Mallrats (1996)

Trying to bookend some Kevin Smith movies, I sprung for the $3.99 for this 80s/90s take on that great American edifice, the indoor shopping mall.  The set was very on point, like Stranger Things, the Eden Prairie Mall had the B. Dalton books, the carpet store (Rug Munchers), the cookie place, the food court, the fashion men's store, and even a comic book store.  That's where reality left off.

A couple of slackers Brodie (Jason Lee)  and Jeremy London (T.S.) are reaching the end of their rope when their girlfriends Rene (Shannon Elizabeth) and Brandi (Claire Forlani) get sick of their vapid existence.  To fight back they turn to two even greater slackers, Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith), to wreck the game show being set up at the mall.  Their nemesises are all adult authority figures:  fathers, teacher, mall security, employers, strong women.  Kind of an Animal House plot.

Pretty silly but a pretty interesting period piece.

* * of 5