When CLERKS opened at cinemas across the country in 1994 it took everyone especially the film industry by surprise. Filmed on a shoestring budget after hours at a convenience store it was crude in technique and language realistic and above all hilarious. The movies nationwide success helped launch the indepedent film boom of the 1990s and catapulted its director Kevin Smith to fullfledged stardom. Smiths work is explored in AN ASKEW VIEW the first ever study of his films. John Kenneth Muir exam