Favorite Scene Friday! Clerks II: Pillow Pants

This FSF is brought to you by Nick Rehak at French Toast Sunday! What a guy!

I like Kevin Smith. I dig some of his podcasts and I enjoy most of his movies. He’s dipped his hand in different genres over the years, but he’s at his best when making comedies. Not fantasy/horror/sci-fi/gonzo comedies. Just regular old comedies. Two people talking. Straight man, funny man. Sometimes you can tell who's who and sometimes they change hats so often you just give up and hold onto your sides. I really like Clerks II. I probably like it more than the original. But maybe that’s because I’ve seen the second more than the first. Regardless, today I’m gabbing on about my favorite scene from Clerks II.

Wikipedia

At this point in the film, Dante has decided he’s leaving Mooby’s for greener pastures in Florida and will most likely never return. Disappointed, Randall realizes he’ll be alone until he creates new friends and focuses those efforts on Elias. So, after a conversation about which is the “True Trilogy” Star Wars or Lord of the Rings (I’m Team Star Wars), Randall pulls Elias aside and starts to dig deeper into who Elias is and what he’s about. He starts by prodding at Elias' virginity. From there, the conversation takes a dark turn into the realm of pussy trolls. Yeah, pussy trolls.

I’ve always liked this scene because of its absurdity and Elias. Elias, played by Trevor Ferhman, is never not funny. (Shame, Trevor hasn’t done anything since this film. Had he snuck into an Apatow film or two, dude would be a household name.). Everything from his look to his facial expressions to his expertly timed comedic beats kill me. But this exchange between he and Randall takes top prize by two furlongs. The confidence with which Elias delivers this moment is immeasurable and is truly something that can’t be taught. It wasn’t until I watched this film with headphones on that the humor was elevated.

When Elias explains who Pillow Pants is, we cut to Randall and his expression immediately changes. He goes from this cocky gum chewing dick to a man paralyzed by abject terror. At this exact moment, the opening theme to the The Shining begins to play. I never heard that before and it absolutely killed me when I heard it. The ominous wailing and unsettling synth tones that play under the exchange adds to an already hilarious scene. Never in a million years would I have thought of something like that. Any other film would play that scene straight with just two dudes talking it out. But Kevin Smith is able to take a goofy moment and launch it into the comedic stratosphere. I really hope a continuation of the Clerks story happens at some point. I’d like to see more Elias. Though if I’m being honest, I’m really just curious if he ever got past Listerfiend.

What's your favorite scene from Clerks II?