Viewed – 20 July 2014  Netflix

I don’t know what inspired me, but I suddenly had a desire to finally see this cult favourite slacker comedy from the nineties.  Kevin Smith’s brand of pop-culture and crude comedy has garnered him a healthy fan base with hits such as Mallrats and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back as well as more serious efforts like Red State and Dogma.  Yet I was a bit late to the party and never got around to this popular debut until today.

Randal and Dante are two bored clerks at a convenience store who spend their time discussing such topics as hermaphrodite porn, the ending to Return of the Jedi or which woman Randal should be dating from the two in his life.  Meanwhile outside local small time drug dealer Jay struts his potty-mouthed stuff with best bud Silent Bob.  This is funny, low-rent entertainment, shot in grainy black and white and with many funny lines and oddball characters (the guy checking the eggs, the chewing gum salesman…) but it’s not a comedy for the easily offended .. it gets very crude at time (…People say crazy shit during sex. One time I called this girl “Mom.”).  Yet if you like Kevin Smith’s movies, you’ll certainly find much to enjoy here and the characters, especially Dante are well written and mostly realistic, even if some events stretch plausibility (the dead guy?).

A cult favourite it may be, and as the first movie by a director, quite daring – but the sheer throwaway nature of it’s humour and concept stops it from being the classic some may consider it to be.

Verdict:  3 /5