Kevin and co. were the first to embrace laserdisc technology before the dawn of DVD, creating both Clerks and Chasing Amy laserdiscs full of exclusive special features, commentary tracks, and more. In a day where practically every film now does this with their DVD release, it’s easy to see that View Askew Productions was a true trendsetter. Thus, when View Askew DVD release season approaches, it’s always a very exciting time for us here at News Askew. You know you’re getting a quality product when you purchase any of Kevin’s films on DVD — Not just because the flick itself is good, mind you, but because you know you’re going to end up with your money’s worth in extra content alone.
Once again, Clerks II proves this point — Across two jam-packed dual-layer discs, you get the film, THREE entertaining commentary tracks (a cast commentary, a more technical approach, (much like they did back on Dogma) and the never heard podcast commentary), deleted scenes, outtakes, the top editions of “Train Wreck”, and of course the centerpiece, a new 90 minute documentary from Zak Knutson and Joey Figueroa of Chop Shop Entertainment, “Back to the Well: Clerks II”. Yes, these are the same guys who filmed and cut together the entertaining Train Wreck series for the internet — They also created one of the best direct to DVD documentaries we’ve ever watched — “The Snowball Effect” (available exclusively as part of the Clerks X DVD pack).
So, introductions aside, let’s now dig into the content of this sucker, as we eagerly tear open the shrink wrap and take Clerks II for its virgin spin in the trusty ‘ol News Askew DVD player…
INITIAL EXPERIENCE
Clerks II arrives in a nice study hard case, with the nice flippable two-disc setup inside, and a small leaflet with a coupon for $3.00 off the purchase of the “Now You Know” DVD (as it’s now “Presented by Kevin Smith”, this is a sensible tie-in). The $3.00 off is also advertised on the front of the packaging. There is no insert with chapter stops in the disc itself, but that’s a common practice these days. The colorful packaging should look great on shelves and attact quite a bit of attention when it’s out there. Both discs have colorful Clerks II labels featuring the color schemes and images seen in the theatrical poster.

Following the Genius Productions and Weinstein Co. logos, the disc spins up with the previously announced TRUTH anti-smoking ad, immediately appearing and grabbing your attention right after The Weinstein Co. logo. The ad is your typical 30 second commercial that you may catch on the tube, and a very clever one at that. After that, it’s trailer time (from this point on, you can hit MENU anytime to go right to the root menu of the program). There’s also the trailer trifecta of flicks coming soon now theaters, now playing in theaters, and coming soon to DVD. A new trailer for “Now You Know” rounds out the group of these, with Kevin and Jeff chatting up the film along with a few choice uncensored clips.

When the notion of Clerks II came up in the Askewniverse, it started immediate controversy. Some fans were stoked at the idea of going “back to the well” for more fun with the characters that started it all. Still, others wondered if it wasn’t just going to be a retread of ideas they’d already seen, worrying that we’d just be treated to more silly vignettes of slackers Dante and Randal as they terrorize customers coming into the Quick Stop and RST. When plot details started to leak, Kevin’s intentions, and brilliant plotline, made everything clear. The idea was this: What happens to those angry young slackers in their 20’s, 10 years later, when they still haven’t found direction in their lives?

Clerks II accomplishes so much in an incredibly tight, fast-paced running time. The gags come practically non-stop — There’s laughs every minute, from the crudest of crude to Smith’s intelligent jabs at pop culture and society. And then there’s the heart of Clerks II, which hits you by surprise during the film’s final act. With subsequent screenings of the film, these little nuances that Kevin filmed to contribute to the climax and ultimate finale of Clerks (and possibly the Askewniverse) become even more clear. I’ve seen the film a few times in various stages, but it’s so wonderful to have the chance to relax at home and take it in again. Certain scenes shine through even more poignantly than before. Those great crane shots from Dave Klein. And probably my favorite of all, that montage set to the Smashing Pumpkins’ “1979″ as the film transitions from day to night. That slow-mo shot of Randal deep in thought, alone (well, with a donkey show setup behind him anyway), speaks volumes without saying a word. One of the best moments in the film, in fact, one of my favorite moments in the Askewniverse.

Audio remains mostly grounded in the front of the soundstage. The Dolby Digital 5.1 is most noticed with the Mooby door open/close sound which startled me a few times when it came out of the back right surround speaker (whenever the door opens offscreen). Oddly, this effect seemed to disappear for a few of the door openings later in the film, not sure why. Other than that, the rears are most active during the music, especially the ABC and 1979 montages, along with the Alanis finale. This again being a dialogue-heavy film, so it all makes sense.

TRACK 1 - THE TECHNICAL TRACK

Film geeks will LOVE stuff like this — Dave Klein, Kevin Smith, and Scott Mosier take us through a VERY technical look at the filming of Clerks II, which we think would be great for a person who wants to learn the proper way to shoot a movie. A lot of info’s here on how Dave achieved the unique look of Clerks II. You’ll also learn why Dave didn’t shoot Dogma, Jay & Bob, and Jersey Girl. As the credits say, Kevin hopes to have Dave back on all future flicks, and we can certainly say it’s an honor to have the guy back as Clerks II looks fantastic at home as it did on the big screen.

TRACK 2 - THE CAST TRACK

All the key players from the flick except Rosario Dawson (who is sadly missed here) are in the room to kick back and take in Clerks II and offer up their thoughts on making the film.

Due to the large cast, it seems several mics were tossed around in the recording room, making for a very nice stereo effect where you have folks coming from distinct areas of the soundstage (Kevin more to the center, Mos, Trevor, and Mewes off on the left, O’Halloran, Anderson and Schwalbach on the right).

This track’s your traditional View Askew cast track — The conversational nature makes you feel like you’re sitting right in the room
with the gang, taking in the movie — The absolute perfect use of a commentary track, as always. Instead of feeling talked down to, or like you’re at a lecture, I could almost sense the gang filling in the empty couches in the living room.

It’s important to mention that this commentary track is traditionally the one that gets off topic the most, mostly due to the amount of folks in the room. It’s natural and fun, though if you’re looking to learn a lot of technical stuff about the film, that’s why the other tracks exist. This one’s mostly to hear what the cast themselves thought about making the movie.

Some examples of the goodies and fun in this track: An early question comes to Mewes regarding playing Jay sober for the first time — Kevin and Jay discuss the fact that Jay was always on set for this movie, and in the past couldn’t wait to get off the set when his filming was done. Jay also reveals his love of Dawson’s nude scene in “Alexander” and tells a fun story on a conversation he had with her about watching it.

Fehrman attempts to break his commentary cherry with a story to kick things off — One about offending Rosario Dawson regarding “Rent” (which the cast ribs him for telling poorly). Trevor’s hazing seems to continue throughout the running time (a rite of passage, we suppose).

We learn that Kevin Weismann was cast in the film due to a suggestion from Mosier’s wife (who was watching the Alias box set at the time of casting).

Get the answers to some of these questions: Who was on the casting list for the Becky part along with Rosario Dawson? And who did Kevin originally write the part for? Which cast member had a “tumultuous” relationship happening on the set? And what Askewniverse gal is this guy now in a serious relationshop with? Listen and find out.

There’s also a fun running gag where Mewes asks for the definition of any “big” word used by one of the commentary members.

Close to an hour in, watch for an insightful conversation with O’Halloran and Anderson regarding typecasting, and their feelings on playing Dante and Randal in the films (and being recognized by the public as such). Kevin also pontificates on a life had the first Clerks not succeeded. This section of the track was probably the highlight for me.

TRACK 3 - THE LEGENDARY THEATRICAL PODCAST COMMENTARY

This commentary track has quite a bit of lore surrounding it, so it’s nice that it’s been included with this set. A brilliant stroke of genius came with the idea that, just following the Clerks II theatrical release, a special “podcast” mp3 commentary track would be posted to the internet for free download. Users with MP3 players could then bring their headphones into the theater, crank up the volume, sync up the podcast, and off they’d go. The idea of listening to a director’s commentary in the theater was a cool new concept, in fact, it had never been done before. Not only is this a cool use of modern technology, it ALSO gets repeat business going to theaters to see the film again - Win-win for everyone, right?

Unfortunately, several theater chains put a stop to the commentary’s release just before it was scheduled to show up. The reason for this was over fears that fans listening to the commentary might disrupt folks in just to see the film, as they’d likely laugh at other times that the jokes were coming (depending on what was being said in the commentary track). It’s a legitimate excuse, yet still, we think so long as folks who listened were warned ahead of time to try and keep the laughter down, it could have been a neat experience to try. Alas, it never came to pass.

And so, for the first time, this now legendary commentary track can be heard. Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier, and Jeff Anderson appear here to take us on an on-track, scene-specific walk through Clerks II. Some items from the second commentary track are repeated here, which is to be expected, since it’s good information (keep in mind also that this was recorded a few months BEFORE Track Two).

Some tidbits in this one: It took Kevin one month to pen the script. Dante and Randal were originally going to work on the boardwalk before the set changed to a Moobys’. The full Becky list from the Weinstein Company: Rachel Weisz, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ellen Pompeo, and Sarah Silverman. They asked Rosario Dawson last only because they never thought she’d say yes, with her star rising in high profile roles that year. They knew she was serious and was up for anything when she told them how bummed she was that she was to be cut out of The Devil’s Rejects.

It’s a lot less technical than track one, and more controlled than track two, so if you’re looking for a light walk through the movie with some fast facts, this is the track for you to check out first.

Also of interest — “Goodbye Horses” (and any other music, actually) couldn’t be played in the extras, lest the copyright owner be paid $18,000 more. SO, even though a song’s paid for for the film itself, it looks like it’s gonna be re-upped for any use with the extras. An interesting fact (hilariously explained when the deleted scene where it WOULD have been used comes up).

Scenes can be chapter skipped throughout the segment, but you cannot select an individual scene directly from the disc menu.

For us, this is the highlight of the set. Zak Knutson and Joey Figueroa return to make their own sequel to the triumphant Snowball Effect doc from the Clerks X disc, and yet again prove that if you want a documentary done right for your film, these are the guys to hire.

This time, the duo had a different task — With Clerks, a great deal of file footage proved useful — This time, most of it comes from scratch. Yet, amazingly, these guys tell such a complete, compelling story through their brilliant use of quick cuts, interviews, press clippings, film clips, and production diaries. Let it be known, what these guys have done here isn’t easy. Topics are strung together in such a natural way on the surface yet, when you look, it’s apparent that these guys have jumped around and taken footage from various settings and interviews to piece together a perfect story. It’s not only filmed well, but it’s once again a triumph of editing.

Like “Snowball”, no narration is necessary. Dated title cards and still frames move us through the Clerks II saga, and interview footage tells the story. There’s a newspaper headline device used throughout the piece to hammer home some of the major events — For a lark, take a peek at some of the names used in the bylines of the fake articles.

Once again, the documentary pulls no punches in its honesty, addressing topics such as Jersey Girl’s box office and reception, Harvey Weinstein’s initial reaction to the Clerks II script, and even Kevin’s one-time closure of the Askewniverse (in fact, that’s where our story picks up this time). We actually see the interview where Kevin proclaims the Askewniverse closed (though the ‘ol pages after “The End” in God’s book explanation is used to justify Clerks II, and thank goodness for that).

On the surface, the doc’s grouped into three acts: The first third of the documentary talks about the project’s inception — Where the idea came from, where the cast and crew were mentally, the reaction to the idea, and the green light. Then, for act two, we’re off into rehearsals, for a look at the under construction Mooby’s as Jeff & Trevor block out their scene (cut together in a neat seamless way from the finished product to the practice stuff, a device used quite effectively in this segment). This is the longest act, taking us chronologically through the production, capturing all they key moments, most of which we’ve never seen before. Finally, the third act of the documentary covers promotion and release, building up to that amazing standing ovation moment in Cannes, a highlight of the documentary, the project, and Kevin’s life. It was interesting to see that morale was rather low among Kevin and Scott in the days leading up to the Cannes screening — Fears of bad reviews after hearing of other poor reactions to films at the festival, Clerks’ late arrival keeping it from appearing on the Cannes printed progam guide, and general nerves had the group skeptical. Seeing these before-the-screening moments made that final ovation all the more touching. It will go down as one of the most memorable, moving moments captured in View Askew history, without a doubt.

With interviews conducted during various stages of the film’s production, there are some most notable where a lot of footage was taken from - Two major interviews with Kevin seem to have been conducted after the film’s wrapped, one at his Hold’Em McNeil poker table, and one in the View Askew production offices. There’s also a post-shoot interview with Jen Schwalbach, and a mid-production interview with Jeff Anderson, both of whom provide some great insight and sound bites to the show. Jeff’s stuff is especially compelling when the topic of his hesitancy to return to the role of Randal comes up. Smith and Mosier, however, remain the two primary voices during the 90 minute running time.

Zak and Joey leave no stone unturned when it comes to the more controversial topics — A dialogue on Jay’s drug history during the other films comes up early on, and Kevin speaks frankly about casting his wife in the film.

The doc is also a lot of fun — For example, take a look at the fun edit that comes when they first bring up the “Passion of the Clerks” title. The first scene filmed, and cut together, was the scene between Dante and Becky in the office. You’ll see Jeff make a blooper that calls way back to the first Clerks 12 years prior!

This isn’t just a “best of” Train Wreck footage here, folks — 95% of what’s in this documentary is brand new, never before seen interview and set footage. With a running time as long as the film itself, this documentary flies along — When it’s over, you find yourself wanting more — In fact, these guys should come back and cut one of these together for ALL of the Askewniverse films. It’s tough to imagine any future projects without them on board, and we certainly look forward to what they’ve got planned for us next. Make this your first stop when you rip the shrink wrap off your Clerks II DVD. You’re in for another treat.

Some DVD sets give you a “blooper reel” which runs a few minutes in length and barely scratches the surface of all the fun and unpredictability of a movie shoot - Well, this time, Clerks II has one-upped them all with a 27-MINUTE collection of the best bloopers, out-takes, alternate takes, and more. Once again calling it “How Movies Are Made”, a callback to the name of the deleted segments for J&SBSB, Kevin assembles together, in film chronology, every moment he can find of contagious laughs, breaks in character, flubs, alternate takes, and more.

It’s a pleasant surprise to see that Rosario Dawson, one of the film’s Askewniverse newbies, plays around more than anyone — Watch her mugging to the camera and messing with the clapboard throughout most of her takes. It’s also a blast to listen to Kevin’s direction being given from the background (listen carefully), as he instructs the actors to take different approaches, and five different lines or line reads to scenes (and hearing the crowd reaction afterwards). The break in character is something Kevin’s always loved capturing on DVDs since he used it in the Dogma end credits. The whole thing flows along smoothly (and too quickly, I might add), and is underscored by the Jim Venable track from the film. “How Movies Are Made” shows great insight in to just how much of a film actually ends up on the cutting room floor, and how many times these folks had to try to get to the final product that the director wanted.

Well how can we tell you not to rush out to buy this one? For crying out loud, can these folks ever make a BAD disc? We don’t think it’s possible. Look, if you’ve read this far, it’s obvious you’re a fan. We’re here to say that you are once again getting way more than your money’s worth with this one.

With the feature itself, 3 full-length commentary tracks, a fantastic 90 minute documentary, a 27 minute blooper reel, 37 minutes of train wreck, 20 minutes of deleted scenes — This is, as far as we can recall, the MOST fresh content EVER offered on a View Askew disc release. Don’t miss your chance to own this Special Edition, as we don’t see any way it will ever be done better.

The personal touch and attention that Kevin and the rest of the crew give to a DVD release is obvious — These folks have DVD on the brain even before they start shooting, and it shows. Thanks to Genius Products, the Weinstein Company, and of course Kevin and View Askew for keeping their perfect disc release record intact. A must-own for any fan, without a doubt.

There’s something magical about Clerks II - It’s a sequel to Clerks, the film that Kevin put everything on the line to make. A film that helped to define the independent cinema of the 90’s. A film that speaks to OUR generation, both then and now. Growing up with these characters, to see where they began, where they’ve gone, and ultimately end (at least, for now) is a touching, fulfilling moment. There’s this sense of closure in adding Clerks II on the DVD shelf next to its predecessor. And if it means that much to me, I’m hoping it will mean that much to you as well. I couldn’t imagine the Asknewiverse without a Clerks II in it, and remain thankful that Kevin had the idea and the stars aligned and allowed it to happen.

Clerks II hits DVD shelves everywhere on Tuesday, November 28th.

Signed copies are now available for pre-order through Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash.