11. Clerks – Dante Hicks Was To Be Shot And Killed During A Convenience Store Robbery
Clerks‘ surprise cult success paved way for a sequel, an animated TV show, and another sequel potentially in the works. But had Kevin Smith stuck to his original twist ending for the film, none of that would’ve happened at all.
The original ending was intended to follow on from when Randal declares ‘You’re Closed!’ to Dante. After Randal leaves, Dante continues on with his work and doesn’t notice someone else enter the store. Upon informing the latecomer that the store is closed, the customer suddenly shoots Dante and kills him in cold blood before robbing the store. There was a final shot of Dante’s lifeless body on the ground before the film ends.
After Smith showed this version of the film to his friends, they immediately advised him to cut out the shocking twist ending and finish it at Randal’s departure. Smith obliged without question and he later explained that the depressing ending came about because he was a “noob” and he “didn’t know how to end a film.”
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