Back in the 90s, a number of films entered the fold and left a lasting impression on the movie business. These movies came in all shapes and sizes, and now that we are fully entrenched in the 2020s, it's amazing to see the films that have been able to stand the test of time.
Two of the most popular movies to emerge from the 90s are Scream and Clerks, and both remain as good as ever. There have been some interesting crossover moments with these franchises, and it has some wondering if they share a cinematic universe.
Let's look at the evidence and see if they are officially connected.
'Scream' And 'Clerks' Are 90s Staples
Released back in 1994, Clerks became the indie darling of the decade, and it launched Kevin Smith's career in Hollywood. The film was the perfect blend of hilarious dialogue with relatable themes, and while it was not a box office powerhouse, it amassed a huge following and a lasting legacy in Hollywood. Over time, Kevin Smith would weave together his impressive View Askewniverse.
Meanwhile, in 1996, Scream entered the mainstream conscious and revitalized the horror genre in the blink of an eye. To date, this remains one of the greatest horror movies ever made, and after making well over $100 million, the movie kickstarted an entire franchise and went down as a classic.
Aside from being 90s movies, there seems to be little in common with Clerks and Scream. However, fans have started to connect some dots between the two movies, and it has some wondering if there is a stared universe that has been going on this entire time.
The Crossover Moments
Now, the subject of Scream and Clerks being part of the same cinematic universe stems from a number of interesting crossover moments that take place in certain films. Some of these moments are pretty overt, but a few others required viewers to have eagle eyes in order to spot them.
In Scream, a VHS copy of Clerks can be seen at Stu's house during the build-up to the movie's finale. It's a pretty harmless little addition by the folks at Miramax, and a Clerks poster can even be scene at the video store earlier in the movie. Is it a connection, or is Stu just a huge Kevin Smith fan?
In Scream 3, Jay and Silent Bob themselves appear in the Sunrise Studio tour. This was a lot more obvious than the copy of Clerks at Stu's house, and people were excited to see the hilarious duo in the movie. Interestingly, Scream has popped up in Kevin Smith's Viewaskewniverse. In Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Wes Craven has a cameo in the movie, and he is filming the fictitious Scream 4 in the scene. Again, this was a pretty obvious Easter egg for fans, and the scene was exceptionally well done.
In Smith's Jersey Girl, a copy of Scream 3 can be seen, further adding another connection to these franchises.
There seems to a be a lot of evidence to suggest that these movies share a universe, but has this ever been confirmed?
Are They Officially Connected?
As it stands now, there has been no official confirmation that these franchises exist in the same universe. They were both released under the Miramax umbrella (Scream operated under Miramax's Dimension Films), so there is a natural connection there, but this does not appear to be an MCU type of situation where these movies are part of an interconnected story.
ScreenRant summed this up nicely, saying, "The crossover does imply that Jay and Silent Bob exist in the Scream universe but it's more likely that it was simply just a fun cameo meant to entertain fans of both franchises. Rather than looking too far into the details of the appearance, it's best to just consider their scene as a well-timed cameo based on their growing popularity during the time of Scream 3's release."
The site did note that Jay and Silent Bob's cameo in Scream 3 was largely attributed to financial compensation, and not the studio trying to tie things together. It's a shame that they are not officially connected, but if there is a Jay and Silent Bob reference or appearance in the upcoming Scream, then the evidence will be almost overwhelming.
Scream and Clerks are classics, and while the thought of a shared universe is cool, we'll just have to take the cameos and Easter eggs with a grain of salt for now.
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