There’s a real magical quality to Mallrats as it fits in the View Askew catalog. For some reason, though it’s widely known among critics and historians as the film that made no money and got awful reviews, today, ‘Rats is cited as not only a cult classic, but a film that has more rewatchability that any of the others in the Askewniverse. Kevin himself has said that Mallrats always seems to be the one he can sit down with an audience and enjoy, despite the numerous times he’s seen it. Perhaps after taking this one back into the editing room earlier this year, he’ll change his tune, but this reviewer is in resounding agreement: Mallrats holds up. In fact, some of the jokes in there are funnier than ever before.

I’ll never forget the day I first saw the film — That very opening day, Friday night, ticket excitedly in hand, and a packed house. After watching Clerks over and over again on video, I was sure that Mallrats would be a breakout hit and rake in the dough. The film was hilarious, and delivered more laugh out loud moments in a theater than I could ever remember. Yet, for some reason, the crowd there didn’t seem in tune with it. Ironic, isn’t it, that today, Mallrats has become the gateway film into the Askewniverse for many fans — It was home video that “saved” the movie from going into the history books as that “sophomore flop”, the one that the director (jokingly, mind you) “apologized” for. Mallrats does remain an important chapter in View Askew film history. But now, instead of a dark, sad moment, this 10th Anniversary Special Edition DVD is taking a look back and saying “Hey, how about that? Things worked out after all.”

So why now, and why another DVD? Well first of all, 10 years! 10 years and the film’s stronger than ever. Reason enough alone. But that first Mallrats DVD, it’s so darn good, isn’t it? Prior to the amazingly detailed Clerks X, the Mallrats DVD was regarded by many as the best of the bunch, breaking DVD ground like no other disc before — It’s the first disc to ever use a video commentary track. It’s got an amazing collection of deleted footage that you would have SWORN covered every possible missing scene (you were wrong). And we’re sure you own it and love every second of it. As this review continues, I’ll tell you why that disc will always make a wonderful COMPANION piece to this new Mallrats edition. You just gotta have both. So, let’s get started by looking under the hood of this one.

THE PACKAGE -

Mallrats is officially billed as the “10th Anniversary Extended Edition” on the package, even though we affectionately have referred to it as Mallrats X. It’s housed inside of your standard plastic DVD snapper case (the ones that will eventually get disposed of and “choke Mother Earth”, as you’ll see Kevin infer on this disc). The case has those two new snaps on the side, too, which I never really got the point of, other than to frustrate you and delay opening time a few more seconds. So be wary, don’t pry the thing open and accidentally break them off.

The disc is actually what some affectionately refer to as a “flipper”. Not the bad old school DVDs that had to be flipped just to continue the film, mind you — This is a bonafide dual-layer, dual-sided disc, which means a full DVD’s worth of content on each side. So, which the package opens to reveal just a single disc and just a small advertising leaflet inside (no Mallrats booklet to be had in this one), the set’s got the same amount of content as you’d see in a standard 2-disc set. There’s just no label on the disc itself, as there’s content on both sides. Small writing along the inner circle of the disc indicates which side you’ll want to throw in there (writing side up, the theatrical cut and the bulk of the disc’s extras — the flip side contains the new extended cut and the anniversary Q&A session).

Three stars…It’s adequate, a beautiful jacket design, but I’d have loved to see a booklet or even a chapter list leaflet inside.

THE EXTENDED EDITION -

Another interesting bit is that, due to the film going through the old school “negative cutting” process, which was around prior to all-digital editing, a few frames of the original film were lost where the cuts were made. So, some very slight jumps may occur in the film where frames are missing, we’re told.

The extended edition itself is an incredible feat. View Askew is again breaking DVD ground here. While some films have had director’s cuts recompiled in the past, from its opening frames, it’s obvious that this is a completely new film, gone through scene by scene and rebuilt from the ground up. From the first moments I saw the opening crane shot, with the recent memory of seeing the washed-out, time-coded cut on the previous Mallrats DVD, I knew right from the start that this set was something special. It’s an incredibly rare day when you see a film that’s 10 years old get a completely new edit like this. Even all the film grain is gone, and the Dolby Digital sound mix has been completed in 5.1, yes, even for the newly inserted scenes. It looks like a brand new movie. Hasn’t aged a day.

So what about the content itself? Overall, I think a lot of the deleted scenes are an improvement. While the introduction, as Kevin and Vincent explained on the previous Mallrats DVD, doesn’t really fit in the tone of the rest of the film, the addition of the “attempted assassination” subplot allows for a lot of dialogue and scenes to be added in later. It also opens the film on a grander scale, taking you away from the mall for a much longer period of time. It also focuses more on Svenning as a nemesis, and explains his contempt for T.S. as the film progresses. The other interesting thing about this opening is how it looks so uncharacteristically different than anything in any of Kevin’s other films. He likens this scene and some of the other deleted sequences as tributes to Animal House. Overall, it’s definitely a grand, wide opening production which serves as a stark contrast for the claustrophobic nature of the bulk of the flick, which takes place, obviously, in the mall. My preferred opening involves the Brodie voiceover, even one of the deleted ones from the other disc (not used here at all), but again, without the current opening, we’d miss a lot later, and that would be a shame.

So what’s the domino effect of using the new opening in the film? We lose the first post-credits scene which originally served as our intro to T.S. and Brandi (following the Brodie story and credits). This sequence, T.S. and Brandi at the car is gone. As such, we DO lose the Julie Dwyer reference, and miss Brandi in her glasses doing the Clark Kent impression. Instead, we’re taken post-credits right into Brodie’s bedroom with Renee.

The bulk of brand new scenes arrive at the start of the film. In addition to the pre-credits sequence discussed above, the other is the news crew stuff. The return of this sequence is one of my favorite additions to the film. First, a reference to TS’s incident is there as he arrives at Brodie’s place, as is a news crew rushing the door, followed by a small new exchange in Brodie’s kitchen. Then, another new scene and lines with the news crew in Brodie’s basement, and finally, a REALLY nice little drive by after evading the news crew that I’ll let you fans enjoy and discover for the first time yourselves. The follow up sequence, which features Brodie and the news crew at Svenning’s house, explains Svenning’s hatred for Brodie (and more for TS) even further. It also validates the “my neighbor” reference Svenning makes to Brodie during the infamous chocolate covered pretzel gag.

Once we get past these major early additions, the film continues pretty much business as usual, just with a few new scenes or lines here and there. Lee’s first-ever View Askew Burt Reynolds reference is now here (an earlier one in the film). The aftermath of Willam’s “there is no Easter Bunny” rant. A fun new postscript after Brodie and Rene discuss their relationship. Jay & Bob get some extra lines after being pursued by LaFours following their second failed stage crashing attempt. Further research and discussion with Trish on her studies and results (why so few smiley faces with lashes?). The brutal Affleck-Lee beat down in here in full form (as seen on the first Mallrats DVD, and cited by Kevin as another Animal House-ish attempt). The scenes with Trish and LaFours are back. And, ultimately, a different take of Silent Bob’s big spoken moment.

That’s the beauty of this cut of the film. There is a LOT of new stuff here. I’m a big Mallrats fan, and obviously a HUGE View Askew fan, and there’s heaps of scenes that I’ve never seen before. Not in the television cut, not even on the extensive deleted scenes reel from the first Mallrats DVD. This new cut of the film is, by far, the centerpiece of this new disc. I can’t wait for you all to see this. You’re absolutely going to love it. Watching Mallrats again, it just looks timeless, yet still contemporary — It looks like a film that could have been made today (and, I’m betting, would do a TON more box office, too).

So is anything MISSING? A few things, for a variety of reasons. Obviously, all the alternate Brodie intros from the first disc aren’t here, as replaced by the new big intro. Also, a funny bit with Affleck in drag from the first disc isn’t used here, rather, “Who’s your favorite new kid?” stays as the end of flick revelation.

So, now that we’ve covered all that detail — How does it look and sound overall? The picture is fantastic. Colorful, nothing washed out (including all the restored scenes). Other than the minor frame jumps (which are tough to spot unless you are REALLY looking), I couldn’t see a difference between the stuff that was put back in and the stuff that was there before. The benefits of a totally new edit, I suppose. Folks unfamiliar with the theatrical cut won’t be able to tell the difference at all. The sound mix, which I believe carries over from the previous DVD, is also flawless in the way it blends with the previous theatrical stuff. Rear channels remain quite active with both music and sound effects. In fact, this disc might have the most active soundstage of any View Askew production (yep, even more than Jay and Bob). Score and sound effects have also been completed for all of the extended scenes, making the transitions flawless. Bravo!

Five enthusiastic stars…I can’t stress enough how cool it is to have this cut, and in such beautiful shape. Thanks to Kevin and Scott for taking what had to be an incredible amount of their free time so we can enjoy this new version of a classic film. Even if this was all that was on the disc, it would be worth the purchase price alone.

THEATRICAL VERSION OF MALLRATS

This is just that, the exact cut you’ve seen on the previous Mallrats DVD from Universal. Nothing new or exciting to talk about here, but a necessity as part of this set. You know it, you love it. Use it as a comparison with all the goodies on the flip side of this disc, or if you need your Mallrats fix but only have 90 minutes to kill. Again, though, this disc, even though it DOES include the same version as the previous Mallrats disc, doesn’t replace the goodies like the Mallrats documentary, cut footage, or visual commentary you’ll ONLY find on that original release.

THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY Q&A -

The theme of the Q&A starts by centering around the thoughts of the cast and crew about the film’s marketing and release, and reactions when the film’s opening weekend grosses came in. Producer Jim Jacks talk about the lack of funding for the film, and DP Dave Klein chats up the lack of coverage that was filmed, thus limiting the angles that could have been used in the film. We learn a few new interesting tidbits with Jacks on board, such as the fact that he loved the gang so much that he put them up at his place after filming wrapped and the fact that HE was responsible for Stan Lee’s casting (Kevin’s Stan the Man impression is a real hoot). There’s a great new story about Mewes earning a $50 stunt fee for each stunt in the flick he agreed to perform. Kevin spins a yarn about coming to town for the Mallrats premiere, hearing it bad mouthed on the radio, then stems into the lack of the marketability of the poster concept (though in the end, is very happy with Struzan’s beautiful artwork (as am I, still citing it as the best of all the View Askew posters by far).

It wouldn’t be a Kevin Q&A without some wacky stuff, and there’s a few of those there, including a guy doing a pratfall in front of the crowd, and a girl from “France” who…well…defies explanation.

And gosh, even though we’ve been doing this close to 10 years now, we still love it when the site comes up on one of these DVDs…And Kevin mentions the fact News Askew keeps running stories about kids getting stuck in escalators — So hey, keep them coming, folks!

Those of you who have seen a panel Q&A before know what to expect. Kevin shares equal mic time with the cast throughout. In this one, Kevin does around half of the chatting, with the rest of the crew rounding out the other half. Humphrey and London probably get the least to say overall, though most of Jacks and Klein’s stuff comes towards the start. Expect more of the same when a similar panel setup appears for the Chasing Amy disc, sometime next year.

As always, a finely edited and smooth moving Q&A, and at a lean 50 minutes, it’s just enough.

DOCUMENTARY - THE ERECTION OF AN EPIC: THE MAKING OF MALLRATS -

So how does this new one stand up? Well, at 22 minutes, don’t expect another epic tale or groundbreaking feat of filmmaking here. Actually, I think what they had in mind here was more of a companion piece to the more substantial doc on the first disc. I like the angle they chose to take this time, though — New interviews, conducted recently, with the cast (around the time of the reunion Q&A), as well as some opinions from colleagues, and, most interestingly, two reviewers who gave the film rather harsh reviews when it arrived: Kenneth Turan and Janet Maslin. Others involved in the doc include Kevin, Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Jason Mewes, Scott Mosier, Michael Rooker, Jeremy London, Renee Humphrey, Stan Lee, David Klein, casting director Don Phillips, and all around good guy, sometimes cameo master, Paul Dini.

All of the interviews that appear in the documentary were recently conducted and filmed — No stock footage here. The first half of the show centers again around the film’s initial release. The cast is interviewed on set and sings the film’s praises. “We can’t lose!” proclaims Jeremy London. For the second half and, on a positive note, the doc looks back on the success that the Mallrats has seen since then. Stan Lee jokes that his role in the film should have been bigger. Rooker cites that still, today, people bring him chocolate covered pretzels, and that he DOES love the things. Priceless.

I love how JM Kenny used Maslin and Turan in the piece. Both share with us tidbits of their Mallrats reviews, and pull no punches when it comes to their opinion of the film upon its release. Maslin, however, later cites that the film has indeed found a life of its own. She claims being initially taken aback by the rudeness of the film, but calls it tame by today’s standards, and state that “Time has caught up with it in a nice way”. I like that.

“The Erection of an Epic” doesn’t follow too much of a structure, other than thematic in nature. Interviews are peppered throughout, with stills from the set here and there, and the occasional clip from the film. It moves quickly, and before you know, it’s gone. Surprisingly, there’s not a great deal of Kevin in this one, though he does end it noting that Mallrats has become the film that folks see first, then discovering his others after enjoying it.

Overall, it’s a nice piece, though certainly the least substantial compared to the previews Mallrats and Clerks docs. Still, I enjoyed its premise, found it an easy watch, and appreciated seeing the insight of so many who were responsible for the film, as they reflect on its journey over the past ten years. Mallrats, and all involved with the project, have come a long way.

OUTTAKES -

The outtakes are a short, but fun addition to side one of this new Mallrats disc. There’s no introduction to this sequence, but rather, we’re thrown right into a random bunch of bloopers, laughter, and ad-libs, rapid-fire style. These are around VHS-like quality, so they haven’t been retouched as the additional scenes. Some of the goodies include more of Jay & Bob dancing, a lot of Lee breaking up in laughter, Mewes fudging some lines, great extended footage including an extended Forlani/London kiss, the aftermath of the Lee/O’Halloran shake, and some raw general stuff as well. Around 8 minutes total, no chapters, editing, or intro’s.

I love outtakes. I only wish there were more of them here. But it’s still nice that these things were around after 10 years and, despite the fact they were in VERY raw format, they were still flagged for inclusion on this set.

CAST INTERVIEWS FROM ORIGINAL SET

A BRIEF Q&A WITH KEVIN SMITH

At first I saw the title and said “Ha!” The words brief and Kevin never go hand-in-hand when it comes to the field of Q&A, as the man can tell a tale like no other. However, this one actually rings true, clocking in at only around 8 minutes, though once it kicked off, I could see why. The topics covered in this Q&A are specific to the DVD format and this Mallrats DVD in particular.

The entire piece is incredibly tongue-in-cheek, as Kevin had the sarcastic wit flowing easily that day, it seems. There’s some really, really funny stuff here, and I don’t want to ruin any of the jokes, so be sure you punch this up at some point. You’ll dig it.

EASTER EGGS

Since I’ve been focusing on the in your face content from the disc, there wasn’t a ton of time to search for those elusive easter eggs on this one. The easiest to spot, though, can be found on side one, and features an outtake from Kevin’s brief Q&A segment as his face is tended to. Can you find more? I bet you can. We’ll come back and add to this review once they’ve all been uncovered.

What more is there to say? This is another disc that you just can’t afford to be without in your View Askew collection. While other studios are double-dipping with supposed “new versions” of their films on DVD, the extended cut here is truly a re-envisioning of Mallrats, and in a way you have NEVER seen before. Scott and Kevin went above and beyond with this one, surpassing even this reviewer’s highest expectations by putting together a new cut of the film so beautifully that you’d swear it was always this way. Is it the one way I’ll watch the film from now on? I’d say so. I hate watching a film knowing there’s a version out there with more detail to it, and overall, I gotta say that the additional stuff definitely does add to the enjoyment and scope of Mallrats. I wouldn’t go as far as to call it a new movie, much like the extended Jersey Girl cut which I HOPE you all one day get to experience, but as a fan, seeing footage from over ten years ago come back in such a perfect, pristine way is a real treat. Mallrats has stood the test of time — It’s more popular than ever, and now, with this new version, you can go enjoy it again, for the first time. And hey, invite a friend or two into your living room, too. As the proclaimed “gateway drug” of the Askewniverse, it’s the perfect time to use Mallrats to welcome more into the fold.

Thanks to everyone who made this disc possible — And a special kudos to Scott Mosier, who rescued the new cut when Kevin got overwhelmed and is a major reason why we’re all going to enjoy this new cut next month, and for many years to come.