Synopsis

Best friends Dante Hicks and Randal Graves were working at a New Jersey mini-mall, until Randal left the coffee pot on one too many times. The mini-mall has been ravaged by fire and the slackers are forced to take a job working in the fast-food universe at Moobys. Through it all Dante and Randal have managed to maintain, and even hone, their in your face attitudes and agile skill with vulgarities and unbridled love of screwing with the customers. And, when there's no customers around, Randal gives uber-nerd and Star Wars fan Elias a hard time. But, even as riotous debates rage between them over such burning matters as George Lucas vs Peter Jackson vs Jesus, change is on the horizon. Dante announces that he's going to leave Jersey forever and marry well heeled but very empowered Emma Bunting. Becky, who manages the Jersey burger joint for her Uncle, appears unimpressed by Dante's plan to marry and move to Florida. In an effort to give his friend the best send-off possible, Randal organizes a surprise going away party with 'special' entertainment. It goes horribly wrong when the fire department and local police turn up at Moobys.

What The Critics Say

"I loved "Clerks" and I was reluctant to see "Clerks II," but Smith manages to revisit his stomping grounds in genuine sophomoric fashion, while leaving it with a nostalgic maturity at the same time." Angela Baldassarre SYMPATICO "Despite not achieving the level of the original...this is the most amusing comedy to arrive in months." James Berardinelli REELVIEWS "Ultimately, Smith finally achieves that perfect balance between humor and heart that he's been dancing towards with all his films." Mark Bell FILM THREAT "A dozen years later, Clerks II has a much higher budget -- but, happily, the same snarky attitude and snappy slacker repartee." Carol Cling LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL "This movie put a broad smile on my face, virtually from the start." Scott Foundas L.A. WEEKLY "This joyous jeer-athon, filled with...dirty-word laden depth and instantly quotable moments... is a love letter to the unbridled ecstasy in speaking one's mind." Bill Gibron DVD VERDICT

"...this is a solid movie with laughs galore, pop-culture references galore, vulgarity and sexual connotations galore and even a cute romance..." JoBlo JOBLO'S MOVIE EMPORIUM "It's funny and poignant and not for the easily offended." Lee Grant SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE "Juvenile? Yes. Silly? Yes. But it's also often hilarious." Chris Hewitt ST PAUL PIONEER PRESS "Simply a pretty darn good, utterly and honestly raunchy comedy with a heart like Minnie the Moocher's -- as big as a whale. " Ken Hanke MOUNTAIN XPRESS "The most hilarious, emotionally honest and poetic (yes, poetic) film Kevin Smith has ever made." Kevin N Laforest MONTREAL FILM JOURNAL "Clerks II is a perfect example of what a sequel should be. It takes characters and situations that were created in the original, then expands and deepens them." Mike McGranaghan AISLE SEAT

The Inside Story It's hard to believe that over a decade has passed since Kevin Smith's black and white film, "Clerks" hit the screen. Written in the home of his parents, "Clerks" followed one profanely funny day in the life of Quick Stop employee Dante Hicks. Made on a shoe-string budget, the film spawned an animated television series, a comic book series, devoted fans and a slew of imitators. It became a cult classic. Smith formed his own production company View Askew and went on to forge an career in screenwriting, editing, producing and directing films such as "Mallrats","Chasing Amy", "Dogma", "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and "Jersey Girl" and now, the second edition all fans have been praying for, "Clerks II". Everyone realizes that making a sequel is fraught with danger. Few work, and that's a well documented fact. Thankfully "Clerks II " does. Little wonder Smith "worried that tampering with characters so many people had come to love could be a risky, even foolhardy, business. And yet", he says, "he just couldn’t escape thinking about what had become of Dante and Randal" That's because Smith had hit his thirties and had seen how his had world started to shift. Eventually he started to see a story, "a fresh stand-alone storyline for Dante and Randal, as two thirtysomething slackers who have figured out how to mix very little work with a whole lot of pleasure but are suddenly confronted with the one thing they never saw coming: adulthood." Yes that familiar line, 'it's time you grew up' suddenly takes on a whole new meaning. The the creative juices flowing a new film started to form. "I wrote about what it’s like being in your 20s, and now I felt like I had something to say about being in your 30s," says Smith. "So 'Clerks II' checks back in with Dante and Randal ten years down the road at age 33. The underlying question the film asks is if you can you still be a kind of lackadaisical, cynical, wise-ass in your 30's or if you have to in some way grow up, and, how you do that while still being who you are." In reality what Smith has created with "Clerks II" hardly qualifies as a sequel, because it truly is a stand alone production with a stroyline any slacker can pickup on straightaway. And it 'is' a lot of fun! "All the fear about besmirching the original went out the door the minute I was finished with the script," Smith recalls. "I really felt like it was something fresh and could very much stand up as its own film, while bringing something new to fans of the first one." It certainly accomplishes that! How? Because it's time for Dante and Randal to grow up. To start making the right choices. To accept that they can't be slackers forever. Cleverly, "Clerks II" brings Smith’s "culture-driven, edge-pushing humor into an intriguing collision with such adult issues as marriage and maintaining friendships through major life changes." Now don't go freaking out, Smith hasn't created an 'adult drama'. "Clerks II"is very much in the tradition of "Clerks". It's a lively, guilty experience that will provides a barrel load of laughs. Central to the film are two women in Dante's life, including a "fiancée who forces Randal to face up to the fact that his best buddy might be moving beyond the special joys of the service-job life, without him." Smith revealled that "The women in this flick play a much bigger role than the girls in "Clerks" did. Emma is kind of the lynchpin of the movie. She’s pretty, she digs Dante and she could be his golden ticket, but she’s not necessarily the best person for him. And, then there’s Becky, who’s really Dante’s best friend, which I believe is the jumping off point for any great relationship." But what about that special relationship the guys have always enjoyed? Smith says "of course, the primary relationship is always between Dante and Randal, who have their own kind of love story, in a totally heterosexual way." And then there's Elias. "What’s great about Elias is that he is to Randal what Randal is to Dante," Smith explains. "He’s this kind of sheltered kid, this battered puppy, who worships Randal. I think he’s a welcome addition to the 'Clerks' world." And this is a 'Clerks' world pushed to the limit. There's no doubting some may be offended by its irreverent humour. According to Smith, that's not what he set out to do. "I think this story pushes the edge even further than "Clerks" but, it’s not because I want to be the guy that always pushes further and further," he notes. "The humor just reflects the characters and the way I speak with my friends and what not. The point isn’t to offend, instead, it’s to portray people as they really are while being very funny in the process." Smith’s long-time producing partner Scott Mosier says he was taken aback by the script. "I thought it was hysterical," he says, "and I was surprised by how it really upped the ante from the first one. What’s great, is that it’s not a carbon copy of "Clerks", it’s a unique movie unto itself. But, it’s also filled with all kinds of outrageous moments that I don’t think anyone will be expecting." Mosier's right on that score! When it came to the two stars of "Clerks", Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson, it was a different story. Both greeted news of a new film with great skepticism. O’Halloran recalls thinking, "It was like, wow, do you really want to touch a film that is so beloved and such a great little gem and try to be as funny and original as the first one was. We went back and forth for awhile in the beginning, but then we read the script." After reading the script , O’Halloran, who plays Dante Hicks was won over noting, "I also thought it was actually funnier than the original. Their interaction and their dialogue and all the topics they banter about were awesome. The jokes are more rapid-fire, yet the issues that come up are bigger and things everyone can relate to. It’s a lot of fun to see how these guys handle the changes that are coming their way." This time round, Dante has two hot, but distinctly diferent backgrounded, women in his life. One of those women is Becky, played by Rosario Dawson, an actress I have had a lot of wraps for. Her performance in "Clerks II" is outstanding. "Rosario just really got Kevin’s writing and the whole View Askew universe," O'Halloran says. "You might think she would be kind of weird in this movie but she completely fits in and just sparkles on the screen. I have to say it’s pretty hard not to fall in love with the character she plays." So how did it go when he found out he was also hooked up to Smith's wife Jennifer Schwalbach, who plays Dante’s dominant fiancée Emma Bunting? "Kissing the boss’s wife was potentially problematic because, I didn’t want to spoil it for Kevin," O'Halloran jokes. "But seriously, I was quite nervous and she was terrific, but strictly professional." And what was his co-stars reaction to the news that there would be a "Clerks II". Typicially Randal Graves. "Kevin took me to lunch to discuss it and I vomited up my Koo Koo Roo when he said sequel," jokes Anderson. "I didn’t know anything at that point about the story or where it was going to take place and I guess I really didn’t know what to expect. But, when I read the script, I was pleasantly surprised. I felt it had similarities to the first one yet was different enough that it worked entirely on its own. Really, I thought it was pretty ballsy of Kevin to try to add new elements and I loved it. Dante and Randal are at a new place in their lives but they’re still as filthy talking as ever." There was one question he wanted answered though. "I was surprised nobody had throttled Randal yet, the way he harasses people". Anderson has a theory. "He must be a fast runner." So what did other cast members have to say about working on "Clerks II"? "I’d always wanted to work with Kevin but I haven’t done a lot of comedy so I didn’t see it happening," says Rosario Dawson. "I was really shocked and excited when I was sent the script. I’ve never really been a fast food person but if Mooby’s actually existed and if these characters were real, I’d want to work there so badly, because it’s constantly hilarious." Trevor Ferhman who plays Elias, says getting the job was like a religious experience. "I’d seen all of his films and I even liked a couple of them," he deadpans. "Plus, when I got the script I was really excited because I was working at my uncle’s company doing data entry. It was my first real job and it was awful. It was one of the worst experiences of my life and I was so ready to get out. So, when Kevin called, it was like the hand of God descending from heaven." There are some well know faces who appear in the cast. One is the star of the hit TV series, "My Name Is Earl", Jason Lee. "Jason Lee plays a pretty pivotal role in the flick because he’s the one dude who really gets to Dante and Randal," says Smith. "He’s the guy who’s actually made something of his life while they haven’t done anything." Others making appearances are Kevin Weisman of "Alias" who plays thehe ultimate “Lord of the Rings” geek; popular stand-up comics Wanda Sykes and Earthquake play a husband and wife who face a dilemma when they hear the outrageous comments of the employees, and Ben Affleck who plays the Gawking Guy. Throw Jay and Silent Bob (out on probation) and a donkey into the mix and well...., enough said. For Smith there was one big plus making this film. His dear friend Jason Mewes has been 'clean' from drugs for three years. "This was the first film in a long time where I didn’t have to clean him up before or after," Smith says. "And, because he was so much more clear-headed he was that much more funny. There’s just something a lot funnier about a dude who’s fully present. Mewes was fantastic." One question many would like answered is, do O'Halloran and hang out together when their not filming? "We’re basically like the Skipper and Gilligan," Anderson quips. "We don’t see each other that much. I have a feeling if we hung out all the time we’d actually be Dante and Randal, which is probably why we don’t hang out. That would be dangerous." The Verdict "Carries on the tradition that has lasted more than a decade. Funny? It's downright hysterical. Honestly, there will be moments when you'll be beside yourself trying not to piss your pants. But remember this is raunchy, irreverent and guilty humour. Great cast, great soundtrack, great fun. If you loved "Clerks" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" you'll definately want to see "Clerks II". If you can handle the banter and the humour you'll find this excellent entertainment. Highly recommended to those with a bent towards the politically incorrect and who are continually reminded that they should grow up!. 4 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "CLERKS II" stars .......
Brian O'Halloran ["Clerks", "Dogma", "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and "Drop Dead Roses"]; Jeff Anderson ["Dogma", "Rennie's Landing", "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and "Now You Know"]; Rosario Dawson ["Sidewalks of New York", "25th Hour", "Welcome To The Jungle" and "Sin City"]; Jason Mewes ["Mallrats", "Chasing Amy" and "Feast"], Kevin Smith ["Mallrats", "Daredevil" and "Southland Tales"], Jennifer Schwalbach ["Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back", "Now You Know" and "Jersey Girl"] and Trevor Fehrman ["Cheats" and "Now You Know"] as Elias.
"CLERKS II" was .......
directed by Kevin Smith ["Clerks", "Chasing Amy", "Dogma" and "Jersey Girl"]; screenplay by Kevin Smith ["Mallrats", "Chasing Amy", "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and "Jersey Girl"]; production design by Robert Holtzman ["Chasing Amy", "Train Ride", "Dogma", "Diary of a City Priest" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"]; director of photography David Klein ["Tattoo, a Love Story", "Wish You Were Dead", "Fools Gold" and "The Ape"]; art direction by Marc Fisichella ["Article 99", "The Man Without a Face", "Anna and the King" and "Collateral Damage"] with costume design by Roseanne Fiedler ["Boogie Boy", "2÷3", "3-Way" and "The Fix"]. produced by Scott Mosier ["Drawing Flies", "Good Will Hunting", "Big Helium Dog" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"] and Kevin Smith ["Drawing Flies" "Chasing Amy", "Vulgar" and "Small Town Gay Bar"]. Run Time 98 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2006 - The Weinstein Co - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2006 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved