Flick Pick

Aspiring filmmakers everywhere -- many of them with better access to cameras and computers than to, say, actual talent -- still daydream about being Kevin Smith. That's because Smith's tale is the ultimate indie success story of the 1990s, a fantasy come true starring a young striver who created a critical and popular movie hit on his first try -- despite having no budget and no outside support. But some long shots run: The movie wised off with perfect abandon and left its tuned-in audiences yearning for instant replay. We're talking, of course, about Clerks, released ten years ago but still extolled as a beacon of possibility. Set in a suburban New Jersey convenience store and shot in raw back and white, it's deceptively simple -- just two rudderless guys (Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson) going on (and on) about sex, videos, snack food and money. Happily, it tapped into the mindset of an entire generation, won an army of fans and inspired a flock of imitators. Since then, Smith has moved on, hitting and missing with Mallrats, Chasing Amyand Dogma, but his debut feature still has a special place in the memory bank.

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More About

• Kevin Smith
• Jeff Anderson
• Brian O'Halloran

Clerks screens Saturday, May 22, as part of the midnight series at Crossroads Commons, 2985 Pearl Street in Boulder; for information, call 303-443-6266 or visit www.landmarktheatres.com.