Malcolm Ingram’s 2021 documentary Clerk is now available on Blu-ray from Mercantile Instinct. The Kevin Smith documentary spans the director’s 25+ career and features some incredible access from the Clerks and Mallrats mastermind. It’s a fitting tribute to one of film’s most unique and brand-forward voices that has helped propel geek culture to the mainstream.
“The Clerk story follows the first-time director from before he takes the world by surprise at the Sundance Film Festival with his seminal indie comedy sensation Clerks and follows his life and cinematic output since,” says the synopsis. “Like his films, the documentary examines Kevin’s affinity for countless juicy topics, from male relationships and sexuality to religious fanaticism and comic book culture. Using interviews, clips, testimonials, and never-before-seen archival footage, Clerk is a colorful oral history of one of the entertainment industry’s most incredible journeys, as told by his friends, his collaborators, industry professionals, and the Not So Silent Bob himself, Kevin Smith.”
Ingram’s documentary spans nearly two hours and goes largely in chronological order — starting with Smith’s upbringing and the creation of Clerks. This works as the film’s greatest strength as it makes Clerk a pretty great overview of Smith, especially for those with a passing knowledge of the director. There are some big names interviewed, too, such as Stan Lee, Jason Reitman, and Richard Linklater, who all put Smith’s contributions into context and share personal interactions.
However, giving such a broad view is also a bit of a weakness. By spreading itself thin, it doesn’t allow for the film to get to the nitty-gritty or really dive into the more intriguing aspects of each film. For example, Smith’s longstanding friendship and collaboration with Jason Mewes is only seen in passing, with no references to the actor’s issues over the years. Nor are there many surprising stories that are told — the best insight comes from Joey Lauren Adams reminiscing about how her real-life relationship with Smith informed the script of Chasing Amy. If you’re already a fan of Smith’s work and podcasts, you’ll enjoy the watch but won’t come away with a ton of extra knowledge.
While the documentary doesn’t unearth too much that wasn’t known, the Clerk Blu-ray has some great bonus features that will make this a must-buy for fans of Smith. This includes a 12-minute video that Smith shot for his parents before going off to film school, where he shows vulnerability and an openness that has helped define his work. Additionally, there are uncut interviews with the likes of Linklater, Reitman, Joe Manganiello, and Ralph Garman that are all worth checking out and are an interesting look at the behind-the-scenes process. There are also two commentary tracks, with one featuring Kevin Smith and the director, which is a real joy to listen to as Smith discusses his career and how the film encapsulates his legacy thus far.
Clerk Blu-ray Review: The Final Verdict
The Clerk Blu-ray features a good documentary that is bolstered by a great array of bonus features. Fans of Smith will get a lot out of the home release, especially the commentary track with the Tusk filmmaker himself. It’s nice that the bonuses cater toward the diehard fans, given how the documentary is great for more casual fans or those looking to learn about Smith, as both are properly served by the home release.
Disclosure: The publisher provided ComingSoon with the product for our Clerk Blu-ray review.
