Event Film and Video Screenings "Clerks" (Miramax, 1994 – rated R*)

A hilarious, in-your-face, bawdy-yet-provocative look at two sardonic young slackers. Dante (Brian O’Halloran) toils as a New Jersey convenience store clerk while his alter-ego video store friend Randal (Jeff Anderson) works when the mood strikes him. At 23 years old, director Kevin Smith (who also plays Silent Bob) made his debut film for $27,000, reportedly financed by selling his comic book collection and using proceeds from when his car was lost in a flood. This sleeper hit helped define an era, grossed over $3 million, achieved prominent cult status among Generations X to Z, and easily garnered the most public votes in this year’s National Film Registry balloting. Critic Roger Ebert described “Clerks” as “utterly authentic” with “the attitude of a gas station attendant who tells you to check your own oil. It's grungy and unkempt, and Dante and Randal look like they have been nourished from birth on beef jerky and Cheetos. They are tired and bored, underpaid and unlucky in love, and their encounters with customers feel like a series of psychological tests.” 35mm archival film print, 92 min. *No one under the age of 17 will be admitted without a parent or guardian.

Programs are free and open to the public, but children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Seating at the screenings is on a first-come, first-served basis unless otherwise noted. Short films may be shown before some features.

For general Packard Campus Theater information, call (540) 827-1079 ext. 79994 or (202) 707-9994.