The new trailer for the documentary film Clerk offers an in-depth look at Kevin Smith's career. Smith first found success with 1994's Clerks, which he wrote and directed. Smith had a passion for filmmaking and decided to take a chance on himself by racking up Clerks' entire $27,000 budget on credit cards. Luckily, Miramax picked up the film, and it managed to earn over $3 million despite never playing on more than 50 screens during its initial release. The stellar reviews for Clerks played a part, yet the film was praised for capturing the voice of a generation, which resonated with young audiences. Clerks launched Smith's career and earned its place as a cult classic. Clerks would also become the basis for Smith's eventual View Askewniverse, which is an interconnected movie universe, much like Marvel's cinematic universe but predating it.
Smith's career has seen numerous highs and lows along with unique reinventions. His Clerks follow-up, Mallrats, bombed at the box office before he again found success with films like Chasing Amy and Dogma. Next, Smith saw films like Jersey Girl, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and Cop Out miss at the box office, and often with critics, but he quickly found that he has a die-hard following of fans who will eagerly await any project he has in the works. That fanbase allowed Smith to start doing speaking events, which have been the subject of several releases, most notably the An Evening with Kevin Smith series. Smith also began working heavily with podcasts, directing for TV, writing comic books, and dabbling in new genres with low-budget horror films, all with varying degrees of success. However, his loyal fanbase has never wavered.
The trailer for Clerk, which was shared on YouTube by 1091 Pictures, highlights Smith's career from Clerks through the distinctive projects of today. The trailer begins with Smith driving while saying, "We're coming up on the foundation of which my entire life was built," as the car stops in front of the Quick Stop that birthed the idea and served as the filming location for Clerks. It then features numerous friends and collaborators discussing Smith's career, saying that he was capable of carving his own path while energizing geek culture. Check out the trailer for Clerk below:
Click here to view the trailer on YouTube.
Clerk is directed by Malcolm Ingram, who directed the film Drawing Flies and happens to be a close personal friend of Smith, with Smith serving as a producer on several of Ingram's projects. It also features interviews with Stan Lee, Justin Long, Penn Jillette, Jason Mewes, and Smith. While it could be assumed that the documentary may act as a fluff piece, the truth is that even Smith has openly discussed his failures, which is likely to offer an open and honest look in the documentary.
As for Smith, he's currently serving as a producer on Netflix's Masters of the Universe: Revelation, which has seen backlash from some fans for not focusing enough on the He-Man character. Smith also has Clerks III in the works, which is set to release next year, taking his career back to where it all started. It's clear that Smith is hard at work, and his fanbase is still as loyal as ever. For those looking to see Clerk, the documentary is slated for release on November 23rd.
Source: 1091 Pictures