CLERKS II WILL BUST YOUR GUT AND HAVE YOU BEGGING FOR MORE                                                                          By Richard Livsey When I first saw Clerks back in ‘94, I was blown away. It  was the funniest movie that I had watched all year. Sure there was Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, which was a close second, but taking into account that Clerks was shot for under $30,000 from a film school drop out, you had to tip your hat to Kevin Smith. It was Clerks that launched the successful career that Smith has sustained since his debut film, and twelve years later he is back again with Clerks II. A movie that is without a doubt, the funniest that I have seen in years. I watched Clerks II at the AMC Loews 42st E-Walk  Theater in Times Square on Friday. It was a late afternoon show, so I think everyone was still sober. But the way people were laughing you would have thought that they were smoking some of what Jay and Silent Bob were selling out in front of Mooby’s. Clerks II is one of those rare movies were the sequel doesn’t suck. On several occasions the audience laughed so loud, that I missed some lines of dialogue because I couldn’t hear over the ruckus. Smith’s comedic timing is in full form, and his punch lines pack enough power to send one famed critic running for cover. Maybe Good Morning America film critic Joel Siegel should stick to the G Rated flicks, and leave movies like Clerks II for the people with a sense of humor that goes beyond the uptight conventions of mainstream America. Siegel’s behavior at the press screening of Clerks II was very unprofessional. Not only did he make a disruption, but it is highly likely that he may have influenced some critics into writing bad reviews. If Siegel was so offended by the movie, he should have got up and quietly walked out of the theater. Instead of drawing attention to himself by announcing his disapproval to the audience. Besides, he saw the first movie right? What did he think the second one was going to be about? Siegel should be more offended by all that crap that Hollywood churns out year after year than the dialogue in a Kevin Smith movie. In all fairness though, I have to say that Siegel did make good on the Opie and Anthony radio show. He apologized to Smith and promised to never make a disruption in a press screening again. Hopefully the buzz that this incident created will help out at the box office. Free publicity never hurts a movie, but don’t be blinded by the hype. If you liked the first one, you'll love Clerks II. However, if you’re easily offended by graphic language or if you’re a big fan of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, you may want to go see You, Me and Dupree instead. HOME ABOUT STORY ARCHIVE DONATE