Archive for August, 1999

Kevin Lives!!!

August 8th @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Kevin Smith

  • Kevin made a triumphant return to the land of the living with this post about what’s been going on, family life, the church and, oh yeah, a release date for a little flick you may have heard of, called “Dogma”:
Six weeks ago today…I saw the human body put through hell. And for a woman whose belly rivaled mine at that time, look at Jen today and you’d never know she had a baby within the last year, let alone two months. Happy Birthday (sort of) Harley; congrats and a big fat kiss to Jennifer.

In other weight loss news, I’m heading into week two of the ol’ diet. Good Lord, I blew up. Why didn’t anyone tell me? By fall, I expect to look more like I did around Vulgarthon… just in time for another special screening…

Speaking of which, the new rumored release date is locked in at November 12th. Mark your calendars.

Saw Ben while out in LA. He’s looking well, but his presence caused my child to shriek incessantly for a half hour. Harley’s reaction – fandom or menance? You decide.

Also saw Rock the other day for a Premiere piece we did (photos and an interview) which should be out in their Vanguard issue (Oct/Nov). He’s doing well also, and eager to promote the flick – which I guess we’re starting now. In the last week, I’ve spoken to Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and Premiere. The long-lead stuff is under way, so that’s always a positive sign.

I’ve also seen a teaser poster that will be out fairly soon. It’s simple but smooth. I like it.

And, yes – Alanis did record an excellent song for the end credits and soundtrack. It’s beautiful, moving, powerful, and some of her best work to date – the perfect way to end the flick.

We’re done with our initial six episodes of the animated series. We’ll be recording the last one Monday in NYC, and that’ll be that for a few months. They’re really, really funny, and I should have a sampling of the artwork to throw up here to show you soon, including a sweet new menu page with artwork by our series director, Chris Bailey (featuring Jay and Silent Bob). Look for it soon, as well as a redesign of the site in general (courtesy of our own Ming), with the new office tour, and the long-awaited ‘Dogma’ section too.

Two more months ’til we get Harley Baptised (Catholic, of course); three more months ’til the world sees what a non-issue ‘Dogma’ really is; seven more months ’til the animated series; and one more year until I’m thirty.

And I’d like to point out that six years ago, me and Mosier had just pretty much finished the editing and sound mixing on ‘Clerks’. Back then, there was no board, no wife, no family – none of what exists today except a couple of guys who wanted to make flicks – one of whom went to church every Sunday.

Speaking of which, I spoke to my priest about the brouhaha surrounding the flick. He said he didn’t hear about it, except for the occasional parishoner waving a petition in his face, asking him to post it in the church – his response to which was quite nice, I thought: the diocese and the Vatican itself has said nothing about the flick. Until they do (which he feels they won’t), he wasn’t going to use the pulpit to campaign against something he knows nothing about. I’m going to show him the flick soon. I’ll let you know what he thinks of it.

That’s important to remember during all this. Sometimes on this board and other places on the ‘net, I read misdirected ire that’s focused on Catholics for protesting this flick. It’s not true – the Catholic Church has taken no position on this film, and more than likely probably won’t. It’s one group that’s up-in-arms, and more to the point, one guy – who seems like a nice enough, good ol’ Irish Catholic fella, who doesn’t like the movie. I’ve had people not like the flicks I’ve done before, but usually, they’ve waited until they’ve seen it to make that call, and didn’t waste money better spent on more Christian goals than expensive one-page ads in the New York Times and booklets about how evil a movie I’ve made.

I want to start my own group called the Christian League. We don’t want your money, we don’t want you condemning anyone. All we want is people to be good to one another – maybe donate clothes and food to shelters once in awhile. We won’t be distributing flyers or making speeches; we’ll just be quietly doing, calling no attention to ourselves. We’ll have no insignia or masthead that promotes violence, like that sword the Catholic League puts on everything (for Jesus’ thoughts on swords, see the New Testament – he mentioned something about swords when he was arrested in the Garden, after the over-zealous Peter cut off someone’s ear off); in fact, we’ll have no stationary or website to update you on who we’re attacking, because we won’t be attacking people. We’ll just be doing what Christ asked us to do – loving God with our whole heart, mind, and soul, and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.

That and making movies that contain tastefully questionable, but hardly sinful dick and fart jokes. Why? Because we love them dick and fart jokes; love ’em.

Ya know, we’re inspired. If Kev’s dieting again, so are we. No more burgers, no more pizza, no more beer…Well…hmmm…On second thought, screw that, we’re not dieting.

Dogma:RC In Mademoiselle…

August 6th @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Vibes

Click Here To See The Entire Page From Mademoiselle!

  • This was a pleasant surprise! The latest Madmemoiselle, of all places, has given Dogma : Rumor Control a plug! Actually, we think this is the first piece of National printed media to actually PLUG Dogma:RC, and as our OWN site (not listed as part of View Askew’s site, which often occurs) so we’re very happy. In the back of the issue, a page is devoted to Ben & Salma and their clothing and stuff. It’s got blurbs around it, and of them not only mentions our site for the latest Dogma info, but throws up a screenshot of the front page, as well!

We’ve got a scan of the page, so click the thumbnail to see it full size.

We’re not too excited about headng up to heading to the counter of the local newsstand to ask for copies of Madmemoiselle, really (actually, we tried, we just didn’t find any), so if you’ve got an extra and wanna ship it our way for the archives, we’ll gladly take it off your hands.

Preorder Your Chasing Amy DVD NOW!!!

August 6th @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • We’ve found a place in Canada called The Digital Video Depot that will ship Chasing Amy DVD’s to the U.S. without a problem, and that’s got a GREAT deal going on preorders to boot! That’s right, $23.95!!! Sure, it’ll cost ya a few more bucks to get the sucker shipped off, but considering it’s an import, this is still a fantastic deal.

These guys contacted us and assured us that they’ll have plenty of copies to satisfy all our loyal News Askew readers, and were happy to offer this fantastic deal to us — Also, they’re supplying us with preview copies of the disc as soon as it’s available, so we should be able to get a review of the sucker up as early as possible. Finally, they’re going to keep us abreast of ANY info they hear regarding features of the disc. Here’s what they list so far:

  • Interactive Menus
  • Scene Selections
  • Canadian Exclusive
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Askew Universe Legend – Screen Specific Commentary
  • Outtakes
  • Sponge Music Video-“Have You Seen Mary”
  • Widescreen: YES 1.85:1
  • 16×9 Enhanced: YES
  • ENGLISH: 5.1 Dolby Digital
  • FRENCH: TBA

From the looks of this, a few things ARE different: The Criterion Edition certainly didn’t have the Sponge music video, for one. Makes us wonder what else may be missing or changed from the disc. We have NO IDEA if the commentary’s the same one Kev and crew did for the Criterion disc, though it would HAVE to be since they haven’t recorded a new one. Kev’s intros to the clips as well as some of the commentary seem to be targets for deletion, possibly, since they sometimes reference the fact that it’s a “Criterion Laserdisc”, as we recall. Time will tell, we guess. We’d take a carbon copy of the Criterion on DVD anyday, though. And the fact that 16:9 enhancement is still promised makes us VERY VERY happy.

We’ve placed a link to these guys in the sidebar of the page, and encourage you to check out their site. You can get Amy, as well as the other sought-after Canadian releases of Good Will Hunting & Pulp Fiction there, too. In the meantime, surf HERE for a great deal on Amy!

Commentary…

August 6th @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • Howdy all…Surprisingly, we’re STILL not seeing www.newsaskew.com bouncing over to the new server here at our end, and we certainly thought we would by now. The way you can tell if YOU’RE there yet is if you see the bright yellow text above the news letting you know. If you see that message and could be so kind to drop us a line letting us know you’re there, we’d appreciate it. At least we’d know the process IS working.

Just to explain quickly: When a website changes servers, its numerical IP address changes behind it. The front end stays the same, which is why you’ll always type www.newsaskew.com to get to us, no matter what. BUT, it takes a while for all the DNS sites (that’s DOMAIN NAME SERVER) out there to catch wind that a site has changed addresses. So, while someone in say, Kentucky, might still be seeing us on the old server, folks in California may have already reached the new one. We’re going to give it 2 more days, then replace the old page with forwarders that take you to the new server, no matter what, because it’s getting tough for US to maintain the site in 2 places! Anyway, there’s your internet server education for the day.

In other news — We’ve got an outstanding lead on where you can catch your own copy of Chasing Amy on DVD in a couple months, some Dogma news (as well as a long awaited Dogma: RC update coming this Sunday, on the NEW SERVER only), the usual smattering of NewsBites, and lots more fun. Behind the scenes plans continue on enhancements and surprises to celebrate the move to the new server, so expect some neat announcements over the next couple of weeks, as we lead up to the big chat & raffle drawing on September the 1st!

And now, on with the show…

View Askew NewsBites™

August 6th @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Pablo, Aug, Lord Adrock, Jessica, Taco, & James

  • Looks like the U.S. ain’t the ONLY place that’s got some groups up in arms about Dogma (again, before SEEING the flick, as usual). This time, it’s BRAZIL of all places! The film is apparently slated for a November release in that country, so a campaign called “Vinde Nossa Senhora de Fátima, não tardeis!”, started by orthodox catholics, is trying to block the release. Thanks also to Dark Horizons for the report on this item today.
  • Many of you have written in saying that Reel.Com is reporting that Dogma’s out on October the 29th. We checked into this, and, like us, they’re just speculating. Could Domga come out on that day? Sure. But has it been announced? Nope. By the way, keep in mind that Reel.Com’s an affiliate of ours, one of the few things we’re advertising there in our left sidebar (in addition to the new Canadian Amy site there…). Basically, if you’re gonna buy movies or ANYTHING from Reel, and you click that link to get there (rather than a bookmark on the other site), we’ll make some money for News Askew. Don’t worry, though, your costs will be NO higher. So, if you want some great deals on DVDs & tapes, click our Reel link, save yourself some cash, and support News Askew in the process! By the way, they’re selling the Matrix DVD for $12.50!!!
  • Finally today, just a reminder…Clerks is playing tonight at 12:30am at AMC South Barrington 30 in Illinios.

We’re heading to a microbrewery festival this weekend, so you know what that means! More than likely, no updates again until late Sunday (if we’re up to it)…Unless something MAJOR happens. So, that being said, have a great weekend, and we’ll catch ya when we return.

ABP Screening Reaction…

August 5th @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Timothy Fagan

  • Looks like Vincent’s done a real bang-up job with a screening yet again, as promised! His film’s just great, and you can really tell how much pride he has in it when he attends a showing of ABP. Anyway, here’s an on-site report from a fan who had an excellent time — And you’ll see what we mean…
I went to see A Better Place at the Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal tonight. This is my third year attending the festival, and this screening was by far the best. Vincent talked to the crowd and to fans for about an hour. Everyone was forced to exit the theater about 25 minutes into his Q&A because the next movie was going to come on, but he stayed outside the theater to talk to fans for more than a half hour. He was very cool and extremely down to earth. He talked about the DVD release for A Better Place, and how he’s been having a tough time finding a video distributor since all the school shootings of late. I asked him if Lions Gate was distributing Dogma but he was tight lipped about it, though he said he really did wanted to talk about it. I took some photos, that I’ll scan and send to you guys when I get the chance, of Vincent talking to fans.

We’ll have those scans soon, hopefully! Keep in mind that ABP screens again at this festival in a week (watch our countdowns) and hopefully streets on DVD this fall. We’ll keep ya posted, for sure.

The Switch Is Thrown!

August 5th @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • In the next day or two, you should notice…nothing. Well, except that we’re on a new server. As we’ve said, though, this move is designed to be transparent to viewers, so really, aside from a message telling you that you’re now on the new server, things should look and operate just as they always have. Hopefully things will be a bit speedier for ya, but we’re working on optimizations off and on, behind the scenes. What we WOULD like to hear is if you have any problems on the new server, such as slowness, pages NOT loading, links not working, graphics missing, and the like.

When ya move a website as large as this one, you’re bound to screw something up or forget something. We think it looks good, but COME ON! We can’t be perfect! So, if you find something wrong, let us know…Please!

Also, now that the move is complete, expect some nice surprises in the next few weeks. We’ve got some little enhancements here and there on the horizon and, hopefully, a couple major scoops as well. Just some stuff we’ve been saving for a big occasion like this.

Oh, and by the way, News Askew is now being hosted by Create-A-Web. Service has been great so far, so if you’re looking for a host for yourself, look into them. This is by no means a commercial for them, we’re still paying to house the site there, so if you DO get on board, tell ’em that we sent ya and they’ll throw a free month our way. Every little bit helps!

Domain names take time to get across the entire internet, so, over the weekend, we’ll update at both the old and the new server sites to give your local internet connections time to catch up with us at the new home. Effective Sunday, though, we’ll remove our pages from the old server and put a forwarding message that automatically carries you over. If you’re seeing that, send your provider a message and tell them to reboot their domain name servers! They’ll know what you mean.

That being said, enjoy the site & the new server. We’re happy to be here.

View Askew NewsBites™

August 5th @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by TwlghtMan, Hoser, Aug, Dave Bennett, Hal Phillips, Ron Motta & Jenn Broman

  • Many news outlets, including Anotheruniverse, now say they have an OFFICIAL release date for Dogma in the UK! The date, ironically, is the day AFTER Christmas: December 26, 1999. Great news for all of you overseas! As for us here in the states, this definitely tells us that we’ll see the flick before THAT date anyway. We hope it still hits the predicted mid-October slot. At any rate, we’ll keep ya posted, of course.
  • The Project Pocketwatch site posted a new pics recently, and is near completion! Be sure and drop by for a visit if it’s been a while – We’ve always been fans of this project, and loved the idea.
  • Jason Lee appears (looking quite sinister, we might add) in Movieline Magazine this month. In it, they talk about Dogma, Mumford, and the upcoming Cameron Crowe film. We really dig this piece, too. Lee has some great stuff to say about working with Kev (that you’ll love to see), and there’s quite a few other tidbits as well (Click the pic for a closer look):
Jason Lee in Movieline MagazineJason Lee considers himself lucky to be sitting in front of me at Canter’s deli, crunching on a salad. Only yesterday, he and a fishing buddy were stuck for hours in the mountains outside of L.A. when their SUV went off the road. “It was definitely scary,” he tells me, “but I don’t think it would have gotten to the point where my friend and I had to eat each other.” Lee’s hiply sardonic, hang-loose style set him refreshingly apart from the glam troop of young actors emerging from hit TV shows. He does, in fact, come from somewhere else entirely — he’s a former professional skateboarder who got into acting on a whim. “I was curious about movies,” he says, “the way you might wonder what life in the army’s like.” Lee’s breakthrough performance two years ago as the caustic but charming comic book artist in Kevin Smith’s indie favorite Chasing Amy so impressed Lawrence Kasdan that the writer/director wrote the role of a computer-software genius specifically for him in the ensemble comedy Mumford. The actor’s current hirsute state — shaggy hair and mountain man’s free-flowing beard — is for his rock-star turn in Cameron Crowe’s upcoming film about an American band circa 1973. Meanwhile, Lee will be on-screen this fall as a demon named Azrael in Kevin Smith’s controversial religious satire Dogma, which stars Alanis Morissette as God, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as genital-free renegade angels and Chris Rock as a troublemaking disciple. “I don’t see it as controversial,” Lee says. “It’s a Kevin Smith movie, with his fast, witty dialogue. I’ll work with Kevin Smith for the rest of my life. That’s my position on it.” Acting, according to Lee, turns out to be a lot like professional skateboarding. “The more you do it, the more confidence you get. Then you’re controlling it, instead of it controlling you.” That goes for choosing projects as well. Lee says he’ll try anything, except for certain stuff he’soffered all the time. “My agent knows I’d rather not work than do any of the Gen-X-kids-on-the-edge movies. You know: teenybopper mayhem, two guys in a car full of diamonds, on the road, and they pick up a waitress or a stripper and blah, blah, blah. I’d rather work for established directors who are at least trying to say something.” –Joshua Mooney
  • MTV’s Fanatic is looking for Chris Rock’s #1 fan! Maybe it’s YOU! All we ask is that you throw a question about News Askew in the mix somewhere if ya win. Heh heh. Here’s details…
MTV WANTS YOU!!!

MTV’s hit show, FANatic, is searching for CHRIS ROCK’S #1devoted fan to meet and interview him on our show! If you consider yourself CHRIS ROCK’S #1 devoted fan, or know someone who is, please call DINA@(212)654-6044 You can call collect!

You may also EMAIL us your information by just clicking “Reply”! Please make sure to include: Your Name, Age, Telephone Number with your three digit area code, and Where You’re From. If you do not include all the requested information, we will NOT get back to you!!!

Also, you can catch us on the web on MTV Online or just go directly to Fanatic.mtv.com.

Thanks and we hope to hear from you as soon as possible!

A closing note today: I mentioned that updates were quick due to time limitations and all the other stuff that needs to be done on the site. This goes for e-mail, too. Every once in a while, I feel the need to let ya know — I do my best to respond to ALL the site’s mail in a timely manner, but often those responses need to be short just because there’s SO many of you to get back to. Please don’t take it as an insult, we truly appreciate ALL the mail we get, and still read every since piece of it. Thanks a lot! We’ll see ya next time…And hopefully get Dogma:RC up to date then as well!

The Oni Comics Empire…

August 4th @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Sean Milstead

  • Wanna get caught up on the history of things since Oni’s been around Sean’s written a very thorough and informative article on all of Oni’s comics, including all the View Askew related stuff out there. Definitely a good read, if you wanna know what you’ve missed OR what’s coming up.

Commentary…

August 4th @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • It’s been tough finding time to work on things lately — We’ve been home hardly at all this week, so if the updates seem a bit rushed and impersonal, that’s why. We’re happy to report that there’s just a few very small bugs to work out of the poll script on the new server, and we’ll be flipping the switch. Perhaps even soon tonight, after OZ. We’ll let ya know when that happens with a message at the top of the page.

The raffle is continuing, and you’ve still got plenty of time to get your entries in! We’re announcing a lot more prizes tomorrow, giving you more chances than ever to win. For a buck, you can’t go wrong. Hell, we wish we could enter ourselves. But that wouldn’t be that fair, would it?

At any rate, some odds and ends to report on today, but nothing super noteworthy. We’ll be updating Dogma:RC, adding some new features, and generally working on speed improvements after we complete the move over to the new server. Lots of great stuff on the horizon. Stick around!