Clerks II

Clerks II
File:Dandrposter.jpg Clerks II Teaser Poster
Directed by	Kevin Smith
Written by	Kevin Smith
Produced by	Scott Mosier Kevin Smith
Starring	Brian O'Halloran Jeff Anderson Rosario Dawson Trevor Fehrman Jason Mewes Kevin Smith
Cinematography	Dave Klein
Edited by	Kevin Smith
Distributed by	The Weinstein Company (USA) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (USA) Paramount Pictures (UK)
Release dates	July 21, 2006
Running time	97 min
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$5,000,000

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. In 1999, the original title was slated to be Clerks 2: Hardly Clerkin', as listed at the end of the credits of Dogma. Smith later modified the subtitle to Clerks II: The Passion Of The Clerks, lampooning the title of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. Smith later held a contest for a fan to choose the subtitle, but in the end, Smith stated that he thought the film was "too good for a joke title."

The film was released on July 21, 2006; it screened out of competition at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival where it enjoyed an eight-minute standing ovation. It also won the Audience Award at the 2006 Edinburgh International Film Festival .

The film opened in 2,150 theaters and grossed $10,061,132 domestically in its first weekend. As of October 22 2006 the film has grossed $24,148,068.

Plot

Template:Spoiler In the prologue, Randal Graves leaves the coffee pot warmer on, burning down the Quick Stop convenience store where he and Dante Hicks worked for over a decade. The film then jumps ahead approximately one year, to find them working at a Mooby's fast food restaurant. Dante is planning to leave his minimum wage lifestyle in favor of a family life in Florida with his domineering fiancée Emma (Jennifer Schwalbach Smith), whose father will even provide them with a house to live in and a car wash to run. Jay and Silent Bob are now drug-free (to reflect Jason Mewes' new-found sobriety ) after having been busted and put on probation, which means that they must now undergo drug testing. However, they still deal marijuana, and are otherwise still up to their usual antics, following Dante and Randal from the Quick Stop to Mooby's. Dante is also close to their boss, a laid back free spirit named Becky (Rosario Dawson), a rapport that Randal denigrates.

Thanks to some snide remarks from an old high school nemesis turned internet millionaire, Lance Dowds (Jason Lee), Randal (Jeff Anderson) realizes he is not as happy with his position in life as he had thought. Not only that, but he is scared, both at the prospect of never amounting to something, and at the idea of losing Dante. He quietly shrugs off this mid-life crisis throughout the film, but not without causing some trouble of his own in the store. 19-year-old Elias, a The Lord of the Rings/Transformers geek and isolated Christian virgin, works at Mooby's with Dante and Randal, and is frequently subjected to Randal's brand of social abuse. Randal is really freaked out when Elias explains to him that he has never slept with his girlfriend because there is a troll inside her that will bite off his genitals if they have sex before she is 21.

Becky takes Dante onto the roof and has Jay and Silent Bob play The Jackson 5 on their boom box so she can teach him how to dance for his wedding. As the song, "ABC," plays, Dante realizes that he is in love with Becky, and at the end of the song, he admits this to her. Becky then reveals to Dante that she is pregnant with his child. It is revealed that they had sex in the restaurant weeks ago. She tells him that she will keep the baby, but will not ruin his upcoming marriage by telling Emma, leaving Dante free to pursue his own life in Florida. Anticipating Dante's move there, Randal throws Dante a going away party, which includes "Kinky Kelly and the Sexy Stud", an interspecies erotica performance (a donkey show), complete with a fog machine. Dante, arriving at the restaurant, mistakes the fogger for another fire, and calls the fire department. When he discovers that it is not a fire, he watches the show with Randal, Jay, Bob and an increasingly intoxicated and aroused Elias. They are soon horrified to find that Kinky Kelly is not a woman, but the featured donkey. The "Sexy Stud" turns out to be a leather clad, overweight male, a man Randal originally thought was the donkey's wrangler. Everyone is disgusted at this occurrence except Elias, who masturbates in the corner. Later, the characters become intrigued and critique Kelly's performance.

Becky arrives, and although she is initially shocked at the presence of the performance in her restaurant, she and Dante share a close moment, in which he tells her that he thinks she has feelings for him, and that he feels the same way about her. They kiss, only to be discovered by Emma, who arrives with a cake she baked for Dante. The fire and police departments also arrive at the restaurant, responding to the emergency phone call that Dante made but never cancelled. Dante, Randal, Elias, Jay, Silent Bob, and the "interspecies erotica" performer are taken to jail, where Randal confesses his insecurities and suggests that the duo buy the Quick Stop and RST Video store for themselves. Jay and Silent Bob lend them the money (which, as confirmed in a deleted scene, was money they gained from their exploits in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and from the Bluntman and Chronic comic series for which they were paid likeness rights, as seen in the same), on the condition that they be allowed to loiter in front of the Quick Stop as they did years ago. There was another condition Jay suggested, which involved oral sex between Dante and Randal, but after a disgusted look from Silent Bob, it was quickly rescinded. Dante and Randal take the money from the two ex-stoners, and also take out a loan.

The closing scenes show Dante and Randal repairing the Quick Stop and hiring Elias to work with them (specifically Randal at the RST Video) while a visibly pregnant Becky looks on. Dante and Randal reveal an "I assure you, we're re-open!" sign (a reference to the original Clerks). Finally, Dante and Randal are shown behind the Quick Stop counter. The movie ends with a reverse zoom of Dante and Randal, passing the Milk Maid (Smith's mother) from the first film, as the scene fades from color to the black and white of the original film.

View Askew and pop culture references

Clerks.

• The name "Snowball" can be seen sprayed on the wall on Quick Stop. This is a reference to the character Willam Black from the first movie, whose nickname, Snowball, referenced a certain sexual maneuver he preferred.
• The opening shots of lights going on at Mooby's and Dante putting coffee in the coffee pot echo the opening shots of the original.
• Randal puts an "I Eat Cock' sign" on Elias' "Funployee of the Month" sign, which bears a striking resemblance to a similar sign Jay put on the door of the Quick Stop in the first Clerks.
• Jay claims he likes "seals and shit." In the first film, he offered to give Silent Bob oral sex, "like a circus seal." (See "Other View Askew films" section)
• Dante paints Becky's toenails in the Mooby's office, similar to how he painted Veronica's fingernails in the original film.
• In the dance scene Randal does the same dance on the counter that he does in the first film - The Wrangle.
• Randal complains how Dante always seems to have two girls fighting for him, referencing how Dante has two love interests in this film (Becky and Emma) and the first film (Veronica and Caitlin).
• A scene takes place on the roof, as in the first film, though this scene involves characters dancing rather than playing hockey.
• When the police and fire dept. arrive after the donkey show scene, the number on the front of the fire truck reads "37", which is the number used in Clerks for the number of guys that Veronica gave oral sex to.
• The gang hangs an "I Assure You, We're Re-Open!" sign outside the Quick Stop, a reference to the sign Dante hangs up in the first film.
• As Dante and Randal repair the Quick Stop, Becky is seen atop a stepladder, replacing the same overhead light bulb that Dante replaced in Clerks (when approached by the elderly man).
• Both Walt Flanagan and Grace Smith, Kevin Smith's mom, have cameos in the last scene of the film, reprising their roles from the original film. Walt Flanagan is the first customer seen after they reopen the Quick Stop; Grace Smith plays the "milk maid" character and is seen as the camera zooms out in the final scene.
• During the same reverse zoom, a sign can be seen hanging on a sales rack that reads; "Just because we serve you, doesn't mean we like you!" This is a reference to the "slogan" which appeared in the trailer and on the theatrical poster of the original Clerks, which read; "Just because they serve you, doesn't mean they like you."
• Both end with a Soul Asylum song. Clerks ends with the song "Can't Even Tell" (written for the movie), and the second film ends with "Misery", from Let Your Dim Light Shine. (Soul Asylum's lead singer Dave Pirner also wrote the score for Chasing Amy, which also ends with a Soul Asylum song.)
• At the end of the movie when Dante and Randal are standing behind the counter of the newly reopened Quick Stop, Randal says to Dante, "You know what, you're not even supposed to be here today!", echoing a repeated line from the first film.
• Also at the end of the movie, the screen fades to black & white in order to reflect the style Clerks was filmed in.

Clerks.: The Animated Series'

• When Jay is in jail, he says "déjà fuckin' vu, right?" He says "déjà fricken vu, right?" in the second episode of the show.
• The second episode ends with Jay narrating what happened with all the Clerks characters. He says that "Dante is married now" and "Randal owns the RST Video", both seem to be true at the end of the movie.
• In the fourth episode of the show, when Randal meets with "X" in Washington to find out information vital to Dante's case X mentions that he was in "covert stuff involving the CIA and donkey shows, all of it illegal, all of it very erotic."

Other View Askew films

• The phrase "Poopy Trim" is spray painted on the boards covering the charred Quick Stop. This is a phrase that was previously heard in two other View Askewniverse films, Mallrats (by Willam Black) and Dogma (by Rufus).
• Jay's tank top displays the phrase "Got Christ?" underneath an image of the Buddy Christ statue, first seen in Dogma.
• When Jay is romantisising about his possible futures he mentions being an animal psychologist because he "likes seals and shit". In Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, he and Silent Bob free animals from an animal testing facility. Seals were specifically referenced in both the first Clerks and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
• Jay & Silent Bob also say that they started reading the bible. This could be a possible refrence to Dogma in which Jay & Silent Bob traveled with the last living descendant of Jesus, an apostle and a muse to take down two fallen angels, a demon and the Stygian Triplets.
• The Mooby statue above the door is in the same pose as the Buddy Christ statue from Dogma, which was also the first film in which the fictitious franchise was introduced. Mooby's fast food restaurants can also be seen in both Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
• When Becky is calling for Jay from the roof, he mistakes her for God. In Dogma, God is a woman.
• After Randal mentions Batman, Jay and Silent Bob exchange an excited look. In Mallrats, the two perform multiple Batman-inspired stunts, and Silent Bob wears a Batman helmet and cape.
• Jay and Silent Bob reveal they have money to lend to Dante and Randal to reopen the Quick Stop. In Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jay and Silent Bob get a bunch of money from the Bluntman & Chronic movie. A deleted scene confirms this.
• At the end of the movie, when Jay and Silent Bob return to their place outside RST Video, Jay is wearing a black hoodie with the words "JUSTICE TLF" (True Love Forever) taped on. In Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jay falls in love with a girl named Justice.
• The end credits of Dogma stated that Jay and Silent Bob would return in Clerks 2: Hardly Clerkin, but the fifth film in the "Jersey Trilogy" ended up being Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. However, Kevin Smith has already been known to make his fans wait; Dogma was promised to be coming in the credits of his first three movies. Kevin Smith has since stated that Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back was the conclusion to the Askewniverse cycle and Clerks II is the epilogue, although in the end credits it states, "Jay and Silent Bob might return someday. Right now, they're taking it easy."

Non-View Askew films and other pop culture references

• In an early scene, Emma tells Dante "Face it, Tiger, you've hit the jackpot." This was the famous opening line when readers were introduced to the love of Spider-Man's life, Mary Jane Watson, in Amazing Spider-Man #42.
• The scene of Jay dancing while applying chapstick to the song Goodbye Horses is in reference to a famous scene in The Silence of the Lambs where Buffalo Bill dances to the same song and pretends to be a woman. Jay also "tucks his sack back".
• Randal wears a Ranger Danger T-shirt, and refers to Ranger Danger in a conversation with Elias. Ranger Danger and the Danger Rangers is an upcoming Kevin Smith movie.
• When Dante reveals to Randal that Becky is pregnant, she walks outside, sees them talking and Randal blurts out "May your first child be a masculine child!", a line from "The Godfather".
• During Elias's "Pillow Pants" monologue to Randal the background music is from the The Shining, notably the part played during opening scene as Jack travels towards the Overlook through the mountains. In a commentary track to the film, Smith says that he wanted the scene to be very reminiscent of The Shining, specifically the scene where Jack talks to Lloyd the bartender, which explains the large glare coming off of the metal counter.

Production

The film was originally scheduled for a 2005 release, and then a January 2006 release, but the production was pushed back due to other projects and Kevin Smith's involvement in the romantic comedy Catch and Release.

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, with some exceptions, the most notable being the go-kart scene, which was shot at Speedzone in City of Industry, California.

Smith released production diaries on the Clerks II website (see links below). They chronicle 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 January 9, 2006 and a web-only trailer on April 2, 2006. Smith also released several shorts featuring action figures from his previous films to promote the film.

While the bookend Quick Stop scenes are in black and white (to simulate the original visual style of Clerks), the rest of the film is in color. However, Kevin has stated that much of the film's color was desaturated almost to the point where the film had a similar texture to the first film.

The film was originally planned to be released without an MPAA film rating, in order to avoid receiving an NC-17. 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.'" He later submitted it, and received an R rating without any edits.

Critical response

The film was largely praised by critics. As of August 2006, the critics at Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 63% Tomatometer reading, enough to earn it an overall "fresh" rating. The site's "Cream of the Crop" critics (the subset deemed "popular and notable" by the website) were slightly less positive: their 57% Tomatometer reading translates into an overall rating of "rotten" since it takes a 60% to get a "fresh" rating.

In a review for The New York Times, A.O. Scott notes the following:

[W]hat makes “Clerks II” both winning and (somewhat unexpectedly) moving is its fidelity to the original “Clerks” ethic of hanging out, talking trash and refusing all worldly ambition. If anything, the sequel is more defiant in its disdain for the rat race, elevating the white-guy-doing-nothing prerogative from a lifestyle choice to a moral principle.

. . .

The conventional romantic-comedy outlines of the story emerge almost casually, and they are camouflaged by the film’s humor, which is gleefully and abrasively obscene. Ms. Dawson, a good sport as well as a nimble actress (her professionalism is really what holds Clerks II together) first appears on screen in the middle of a grossly candid discussion of sexual etiquette, to which she contributes her point of view without blushing or breaking stride. Mr. Smith’s fondness for jokes about excrement, bestiality and related topics is so evidently childish that it is hard to be offended, or even especially provoked, when he tries to test the limits of taste.

Justin Chang's review at Variety called it a "softer, flabbier and considerably higher-budgeted follow-up to Kevin Smith's 1994 indie sensation that nevertheless packs enough riotous exchanges and pungent sexual obscenities to make its 97 minutes pass by with ease." He continued:

Politically incorrect raspberries and the umpteenth appearance of Jay and Silent Bob aside, a gentle feeling of nostalgia pervades this hit-or-miss sequel, which relocates the gang to the ninth circle of fast-food restaurant hell. "Clerks" cultists will need no kicks in the groin to step up to the counter for this second go-round, courtesy of the Weinstein Co.

. . .

In addition to all the gags, quips and extended rants about subjects like masturbation, anal-oral contact, bestiality, sex with pickles, and the difference between Anne Frank and Helen Keller, Smith is at his best as a self-implicating satirist of geek culture. The apex is a genuinely inspired debate between Randal and lower-ranking employee Elias (Trevor Fehrman) about the relative merits of Star Wars vs. Lord of the Rings ("They're three movies about walking!"). What's missing is a colorful gallery of customers comparable to those who wandered in and out of the Quick Stop in the original pic. The best Clerks II can do is cough up brief cameos from Smith regulars Ben Affleck and Jason Lee, as well as a typically noisy display of attitude from Wanda Sykes. And of course, drug-dealing, wall-leaning duo Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) are back in the flesh, still contributing nothing to society in mildly amusing fashion.

At an advanced screening for critics, Joel Siegel walked out of the movie approximately 40 minutes in, during a scene where the characters attempt to procure a donkey for sexual purposes. Smith claimed on his own website that Siegel "bellowed" the phrase "Time to go. This is the first movie I've walked out on in thirty fucking years." TV Guide film critic Maitland MacDonagh, who claims to have been sitting next to Siegel, largely confirms Smith's account but insists that Siegel did not curse or "bellow." However, she reports that he pointedly left from the farthest possible exit, thereby making sure everyone noticed his departure. On his blog, Smith criticized Siegel for unprofessional conduct, in a profanity-laced tirade in which he referred to Siegel's moustache as a "cum catcher" and referred to the critic performing sexual acts on fellow director M. Night Shyamalan in regard to his praise for The Village before having seen it. Smith later confronted Siegel in a live interview on the Opie and Anthony show; Siegel apologized for cursing and causing a scene, and told Kevin that he thinks he is a "fine filmmaker," while still defending his decision to walk out.

Cast

The main characters from the original film are Dante, Randal, and Jay and Silent Bob. Walt Flanagan and Grace Smith both make cameos at the end of the film reprising their respective roles as Pack O' Smokes Guy and the Milk Maid.

• Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks
• Jeff Anderson as Randal Graves
• Rosario Dawson as Becky Scott
• Trevor Fehrman as Elias Grover
• Jason Mewes as Jay
• Kevin Smith as Silent Bob
• Jennifer Schwalbach Smith as Emma Bunting
• Jason Lee as Lance Dowds
• Zak Knutson as Sexy Stud
• Kevin Weisman as Hobbit Lover
• Jake Richardson as Teen #1
• Ethan Suplee as Teen #2
• Ben Affleck as Gawking Guy
• Scott Mosier as Concerned Father
• Harley Quinn Smith as Kid in Window
• Wanda Sykes as Wife
• Earthquake as Husband
• Gail Stanley as Elias' Mom
• Bruce Macintosh as Elias' Dad
• Walt Flanagan as Pack O' Smokes Guy
• Grace Smith as Milk Maid
• Kevin Michael Richardson as Cop Who Notices "Porch Monkey" T-Shirt

DVD

File:Clerks2finartr1pic.jpg

Clerks II DVD Artwork

The Clerks II DVD was released on November 28 2006.

On December 7 Hollywood Reporter reports on the DVD sales: "The sleeper of the week, however, is the Weinstein Co.'s "Clerks II," which came to video after earning only $24.2 million in theaters but bowed at No. 4 on both the sales and rental charts."

DVD Features

The Clerks II DVD includes the following features

• 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer.
• Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio.
• Back to the Well: Clerks II (90 minute documentary)
• Deleted Scenes and Bloopers
• Three separate commentary tracks with the Filmmakers and Actors
• Train Wrecks: Video Production Diaries (10 diaries)
• The Complete Myspace.com DVD Credits List
• A Closer Look at Interspecies Erotica

This is also slated as the first DVD release ever to include an anti-smoking P.S.A. that was asked to be included by the Surgeon General.

Store exclusives

Some stores that sold the DVD included some form of a bonus that was exclusive to that store. The following is a list of the exclusives, all of which included the standard DVD.

• Best Buy released an exclusive gift set that comes in a Mooby's themed happy meal-like box with a Mooby's Visor, Mooby's Funployee Name Tag, and Mooby's Collector's Cup With Jumbo Straw.

• Circuit City released included an exclusive Clerks comic book.

• Trans World Entertainment stores, including Suncoast Video and FYE, included a bonus disc featuring five extra "Train Wreck" behind the scenes documentary clips as well as a VH-1 special and music video contest winner for All Too Much's "Think Fast."

"Clerks II" generated an estimated $6 million in rental stores in its first week, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "Clerks II" came in 4th for the week in New DVD sales/rentals.

Soundtrack

Untitled

Music from the Motion Picture Clerks II, the soundtrack to the film, was released on August 22, 2006 by Bulletproof Records. It includes songs from the film, which are of various artists and genres, as well as many soundclips of dialog from the film. One notable exception is that the The Smashing Pumpkins' "1979" which was featured in the film is not included. It has been replaced by All Too Much's "Think Fast", which was not featured in the film.

Track listing

1. Soundclip: "Anne Frank vs. Helen Keller – 0:27
2. "(Nothing But) Flowers" – Talking Heads – 5:33
3. Soundclip: "Regret – 0:28
4. "Welcome Home" – King Diamond – 4:36
5. Soundclip: "Of Parts Enlarged – 0:17
6. "Neckin' on the Swing" – James L. Venable – 3:49
7. Soundclip: "The First of the Fallen – 0:55
8. "The Invisible Guests" – King Diamond"– 5:04
9. Soundclip: "The Unholiest Act – 0:52
10. "Goodbye Horses" – Q Lazzarus & Garvey – 6:27
11. Soundclip: "On Knowing Pickles – 0:17
12. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" – B. J. Thomas – 3:02
13. Soundclip: "Twelve Step – 0:20
14. "ABC" – The Jackson 5 – 2:58
15. Soundclip: "The Perfect Gift – 0:54
16. "Think Fast" – All Too Much – 3:24
17. Soundclip: "Party Planning – 0:31
18. "Goin' Away Party" – James L. Venable – 1:44
19. Soundclip: "I'm Gonna Miss You, Man – 0:39
20. "Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)" – Samantha Fox – 3:21
21. Soundclip: "Abstinence – 1:01
22. "Everything" – Alanis Morissette – 4:36
23. Soundclip: "Semantics – 0:31
24. "Misery" – Soul Asylum – 4:24
25. Soundclip: "Battle of the Mega-Geeks – 0:31

Trivia

• Clerks II's Myspace account held a contest in which the first 10,000 Myspace users who added them as a friend would have their name in the theatrical and DVD credits. Everyone who added the profile before July 21, 2006 would be rewarded by having their name appear in the DVD credits.

• The skinnier teen paired with Ethan Suplee in the film was also one of the punk kids that harassed Jay and Silent Bob about the 1980s culture in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

• Prior to the release of the film, Kevin Smith had mentioned releasing an MP3 file commentary to be downloaded and listened to in movie theaters via iPod. Ultimately, theater owners and exhibitors objected, and the plan was scrapped. The abandoned commentary, featuring Smith, Scott Mosier and Jeff Anderson, is included on the DVD.

• The little girl that waves to Dante when he is driving (before the "Inter-Species Erotica" scene) is Kevin Smith's daughter Harley Quinn Smith.

• The man dancing at the urinal during the dance sequence is Malcolm Ingram.

• Throughout the film, Dante wears a gold Claddagh ring. Although he is engaged, the ring is facing in the direction that denotes the wearer is unattached or that their heart is "open", thus foreshadowing the demise of his relationship with Emma.

• The online handicapped blog that Randal supposedly rants on is an actual website (http://www.wheelieblog.org/). On the site, one can read what Randal actually typed to Crippy-Boy, the blog's supposed creator. The site itself points to http://www.jayandsilentbob.com/

• Randal's login name on (http://www.wheelieblog.org/) is DarthRandal refrencing Smith's frequent homages to Star Wars.

Clerks III?

In a June 2006 interview with WXIA-TV's Atlanta and Company, Smith stated that, should he ever wish to make a film displaying his feelings on forty-something life, he would most likely use Clerks characters Dante and Randal again to do so.

External links

• Official web site
• Kevin's thoughts on the Project
• Press Release
• The Clerks 2 Teaser Trailer
• Clerks II at IMDb
• EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS on iFilm
• WheelieBlog.org The blog Randal Graves was posting on
• Radio Interview with Kevin Smith from FBi 94.5 Sydney Australia