Mallrats [VHS]
Sophomore jinx hit hard in this second film by Kevin Smith, whose debutClerkstranscended the limits of its setting and budget to become something memorably funny. (Smith followedMallratswith the wonderfulChasing Amy, soMallratsdefinitely had the old curse.) A ramshackle comedy set in a mall, the film follows several story lines involving lovers, enemies, friends, goofballs, and Smith's own "silent" character, who also appeared inClerksandChasing Amy. A heavy self-consciousness weighs on everything, as if Smith forgot how to make obscenity funny instead of tedious. Still, it's nice to see some of the director's film family on screen, among them Jason Lee and Joey Lauren Adams.--Tom Keogh