clerks is a fine independent film, and it shows that you don't a huge budget to create something memorable. Clerks is very original, and the story may be kinda dull, but Smith puts a twist on it that makes it something truly special. Clerks is not perfect, but it manages to be an accomplished film considering that this is a low budget comedy. Clerks showed the comic genius of Kevin Smith, and he became a terrific director afterwards. Clerks is a terrific gem of comedy film with a lot of vulgarities, but it's used in a very humourous manner. Smith would make better films, but Clerks remains one of his classics for sure. An original comedy that is fairly simple its story telling, Clerks is one of those films that proves you don't need a complicated idea to create a good. film. A must see for a fun evening.

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Critic Reviews

Janet Maslin
May 20, 2003
Janet Maslin, New York Times

A buoyant, bleakly funny comedy chronicling a day's worth of activity at two adjoining stores. Full Review

Rick Groen
April 12, 2002
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

A hoot one moment, a hiss the next, the film is about as even as a city road after a hard winter. But the script's sheer vigour sees us through. Full Review

Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

A collegiate and post-collegiate laugh fest. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Clerks is so utterly authentic that its heroes have never heard of their generation. Full Review

Hal Hinson
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson, Washington Post

Amateurishly acted, clumsily edited and slapped together out of what looks like surveillance camera footage, the thing bumps along not so much on talent as on audacity. Full Review

Richard Corliss
January 1, 2000
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine

The film looks no more expensive than it was; some of the acting (by local nonprofessionals) is spectacularly amateurish; the story is a series of anecdotes about hockey, shopping and loving the one y...

John Hartl
January 1, 2000
John Hartl, Film.com

At 24, Smith also knows something about casting. Using a mixture of stage actors and novices, he's found the right ensemble tone to make Clerks seem as spontaneous as it needs to be.

Ryan Cracknell
November 28, 2009
Ryan Cracknell, Movie Views

There's no denying the raw and energetic feel Smith created with a memorable script, great characters and a genuine sense of Gen X angst. Full Review

James Kendrick
November 23, 2009
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk

an exemplar of what can happen when the stars align and someone's home movie can help foment a revolution Full Review

Bill Gibron
November 21, 2009
Bill Gibron, PopMatters

Clerks remains a defining debut, a symbolic shot into the darkened domain of legitimate moviemaking. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Silent Bob: You know, there's a million fine lookin' women in the world dude. But they don't all bring you lasagne at work. Most of 'em just cheat on you.
    • Dante Hicks: 'Empire' had the better ending. I mean, Luke gets his hand cut off, finds out Vader's his father, Han gets frozen and taken away by Boba Fett. It ends on such a down note. I mean, that's what life is, a series of down endings. All 'Jedi' had was a bunch of Muppets.
    • Randal: My mom's been fuckin' a dead guy for 30 years. I call him dad.
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Clerks Trivia

  • The first film in motion picture history to have a cost of obtaining the rights to the soundtrack (approx. US$27,000) that outweighed the entire production (approx. US$26,800).  Answer »
  • Which movie is this a tagline from? Just Because They Serve You... Doesn't Mean They Like You  Answer »
  • What actor plays the character of Silent Bob in Mallrats, Clerks etc..?  Answer »
  • Fill in the blank from Clerks 2: "Kelly can be a ___ ____ too, hey!"  Answer »
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