Clerks: The Most Important Indie Movie

Clerks may be the most important indie movie ever made. Independent movies otherwise known as indies have been made for nearly as long as Hollywood has been around. In many of them, a budget, or lack of, have made them stand out visually compared to their big budget counterparts. Low cost set, actors working for free, and film quality have been tell tale signs.

Unfortunately many times, this also meant that the movie's storyline has suffered. Until the '90's many people wouldn't even bother to spend the time to watch an indie. Then a liquor store clerk from New Jersey changed the genre like no other indie movie maker.

Deciding to change his life, a young Kevin Smith went to Vancouver to attend film school to learn how to make movies. His classes he took explained the theory of movie making compared to giving students a more hands on experience. He worked on a short "mockumentary", but otherwise felt he didn't gain much by the classes other than meeting future movie making partner Scott Mosier.

In doing some research about the money he used towards his film school tuition, Smith found out that if he dropped out before the half way point of completing his classes, he would be refunded a prorated amount of money. He decided to take that money and put it towards making his own movie.

He went back to his hometown and finalized a script that showcased his strong writing skills that would carry his future movies. The budget would be small (approximately $29,000) and Smith and Mossier had to find ways to keep the costs down. He would hire friends and family to play a large portion of the parts (e.g. his mother played the milk lady). Smith used his own store that he worked at as the main set of the film, where he would shoot at night and work there in the day.

As suggested to him, to keep from exposing the fact that the movie was shot during the night, he wrote into the script that the shutter door covering the window was closed and shot the movie in black and white. In doing so, the viewer can't tell if the lighting is artificial or organic.

Even with all the cuts, he still didn't have the full amount it would take to fund the movie. He had the money from film school, money from a natural disaster to reimburse him for his broken down car, and then funded the rest of the movie with credit cards. He maxed out his cards and to this day can't get an American Express Card, but he raised just enough to cover the cost.

After making the movie, he won various awards at film festivals, picked up a distribution deal, and made a deal with the Weinsteins to make more movies. His film reached a generation of fans that connected to his writing and characters he developed. All this was enough to start his career, but another factor launched a movement.

Smith became more accessible than most people in Hollywood are. He performed a mass amount of Q&A's, was an early adopter in using the internet to connect with fans, and formed a whole Podcast network, where he talked about everything from comics, movie making, and his life experiences in general. Through this, Smith made what he did seem easy to do. He often makes this very point himself.

Smith's words gave motivation to those who watched his movies and thought, "I think I could do that too." With the cost of movie making lowering, digital dominating over film, and the ability to edit and print via a personal computer, a new generation of filmmakers rose.

All of this sprang from an indie movie made in New Jersey, shot in black and white, and even had a scene with a cat pooping in a box. Moviemakers watched Clerks and it occurred to them that they could make a great movie with a small budget, without special effects, and no big name actors. Because of this, many movies that had no chance of ever being made, now have a chance. Great scripts have a chance. Undiscovered actors have a chance. Whether or not every new indie filmmaker had seen the movie or not, they could walk through the doors that Kevin Smith opened for them.

10 Under-rated Movies From The Last 25 Years

10 Under-rated Movies From The Past 25 Years

1. Clerks (1994): It's the perfect definition of an indie movie. Convenience store employee decides there is more out there than being a clerk, so he decides to max out his credit cards, cast his buddies in his movie, shoot the movie at his place of employment, and uses black and white film to shoot a movie about a clerk who doesn't know what he wants from life. Plus this movie brought us Jay and Silent Bob.

 2. Inception (2010): One of the many Christopher Nolan movies that proves that not only is he one of the top directors of his generation, but also one of the best storytellers. The script is the the type of writing that most writers inspire to be. This movie was the mainstream breakout role for Marion Cotillard as well as the re-emergence of Joseph Gordon Levitt. Leo DiCaprio also once again proved his star power by anchoring this cast that also included Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy. This movie had many twists and created conversations among the geeks about whether the dream "suggestions" could actually change a person's life direction and whether it could be used for corporate sabotage.

3. Sin City (2005): In the last decade, comic book based movies have taken off. One of the most famous writers, Frank Miller, created a gritty universe using black and white imagery meshed in with key focal points that are presented in color (e.g. Yellow Bastard is...yellow). The movie is true to the graphic novel because Robert Rodriguez used the graphic novels as his actual storyboards and combining his directorial efforts with Frank Miller himself. This graphic novel turned movie produces an A-list cast that provides drama, action, and sex appeal. Rosario Dawson as Gail and Clive Owen as Dwight McCarthy are one of this generation's best couples.

4. Casino (1995): Based on the true story of Frank Rosenthal and enforcer Tony Spilotro and their involvement with the Stardust Casino (all names were changed), this movie is the best mafia movies from the 90's. Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro's last movie together and another great team up of DeNiro and Pesci, the movie cast almost every mafia looking actor in Hollywood at the time. Almost several hours long, the movie feels shorter and leaves you wanting to know more about those involved. The movie almost leaves you sad to see the end of the mafia era in Las Vegas in favor of a corporation run Las Vegas.

5. Wag The Dog (1997): Another DeNiro movie, this time he teams up with Dustin Hoffman in this political dra-medy. DeNiro plays a man that is the master of spin, creating a false war to through reporters off of a real political scandal involving the President. He teams up with a legendary producer played by Hoffman, to create video images to be leaked to the press. This role for DeNiro was a shift in his career to more light hearted and comedic roles

6. Thirteen Days (2000): This is a political thriller that revolves around one of America's scariest periods in history, the Cuban missile crisis. Thirteen Days centers around Kevin Costner playing unofficial Chief Of Staff Kenny O'Donnell and the way he coordinates between the Kennedy brothers, the Joint Chiefs Of Staff, and members of the Cabinet while the threat of the Russians using their nuclear arms against America via Cuba loomed. Thirty eight years after the incident, the movie builds tension as if you were there in person. Dylan Baker as Robert McNamara was an under-rated performance deserving consideration as a best supporting actor in 2000.

7. The Notorious Bettie Page (2006): The biopic based on the pinup years of Bettie Page is upbeat and portrays Bettie as seeing her modeling as a service or even as an activity that makes others happy. At first she is a little confused on why men would like to see women in leather or tied up. As the movie passes, she embraces her role as a model. The movie ends with Bettie finding church again (she grew up as a church girl) which led to her psychological problems in her middle aged years. Though not particularly looking like Bettie Page, actress Gretchen Mol nailed her smile and mannerisms while the make up artist and costume designers brought her look closer to the queen of pinups.

8. Hollywoodland (2006): Based on the fictional account of the murder investigation of George Reeves and his involvement with the wife of MGM executive Eddie Mannix, this somber toned movie portrays some hope that the real cause of George Reeves' death comes to light through the investigation by private investigator Louis Simo. This movie shows the fans several different possible conclusions to Superman's death including the police ruling of suicide.


9. High Fidelity (2000): Garnering positive reviews and starring John Cusack and Jack Black, this movie based on a best selling book by Nick Hornby never gained the public attention that it should have. Cusack's role of a man tortured by his past relationships was brilliant. He broke down the forth wall to analyze whether he was at fault for his past breakups and shares his love of music along the way. It's one of the few times that the movie watcher can say that the movie is just as good as the book.

10. Alex & Emma: A love story about a writer who is getting over his exotic ex while owing some bad people money. Alex is on a deadline to pay his debts off and has to finish writing his next novel to receive his advance and along the way hires a quiet stenographer named Emma. Gradually as Emma questions his character's decisions in the novel, a character based on her slowly works herself in the novel and gradually becomes closer to the main protagonist as Alex gets closer to Emma. Almost two love stories in one.

Things I Learned From Clerks

10 things I learned from the Kevin Smith classic, Clerks.

1. I can leave money on the counter and trust customers to take the correct change. (Actually Dante had a decent theory, but I would be scared about the one douche of a customer that has to steal)

2. There must be a magical jug of milk that last weeks longer than the others. (The milk maid, played by Kevin Smith's own mom shows us how to find it)

3. There is no perfect dozen eggs, even if you mix and match. (Poor school counselor)

4. If you come in to work on your day off, it is okay to close the store down for a couple of hours to play hockey on the roof of the business. (I wonder if you got hurt doing this that you could claim worker's comp?)

5. Don't touch that casket! (Should actually be self explanatory)

6. Don't let the old guy take a porn magazine into the bathroom. (He will die when he sees a pic of someone like Katie Morgan)

7. Gum sales people are vigilant. (They will start a revolt if need be)

8. If you work on the Death Star, you take your own life into your own hands. (Refer a friend to the job if need be, but don't take it)

9. If you work at a mom and pop owned video store, your video store is shitty compared to a corporate owned one. (Just ask Randall)

10. Your girlfriend has possibily sucked 37 ***ks without you knowing. (Wow)