The Disaster That Helped Fund The Film
Kevin Smith Facebook
Kevin Smith told the story on Facebook of how in 1992, a flood overtook his New Jersey town. Smith explained how he and Jason Mewes had just bought Volkswagens, and that the night of the storm Mewes called Smith asking if they should move their cars uptown. Smith said, “They’re safe in my driveway because it never floods here, and they’re Volkswagens, so I think they’re like waterproof or something.” Smith explained further, “My Mother woke me that morning barking ‘If you wanna save your comic books and laser discs, get out of that bed right now! You’ve already lost your CARS!’ After losing his home and his car, he realized he would have to cancel shooting Clerks, which was supposed to start the following week. He and Mewes appealed the cars for reimbursement with FEMA and ended up getting ten times back what they paid for the cars, $4,000. Smith used half of that money on Clerks and went “carless” for a while he said.
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Kevin Smith Worked All Day And Night…Literally
While filming the movie, Kevin Smith would work an entire day’s shift at the Quick Stop, then film in the store overnight with his boss’s permission. They would film until morning, which is when Smith would rearrange the store back to its original state, and grab a quick nap in his car before he would start the whole process over again. It’s the reason the window shutters are closed the whole movie so the audience couldn’t tell it was dark out.