Mallrats

The 1995 American comedy film directed by Kevin Smith is the second installment in the View Askewniverse and serves as a prequel to "Clerks." The story follows two best friends, T.S. Quint (Jeremy London) and Brodie Bruce (Jason Lee), who are both dumped by their girlfriends—Brandi Svenning (Claire Forlani) and Rene Mosier (Shannen Doherty)—on the same day. To cope with their breakups, they head to the local mall, where they encounter a variety of eccentric characters, including Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith), who are attempting to sabotage a dating game show organized by Brandi's father, Jared Svenning (Michael Rooker). Brodie also confronts Rene's new suitor, Shannon Hamilton (Ben Affleck), the manager of a clothing store. The film features colorful characters such as 15-year-old erotic novelist Tricia Jones (Renee Humphrey), topless psychic Miss Ivannah (Priscilla Barnes), and Willam Black (Ethan Suplee), who is obsessed with seeing a hidden image in a 3D picture. Comic book legend Stan Lee makes a cameo appearance as himself, offering Brodie advice on love and life. Although the film was a box office failure, grossing only $2.1 million against a $6.1 million budget, it has since gained a cult following among Smith's fans and is considered a significant part of his cinematic universe.