Smith sequel headed for a sell-out?

IT is expected to be the hit of the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Clerks II comes to town, with three of its public screenings already sold out – not least because its UK premiere is taking place at the festival, and Clerks, the original, being a cult following.

The film promises to be the latest in a long line of movie hits for director, Kevin Smith – whose credits include Mallrats and Chasing Amy, as well as Clerks.

This time around, the black-and-white-convenience-store setting is gone, replaced by a technicolour-burger-bar, and an altogether slicker, more polished film than its predecessor.

Little is lost in this transition from rough to smooth.

Most importantly, Jay and Silent Bob return… as reformed Christians.

Smith’s carefully-crafted denouement acts as saviour, as all the film’s threads are drawn together in a chaotic, and cringe-worthy, scene, which should have viewers squirming and guffawing in equal measure.

Whether the slightly gooey ending to the film will ruin this for devotees of Smith’s work is sure to be one of the hot topics of this year’s festival.

There are no tickets left for Clerks II, which is showing at Cineworld, at 2000 and 2200, and on Saturday at 1800. However, it’s worth keeping an eye out for director, Kevin Smith, who will be attending the premiere and take part in one of the festival’s ‘Reel Life’ interview sessions on Saturday.