Clerks

Kevin Smith ushered in a new wave of no-budget indie filmmaking, and introduced the world to his enduring one-man brand, with this classic convenience-store comedy.

Two convenience store clerks enjoy a standard day at work, involving endless Star Wars arguments, hockey on the roof and dealing with dead customers. Kevin Smith's bitingly hip and endlessly quotable comedy was a sensation upon its release: shot for $27,000 in the stores he worked in part-time, it earned over $3million and spawned an entire cottage-industry brand for its writer-director.

And its success formed part of a new wave of American indie filmmaking, which saw a generation of fresh-faced filmmakers, such as Spike Lee and (fellow video-store clerk) Quentin Tarantino, gaining unprecedented industry influence. Seen today, it's still a sparkling showcase for Smith's brand of self-conscious slacker comedy, overflowing with witty dialogue and instantly memorable comic characters, including the screen debuts of Jay and Silent Bob.