- Never fear, we ARE alive! It’s just turned into a VERY busy holiday weekend, and we’re naturally trying to hang onto what’s left of our summer here, so time in front of the PC has been scarce. Not that there’s been much going on in the world of Askew, anyway. Yes, we’re aware that Kevin was a no-show at DragonCon, but we’ve yet to hear any REALconfirmation on the reason for his absence. Rumor has it that the guy’s got a broken leg or sprain of some sort, but, we repeat, this has NOT been confirmed by anyone in the know. Any way ya slice it though, we’re sure the guy didn’t miss his appearance without a good reason for it, and we wish him well. We’re sure he’ll explain everything on his next stop to the WWWBoard. We hope you had a nice holiday weekend! Here’s the little that HAS transpired over the past few days:
Archive for September 7th, 1998
View Askew NewsBites™
- A scooper spots a Clerks mention in the Better Than Ezra tune, “Alison Foley”:
CALMLY, LIKE A RAZOR
I GOT US ON THE DOOR,
OR I GOT A TAPE OF ‘CLERKS’
SOMEONE LEFT THE NIGHT BEFORE.
I GOT US ON THE DOOR,
OR I GOT A TAPE OF ‘CLERKS’
SOMEONE LEFT THE NIGHT BEFORE.
- Set your VCRs if you missed the Clerks marathon! It’s re-airing on the Independent Film Channel, September 17 at 8 P.M. Eastern time! Enjoy.
Slow times, huh? Well, we can’t make the news, we just report it! We’ll be back again when we’ve got some more stuff to chat about. We’ll remind you that slow times are always a good chance to catch up in the archives, check out some of our other special features, or read about those Trips Askew again. See ya next update…
Desert Blue Screening…
- Askew vet Ethan Suplee stars in “Desert Blue”, directed by Morgan J. Freeman also starring Brendan Sexton III, Kate Hudson, Christina Ricci, Casey Affleck, John Hurt, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, Sara Gilbert and Michael Ironside.
The flick’s gonna be shown at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept 12 & Sept 14. Details? Yup, we got ’em:
Much was impressive about Morgan J. Freeman’s first film, Hurricane Streets. A kind of Hamlet set on the streets of New York, the film eschewed gangs and gangsta film cliché for warm, human emotions, intelligent dialogue and a fluid, strong camera style. What was especially impressive, though, was Freeman’s ability to elicit riveting and absolutely credible performances from his young actors, especially Brendan Sexton III, the menacing boyfriend from Welcome to the Dollhouse.
Freeman’s second film, also featuring Sexton in a pivotal role, could not be set farther away from his debut. A small town, with 89 people living in it on a good day, is quarantined when a truck carrying a “secret ingredient” for a cola drink crashes on the highway and its driver dies of unknown causes. A teenage TV star named Skye, passing through on a road trip with her father, is trapped in town until the crisis ends, with nothing to do but hang out with the local kids.
They are a mixed bunch, with different dreams and anxieties. A collective uneasiness hangs over them, even before the crisis: the town is dying, distinguished only by a novelty giant ice cream cone and an incomplete water park – Baxter Beach – and they know it. Everybody loves and pities Blue (Sexton). His dad was building the water park until his death in a motel fire, which everyone thinks was set by the explosives-obsessed Ely (the enormously gifted Christina Ricci), although she claims not. Skye is intrigued by Blue and gradually drops her pretentious and condescending airs, drawing closer to the troubled boy. Meanwhile, her divorced father tries to comfort Blue’s mother, still confused about her husband’s death.
Freeman’s ability to interweave these complex characters and stories together impressively suggests the sure hand of a veteran. Yet, again, it is his astonishing ability to draw out nuanced and revelatory performances from his wonderful ensemble of actors – also including Casey Affleck, Sara Gilbert and Kate Hudson – that sets Freeman apart from his American independent colleagues.
Noah Cowan