Clerks II
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Clerks II is the 2006 sequel to Kevin Smith's 1994 movie Clerks., and his sixth feature film to be set in the View Askewniverse. Smith has stated that the only characters from the original film will be Dante, Randal, Jay, and Silent Bob. The film is currently scheduled for a July 21, 2006 release. It screened out of competition at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival where it enjoyed an eight-minute standing ovation from the crowd [link].
The film has garnered almost unanimously good reviews prior to its release. 9 different reviewers gave it a rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoeshttp://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/clerks_ii/?show=all.
After Randal's incompetence results in the destruction of the Quick Stop and RST Video, Dante and Randal find work at Mooby's Restaurant, where they continue their exploits.
Plot
Smith has kept most of the film's plot under wraps, although he has allowed certain elements to be viewed by the public. The most well-publicized element is that Clerks II will take place at a Mooby's fast-food restaurant (seen in previous View Askew films). Smith's inspiration for the film came from living in his thirties, and this reflects on the characters' roles in the film. After a fire in their two stores, Quick Stop manager Dante Hicks and lazy and disrespectful RST Video clerk Randal Graves leave their jobs and are hired to work at a Mooby's fast food restaurant. A year later, Dante is planning to leave his minimum wage lifestyle in favor of a family life with his fiancee (Jennifer Schwalbach Smith). Randal realizes he is not as happy with his position in life as he had thought, and is scared after seeing his long time friend finally make a change in his life. He quietly shrugs off this mid-life crisis throughout the film. Jay and Silent Bob are now clean (in response to Jason Mewes' sobriety) but are otherwise still up to their usual antics, following Dante and Randal from the Quick Stop to Mooby's. Becky, played by Rosario Dawson, is the manager of Mooby's and deals with all the craziness that comes with Dante and Randal, including a going-away party for Dante thrown by Randal.Production
Smith released production diaries (similar to those released by Peter Jackson during his remake of King Kong, and Bryan Singer during the making of Superman Returns) on the Clerks II website (see links below).Assuming he follows suit with these producers, Smith will be chronicling the entire making of the film from the first rehearsals all the way through to the final release.
Smith released a Web-only teaser trailer on the Clerks II website on 9 January, 2006 [link] and a web-only trailer on 2 April, 2006 [link]. As the clips are web-only, there are no imposed regulations, and they are uncensored.
After worrying the movie would be slapped with an NC-17 rating, Kevin Smith considered releasing the movie unrated. The MPAA rated the movie R though, much to Smith's shock (and, apparently, offense). [link]
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Brian O'Halloran | Dante Hicks |
| Jeff Anderson | Randal Graves |
| Rosario Dawson | Becky |
| Trevor Fehrman | Elias |
| Jason Mewes | Jay |
| Kevin Smith | Silent Bob |
| Jennifer Schwalbach Smith | Emma |
| Jason Lee | Lance Dowds |
| Kevin Weisman | Hobbit Lover |
| Jake Richardson | Teen #1 |
| Ethan Suplee | Teen #2 |
| Ben Affleck | Gawking Guy |
| Scott Mosier | Concerned Father |
| Harley Quinn Smith | Kid in Window |
| Wanda Sykes | Wife |
| Earthquake | Husband |
| Gail Stanley | Elias' Mom |
| Bruce Macintosh | Elias' Dad |
Trivia
- The letters in the Clerks II logo all come from various fast food logos/products. The C from Carl Jr.'s, L from McDonald's Large fries, E from Burger King's Whopper, R from Burger King, K from KFC, and S from Popeye's.
- The only true sequel in the View Askewniverse Cycle (though the films do maintain a form of continuity throughout)
- The working title of the film was The Passion of the Clerks but was scrapped for the simplified title of Clerks 2 before releasing the web-only teaser trailer featuring the Roman numeral title of Clerks II The studio tried to attach a subtitle of "The Second Coming" but test audiences were against the subtitle and it was dropped, much to Kevin Smith's relief.
- Kevin Smith's reason for doing the film was because the original Clerks was a film about what it was like to be in his 20's, and he wanted the sequel to be about what it's like to be in his 30's, and he thought revisiting these characters would be the way to go. [[Citing sources citation needed]] It's also because he promised Jason Mewes if he conquered his drug problem, he would do another film with Jay and Silent Bob although Kevin has said that, at the end of the day, he made the film more for himself than Mewes. [[Citing sources citation needed]]
- The film was shot on a [single set] in Buena Park, California and at the Quick Stop and R.S.T. Video stores in Leonardo, New Jersey.
- The film will be in both black & white (Quick Stop scenes) and color (Mooby's restaurant scenes). Kevin has stated that the color shots were desaturated almost to the point where they look black and white.
- Smith planned to release the film without submitting it to the MPAA ratings board (which he expected would assign the film an NC-17 rating). Smith has stated "If we put it in front of the ratings board they'd be like, 'You're insane. We have to create a new rating for that.'" Kevin has stated it is not because of sex or violence but because of language and dialogue. He later submitted it, and received an R rating.
- The budget is expected to be around the $5,000,000 mark, 185 times more of the budget of the original movie, which cost only $27,000 to make.
- The end of Dogma stated Jay & Silent Bob would return in "Clerks 2: Hardly Clerkin'", but the fifth film in the 'Jersey Trilogy' ended up being Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back. Kevin Smith has stated that Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back was the conclusion to the Askewniverse cycle and Clerks II is the epilogue.
- Jason Lee's character (Lance) is based on Lance Chernow, a raised-collar-wearing friend of Smith's from high school.
- Smith let Jason Mewes direct a couple of insert shots.
- As seen in the trailer, there is a scene where Jay dances, in a parody of a scene from Silence of the Lambs involving Buffalo Bill (The Silence of the Lambs), the transgendered serial killer. Jay dances to the song Goodbye Horses by Q Lazzarus, the same exact song Buffalo Bill dances to.
- This is one of two movies released on July 21, 2006 to feature Wanda Sykes. The other is My Super Ex-Girlfriend, in which Sykes co-stars with Uma Thurman, Luke Wilson, and Anna Faris.
MPAA Rating
Rated R for Pervasive Sexual and Crude Content including aberrant sexuality, strong language, and some drug material. (according to filmjerk.com)See also
View Askewniverse
Non-Askewniverse
References
External links
- [News Askew] official web site
- [official web site]
- [Kevin's Thoughts on the Project]
- [Press Release]
- [The Clerks 2 Teaser Trailer]
- [}}}] at Rotten Tomatoes
| Kevin Smith |
| Films |
|---|
| The View Askewniverse: Clerks. | Mallrats | Chasing Amy | Dogma | Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | The Flying Car | Clerks II Other: Jersey Girl | An Evening with Kevin Smith | The Green Hornet | Superman Lives |
| Television |
| ' | ' |
| Comics |
| Clerks | Chasing Dogma | Bluntman and Chronic | |
| Notable characters created by Kevin Smith |
| Jay and Silent Bob | Dante | Randal | Banky | Alyssa | Leonardo | Bluntman and Chronic | Mooby | Brodie |
| Other related articles |
| View Askew Productions | | Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash | Silent Bob Speaks | Buddy Christ | Quick Stop Groceries |
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