MALLRATS
A film review by Ben Hoffman
Copyright 1995 Ben Hoffman
With a name like MALLRATS what kind of a dumb movie would you expect? That's what I thought, too, until I noted it was written and directed by Kevin Smith who did the delightfully offbeat CLERKS, and that while CLERKS was made on that proverbial shoestring, this one had some money to back it. It was worth every cent.
Like the wacky CLERKS, MALLRATS is way out. It is also full of surprises that are as raunchy, to use a mild term, as anything you have ever seen. Somehow, none of it can be characterized as "porno." As an example, one of the young men puts his own feces on his hand, talks his girlfriend's father (Michael Rooker) into eating it by telling him its his favorite chocolate-covered cookie, and then shaking hands with him so that the remainder will stink for days on his hand. While one weird occurrence follows another at a rapid pace, the feces one is the most outrageous (but among the most hilarious). Director Kevin wanted to go all out and he did.
The film takes place in a mall where 2 young men who have lost their girlfriends (little wonder) spend the entire movie trying to win them back. On the way they visit a nude psychic (from the waist up) who, to their surprise, has three nipples. And on and on as the action becomes fast and furious but remaining funny.
Smith reprises his role of Silent Bob (in Clerks). Others in the cast are Brandi (Claire Forlani), Ivannah, the psychic (Priscilla Barnes), a host (Art James) at a game show at the mall, Brian O'Halloran (who was Dante in CLERKS) as well as Rene (Shannen Doherty) among others.
Teenagers will howl with delight but adults, too, should find it very entertaining and ... different. Leave the little ones at home.
2.75 bytes
4 Bytes = Superb
3 Bytes = Too good to be missed.
2 Bytes = So so.
1 Byte = Save your money.
-- Ben Hoffman
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