Clerks (10th Anniversary Edition) (DVD)

Director's always have their signature film in which everything inside of it can be directly attributed to that one person. Kevin Smith is certainly one of those directors that not only helmed his first venture Clerks, but he also wrote it as he has all his other films, the only difference being that the money situation was not nearly the same as Smith risked quite a bit to get Clerks onto film.

For the first time ever a feature film solely dedicated to the life of a convenience store clerk is told in an uncensored fashion in which no topic is taboo. You will be introduced to the synonymous characters of Jay and Silent Bob as well as become familiar with the type of dialogue Kevin Smith is known for and Miramax has never been afraid to bring to audiences.

I must admit that when Clerks first hit video store shelves I checked it out with some friends of mine and due to the fact that they didn't give it half a chance I never really got into it and my opinion of the movie was jaded. Until now I had never revisited the film despite loving other Smith films such as Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Dogma.

Here on this 10th anniversary edition of the DVD I got the chance to sit down and not only watch the theatrical release of the film but also included is the never-before-seen extended edition that was previewed at Sundance and earned Kevin Smith so much notoriety. Along with that there is also the "Snowball Effect: The Story of Clerks" on disc three which chronicles the story of Clerks pretty much from Kevin Smith's conception up until the film is bought over drinks by Harvey Weinstein.

Those three items make this edition worth purchasing on their own, but added to the madness are MTV's Jay and Bob spots, a ScriptScanner DVD feature, pop-up text commentary, two separate commentaries (one from the original laser disc and one brand new), trailers, still galleries, 10th anniversary Q&A, reviews, articles and much more.

Pretty much everything is detailed on the right but there are a couple of features I would like to point out starting with the booklet that is included with the set. This booklet is easily the most meaningful piece of literature I have ever seen with a DVD set including a note from Smith in which he foretells Clerks 2, "They say you can never go home again. Watch me. Clerks 2 in '05."

The booklet also contains the synopsis for Clerks from the IFFM and posters created by the cast and crew for promotion, "And on the Seventh Day, God Watched Clerks." A synopsis from Sundance, plus the letter to Kevin announcing his selection and the $50 check he sent along with his submission. There are details on Smith busting his credit card limits, their budget sheets, early animation work for the View Askew clown, letters from Miramax and more...

On top of that there are a couple features that really stood out for me starting with the Clerks Lost Scene feature which shows an animated sequence of a scene that was never shot but was written for the film. The scene is extremely funny and the animation is great, and it is also cool to hear Joey Lauren Adams back to lend her voice to the scene. The feature can be watched on its own or you can watch the theatrical version of the film with the scene put in there.

The other feature that deserves mention is the "Snowball Effect" documentary that rules disc three. This doc is 90 minutes long and when I first checked the timer I thought I would never make it but once it was over I was searching the menu for the extra 40+ minutes of outtakes. The story of Clerks from start to finish is one of the most inspirational stories I have heard, it is a tale of stick-to-your-dream and you will make it like none you will ever hear.

Overall this edition is the best special edition DVD of the year thus far that is sure to impress Smith fans to no end. While Clerks is not a movie for everyone as it has numerous explicit sexual references, not to mention the use of the word "fuck" laced throughout, it seems several have given their leniency to those facts and enjoy it as a brilliant piece of introductory work from a now popular filmmaker.

I know one thing is for sure, I will never watch the theatrical version of the film again as the grit and ending of the extended version is quite possibly the coolest way to view this film, knowing that this is how it all began.