Film criticism

Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, it can be divided into journalistic criticism such as appears regularly in newspapers, magazines and other popular, mass-media outlets and academic criticism by film scholars that is informed by film theory and published in academic journals.

Journalistic criticism

Film critics working for newspapers, magazines, broadcast media, and online publications, mainly review new releases, although some reviewers include reviews of older "classic" films. The plot summary and description of a film that makes up the majority of the review can have an impact on whether readers or listeners decide to see a film.

In the 2000s, the impact reviews have on a film's box office performance and DVD rentals/sales have become a matter for debate. Some analysts argue that modern movie marketing, using pop culture convention appearances (e.g., Comicon) and social media along with traditional means of advertising, have become so invasive and well financed that established reviewers with legitimate criticism cannot be heard over this promotional content. Moreover, this has led, in part, to a decline in the readership of many reviewers for newspapers and other print publications. There are less film critics on television and radio in the last thirty years. Most of the discussion of film on television is focused on the amount of box office business a film does, as if financial success were the only criterion needed to define artistic success. Today arts criticism in general does not hold the same place it once held with the general public.

Kevin Smith

Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian and public speaker as well as a comic book writer, author, and podcaster.

He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy Clerks (1994), which he wrote, directed, co-produced, and acted in as the character Silent Bob of stoner duo "Jay & Silent Bob". Jay and Silent Bob have appeared in Smith's follow-up films Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back which were mostly all set in his home state of New Jersey. While not strictly sequential, the films frequently featured crossover plot elements, character references, and a shared canon described by fans as the "View Askewniverse", named after his production company View Askew Productions, which he co-founded with Scott Mosier.

Smith also directed and produced films such as the buddy cop action comedy Cop Out (2010), the horror film Red State (2011), and the horror comedy Tusk (2014), the first film in the True North trilogy.

Clerks

Clerks (stylized as Clerks.) is a 1994 American black-and-white comedy-drama film written and directed by Kevin Smith. Starring Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks and Jeff Anderson as Randal Graves, it presents a day in the lives of two store clerks and their acquaintances. Shot entirely in black and white, Clerks is the first of Smith's View Askewniverse films, and introduces several recurring characters, notably Jay and Silent Bob, the latter played by Smith himself. The structure of the movie contains nine scene breaks, signifying the nine rings of hell as in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, from which the main character, Dante, clearly derives his name.

Clerks was shot for $27,575 in the convenience and video stores where director Kevin Smith worked in real life. Upon its theatrical release, the film grossed over $3 million in theaters, launching Smith's career.

Plot

Dante Hicks, a 22-year-old retail clerk at the Quick Stop convenience store in Leonardo, New Jersey, is called into work on his day off by his boss to cover a few hours for another employee who is sick. Arriving at the store, he finds that the locks to the security shutters are jammed closed with chewing gum, so he hangs a sheet over them with a message written in shoe polish: "I ASSURE YOU; WE'RE OPEN."

Jeff Anderson

Jeffrey Allan "Jeff" Anderson (born April 21, 1970) is an American film actor, film director, and screenwriter best known for starring as Randal Graves in Clerks and Clerks II. In between, he has appeared in other Kevin Smith-directed films and has written, directed, and starred in Now You Know.

Early life

Born in Connecticut and raised in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, Anderson attended Henry Hudson Regional High School, with his friend, aspiring writer Kevin Smith, from which they both graduated in 1988.

While Anderson was working at AT&T, Smith was working on his debut movie Clerks. As a joke, Anderson auditioned for the role of "Jay," and based on this audition, Smith later offered Anderson a lead role as video store employee Randal Graves; a foul-mouthed apathetic slacker, who patronized, angered, and mocked his customers whilst avoiding any real work opportunities.

Career

For his role in Clerks, Anderson was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance. In every scene in Clerks, he had gum in his mouth; he claims it helped him relax. Anderson often says that when he is recognized as Randal it is always by voice, not appearance.

Brian O'Halloran

Brian Christopher O'Halloran (born December 20, 1969) is an American actor best known for his roles in Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse films, notably as Dante Hicks in Smith's debut film Clerks and its 2006 sequel, Clerks II. Aside from this, he has made small appearances in most of Smith's films, either as his Clerks character Dante Hicks or one of Dante's cousins.

O'Halloran appeared as a character in the Kevin Smith biopic Shooting Clerks. He was portrayed by English actor Kit Alexander.

Early life

O'Halloran was born in Manhattan, New York City, and lived in Old Bridge Township, New Jersey since the age of 13. A second-generation Irish-American, both his parents emigrated from Ireland. His father died when O'Halloran was 15 years old.

Career

O'Halloran is the lead actor in Vulgar (2000), an obscure movie about a small town clown who is traumatized after he is attacked during one of his performances.

He has worked on theatre productions since high school. He has said on the subject of doing theatre: