Clerks

So I have become frustrated, and frankly a bit disgusted by Kevin Smith because of his various interviews and public appearances over the years, especially when he's talking about comic book projects. I have real problems with how he comports himself in public and represents himself to comic book fandom.

Regardless of my opinion of his Peacocking behavior, I realize upon watching Clerks a few years later that pop culture is better for his films existing. Even if Clerks was the best thing he ever did, in my opinion, it's good enough, and he's paid his pop-culture dues with it. Maybe I'll find it in my heart to tolerate how openly obnoxious and attention-starved he always is. Maybe.

I really responded the movie today in a way I don't think I could have when I saw it maybe 20 years ago. I really loved the idea of a movie that is essentially just a bunch of extended conversations with zero stakes throughout the entire film. My opinion has always been that conversations are more dramatically interesting than action scenes. Quentin Tarantino seems to think the same thing, but HE uses the conversations to balance the violence and action scenes out. Smith is the guy writing a fictional movie who trusts that the conversations and characters are interesting enough. I find many of the jokes arch and stupid. In particular, it isn't not lost on me that Smith hired a guy in a baggy sweatshirt for the fit guy instead of actually bothering to find a meathead who was actually ripped. That's how low-budget the film is, and how little Smith actually tried. But none of that changes the fact that the part where Dante and Randall discuss the morality of contractors building the second Death Star in Jedi (with a real world contractor stepping in to add his perspective and reality) is one of the best conversations I've ever had the pleasure of listening to in a movie. To be fair, it's not like other movies actually have a ton of conversations. But this one stuck out at me for exploring all sides of nerdy issue in a realistic manner. It's fabulous.

I am a little bit behind the View Askewniverse fandom. Has anybody pointed out how absolutely loathsome Dante is? Randall's quite a character, but Dante does nothing but complain, and whine, and schemes to get back with his old girlfriend behind his current girlfriend's back. It's very clear from the way he treats his customers in the videostore that Randall is quite misanthropic. But he's not wrong at the end for railing against Dante's annoying behavior during the entire day. In particular I liked the moment in the videostore when the woman tricks Randall into proving he wasn't listening to her, and he instantly, without pause, he is able to prove that her doing that to make herself feel superior to him is a failing. And I like how quickly he pivots to that, and how unapologetic he is for the frank way he treats people. Me and Randall would not get along in real life. I don't like rudeness or being mean to people. But he'd still definitely pass Gilda's b.s. detector with flying colors.

I feel like Kevin Smith is a visionary for making a watchable film about talking. And even if I think he's personally a bit of a jackass, I will never again dismiss someone who it turns out is very close to my way of thinking in the importance of characters and uninterrupted conversations. ****1/2.