ONLY GOD FORGIVES (2013) review, "Wanna fight?..."

ONLY GOD FORGIVES is a 2013 film starring Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas and Vithaya Pansringarm, written and directed by Nicholas Winding Refn. The film follows Julian (Ryan Gosling), a drug trafficker in Bangkok whose thriving criminal life is interrupted after he is urged into revenge by his mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) after his brother's murder.

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The definition of style over substance, Only God Forgives is not for the squeamish - however those who can stomach it may be driven away by its potentially frustrating slow pace and reliance on surreal, often incoherent imagery.

Ryan Gosling, as aforementioned is the rather silent protagonist Julian, pressured and ultimately used by his mother as a means to revenge. Regarding a performance, there is honestly little to say: he utters few words and when words are spoken they are simplistic, leading to the bizarrely short and unintentionally chuckle-worthy quote embellished within the trailer and in the title of this very review. 

Instead, a majority of his performance is through body language, gestures and his facial expressions and to an extent, it works. It in an odd oxymoron develops his character as underdeveloped, with Julian often trapped in his thought seen in several seemingly nonsensical visions throughout the film that adhere only to dream logic - understandable considering who this film is dedicated to. 

In addition to Gosling is the supporting cast, with first-time actor Vithaya Pansringarm as Chang deserving an honourable mention as Refn intended this film to be a star vehicle for said actor - which of course has never came to fruition due to the scathingly divisive opinions leaning mostly on the negative. It's a shame really, as his minimal character development detracts from his performance which is honestly great. Whenever he is displayed on screen, an unquestionable and wonderfully menacing feeling begins to arise from his unpredictability, even seemingly disappearing into thin air at one point. It is that unpredictability that is the double-edged sword as his character, not to far from Julian in communication skills lacks character, with an example being his family introduced not to demonstrate a lighter side of his character but as bait to be killed off to siphon a cause for revenge other than his quest for counter-revenge against his initial hit placed by Crystal - Julian's mother.

A recurring issue with Only God Forgives is a lack of a character for an audience or viewer to latch onto as none are distinctly likeable, for reasons not left up to the actors in their performance. The character of Crystal is pivotal in this issue, foul-mouthed and all around sleazy, it makes it difficult to like her character and even places her in the same realm as the antagonist, putting the revenge into full swing and indirectly bringing the end to dozens of people's lives in an often brutal manner similar to Chang, however directly he horrifically mutilated others. Kristin Scott Thomas does her best with the material that she's given - with what she's given being reviled even after her fate is sealed.

You get the feeling that this is exactly what Nicholas Winding Refn wanted to make when he made this, with some superb direction peppered throughout the film, not far from his last sleeper hit: Drive. It contains the common marks of his films, simply gorgeous cinematography with each shot literally oozing neon colours in what is to be described as some of the most beautiful shots ever committed to film (including bewildering hand imagery relating to Gosling's character), hyper-violence to the nth degree and snail-like pacing. 

The latter two points in particular generated controversy aplenty for this film with the rather bemused audience at the Cannes Film Festival as an example booing the film in a rather childish manner. It takes a similar structure to Drive, the only point of comparison worth discussing as the two films are entirely different in content, and that is the slow-moving and sometimes surreal scenes are punctuated by excessive outbursts of violence before rinsing and repeating. Of course, it is much more complex than that, but that is as if the two films are broken down into their skeletal components.

Inherently, Only God Forgives is not a poorly acted or directed film, I personally believe it is the script and the story attached to that script is what brings it down. It lacks cohesion and suffers from an aforementioned lack of likeable characters, as memorable as they are, you are either indifferent or hate the characters presented to you. The dialogue, when there is any, is oddly clunky, but depending on how you see it that can add to or detract from the film like how David Lynch uses it to a great effect in his many of his films.

Final props go to the cinematographer and composer for this film, Larry Smith and Cliff Martinez respectively. They really do enhance the dream-like and surreal atmosphere created in the film and it is one of the most aesthetically pleasing films I have seen in a while, the track that plays from the ending onto the credits as a quality that will stick in my thoughts for days...

...and that is what Only God Forgives is. Love it or hate it, it will stick with you. The imagery, the sound, the gory and shamelessly excessive violence, it all comes together to create an ultimately memorable film that will sadly be remembered for what it did worst, instead of what it did best. Don't believe everything you read about this film, it is certainly flawed, but it is nowhere near as bad as most give it - an open mind is required.

"Time to meet the devil..."

SLOW WEST (2015) review, "He had his heart in the wrong place..."

SLOW WEST is a 2015 film starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Michael Fassbender and Ben Mendelsohn, written and directed by first-timer John MacLean. The film follows the bare bones Western; a boy is on a journey west to find his love, accompanied by Silas, his mysterious "chaperone".

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It's hard to believe - amidst the summer blockbuster season comes a small and lovingly crafted film set within one of the most depreciated genres of cinema.

Slow West is just as the title suggests, it burns slowly and unapologetically so, taking its time to grasp onto its narrative just as the lead attempts to grasp onto his bounty-ridden love. However, when it does grasp, it goes with flying colours, delivering visceral and oddly surreal action sequences that clash playfully with the clean and heavily saturated landscapes and cinematography.

The cast populating those sequences are all commendable in their efforts, McPhee as the feeble but strong willed Jay, Fassbender as the jaded crook with a heart of gold Silas and Mendelsohn as the fur-coat wearing and sinister villain Payne. Fassbender especially steals the show, his character presented perfectly, chuckling on a cigar even in the most dire of consequences. Deferring to the lead's love interest, Caren Pistorius deserves an honourable mention as she dominates the screen during the film's finale, with her character left in a state that can only be described as bitter-sweet. 

Written and directed by aforementioned first-feature-length-timer John MacLean, it is certainly an impressive first effort. While it may be the definition of a simplistic story, never has it been taught so well and with such straight forward focus when it gets going. The film may suffer for some due to its meandering closer to the beginning, indulged in its own pretty visuals and minimalist style, this becomes a non-issue after the first plot-related bomb shell drops - leaving you wondering what made you feel even slightly bored in the first place. 

It brings the unquestionable moral that was the Wild West: brutal and often prone to life or death scenarios as everyone scrapes by, the scraping by being the bounties that are picked up by wanderers, each poster proclaiming "Wanted dead or alive", which is adequately put as "Wanted dead or dead". Dialogue between characters is often underplayed, the faces and the guns with those faces do the talking. The bonding process between Jay and Silas is a key example of this, the first moment in which they reluctantly work together leads to the deaths of multiple people, actions speaking louder than words. The last shots of the film hammer this home with each of the body count tallied up in a remorseless fashion, showing the count close and in grisly detail. While this may seem ham-fisted upon reading, it feels natural as you absorb what the film has to offer and succeeds in its job of making you think of the consequences of the actions made throughout.

The score by Jed Kurzel is a minimal aspect of this film, and to that it works to it's advantage, accentuating the slow build-up and outburst that takes place with plucky strings and violins soaked with dread respectively, taking an ambient back-seat instead of it being used entirely to demonstrate action - proving the age-old sign of intelligence as when to know when not to utilise the score in addition of when to utilise it. 

Cinematography as aforementioned demands to be discussed, as done by Robbie Ryan. This film is beyond gorgeous, the colours pop perfectly within the daytime scenes and evoke the quality of an old, classic Western, the cinematography alone makes this film worth a view and also shows a tip of the hat to all of the older influences that this film has.

Overall, Slow West is a wonder for fans of the genre and is also accessible to those who generally lack interest in Westerns, but if that is the case, it may not win you over, but it will certainly make your appreciation for films such as this deeper. It's only once in a while that you see a film like Slow West pop up without taking any of the well-deserved spotlight - and that's a damn shame. 

"There's more to life than surviving..."

BRAZIL (1985) review: "It's only a state of mind..."

BRAZIL is a 1985 film starring Jonathan Pryce, co-written and directed by Terry Gilliam. The film follows Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) trying to find the literal woman in his dreams while working at his dead-end job at a bureaucracy in a less than ideal world.

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The bizarrely titled Brazil is the best that Gilliam has to offer, blending elements of dystopia and totalitarianism with goofy slapstick and dysfunctional characters to create the delightful and harrowing contradictory world that is unforgettable.

Jonathan Pryce stars as the aforementioned Sam Lowry, a lowly office worker who is content with his routine until he stumbles upon the woman of his dreams. This is the breakout role for Pryce and is perhaps the best of his career. Talk about getting it right first time, the character and charm given to the Everyman Sam Lowry by Pryce is unmatchable, a role you couldn't imagine seen in the hands of another actor after seeing how it is handled. At times, intelligent and with a sharp wit, other times barely comprehending how the world around him works and how to interact with it, often breaking into bouts of sarcasm to help make sense of it all.

A majority of the cast handle their performances with ease, with the most notable performances being with Robert De Niro, Ian Holm and Michael Palin. De Niro is quirky and as meticulous as he has always been within his performance with Ian Holm being largely similar with the addition of his nervous nature and constant stuttering creating some laughs. Palin as a character is downright disturbing in this film, introduced as the higher-up and more successful friend with an air of mystery, it only gets worse for Sam from then on out. When I say a majority handle their performances with ease, that exception is sadly Kim Greist as Jill, with her performance and character left with something to be desired. It still works for the film's overall plot and tone, but most of her delivery with lines fell flat, perhaps with one or two memorable lines throughout the entire runtime.

Co-written with Tom Stoppard and Charles McKeown whilst directed by Gilliam, Brazil is a well written and directed film. The writing is where the majority of the bizarre elements come into play, the aforementioned combination of slapstick and brooding totalitarian society creates a concoction of a story that is beyond memorable. The vast majority of the dialogue consists of witty interaction between one character and another, their interaction proving one of the film’s greatest strengths, how it bounces between the characters and creates a playful tone in an otherwise distraught world.

The motives of Kim Greist’s character and the factor of terrorism is handled in a flimsy manner however, Jill effectively has her life stripped from her by Lowry and yet she is still expected to fall in love with him by the film’s conclusion, making the writing feel slightly formulaic as it could just easily be attributed to the film’s whimsical nature with Lowry having consistent daydreams and she is more likely to love his character, which is similar to the acts of terrorism seen throughout the film also. On its initial conception, it adds to the bizarre effect, with these terror attacks happening on a regular basis to the point where they are no longer frightening to the upper-class and citizens working for the government not involved. A particular scene shows a high-class restaurant being attacked with bloody and mangled survivors clamouring for help, but they give it only slight notice and continue with their meal as if nothing substantial happened.

Direction is well done with one or two mishaps, Terry Gilliam definitely surpassed his own vision while creating Brazil, crafting an almost fully realised world with some pretty excessive detail, kudos to the production design and art team with some incredible sets and matte paintings, a nod to one particular scene including Robert De Niro and a zip line. Actors are guided through the Gilliam’s vision with ample precision, albeit Gilliam himself was reportedly unpleased with Kim Greist’s performance as Jill and as a result, cut more of her scenes out of the film than is what is already in the film, which is a fair bit still, not counting the infamous “Love Conquers All” studio cut.

The score by Michael Kamen is pivotal to the film’s overall success, from the iconic theme by Geoff Muldaur that serves as the leitmotif of the film, a string of notes that follows Sam Lowry as the passes through the story, particularly during an important moment related to Lowry. The theme that plays during the office segments of the film has had a life of its own also, being used in several different projects, mostly trailers however, including the trailer for Wall-E or Being John Malkovich. A final notable element of the score is the ending track which in itself is notable for its creativity and a majority of the score serving as altered versions of one another to serve the mood of the scene on-screen.

Overall, Brazil is an exceptional example of cult cinema in which everything comes together its own wonderfully dysfunctional way. It sticks to your brain and never let’s go due to its incredibly unique nature.

THEY LIVE (1988) review: "I'm here to chew bubblegum..."

THEY LIVE is a 1988 film starring Roddy Piper and Keith David, written and directed by John Carpenter. The film travels with Nada, a mononymous drifter who discovers that aliens have disguised themselves in society as the upper class attempting to manipulate the population into conformity and admiring the status quo, with Nada there to stop them.

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They Live is arguably not horror, leaning towards science fiction, but what it is – that’s a different story. A recurring theme within the horror category, satire is used to great effect within this John Carpenter classic, the dread being generated from the wonder of aliens controlling our society, disguised as humans. Silly yet extremely disturbing hilarity ensues.

The cast of They Live honestly isn't impeccable, casting a wrestler as your lead man John Nada doesn't call for a mind bending performance, what he does bring however is strangely an Everyman feel on the basis of his non-descript look but also bringing the physique to seriously do damage to the “aliens” that are out there. Now veteran actor Keith David makes a beloved appearance also as Nada’s sidekick, Frank. Watching him in this you just get the feeling that he’s hamming it up and to great effect, he stands perfectly besides Nada to challenge some of his motives but to follow him where ever he leads. Their meeting is one of the most exaggerated, lengthy yet incredible fight scenes of all time within film, they seriously have a fist fight that goes on for longer than 5 minutes. The rest of the cast honestly isn’t worth mentioning to a great extent, they do their jobs but don’t provide anything special.

Written by John Carpenter, the script delivers a generic structure but with the satirical twist on consumerism that is what makes it really memorable and also carrying his script with his own directorial flair, surely taking what was written in the script as one line describing the fight between Frank and Nada and extending that into this elaborately choreographed fight sequence that will forever stick in your mind as a defining moment of his later career. Without that tongue-in-cheek attitude to themes as simplistic as violence and consumerism, They Live might have sufficed as nothing more than forgettable. It’s that idea of being able to see into that otherworldly setting consisting of nothing more than “OBEY. CONSUME. THIS IS YOUR GOD,” that creates that unsettling tone that there is more to society than what we may think. The exaggerated fight scene albeit likely unintentional, could serve to parody the violence seen within American culture also being exaggerated within the time period and to this very day. The bite is what keeps it from fading into obscurity. Direction is competent as you’d expect from Carpenter who had already by this point crafted his name as one of the masters of horror with Halloween and The Thing as well as proving his muscle in other genres with films like Big Trouble in Little China and Escape from New York, the look that he crafted for the consumerist dystopia is chilling, the black and white style with the bold text on billboards and aliens aplenty. It is bold to say the least.

Score is always an interesting thing when it comes to Carpenter’s films as he does it himself, this time with frequent collaborator Alan Howarth. From the very beginning after that title screen fades into the film with that distinct bass line playing away, you know you’re in for a good time. It drills into the monotony that is drifting with our lead traversing train tracks, slums and abandoned areas. At key points within the film such as action sequences the score plays a big part, but it displays intelligence to know when not to utilise sound and music to further increase the impact of a scene, such as yet again that elongated fight scene to highlight the meeting between Frank and Nada. There is nothing but the soundscape of the city in the background, cars passing by and blasting their horns, the sounds of people commuting to really rub in the fact that they’re beating each other down in a grubby back street within the cityscape that is New York. It reinforces that with this scene they as characters are somewhat hitting the bottom of the barrel.

Overall, They Live is a mish-mash of genres, action, comedy, horror, sci-fi, it is how it combines all of these elements to satirise consumerism and American culture is what makes it that little bit more special. There are the one-liners that the lead spits to accentuate the comedy of a scene and to show his badassery such as the infamous “bubble gum” line, the next minute then mowing down what could actually be innocent people. Are they really aliens? It’s unsettling either way, knowing that Nada could be killing innocents or cleansing the world of aliens hidden in our society. It’s this conflicting emotion and themes is what rises They Live from trashy sci-fi horror comedy to classic satire of what was then present in culture and is still as relevant today. Relevance through time is a hallmark of a great film, but not to give it too much credit, it still has some of those trashy elements thrown in for good measure.

FRIGHT NIGHT (1985) review: "Welcome to Fright Night! For real!"

FRIGHT NIGHT is a 1985 film starring William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowall, written and directed by Tom Holland. The film follows the tried and tested tale of a boy with a nightly neighbour as he tries to uncover his neighbour's secret while simultaneously no one believes him. Is he really a vampire? You should be able to guess that from the title.

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Fright Night is another overlooked cult horror gem from the '80s with its campy tone, reinvigoration of old and tired clichés to craft something new and exciting, all done with a coating of satire. What more could you want from a vampire movie?

The cast works to this films charm, some of the acting being bizarrely hit and miss albeit mostly from supporting characters (like the rather peculiar Evil Ed.) William Ragsdale, Chris Sarandon and especially Roddy McDowall all do their jobs good however, the unsuspecting and naive boy, the menacing vampire and the TV horror show host who is roped in to save the day at the last minute. Roddy McDowall, whenever he is on-screen he simply just steals the show. In his introduction, you see him hosting the titular TV show, Fright Night, with all of the little tributes and homage to Universal and Hammer horror films that you would expect. He is just great.

Written by Tom Holland, who clearly has a love for classic horror, he litters Fright Night with all of the little aforementioned tributes to what inspired it whilst also taking what burned out those movies and satirising them or putting them into a new perspective that can only be described as endearing. The whole initial scenario of the late night horror movie marathon on TV oozes a nostalgic feel and even when the film builds into the third act's visceral and very well done special effects bonanza, it still manages to retain a sense of innocence about it that other comedy-horror films can lack. The dialogue is obviously hammy but you get the sense that it wasn't aiming to be special, just an enjoyable romp to take you back to the days of mindless and campy horror, replicating Peter Cushing into Peter Vincent.

Direction again by Tom Holland is done well enough, the film is very much competently made. There is nothing astounding about it, it's again what it looks back to and looks forward to that makes it. There are some slight stylised scenes that again pay tribute to the history of horror and a very peculiar scene involving vampires on roller skates does have a tendency to stick with you, not in a matter of horror but as a reminder as to how bizarre this film can get.

The score by Brad Fiedel, who is most likely more well-known for his work on the Terminator franchise is well done, primarily the theme which accentuates the menacing yet child-like tone that is carried onto the films entirety. The theme also serves for Peter Vincent’s “Fright Night” marathon, proving that the score is stuck within its era, never to leave the ‘80s.

Special effects as previously mentioned deserve another mention, the final act of the film builds into a special effects massacre revolving around decaying vampires in the sunlight. The team behind this deserves applause as it is among the best I've seen for the time period, with the majority of the special effects team going sadly uncredited by the film.

Overall, Fright Night is another must see for fans of campy ‘80s horror and is still worth seeing for those who aren't as it relies as heavily on comedy as it does horror, the fountain of references peppered through the film’s runtime is to be behold. Fans of the Universal horror films from the ‘30s and ‘40s as well as the Hammer horror of the ‘50s and ‘60s will surely be pleased by what is in store for them, a goody bag of horror, a trick or treat minus the trick as there’s nothing to deceive here.

CREEPSHOW (1982) review, "The Most Fun You'll Have... Being Scared!"

CREEPSHOW is a 1982 film starring a whole slew of horror icons such as Adrienne Barbeau, written and directed by the same, Stephen King and George A. Romero respectively. The film being an anthology entails 5 stories, all of which are completely disconnected from one another, displaying gruesome tales ranging from cake-thirsty zombies to crate-hiding werewolves.

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Creepshow is an oddity, in that there has been nothing quite like it since its release. Bizarre, tongue-in-cheek and spiked with hints of black comedy, it has developed a cult following amongst horror fans for its tribute to the EC Comic books of the '50s. (such as "Tales from the Crypt".)

The whole cast of Creepshow is out of whack, a highlight being Leslie Nielsen, of course known for his comedies taking a role in horror playing a belligerent villain hell-bent on revenge. Himself being the highlight because his goofy performance within his segment adds to a horrible dread and suspense that builds throughout, with his just desserts being delivered in a gleefully dark act of karma. Another veteran actor, Hal Holbrook is seen in his segment "The Crate" in a similar fashion but with the lines blurred in just as disturbing of a manner. E.G. Marshall also deserves an honourable mention for his performance as the grouchy old man suffering from mysophobia, a fear of germs as he desperately attempts to save himself from an cockroach infestation in his apartment.

Being written by Stephen King (and also having a very Jerry Lewis like cameo), there is as aforementioned a distinct and tongue-in-cheek tone that is consistent throughout the majority of the anthology tales, a feat to be admired. It also remains faithful in style to what inspired the film being the pulpy horror comics of the 1950s, focusing on tawdry elements of horror relating to monsters and the zombie as seen in the segment "Father's Day". As with any form of media following the anthology format such as the infamous Twilight Zone, some stories are simply better than others. Segments such as "Father's Day" or "They're Creeping Up On You!" pale in comparison to "The Crate", "The Lonesome Death Of Jordy Verill" and "Something To Tide You Over". The latter three building suspense and delivering the trashy thrills to a tee, these tales bring the best and most unique ideas as "Father's Day" whilst having a unique motive, falls flat. "They're Creeping Up On You!" entirely relies on shock value, the gross-out moments involving cockroaches instead of any proper suspense or dread and lacks the tone of the other segments, feeling out of place.

Direction by the once legendary George A. Romero is pretty top notch in terms of the film's execution, you feel as if he got exactly what he wanted with a mix of extreme violence and satire as seen by the over-the-top and often hammy acting seen in the film. Similar to King's writing, you can sense the passion and inspiration taken from the EC horror comics, the film's main homage. This is seen in the comic book elements and imagery displayed throughout the film, with the prologue showing the boy reading the "Creepshow" comic, flipping through the pages as the segments pass with animated stretches in between and is exceptionally used in each of the segments to highlight an intense moment, often regarding a character's ill fate. There is often slight and incredible details on each of the scenes and their sets, an example being the kid's bedroom in the pro/epilogues with horror posters and figurines visible throughout as further homage to classic horror monsters such as Dracula. The wacky tone mixed with the dread and helplessness of segments such as "Something To Tide You Over" show that Romero is on the top of his game here.

The score, especially the theme heard at the beginning by John Harrison is pretty astounding. It creates the perfect mood, when that piano kicks in, it just elevates that weird feeling that the film seems to ooze with excessive style. The frequent use of lower notes on the piano also elevates that all too repetitively mentioned dread, leaving an oddly sickly stomach because of its suspenseful nature.

A note not often mentioned but simply has to be here is the visual/make-up effects by Tom Savini, a make-up legend within horror, stretching back all the way to Dawn Of The Dead with Romero. Everything is great by Savini, from the animatronics featured on the titular Creep to the werewolf hiding in "The Crate", nicknamed Fluffy to even the gross-out stuff with cockroaches in "They're Creeping Up On You!", it's all impeccably well done and it solidifies his work that he went on to further showcase in Day Of The Dead. 

Overall, Creepshow is a must for horror fans, if reading up on the names Stephen King and George A. Romero haven't enticed you or at least in the very little intrigued you then Creepshow will be a lost cause. It is an oddly unique (in the sense of its goofiness, to not give it too much credit) film that doesn't occur too often when two horror icons unite to work together, a given for cult status and even on release day a sleeper hit. If horror is your thing, give Creepshow a look. It might just be the most fun you'll ever have being scared.

"I can hold my breath for a long time!"

CLERKS (1994) review, "37..."

PRESENT PAST TIME is a segment that I wish to dedicate to older releases that I believe are worth talking about, be it bad or good.

Just Because They Serve You, Doesn't Mean They Like You...

CLERKS is a 1994 film starring Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson and directed as well as written by Kevin Smith in his film début. The film gives us an insight into the lives of two clerks and friends working next door from one another, Dante Hicks and Randal Graves. (Played by O'Halloran and Anderson respectively.)

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Clerks still stands the test of time, being released over twenty years ago as of the passing October, it remains as one of my all time favourite comedies, providing consistent laughs and intrigue with every watch.

As aforementioned, Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson both share an equal amount of screen time in their distinct and charismatic characters. Dante is the reluctant Quick Stop worker who is called in when it's his day off after no one is there to cover the shift, with Randal being the opposite, a sleazy and crude yet charming who works at the store next door, RST Video. This is their first on-screen performances and frankly they play it naturally to the point where you would believe that they have been working the dead end job for years before and the years to come. Both O'Halloran and Anderson work off of each other so well in every scene they're in together, playfully bouncing dialogue between themselves with their own quips and in-jokes.

The fellow cast members add to the low-budget charm that is Clerks, primarily consisting of Smith's friends as well as relatives - whilst the acting is quite shoddy due to this, it provides as many unintentional laughs as well as intentional and it sells the passion that went into this film doing whatever they can to make ends meet.

"I'm not even supposed to be here today!"

The writing by Kevin Smith consists of some of the most witty and sharp dialogue that you could ever ask for from a comedy such as this that centres so heavily on said dialogue, the constant back and forth conversations and monologues from characters creates a sense of atmosphere within the film. You can sense the frustration of the characters with their jobs and aspirations with the writing, especially with Dante. It provides some serious laughs because of it's balance of natural dialogue but in exaggerated amounts, characters throwing paragraphs at each other in some pretty serious detail. It keeps you guessing as to what they could talk about next because of it's unpredictability and that only adds to it. Direction isn't fair to be criticised for the budget that the film had to deal with, (that being the astonishingly low $27,500) but to be noted is that Clerks is not a very good looking movie. It's entirely in black-and-white due to said budget constraints and in addition to this it looks really blurry as it was shot on 16mm film which really does hold it back visually. However, props as to how the crew and Smith managed to pull this off on the aforementioned shoe-string budget.

The score is unique to this film in that it entirely consists of licensed tracks, which have famously became known for costing more to license than the film cost to make. It ranges from bands like Love Among Freaks to Alice in Chains or Bad Religion, all consisting of alternative rock, punk rock and grunge which create this gritty tone that somewhat fits with the rough visuals that the film has to offer. It makes the film's most light-hearted moments seem abrasive in tone and crafts a mean spirit surrounding the film which arguably makes it more memorable than it would have been if it didn't benefit from the soundtrack.

Overall, Clerks is pretty much the definition of a cult classic, a diamond in the rough, this quirky little film that got made even though it defied all odds and it truly shines due to that. Sometimes the actual fact that this film exists and how it was actually created overshadows the content in the film itself, but that's not putting it to shame as there is plenty of genuinely funny moments in here. If anything, it's achievement in cult status not only launched Smith's career but also propelled this film into the realms of one of the most iconic independent films of all time with films like Richard Linklater's Slacker (the film that so very happened to inspire this one). It goes to show that anyone can make a film, so long as they put their thought and effort into it... not necessarily saying that the results are always good however.

"You're closed!"