mallrats and the story of two friend who coincidentally both lose their girlfriend retreat to their local mall to work out their love life and get back together with their girlfriend . this have the potential to be kevin smith best work in my opinion and but many factor hold him back . first of all the main goal of universal be for this film be to be a hard r film with a teen audience in mind . they be call it a smart porkys and because it have that snappy humor and but it have tit in it to attract teenage male . director or writer kevin smith and producer scott mosier want to make a studio film in hope of make lot of money to fund more independent film . neither goal be really meet and this film tank at the box office . it gross only 3 million in total while mean this film lose money with a total cost of 6 million . this film have high hope and all test be good and but why be it such a dud . well i blame it on several factor and first of all jim jack while the executive producer ruin this film . kevin smith may not be the great director and but he be a great writer and the two set each other off make kevin a solid filmmaker and but jim jack be always hold him back by force kevin to cut down on the vulgar dialog as well a graphic scene . one scene be know a the cum in the hair joke that be later make famous in there something about mary and but many people at universal include jim jack be hold kevin back from make the movie he want . if you know kevin work and you will notice this be his only film where the word cock be never use . it just toss around in clerk and common in his 3 other film . it that raw and real humor and language that many fan like about his writing . jim jack stress that potty mouth ( yes those be his word ) be cut down . even though there be nudity and and they want that r rating and they still have to cut back on the f and other rude language and but that not what really hold this film back . gramercy picture and who be in charge of promote this film and really do a poor job on make this movie know . they use the tag line star shannon doherty and jason lee and someone you hate and and someone you have never even heard of . that really doesn not help promote the film in anyway . then they ask kevin and scott to think of a good poster and now kevin and scott do not think of hey what would make people want to check out our movie . they want what would look cool on my wall . the comic book cover poster be cool and but doesn not say much for the film and and it be the only poster make for the film . some idiot be throw off by it . oh well . also and the casting for this film be just okay and i be happy with jason lee a brodie and perfect job on that and but jeremy london a t. s. jeremy london be not that good of an actor and and just doesn not seem right for the part . then claire forlani a brandy be okay and but i could hear that british accent come out at time . and then shannon doherty a rene and first of all she really do not seem thrill to be in this movie and she never hang around the set and she would take off when she be do work . plus lot of people ( the public ) do not like her at the time while she have a reputation a a wild one . i think kevin should have go with his instinct and use joey lauren adam . i think she would have be perfect for that part . they just barely get jason mewes to play jay . universal do not want jay to play jay and they want seth green or breckin meyer and but even they realize that jay should be jay and jay be base on the way jason mewes really be . i do think that affleck be good a an asshole and but he probably could have play t. s. good than london . renee humphrey a trish be good and they almost cast jennifer love hewitt instead and but she seem too cute and innocent to play that part . kevin smith claim he could have make this film ( probably well ) with less money . i mean look at how good chasing amy be with a quarter million dollar budget . smith say that six million be just too much . he hat lose money for people and if this movie be do with just a million dollar and it would have be just as good . i agree . also and ( now this be where i get a bit picky ) the original opening of this film be cut and and for good reason and it suck and it be not funny at all and nor be it even somewhat realistic . if you watch closely and some dialog in this film be dub over and doesn not match the actor mouth . this be because almost all reference to that cut opening have to be cut and but it be too late to reshoot and in some instance and not possible to cut out of a scene . this film be not a total disaster . i believe it do pay for itself and probably profit when you include video rental where it be more popular than in theater . now when you take all of this into consideration and you see how great this film could have be . despite all of it flaw and mallrats be still one of my favorite film and and definitely my favorite comedy . i suggest you check it out if you like kevin other work or even if you haven not and this one be probably the one that be most unlike his others . i still give it a positive and but it could have be an 11. p. s. check out the commentary on the dvd if you know about kevin smith and view askew well and it very funny to an askewniverse fan .