- Here’s a little write-up from E! Online written by Ken Neville, speculating on Ben Affleck’s rising popularity:
Last year, he was stuck in the shadow of other up-and-comers, like lifelong bud
Matt Damon.
No more: 1998 is the Year of Affleck. If you saw “Chasing Amy”–in which he “coaxed” Joey Lauren Adams out of gaydom–you know why.
For one thing, the “Good Will Hunting” cowriter is darned cute. (Can you say heartthrob?) He can act up a storm. And this summer, he sucks up the screen big time in the much anticipated blockbuster Armageddon, in which he stars with Bruce Willis as an average-Joe oil worker sent into space to blow up a meteor hurtling toward Earth.
He’s also running with Amy director Kevin Smith again. (They started together with “Mallrats”.) He appears in Smith’s latest, “Dogma”, with Linda Fiorentino. Then there’s “200 Cigarettes”, with hot new film babe Courtney Love, comeback kid Christina Ricci and Ben’s little brother Casey (who also appeared in Good Will).
Finally, in “Desert Blue”, the “Dazed and Confused” vet teams up with Ricci again and director Morgan J. Freeman (no relation to the actor), whose “Hurricane Streets” took Sundance by storm last year.
Not to mention dating Gwyneth Paltrow, the shiny new Golden Globe, an almost-certain Oscar nom for the Good Will screenplay and the just released “Phantoms”, a sci-fi, aliens-attacking film with fellow Sizzler Liev Schreiber.
We’re not sure how long his relationship with Gwyneth will last, but he’s sure got something to fall back on.
- Joey Adams will be on Late Night With Conan O’Brien tonight. It’sa rerun, but if you missed it the first time, at least stick a tape in (if it’s past your bedtimelike it is for most of us 9-5’ers).
- “Clerks” will be showing in Los Angeles on the 20th and 21st of February atUniversity Village 3, a relatively poor theatre across from the University of Southern California. The screening is at midnight on both nights, and it is mere hours before, or after (depending on which show you go to) Kevin Smith’s appearance at Golden Apple Comics on Melrose.
- Now, on to this weekends e-zines. First of all, Film Threatactually (surprise!) had sometime positive to say about Kevin/View Askew. Here’s their blurbon the Chasing Amy laserdisc. We were pleased to see this one:
LASER DISC :
“Chasing Amy” is now available on laser disc from
Criterion. The discfeatures a beautiful transfer of
Kevin Smith’s lesbian love story. Extrasinclude tons of deleted scenes with special video introductions from the castand crew. There’s commentary on the disc from Kevin Smith, producer
Scott Mosier actors
Ben Affleck and
Jason Mewes. The disc jacket features abeautifully detailed map of the “View Askewniverse” making the New Jerseytrilogy seem as complicated as that old
DC Comics’ series
“Crisis On Infinite Earths”. We thought they were just three funny movies, who knew they were this deep? Great stuff.
- Finally today, NQzINE had some nicethings to say about the two major Askew-related productions this year, in fact, they voted them1st and 2nd on their top 10 list. Here’s the text:
~bEST mOVIE (tEN bEST)
1. “Chasing Amy” – It’s impossible to do this film justice on paper. It was justtoo good. Kevin Smith can write dialogue better than anyone in the moviestoday (including Q.T.). His character defining monologues and rapid fireexchanges are no short of excellent. His direction of actors is also amazing.He managed to get some of the years better performances out of Ben Affleck,Jason Lee, Joey Lauren Adams, and Dwight Ewell. The movie centers around therelationship between two friends and the lesbian that comes between them (in anutshell). Please see this movie. I promise you won’t be disappointed. It’sexcellent.
2. “Good Will Hunting” – This is easily one of the most brilliant movies I’veseen in a long time. The acting was superb, the story was moving and humorousat times, the writing from Damon and Affleck was nearly flawless and theediting was some of the best of the year (real tight). For me, this one sunkthe “Titanic”. It’s the story of Will Hunting (Damon), a troubled prodigy whofinds himself with his shrink (Robin Williams his best dramatic role inyears). The scene with Affleck and Damon at the end of the movie at theconstruction yard was one of the most moving scenes this year. Also, this filmhad what was one of the best lines of the year, “You like apples…” (ya’ kindof have to see it.
~aLSO bE sURE tO rEAD (sCREEN pLAYS)
~ “Overnight Delivery”, “Six Million Dollar Man”, & “Superman Lives” – By Kevin Smith. Three good screen plays (Six Million was my personal favorite). It’s asin that none of these will get made.
Whew. That about does it for today! See ya next time. As always, thanks for stopping by.
