A day in the lives of two convenience clerks named Dante and Randal as they annoy customers, discuss movies, and play hockey on the store roof.

CRITIQUE

Clerks may not be a nice looking film and it would probably turn off most people not in their 20s due to the graphic language/subjects and the genuine appeal to the slacker generation, but it is a truly remarkable film, in that it works so well despite all its obvious flaws. This is obviously a first feature and it shows; Kevin Smith had yet to hone his skills. The black and white grainy production values are awful and the acting is unprofessional and rough. Yet this all gives Clerks its authentic feel and thus makes the events of the day seem more plausible and far more interesting.

Dante and Randal represent a generation raised on pop culture and convenience. The convenience store becomes not just a store to Dante, but a lifestyle he can’t escape and a large gaping hole he can’t climb out of.  He is blinded by his own laziness and can’t see the opportunities he has right in front of him. And then there is Randal who revels in it, who is comfortable being lazy, disaffected and disenfranchised.

O’Halloran and Anderson bring an authentic and realistic edge to the characters, as unpolished and inexperienced as they were. Anderson is especially good as the sarcastic and sly Randal, his delivery and comedic timing is pitch perfect.  I’m surprised his career never took off. The rest of the cast is very raw and not quite as talented as the two leads, especially the girlfriends and the various cast of characters that enter the store. The only supporting player who stood out was Jason Mewes as Jay, and this is how and why the Jay and Silent Bob characters became so popular and eventually spawned their own film (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back).

The true brilliance of Clerks lies in the script. It is the brilliant and unique dialogue that makes Clerks a stand out. Smith captured the essence of a generation and their longing for more in life without wanting to take any risks. The banter between the characters is what is remembered. When you have nothing to do all day and spend it in one place, it is amazing what kinds of things you talk about and philosophize about.

(Movie Review written by Greg Malmborg)

THE VIDEO

Clerks is presented in 1.85:1/1080p on a 50GB disc and encoded with AVC. Image quality is better than the DVD counterpart with improved and stronger detail, while definition is now a little more defined with an average bit rate of 23Mbps. Of course the image is grainy but not too much, while background noise and specks are still prevalent. Contrast is leveled and looks pretty good. There are no jagged liens or distortions in the picture. The restoration presents the film in the best possible quality, but there’s only so much better quality you can get with high-definition master of a low-budget indie.

THE AUDIO

Clerks is presented in a decent 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (48 kHz/24-bit). Music and dialogue are clear and well reproduced across the front and rear speakers. There are no other language options. Optional subtitles include English SDH and Spanish.

THE EXTRAS

Theatrical Version (HD, 1:31:47)

Classic Commentary Circa ’95 with Smith, Mosier, Mewes, O’Halloran and others sitting down together on the set of Mallrats recording commentary for the laserdisc edition of Clerks. There’s a lot of talking overlap between the participants but some good stories come through.

Enhanced Playback Track: Synchronized trivia and cast and crew quotes while viewing the film.

The First Cut Version (SD, 1:44:15)

The First Cut Audio Commentary with Smith, O’Halloran, Anderson, Mosier and Mewes talking about what went on behind the scenes, shooting a low-budget indie, detailing the events that made the film a success, and many other details and tidbits. Available in 3 Viewing Modes: Audio only, Picture-in-picture mode of the recording session (small box on the bottom right of the screen), and recording session video only.

2004 Kevin Smith Intro (SD, 8:41): Smith and Mosier in the office talking for the first five minutes before actually introducing this version. (Yawn.)

New and Exclusive to Blu-ray:

Oh What A Lovely Tea Party: The Making of Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back (SD, 87:17): This 2004 documentary is filled with countless fly-on-the-wall location/set footage and on-set interviews of the actors and crew. Fans of the film will definitely enjoy this, which was supposed to be on the original DVD of the film but was cut due to its length (it’s been screened at some of Smith’s “Vulgarthon” film festivals in the past). This also features a fun Intro by Smith (3:18) who jokes about this new Clerks Blu-ray of his movie and the fact that it’s being re-released again for a fourth time, but says it’s not as bad as the countless editions of Terminator 2 that have been released and he himself has bought.

Clerks Lost Scene: Animated Short (HD, 10:06): This scene (the funeral parlor) was written in the script but was never shot due to a limited budget, and so here it is in animated form to visualize the scene. Interestingly it includes a brief link to Chasing Amy. This also features an Intro by Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier (1:24). Plus, you can choose to View Feature with Lost Scene integrated into it.

The Flying Car (SD, 8:14) starts with a brief Intro by Smith (2:04) and transitions to the short film that was created for The Tonight Show. “It is a very short scene with the two of them stuck in traffic and Randal continuing his verbal tormenting of Dante … The two leads still have their banter down perfectly.”  (This is an excerpt taken from staff writer Greg Malmborg’s DVD review of “Clerks - Collector's Series 10th Anniversary Edition”.)

MTV Spots with Jay & Silent Bob (SD, 18:01): View eight interstitial shorts made for the channel; some good, some just okay. One features a cameo by Matt Damon! Also features an Intro by Smith and Mosier (6:37).

Theatrical Trailer (SD, 1:55): Starts with a very brief audio intro by Smith, and then the trailer.

Soul Asylum “Can’t Even Tell” Music Video (5:41): Watch the Kevin Smith-directed music video that takes place in front of the convenience store. Starts with an Intro by Smith (1:36).

Clerks Restoration breaks down into three segments (SD): Restoring Clerks Sound with Scott Mosier (5:16) who sits at his computer desk describing the various restorations they completed, Restoring Clerks Look with David Klein (0:36) who very briefly talks about a new high def master, and an Introduction to the Theatrical Cut with Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier (7:02) that takes place inside their office.

Original Clerks Auditions (SD) begins with an Intro by Smith and Mosier (2:50) and follows with video-taped auditions for actors Brian O’Halloran (3:49), Jeff Anderson (0:53), Marilyn Ghigliotti (2:38), and Ernest O’Donnell (3:48).

“Snowball Effect: The Story of Clerks” (SD, 90:31): “This is a documentary on Kevin Smith, from his high school years in New Jersey where he first found a passion for comedy and film (and where he first hooked up with Jason Mewes) to when he wrote Clerks and all the issues and problems that went in to making the film. This is an extremely informative and interesting documentary; you get insight into what it takes to get an independent film made. Smith had to max out all his credit cards and sell his comic book collection to get the tiny budget for the film. This includes all the original auditions and takes you through all the decisions and last minute changes that were made to the cast.”  (Excerpt written by Greg Malmborg.)

“Mae Day: The Crumbling of a Documentary” (SD, 11:38): This is a documentary about Smith and Mosier’s failed film school documentary, which was to be a look at a transsexual entertainer. When the original docu fell apart, Smith and Mosier decided to document what went wrong; includes interviews with the project’s participants. This also features an Intro (1:14) by Smith and Mosier.

Outtakes from “Snowball Effect” showcases three cut scenes (SD) that were taken out of the documentary: Kevin & Walt (2:58), Jeff Auditioning for TV Pilot (1:26), and Jeff Chemistry with Brian O’Halloran (2:45).

10th Anniversary Q & A (SD, 42:09): This was shot at the Hollywood Arclight movie theater with Smith moderating and the principals, Scott Mosier and David Klein sitting in chairs in front of the screen answering questions from people in the audience. “Kevin Smith is a very articulate and interesting speaker and Anderson is a very funny, sarcastic-type of guy in real life as well, which provides some needed comedy. The audience that got to ask the questions are such a bunch of idiots, I was amazed by the questions and the gall of these people. But this makes for a high comedy extra.”  (Excerpt written by Greg Malmborg.)

FINAL THOUGHTS

The only reason to really upgrade is to see the Blu-ray exclusive Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back documentary. If that’s important to you, I say pick up this Blu-ray. If you’re not a fan of that film and you own the Clerks 10th Anniversary DVD, it’s pretty much 50-50.