'Clerks' (1994)

Clerks was the first in the Jay and Silent Bob saga, and many hardcore fans feel it is still the best.

It was created on an incredibly low budget and shot entirely in black and white, which gives it an urban feel.

It follows two cashiers, Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson), and their adventures in one day working at their respective stores and dealing with the customers. Jay and Silent Bob can be found daily hanging outside the convenience store where Dante works. Dante struggles with his girlfriend while Randal, working at the video store next door, insults customers and prepares for a hockey game that's scheduled to take place on the roof of the convenience store at 2 p.m.

All this and Dante wasn't even supposed to work that day!

Highlights include Dante's arguments with his girlfriend and Randal's ways of dealing with annoying customers.

'Mallrats' (1995)

This second installment of Smith films deals with two college students, T.S. (Jeremy London) and Brodie (Jason Lee), who have been dumped by their girlfriends, Brandi (Claire Forlani) and Rene (Shannen Doherty). The two find salvage at that haven for all teens dealing with problems: the mall. They discuss the typical mall things: what is considered "inside" the food court, the ethics of allowing a child to sit on the escalator and the uptight security guards. Throughout the day they interact with other mallrats, including Jay and Silent Bob, who must help them get Brandi and Rene back. Individual stories all come together in the end and of course crudeness and hilarity ensue. This film also introduces Ben Affleck as a worker at an upscale men's fashion store who tries to steal Rene away from Brodie. Mallrats contains possibly the crudest scene ever in a Smith film when the boys go to a topless fortuneteller; although the stink palm scene is pretty foul too. All in all, after seeing this film you'll never look at a mall the same way again.

'Chasing Amy' (1997)

This one's a little bit more adult than the others in the series. Chasing Amy gets tons of laughs from the countless sexual jokes along with the chemistry of its stars. It explores the double standards of men and women in relationships as Bluntman and Chronic co-creators Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck) and Banky Edwards (Jason Lee) meet a lesbian, Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams). Holden and Banky's relationship unravels as Holden finds himself falling in love with her.

What really drives the movie are the conversations between the stars, such as when they share tales of embarrassing sexual situations, discuss what it means to be a virgin, and what it means to be gay, straight, bisexual, or why anyone even needs to choose a preference. This one also introduces Matt Damon in a very small appearance as an executive. Chasing Amy gets big laughs thanks to its excellent dialogue and shows some heart too, which makes it one of the most mature of the collection. This film also features a not-so-silent Bob.

'Dogma' (1999)

Dogma may be considered the most controversial of Smith's films as it questions the foundations of Catholicism. Two angels, Bartleby (Ben Affleck) and Loki (Matt Damon), have been thrown out of heaven and banned to Wisconsin. They strive to enter heaven thanks to a loophole involving a cardinal, played by George Carlin, who has tried to remodel the image of Jesus to be more personable. This clearly takes a crack at the ways in which modern religions tend to try to commercialize their beliefs. Unfortunately, if Bartleby and Loki succeed then they would prove God to be fallible, and that would erase all of existence. Meanwhile God is stuck in a coma in New Jersey, and it is up to Jay and Silent Bob, along with the last descendent of Jesus Christ (Linda Fiorentino), to save the day. With some help from Chris Rock as the 13th apostle, the boys come face to face with a war against a demon named Azreal (Jason Lee) and the two fallen angels. This is a hilarious look at religious dogma and a reflection on the problems with modern-day religious institutions.