Friday September 10, 2004 arts. michigandaily.com artspage@michigandaily.com RTS-1 8 . . . . .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. ... . .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. - . t I 0 1 '. ('ri .. Is It an "outle" or an "Innie?" STILL SLACKIN' KEVIN SMITH'S DEBUT STANDS THE TEST OF TIME Ladies of 'Guy Game' good for one night stand "I'm not supposed to be here today!" By Adam Rottenberg Daily Arts Editor Why would Miramax release a three-disc spe- cial edition for a $25,000 black and white comedy? Well, when the film is "Clerks," with its legion of devoted fans, then the decision makes more sense. Kevin Smith's debut not only rocked Sundance, but also became an indie sensation for a generation. Sure, he's sullied his own name with commercial garbage like "Jersey Girl," but "Clerks" remains a seminal film of the '90s. Clerks X Shot on a shoestring budget Miramax with a cast of no-names, the film relies heavily upon dialogue to propel an otherwise mundane story and mediocre filmmaking. Dante (Brian O'Halloran) works as a clerk at a convenience store called the Quick Stop, a job he maligns for its banality, but lacks the motiva- tion to leave behind. He is called in on his day off, which becomes a comedy of absurdities in his pro- fessional and romantic lives. His best friend Randal (Jeff Anderson) works as a clerk in the video store next door, yet he would rather dispense surly insults and ignore his customers than do his job. Dante's girl- friend reveals a disturbing secret to him ("37!?!") and an ex-girlfriend re-enters his life. And he wasn't even supposed to come in that day. Even though the action remains relatively static, Smith's skill for writing hilarious dialogue breathes life into the film. From diatribes about the culpabil- ity of workers on the Death Star in "Return of the Jedi" to insubordinate retorts and obnoxious custom- ers, Dante and Randal become slacker role models through Smith's words. The dialogue seems real and resonates with the audience because of its inclusion of pop culture references. Moreover, it's through the foul-mouthed rantings and ravings of stoner Jay (Jason Mewes) - side-by- side with his hefty pal Silent Bob (Smith) - that give "Clerks" its unique spirit. Jay and Silent Bob have since taken off and become the signature of the View Askew universe, but it's their roles in "Clerks," which are far more effective than any of the films that fol- low, that made them stoner icons. This isn't "Clerks' " first foray onto DVD, but this special edition is one of the best to ever hit the mar- ket. In addition to the theatrical release of the film, found on the first disc, there is also the original cut. Unfortunately, the quality of the picture on the orig- inal cut looks like it's ripped straight off a beat-up VHS tape, yet the original cynical ending provides enough of a reason to sit through it. If that weren't enough, the cast and crew recorded an all-new audio and video commentary to accompany it. While the original cut and commentary track (both on disc one) are superior, having a version where they look back on the work 10 years after the fact enables viewers to see how everyone has grown. The best of the extras is the missing scene, finally inserted into the film - albeit in animated form (fol- lowing the style of the short-lived cartoon series). Originally too expensive to shoot, it features what actually occurs when Dante and Randal attend their friend's funeral and accidentally knock over the cas- ket. Other highlights among the countless extras are "Jay and Silent Bob" shorts from MTV and a short film, shot by Smith for "The Tonight Show," that fea- tures Dante and Randal having one of their ridiculous debates, this time about how far Dante would go for a flying car. Whereas the first two discs focus on the movie and the characters in its supplements, disc three is devot- ed to the production. A feature-length documentary about Smith and "Clerks" entitled "The Snowball Effect" (a not so thinly veiled reference to one of the most memorable moments of the film) shows the cinephile within Smith that drove him to create this classic. The rest of the disc is simply filled with extras about the filming process; nothing too out of the ordinary. The most disappointing aspect of this DVD set is the picture and sound quality. While it's noticeable that the images have been cleared up significantly, the picture is still incredibly grainy and dark. There isn't much that could have been done to restore the sound or picture on this indie, but it still seems like Miramax could have done more considering the fea- turettes devoted to the restoration process. "Clerks" is a cult classic for disaffected youth - those still unable or unmotivated to improve their lot in life - but, most importantly, it's immensely funny and features a voice unlike anything before it. Now, here's hoping Smith doesn't tarnish its legacy with the sequel. By Jared Newman Daily Arts Writer "The Guy Game" has closed the ever-narrowing gap between Trivial Pursuit and softcore porn. Its arrival should come as no sur- prise to anyone who noticed the trend of risque videogames. Part strip show, part game show and part party game, "The Guy Game" uses sexy stripping co-eds as a selling point. Admittedly, it's innovative, but that doesn't stop it from being the most shameless con- sole game ever made. It's the first videogame designed to be a drinking game, award- ing rankings like "President" and "Asshole" based on score. The President makes key decisions like what minigame to The Guy Game PS2 Gathering play, and can also Film: **** Picture/Sound: ** Features: ***** choose from a list of extraneous rules like: "Each time a girl flashes, a pen- alty is given (take a drink)." During trivia rounds, players answer a num- ber of questions - too many of which involve playing cards and "Star Trek." A girl is then introduced in a taped "Girls Gone Wild" spring break envi- ronment where she is asked the same question and forced to flash the audi- ence if she guesses incorrectly. Most post-adolescent guys will have a hard time playing this game alone; having a group of buddies on hand for the experience is the only way to avoid that sort of self-deprecation. So with two or more players and a roomful of beer-toting onlookers, "The Guy Game" can actually achieve a few moments of entertainment. But like any "Girls Gone Wild" video, the novelty of cheap nudity quickly fades. What's left is a medio- cre trivia competition combined with a few run-of-the-mill "Mario Party"- style minigames that don't really fit well together. Watching Ken Jennings on "Jeoparody" is more rewarding, and less predictable. There are also inherent problems with the nature of "The Guy Game." There are only so many video sequenc- es, which means that the three girls in each of the 20 scenarios ire asked the same questions even when gaimers are using auxiliary trivia. Since the level of censorship on the nudity is depen- dent on whether players can guess how the girls will answer, achieving the highest reward is a matter of either luck or memorization. Either way, the formula quickly becomes stale. The biggest problem with "The Guy Game" is that it costs $40 at most retailers. Given that it's just barely worth a $5 rental, maybe mature gain- ers should rent a porno, buy Trivial Pursuit and save the pocket change for the next "Grand Theft Auto." t Weekend Magazine is looking for artists. E-mail weekend2k4@umich.edu for more information. I m m