A 1995 film by Kevin Smith, and part of the The View Askewniverse. It is the second entry into this series, although chronologically set before 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 Vulgar Humor. 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.)Taking place a day before Clerks, with the usual parodies and Star Wars references (and a surprising cameo by Stan 'The Man' Lee).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 (grossing less than $2.5 million of its $6 million budget) and helped come close to bankrupting distributor Gramercy Pictures (though Michael Moore's Canadian Bacondid even worse, recouping less than $179,000 of its own $11 million budget).
This film provides examples of:
Accidental Pervert: Silent Bob turns into one of these: each time a Zany Scheme backfires, he ends up in a women's dressing room, where he sees a girl in the process of trying on clothes. And it's always the same girl. The girl in question, Gwen, is later seen changing in semi-public while talking to Brodie and TS, claiming that it saves him the effort.
Actor Allusion: In one scene, Doherty's character Rene is called "Brenda" by mistake (her character in 90210). Ben Affleck's character's name, Shannon Hamilton, is a veiled reference to Doherty's previous marriage to Ashley Hamilton.
Breast Attack: Gwen sneaks up on her old boyfriend TS, who jumps and "elbows [her] right in the freakin' tit!" She responds by giving TS an upward double axe handle to the groin. (Brodie uses the opportunity to explain his opinion of karmic justice to TS.)
Breaking the Fourth Wall: Brodie gives a side glance to the camera after Stink Palming Mr. Svenning.
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 Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back, Smith recycled this with Will Ferrell in the Jones role.
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 Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. Additionally, Jay can be overheard telling this story to Loki and Bartleby in Dogma.
Celebrity Paradox: 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 Kevin Smith and the making of Clerks.
Enforced Method Acting: Renee's anger about being called "Brenda" isn't fake. No one told Doherty that Suplee was going to say it, and it apparently ticked her off.
Freeze Frame Bonus: This could just be a mistake, but if you freeze-frame on the Magic Eye puzzle and actually adjust your eyes to see the picture, you'll see it isn't a sailboat; it's just a few abstract shapes. No wonder Willam couldn't see the sailboat.
Groin Attack: Gwen smashes T.S. in the balls with her purse, after he accidentally elbows her in the breast. Supposedly, in the take they wound up using, she accidentally did smash him and his agony is real.
Hyperspace Arsenal: Parodied. Silent Bob pulls a number of unlikely items from his trench coat, including a full-size, inflated sex doll.
It's for a Book: Parodied with a high schooler having sex with older men in order to write a book about it.
Jerk Ass: Shannon and Mr. Svenning, Brandi's father.
Kneel Before Zod: Shouted by Jay after smacking a security guard with a baseball bat.
In Clerks, Dante asks Randal if he's going to lock up the video store before the hockey game. Here, T.S. asks Jay if he ever gets stoned. Randal and Jay's responses are identical, right down to the vocal inflection: "Look who you're askin' here!"
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.
In Clerks, Randall tells the story of how his cousin Walter died attempting to...satisfy himself. The opening lines of this movie have Brodie telling a similar story of a bizarre act by his cousin Walter, implying that they may be the same cousin and that Brodie and Randall are related.
The tie-in comics later confirm that they are indeed cousins.
Not Distracted by the Sexy: T.S. completely ignores the topless psychic's breasts, and comes to an epiphany over her advice. Brodie however, who was previously excited at the thought of topless fortune telling, can't stomach the sight of her (fake) third nipple.
The ironic part is that he has the epiphany over what she's saying as she's trying to get Brodie to look at it.
Pet the Dog: 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.
Seinfeldian Conversation: T.S. and Brodie's conversation at the cookie stand about whether or not Lois Lane could carry Superman's baby to term.
Sexual Karma: Shannon by the end is the target of sex in a very uncomfortable place. Well, places, it happens in prison.
Shapeshifting Squick: Brodie thinks entirely too much about the love life of Reed Richards and Susan Storm.
And The Thing.
Shout Out: The silent mall cop is named LaFours, after the unseen lawman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to the point of wearing a straw hat. This was lampshaded in a conversation between Jay and Brodie that was deleted, but can be seen on the extended edition DVD:
Sock It To Them: "Phase one: First you take a run at La Fours with a sock full of quarters. I'd do it, but I pulled my back out humping your mom last night. Nootch. Okay, you clock him on his headpiece and knock his ass out cold. That's when phase two kicks in. I attack the structure Wolvie-Berzerk style, and knock out the fuckin' pin and bickety bam, the motherfucker is rubble. Hence, no game show."
Gwen: Didn't I look just like Burt Reynolds? Brodie and T.S.: (beat) Except for the mustache.
Title Drop: By the proprietor of Fashionable Male.
That's it, you're fucking dead, mallrat!
Triple Nipple: The topless psychic credits her powers to her third nipple, eventually revealed to be fake (and gum).
Uncanny Family Resemblance: The guy going against Brodie and TS in the game show is Gill Hicks, played by Brian O'Halloran. This is the same actor who starred in Clerks, and the two characters share a last name. Word Of God is they're cousins, along with two other characters played by O'Halloran in the View Askewniverse sharing the same last name.
Unspoken Plan Guarantee: We not only hear Jay and Silent Bob's plan, but we actually see the drawings. They are , naturally, doomed to fail.
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