Clerks or Reservoir Dogs

[McNulty]

I got into a discussion yesterday about which movie was better between Clerks and Reservoir Dogs. We started arguing about which had more impact on the indy movie scene.

Thoughts?

[The Wedge]

It's like Apples and Oranges, really. They both had about the same impact on the indie scene, just in different ways...though they both showed that with a good script and very little money, you can go far.

However, discounting genre...I'm going to have to say that as far as impacting indie more, I'd give the edge to Clerks. Tarantino got people to read the script and found financial backing to get the cast he got. Smith piled up a boatload of credit card debt and cast anybody he could find locally, including several people twice in different roles (for instance, his long time producing partner Scott Mosier is not only Willam, but that guy who wants cigarettes while they're playing hockey).

[NewMarketSean]

Reservior Dogs by a mile.

QT spawned a million look-alike movies with RD. Things to do in Denver When You're Dead, 2 Days in the Valley, 8 Heads in a Duffle Bag...

Be basically re-invented and res-started the hesit films from the 60's and 70's.

I love Clerks, but I don't see the ripple effect spreading that wide.

[sakata_catching]

While I can appreciate Smith's DIY, fanboys-are-doin'-it-for-themselves ethos, I think if you polled filmmakers, it would be Tarantino and Reservoir Dogs and it wouldn't be particularly close.

It could certainly be argued that without the success of Reservoir Dogs and the subsequent rush to deliver as much hip, ironic, dialogue-driven, pop-culture fixated, Tarantino-esque product to the marketplace, Clerks never would've gotten distributed in the first place.

[DREKTUNES]

While I can appreciate Smith's DIY, fanboys-are-doin'-for-themselves ethos, I think if you polled filmmakers, it would be Tarantino and Reservoir Dogs and it wouldn't be particularly close.

It could certainly be argued that without the success of Reservoir Dogs and the subsequent rush to deliver as much hip, ironic, dialogue-driven, pop-culture fixated, Tarantino-esque product to the marketplace, Clerks never would've gotten distributed in the first place.

Yeah. I am an actual Kevin Smith fan (though I think he may have peaked with Chasing Amy) but by and large, he doesn't make very good movies. Clerks was much more of a filmed play. I don't think it did much of anything for other filmmakers.

[J.D.]

Yeah. I am an actual Kevin Smith fan (though I think he may have peaked with Chasing Amy) but by and large, he doesn't make very good movies. Clerks was much more of a filmed play. I don't think it did much of anything for other filmmakers.

I love both directors (probably Kevin Smith more). I agree with you that Smith peaked with Chasing Amy, at least so far. ;)

But yeah, Resevoir Dogs has definitely had a more reaching impact than Clerks has had. There are strong arguments to be made for both, but Tarantino brought back an entire genre.

Pulp Fiction is also a better movie than Resevoir Dogs, FWIW. ;)

[McNulty]

It's like Apples and Oranges, really. They both had about the same impact on the indie scene, just in different ways...though they both showed that with a good script and very little money, you can go far.

However, discounting genre...I'm going to have to say that as far as impacting indie more, I'd give the edge to Clerks. Tarantino got people to read the script and found financial backing to get the cast he got. Smith piled up a boatload of credit card debt and cast anybody he could find locally, including several people twice in different roles (for instance, his long time producing partner Scott Mosier is not only Willam, but that guy who wants cigarettes while they're playing hockey).

This is what I was arguing also.

[The Wedge]

This is what I was arguing also.

Yeah, I mean, don't get me wrong, Reservoir Dogs had a huge impact, and it was definitely a little guy makes good story, and it obviously spawned a buttload of imitations, but sometimes we forget that he shopped that script around and eventually got backing, including a cast that definitely elevates the movie...it was just released indie because of the potential risk. Smith personally financed his, and in spite of the fact that his talent is clearly on the local level, it prevails. It really is an apples/oranges kind of debate, but I like to give the edge to Clerks simply because it's just more indie, in a very technical sense, than Reservoir Dogs.

[Tank]

I would say Clerks.

[cmcgarvey]

If we're talking about how each one influenced other movies, Reservoir Dogs wins by a landslide.
If we're talking about how each film influenced dialog, Clerks wins because it took that Bill Hicks' attitude and made it somewhat commonplace without directly ripping him off or overdoing it.

[Golgo]

Well, I fainted during the scene in Reservoir Dogs where they cut the guy's ear off, so it had a bigger impact on MY life. It taught me that there is such a thing as eating TOO MANY mushrooms (and no, not the type you put on pizza). :eek: