History Film / Mallrats

** In an effort to destroy the stage, Silent Bob dresses up in a Batman mask, swings past a critical pin (missing his chance to grab it), and crashes through a dressing room wall with Gwen inside. This (and their other antics) form the basis for the Bluntman and Chronic comic that forms the plot of ''Film/'' and ''Film/JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack''. Additionally, Jay can be overheard telling this story to Loki and Bartleby in ''Film/{{Dogma}}''.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The film originally opened with a much longer sequence at the Governor's Ball wherein T.S. took a break from the Paul Revere reenactment to hang out with his girlfriend Brandi, showcasing more interplay between them before getting into the argument that nearly destroys their relationship - and results in T.S. ruining the ball and costing Brandi's father, Mr. Svenning, a promotion, which added fuel to his natural hatred of T.S. and led to a running gag of T.S. being chased by news teams (in fact, he was originally being chased by them as he met with Brodie) and being recognized by people from the news for a supposed kidnapping (among other accusations). When this opening was scrapped it resulted in deleting a follow up scene where T.S. tries to reconcile with Brandi while Brodie is keeping the news team chasing T.S. distracted and claiming to be Mr. Svenning's "neighbor", among other scenes that were ultimately deleted. In fact, a few stray references to this lost opening ("Well well well if it isn't my ''neighbor''.") can still be found in the film that fans never picked up on.
* FollowTheLeader: In-Universe. The game show is a shameless ripoff of ''TheDatingGame.''

* RunningGag: Shannon's intention to have sex ''in a very uncomfortable place''[[hottip:*:meaning anal]] with various women is constantly [[StrangeMindsThinkAlike misinterpreted as having sex 'in the backseat of a Volkswagen'.]]

Though it is now considered just as much a cult classic as ''Clerks'', at its time of theatrical release it significantly underperformed the earlier film on a '''much''' higher budget and helped come close to bankrupting distributor Gramercy Pictures (though Creator/MichaelMoore's ''Film/CanadianBacon'', released two weeks before this effort, [[BoxOfficeBomb bombed]] even more spectacularly).

A 1995 film by KevinSmith, and part of the TheViewAskewniverse. It is the second entry into this series, although chronologically set before ''Film/{{Clerks}}''.

T.S. and Brodie are comic-book loving slackers who have both recently broken up with their respective girlfriends. Seeking solace at the local mall, they find ways to sabotage their exes' plans and to try and woo them back. Like all Smith films, this film takes quite a bit of RefugeInVulgarity. It was filmed in Eden Prairie Center in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, which at the time was a tired and dying mall with low traffic. (It has since been extensively renovated.)

A 1995 film by KevinSmith, and part of the TheViewAskewniverse. It is the second entry into this series, although chronologically set before ''{{Clerks}}''.

* BrickJoke: Jay and Silent Bob are seen with a random monkey in the WhereAreTheyNow credits. This is not explained for three movies, until they rescue a monkey from an animal testing lab in ''JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack.''
** Actually picked up on in the 'Chasing Dogma' series of comics that has, as the name suggests, the movies 'Chasing Amy' and 'Dogma' as bookends - The series explains how Jay and Silent Bob end up in the same town as Bethany - They're searching for Shermer, Illinois (the site of many a John Hughes movie, and naturally, nonexistent), and along the way, end up rescuing a chimp which is hunted, in a hilarious ''Fugitive'' spoof, by a {{Tommy Lee Jones}} lookalike. Presumably needing some narrative for ''JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack'', Smith recycled this with Will Ferrell in the Jones role.

* JerkAss: Shannon and Brandi's father.

* EnforcedMethodActing: Renne's anger about being called [[BeverlyHills90210 "Brenda"]] isn't fake. No one told Doherty that Suplee was going to say it, and it apparently ticked her off.

** Willem and the sailboat puzzle.

Taking place a day before ''{{Clerks}}'', with the usual parodies and ''Star Wars'' references (and a surprising [[TheCameo cameo]] by [[StanLee Stan 'The Man' Lee]]).

** In an effort to destroy the stage, Silent Bob dresses up in a Batman mask, swings past a critical pin (missing his chance to grab it), and crashes through a dressing room wall with Gwen inside. This (and their other antics) form the basis for the Bluntman and Chronic comic that forms the plot of ''ChasingAmy'' and ''JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack''. Additionally, Jay can be overheard telling this story to Loki and Bartleby in ''{{Dogma}}''.

* CelebrityParadox: At one point, Silent Bob is shown reading ''Spike, Mike, Slackers, and Dykes'', a book about the indie film industry which includes a chapter on KevinSmith and the making of ''{{Clerks}}''.

* ContinuityNod: Explains the death of Julie Dwyer, the girl whose funeral the boys crash in ''{{Clerks}}''.

--> '''Brandi:''' [[{{Clerks}} Jesus,]] Gwen, [[{{Clerks}} the last thing I need at this point is a lecture]] on my love life.
-->'''Gwen:''' [[{{Clerks}} All I'm saying is...]]

** T.S. is shown to be responsible for the cutting remark that convinces Julie Dwyer to swim laps until she drops dead. Dante and Randall wreck her wake in ''{{Clerks}}''.

* ShoutOut: The silent mall cop is named [=LaFours=], after the unseen lawman in ''ButchCassidyAndTheSundanceKid'' to the point of wearing a straw hat. This was [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in a conversation between Jay and Brodie that was deleted, but can be seen on the extended edition DVD:

** Jay and Silent Bob's misadventures with a monkey were elaborated on in the interquel comic [[AllThereInTheManual Chasing Dogma]] - [[RecycledScript which was partially reused for the same subplot in]] JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack.

* ZanyScheme: Jay cooks up a couple of these in order to incapacitate LaFours, complete with old-school-cartoon-style blueprints.
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* RunningGag: Shannon's intention to have sex ''in a very uncomfortable place''[[hottip:*:[[DontExplainTheJoke meaning]] [[AssShove anal]]]] with various women is constantly [[StrangeMindsThinkAlike misinterpreted as having sex 'in the backseat of a Volkswagen'.]]

---> '''Brandi:''' [[{{Clerks}} Jesus,]] Gwen, [[{{Clerks}} the last thing I need at this point is a lecture]] on my love life.
--->'''Gwen:''' [[{{Clerks}} All I'm saying is...]]

* TheMall: Of course.

* PetTheDog: [[Jerkass Jay]] saying goodbye to the pet store kittens ("Bye baby kitties!"). He even tells Silent Bob to show some heart and say goodbye to them as well.

** '''T'''hirty-'''S'''even.