Mallrats (1995) - Revisit the unworried '90s in Smith's 2nd

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A comic book-styled poster for Kevin Smith's Mallrats

We follow a pair of dudes who hang out at the mall, while both of them attempt to avoid losing their girlfriends.

 

Mallrats is written and directed by Kevin Smith (Clerks (1994)). It is the second film in Smith's View Askewniverse fictional universe, after Clerks, with a plot that takes place a day before the one in Clerks.

It is a study in the 1990s perception that history had ended, and that the time of great narratives had past. How so? Mallrats wallows in irony and sarcasm, snide remarks and shamelessly pubic 'dude sexism'. The girls show breasts and/or are sex objects. The need for real narrative, themes or meanings are intentionally left blank.

Shannen Doherty (Charmed (1998-01)) is best in the cast, and the Keystone Kops-like subplot about Jay and Silent Bob and La Rouge the mall security guard is not without its charm.

High art or just a good movie Mallrats isn't, but it is youthfully exuberant, has its share of good lines (often in dialog about next to nothing), and is an entertaining ode to the American mall in a way.

Related posts:
 

Kevin Smith: Tusk (2014) - Smith goes all-out wack
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films - according to Film Excess

Red State (2011) or, End of Days II 
Cop Out (2010) or, A Couple of Dicks   

Chasing Amy (1997) or, How to Lay the Hot Lesbian 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 6.1 mil. $

Box office: 2.1 mil. $ (North America only)

= Mega-flop (projected return of 0.40 times the cost)

[Mallrats was released 20 October (North America) and runs 94 minutes. Shooting took place from March - April 1995 in California, including in Los Angeles, New Jersey and in Minnesota, including in Minneapolis. The film opened #13 to a 1.1 mil. $ first weekend in North America, declining from there for a 2.1 mil. $ final domestic gross. It was only released in a handful of other markets for a projected 2.5 mil. $ final gross. Roger Ebert gave it a 1.5/4 star review, translating to 2 notches under this one. Smith returned with Chasing Amy (1997). Mallrats is rotten at 57 % with a 5.60/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Mallrats?

Chasing Amy (1997) or, How to Lay the Hot Lesbian

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+ Best $ Return of the Year: 60.4 times the cost

 

Attractive blond Joey Lauren Adams is used to sell on this poster for Kevin Smith's Chasing Amy

Two young male friends, who make comic books together for a living, have their friendship tested, when one of them falls for a lesbian blond.

 

Chasing Amy is written and directed by Kevin Smith (Clerks (1994)).

The 1990s are ugly in a foul way; self-centered and overly talkative in this 100 % sexually fixated flick, a film that has a lot of fun with itself. It had me amused one time, I think , but annoyed me for most of the time. For instance, the titular Amy, (played by Smith's real-life girlfriend at the time and inspiration for the film, Joey Lauren Adams (Trucker (2008))), is also a comic book artist, and the protagonist processes their whole history together as a couple by immortalizing it in a comic book... But the worst thing is that Smith wants Chasing Amy to be an open-minded and frank sex romcom, while actually it is clumsy as it bumps around as essentially a very simple young hetero male's fantasy more than anything else. (The hot lesbian is suddenly not a lesbian anymore and so on and so on.)

Ben Affleck (200 Cigarettes (1999)) is good and is invested in Chasing Amy, and Dwight Ewell (On the Run (1999)), who plays a black friend that's (also) a comic book artist, is funny and charming. But Chasing Amy is still a fairly horrible film. 

 

Related posts:
 

Kevin Smith: Tusk (2014) - Smith goes all-out wack
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films - according to Film Excess

Red State (2011) or, End of Days II 
Cop Out (2010) or, A Couple of Dicks   

1997 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 250k $

Box office: 15.1 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 60.4 times its cost)

[Chasing Amy premiered 23 January (Sundance Film Festival) and runs 113 minutes. Affleck was paid 7k $ for his performance. Shooting took place in New Jersey and New York. The film opened #21 to a 53k $ opening weekend in 3 theaters, peaking at #10 and in 553 theaters, grossing 12 mil. $ (79.5 % of the total gross) in North America. Regrettably gross numbers for the film's long list of international release markets are not made public online. The film won 2/3 Independent Spirit award nominations, was nominated for a Golden Globe and won a National Board of Review award, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, translating to 3 notches over this one. Smith returned with Dogma (1999). Affleck returned in Good Will Hunting (1997); Adams in Oddville, MTV (1997, TV-series) and theatrically in A Cool, Dry Place (1998); and Jason Lee (Columbus Circle (2012)) in Weapons of Mass Destruction (1997, TV movie), Perversions of Science (1997, TV-series) and theatrically in A Better Place (1997). Chasing Amy is certified fresh at 86 % with a 7.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Chasing Amy?