Mallrats – Stay Off the Escalator, Kids

Mallrats is a cult classic. Kevin Smith's second big screen movie—a follow up to the indie darling Clerks—it was afforded the perks of its successors' accolades. Those mainly being a bigger budget and a studio push.

That unfortunately did not translate into receipts. With $6 million at his disposal, Smith certainly does make use of the funds. His movie just didn't earn them back. Its total haul was a dismal $2.12 million and change.

That aside, and like much of what eventually became Smith's Askewniverse, it is beloved. That is due to its abundance of witticisms; the undeniable charisma of Jason Lee—who slays in his first major role as Brodie Bruce; and its deserved placement among seminal 1990s films.

Make no mistake, this is a 90s movie. The setting illustrates that better than I ever could. And as a piece of 90s nostalgia, there are certainly elements of it that are dated in some unsavory ways.

Despite that, though, there is just too much fun to be had with Mallrats. Whether its the inane conversations about the sex lives of superheroes, the charming cameo from the late, great Stan Lee, or the reoccurring gags with Brodie's platoon of mall-faring miscreants, you will never be short of insane scenarios to laugh at.

So sit back, pour yourself a dab of All Day IPA from Founder's Brewing into a dixie cup—no ice—and stare as hard as humanly possible at a Magic Eye! I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Capt. Cash, Chumpzilla, and a special guest are grilling the second suitor about their ideal first date!

This Week’s Segments:

• Introduction/Plot Breakdown – Mallrats is a quintessential 90s film, but does it hold up? (00:00)
• The Mallrats Trivia Challenge – Capt. Cash challenges us to a series of Askewniverse-related trivia questions. (1:13:56)
• Recommendations – Next up: "We going straight to the Wild Wild West!" (1:34:41)

And, as always, hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids—the casting what-ifs and more—from this week’s episode!

You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, Acast, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio!