Last month was the 20th anniversary of Clerks premiering at Sundance. It's hard to believe that it's been 20 years since one of my favorite movies came out. It's just a little movie about some guys who jockeyed registers. Really? Really, couldn't make it up if I wanted to, that's all it is. But it's about so much more than that. It's about the human condition, our need for approval and understanding in someone else, even if it comes in the form of an obnoxious (all be it entertaining) asshole hetero life mate, Randall.
Randall. Best. Thing. Ever.Most women, girls in general hate this character, I, for some reason gravitate towards him. I think it's my need to have to call someone on their shit and have amazing conversations about it while I do it. Also there is that part of me that is Randall. Like, really for the most part people bug the hell out of me, but I love gatherings. And I totally understand his Trilogy (if you don't know what Trilogy I speak of stop reading now and walk away quickly, because in the words of Randall, there is only one Trilogy) Theory. Yes, he maybe a slacker but damn if the guy doesn't know his shit and can back it up.
Dante, Dante. Great character really wish at some point he would grow a dick. I mean come on do something with your potential, rather than sit there and bitch about a situation, every situation. Again though, he's a piece of everyone. The struggle of humanity if you will. I love Dante. he makes my heart happy for some reason. He's a good guy who unfortunately makes stupid decisions with the help of said hetero life mate mentioned above.
Jay and Silent Bob? Genius. One of my favorite scenes has Jay in it. Dante,"I thought I told you not to be dealing in front of the store?" Jay, "I'm not!" Snowball walking up, "Have you got anything man? Jay,"What you need?" Uprising of the common man against the authority that beats them down. Sort of. Really they're the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern of Clerks.
Clerks turned 20. I remember the first time I saw it. It showed me possibilities, which are still viable. So amazing what a little movie can do. Thanks Kevin Smith for all the great conversations that this movie has started, all the fun watching it and all the times I've learned and seen something new in this film.
Writing has been going. Just trying to decide what project I want to work on, which has been hard, because I would love to do both. I love horror movies and I think I can get this one going and it would be good. At the same time though I'm really being pulled toward writing about my own story, something personal and something I want to really invest my time into. I'm also doing a few shows this month for In Tune Colorado, so writing is getting done and I'm enjoying it
A lot has happened this year and it's only going to be March. Superbowl Sunday, I woke up and received a text that really stunned me. Philip Seymour Hoffman had died that morning. I didn't know him personally but I respected his work, he was an amazing character actor and from what I've been hearing about him, he was one good man. One of my favorite roles of his was Sandy Lyle in Along Came Polly. The simplistic pigheadedness of this character is probable the best thing about the movie. I revealed in how easily Philip Seymour Hoffman changed form character to character with simple ease, but I knew it wasn't easy. It's hard to be someone else and then finish that performance and become your self again. You carry a lot of a character with you when you act. It's a part of you that you have to pull out and show, all vulnerabilities on display. That's a lot to carry for anyone. My favorite role of his is of course Truman Capote. I believe that his interpretation of Capote is a very accurate depiction of Capote at that time in his life. I wish, as I'm sure everyone does that Mr.Hoffman had been able to control his demons, but really sometimes as humans are, we just can't beat them no matter how much we want to. My heart goes out to his partner, children and friends, know that his work brought many happiness and he helped us to explore ourselves in new ways.
