CLERK Trailer: The Life And Career Of Kevin Smith Gets The Documentary Spotlight

Snoochie Boochies! After landing an SXSW premiere in March of 2021, the life and legacy of filmmaker/actor/all-around nerd Kevin Smith once again grabs the spotlight in "Clerk," a feature behind-the-scenes documentary directed by Malcolm Ingram. 

Featuring never-before-seen interviews with Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier, Jason Mewes, Stan Lee, Justin Long, Penn Jillette, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and more key players in Smith's career, "Clerk." has a new trailer that dropped via 1091 Pictures.

In a press release, Smith relishes the moment: 

"I'm legit thrilled that 1091 snapped up Malcolm's masterpiece, Clerk. To say I love this deep-dive documentary into my favorite subject matter is a gross understatement. And I'm stoked that this inspirational little flick has been 1091'ed! Clerk couldn't have found a better home than with the same folks who made The Last Blockbuster such an undeniable success. 

"I'll be doing everything I can to assist in distributing this self-promotional piece of propaganda that tells the unlikely Cinder-fella story about a Jersey boy who made that one good movie back in the '90s – including touring with Malcolm and his movie wherever they'll welcome the two of us and Clerk. (which is a lot like Clerks, except you leave the S off for Savings)!"

Check out the trailer for "Clerk" below.

Smith is right about his career; the critics have never been especially kind to his work following the success of "Clerks." The writer-director took a roundabout route to stardom, and his perpetuation of said stardom has been unorthodox, as well. It looks as though the doc will chart Smith's career from before "Clerks," when the New Jersey native saw Richard Linklater's 1990 comedy "Slacker" and was inspired to start shooting films in his own hometown rather than some fancy studio soundstage in a major city. Smith's evolution from indie director to an icon of comic books and film culture is chronicled in the bio-doc.

Next up for Smith is "Clerks III," a long-awaited sequel to the breakout film that put Smith on the map in 1994. "Clerks" follows two men at a gas station and a video shop, and all of the citizenry that crosses their paths. The film acted as a kickstarter for Smith's career — Miramax mogul Harvey Weinstein offered to buy the film following its Sundance '94 debut, and that's all she wrote. 

After that followed "Chasing Amy," "Mallrats," "Dogma," and this critic's personal favorite, the horror-adjacent "Red State," an underrated 2011 gem that barely made its budget back at the box office, but interrogates the likes of the Woodsboro Baptist Church with a discerning eye — plus, Michael Parks shows up. Lionsgate has the rights to the "Clerks" films, which brings the band back together to include Jay Mewes and Smith as comedy icons Jay and Silent Bob, along with fan favorite Rosario Dawson.

"Clerk." gets a digital release date on November 23, 2021.