How did 'Clerks' influence modern comedy films?
How did 'Clerks' influence modern comedy movies? The influence of Kevin Smith's dialogue can be felt in the modern comedies of Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen.
(Credits: Far Out / Miramax)
Film » Cutting Room Floor
Fri 17 January 2025 5:30, UK
When a no-budget, black-and-white comedy about a couple of slacker convenience store employees was released in 1994, the world of indie cinema shifted on its axis.
While the content of Kevin Smith’s seminal Clerks might not have been particularly highbrow, and it barely even looked like a movie, the sheer fact it existed at all was mind-blowing to a generation of budding filmmakers. If Smith, a regular guy from New Jersey, could rack up $27,575 in credit card debt and make a film starring his pals at the same store where he worked, it proved that anyone could make a film.
It would be an oversimplification to say that Clerks only changed independent movies. Even though Smith arguably never lived up to the promise of his debut, and these days he’s mostly a niche filmmaker making extremely niche movies for a devoted audience of nerds, it can’t be denied that Clerks had a direct influence on an entire generation of comedy films, actors, directors, and writers. If anything, it could be argued that Smith walked so they could run.
Smith’s major innovation in Clerks is similar in some ways to Quentin Tarantino’s in Reservoir Dogs. Both movies feature quotable dialogue filled to the brim with profanity and pop-culture references, but they are applied differently.
The dialogue in Clerks doesn’t make an audience think the characters are the cleverest people in the room, as Tarantino’s does. Instead, the characters have conversations that sound like the exact ones countless 20-somethings regularly had with their own movie and comic-book-obsessed friends.
Which modern comedy filmmaker took the most inspiration from Smith’s dialogue?Over the years, this dialogue style morphed and transformed into something akin to the lewd, crude, but somehow earnest style that got so many laughs in the Hollywood-dominating comedies made by Judd Apatow and his many collaborators.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (Credits: Far Out / Dreamworks Pictures)In the early 2000s, Apatow rose to the top of the comedy game by writing and directing megahits like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Funny People, as well as producing Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Pineapple Express, Bridesmaids, and Superbad.
While Smith’s movies and Apatow’s efforts are hugely different in many ways, their similarities are also undeniable. At 2007’s San Diego Comic-Con, Apatow even said that “Kevin Smith laid down the track” he and his cohorts would soon follow.
…but which modern comedy star is most influenced by Clerks?However, perhaps Smith’s most prominent influence on modern comedy isn’t through Apatow. Seth Rogen, the stoner star who got his start in the Apatow shows Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared before graduating to films like Knocked Up, has been open about growing up a devoted Smith superfan. He became particularly aware of the indie auteur’s hand in his work when he began writing his own material, such as 2007’s hilarious Superbad.
Rogen once admitted that seeing Clerks opened his eyes to the idea that the things he wanted to create could exist in the world. “I really think that’s what let us know it was OK to try writing Superbad. I just thought it was the funniest stuff ever, just how dirty it was,” he said. “Even when we were making 40-Year-Old Virgin, I was a heavy proponent of making it really dirty and pushing the envelope with the friends and just making them very real guys’ guys, and a lot of that came from my love of Clerks and Kevin Smith. I would say I’m a direct product of his work.”
In 2008, two generations of stoner comedy finally came together when Smith directed Rogen in Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Working with someone who so clearly worshipped at the altar of Clerks was a unique experience for Smith, who has always been happy to know that his films inspired those who came after him. After all, he has never shied away from acknowledging that Hal Hartley and Richard Linklater’s movies influenced him when he started in the industry, underlining that cinema has always been an industry where one generation pays it forward to the next.
Related Topics
ClerksJudd ApatowKevin SmithSeth Rogen
AT least two mums and 56 babies have tragically died at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in the past five years, an investigation has revealed. Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s Univer…
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Dame Joan won two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award in an illustrious career spanning more than six decades
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
EXCLUSIVE: In the heart of the UK's new city of culture, chilling secrets lurk beneath the surface that could eclipse Rotherham's horrors.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
KBS2’s upcoming drama “KICKKICKKICKKICK” has unveiled an exciting group poster featuring the members of KICKKICKKICKKICK Company!
“KICKKICKKICKKICK” is a comedy that follows Ji Jin Hee (played by Ji Jin Hee), a washed-up actor, and Jo Young Sik (Lee Kyu Hyung), a once-successful variety show producer, as they establish a new content production company.
The drama promises an entertaining mix of their intense struggles to regain their past glory and the dynamic teamwork of the quirky members of their production company.
The newly released poster features the KICKKICKKICKKICK Company team assembled like a superhero squad. Front and center stand co-CEOs Ji Jin Hee and Jo Young Shik, flanked by their team members: Baek Ji Won (Baek Ji Won), Lee Min Jae (Lee Min Jae), Wang Jo Yeon (Jeon Hye Yeon), Noh In Sung (Jeong Han Seol), Kang Tae Ho (Kim Eun Ho), Ga Ju Ha (Jeon So Young), and Lee Mark (Baek Sun Ho). Adding to the intrigue is the appearance of a mysterious dog, who is set to play a pivotal role in the story.
With the tagline “Who can stop us?” and the cast’s resolute gazes directed forward, the poster captures their determination to thrive in the competitive content landscape.
“KICKKICKKICKKICK” is set premiere on February 5 at 9:50 p.m. KST.
While waiting, watch Ji Jin Hee in his drama “Second to Last Love” below!
[viki-watchnow url=https://www.viki.com/tv/31433c-second-to-last-love]
Or watch Lee Kyu Hyung on the variety show “Besties in Wonderland” on Viki:
[viki-watchnow url=https://www.viki.com/tv/38926c-besties-in-wonderland]
Source (1)
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
, a washed-up actor, and Jo Young Sik (Lee Kyu Hyung), a once-successful variety show producer, as they establish a new content production company.
The drama promises an entertaining mix of their intense struggles to regain their past glory and the dynamic teamwork of the quirky members of their production company.
The newly released poster features the KICKKICKKICKKICK Company team assembled like a superhero squad. Front and center stand co-CEOs Ji Jin Hee and Jo Young Shik, flanked by their team members: Baek Ji Won (Baek Ji Won), Lee Min Jae (Lee Min Jae), Wang Jo Yeon (Jeon Hye Yeon), Noh In Sung (Jeong Han Seol), Kang Tae Ho (Kim Eun Ho), Ga Ju Ha (Jeon So Young), and Lee Mark (Baek Sun Ho). Adding to the intrigue is the appearance of a mysterious dog, who is set to play a pivotal role in the story.
With the tagline “Who can stop us?” and the cast’s resolute gazes directed forward, the poster captures their determination to thrive in the competitive content landscape.
“KICKKICKKICKKICK” is set premiere on February 5 at 9:50 p.m. KST.
While waiting, watch Ji Jin Hee in his drama “Second to Last Love” below!
[viki-watchnow url=https://www.viki.com/tv/31433c-second-to-last-love]
Or watch Lee Kyu Hyung on the variety show “Besties in Wonderland” on Viki:
[viki-watchnow url=https://www.viki.com/tv/38926c-besties-in-wonderland]
Source (1)
%23actor) |
|
|
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/file2-9bdc3ef97cf94a7cb6776ca56dc9e73f.jpg)
Jennifer Lopez is subtly showing her support to Jessica Alba amid her split from Cash Warren after recently settling her own divorce from her ex-husband Ben Affleck,
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/file2-9bdc3ef97cf94a7cb6776ca56dc9e73f.jpg&description=How Jennifer Lopez Supported Jessica Alba After She Confirmed Her Split From Cash Warren Jennifer Lopez is subtly showing her support to Jessica Alba amid her split from Cash Warren after recently settling her own divorce from her ex-husband Ben Affleck, %23jenniferlopez) |
|
|
Award-winning Tina Turner tribute, Totally Tina, is arriving in Scotland this month. Fourteen years have passed since Totally Tina first sprang to life in Liverpool, with singer Justine Riddoch picking up a Lifetime Achievement Award along the way. Supported by her super-talented band and dazzling dancing girls in sequins, feathers and diamonds, Justine is tipped…
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
When Red Bull decided who to pass Formula 1’s poisoned chalice to for 2025, one factor outweighed all others in selecting Liam Lawson as Max Verstappen’s teammate. Performance mattered, but more im…
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Rest or rust? Let’s put it this way. This isn’t Andy Reid’s first rodeo.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The actress is filming her next TV project before welcoming her first child into the world
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
A WOMAN has revealed how her husband’s likeness to Harry Styles even caused some hilarious comments when she was in the hospital giving birth. Tina revealed that her other half gets compared …
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.