Mallrats (1995)

Not as bad as I've heard...
Mallrats (1995) - Kevin Smith

It seems that out of all of Kevin Smith's Jay and Silent Bob films, this one has received the most negative reviews. Even my favorite film critic, Roger Ebert, gave this a 1 1/2 stars out of 4. Personally, I can't see why. Sure, it's not Kevin Smith's best film (that award goes to either Clerks or Chasing Amy), and its definitely not a great film, but its also not nearly as bad as a lot of critics make it out to be. I find the dialogue relatively witty, the interplay between the characters fun, and the minor romantic elements charming, at the least. Yes, the plot is relatively vapid, the acting is bad, and the overall refinement is a little lacking. However, I feel that all of it just adds to the overall charm. Thus, I would recommend that one at least check it out before immediately dismissing it.

sometimes u feel like a nut & sometimes u dont
This is a really lousy movie made up of crass, vulgar, toilet humor. I can't imagine how anyone could find this entertainment. The acting is totally second-rate and it looks like it was filmed with one of those old-fashioned "camcorders" that everyone had in the 70's and 80's. Even my two favorite stars, Priscilla Barnes & Shannen Doherty can't save this raw sewage.

Why buy the DVD when you can get the sex for free?
In keeping with the theme of going back to the well, Kevin Smith and the View Askew gang present the Mallrats 10th Anniversary Edition DVD. If you're an absolutely die hard fan of the movie, by all means buy this now and spend the remainder of your day with the DVD and some chocolate covered pretzels. If you're not, just stick to the Collector's Edition you have now.

I'm a huge fan of everything that Kevin Smith and Company have done over the last fourteen years, but I was honestly a bit disappointed that this DVD didn't bring a lot to the table. You have the theatrical feature (with commentary) as well as the same features you had with the Collector's Edition DVD. The only difference on this DVD is that rather than seeing the cut footage as cut footage, Kevin and Scott cut it back into the film, creating the "extended" cut, and you also have a short 10th Anniversary Q&A with Kevin, Scott Mosier, and some of the cast.

Those are really the only differences. I was personally hoping for a little more effort. Perhaps an updated commentary track? Something more to make it feel like it's not just the same DVD with new packaging. All in all, it's the same movie we fell in love with once we saw it on Starz. If you're looking for a DVD with lots of extras, I'd suggest Clerks X.