• Well folks, welcome to another News Askew draught…It’s funny, we all know there’s a TON of stuff going on, between the live appearances, View Askew 5, Green Arrow, Vulgarthon, the Special Edition DVDs, and more, but this past weekend, news as a whole seemed to be at a minimum. Of course, the second we say things like this about 20 or 30 items pop up, so if the trend continues, expect a real update here soon. In the meantime, though, let’s take a look at what’s going on from a summary-style point, and talk a little bit about what’s planned for the future. By the way, yes, we saw the AICN stuff today, but considering it’s the same story we posted on Bloomsburg last week basically, we saw no need to rerun it.

Alright, let’s talk View Askew 5. The gang’s doing a great job at keeping all the details under wraps…We don’t know any more than you folks do, believe it or not, and nary a plotline has been leaked. We’ll definitely be back to Mallrats territory from the sound of things and, though Kevin’s working on keeping the draft simple enough for a new fan to follow (reports say he was recently working on DRAFT 7), we think this film’s really gonna be the ultimate film for fans of the other four. Hell, more news on the second Star Wars prequel has leaked out than VA5 news. Ah, the benefits of having a tightly-knit operation. Still, we KNOW that all the major cast members from the past flicks are coming back on board, at least, the ones that are needed — We’re nearly 100% sure that both Joey Lauren Adams and Michael Rooker won’t be back, but don’t think we’ll miss them much, either. Theories about the plot that will drive this “road picture” are abound, and the possibilities are so endless that we’re not going to speculate. We imagine that elements of all four films will be present as well as a ton of new material that ties it all together. We’re psyched, and look forward to bringing you the best coverage on the net on VA5.

There’s a few DVDs coming out this Winter that will definitely be the crown jewels of your DVD collection: Many folks keep asking us when the DOGMA: SPECIAL EDITION DVD is arriving, and, while a date has yet to be set, we’re guessing in December or January. That one’s a 2 DISC set with not one but TWO commentary tracks, a brand new documentary, an hour of deleted material, stills, and TONS more. The cut of the film will be the same as what’s on the current movie only disc.

We’ve also got the Clerks Cartoon Series DVD on the way, which is also getting the royal treatment, especially given the fact that the show was so short-lived on the air. All six episodes will be presented on the disc, with full commentary and brad new live introductions by Kev & Jay (as Jay & Silent Bob). Expect some more fantastic behind the scenes material on the show, including stills, storyboards, and the like…This one’s going to be another packed Special Edition. You’ll finally get to see our personal favorite of the bunch, too, the hilarious Episode 6.

Don’t forget about Vincent Pereira’s A BETTER PLACE DVD that’s in the final phases of production as we speak. Vincent has spent hundreds of hours creating this one, and it’s going to be worlds above any screened version of the film so far. He’s cleaned up the print, remixed the entire soundtrack, changed a few scenes around, and packed the disc with a TON of extras. We also believe Vincent’s going to show this new version for the first time at Vulgarthon next week.

Speaking of Vulgarthon, it’s just ONE WEEK away! Came up pretty fast, didn’t it? The goal of this one is to make it even more memorable than the last…Which, if you remember, featured surprise appearances by Jason & Carmen Lee, Brian O’Halloran, Ethan Suplee, and more. We’re sure that this year will be no exception. In addition to your chance to be face to face all the View Askew folks, you’re going to see FIVE flicks, the rarely seen “DRAWING FLIES”, Dogma’s Cannes cut, the first fan screening of “BIG HELIUM DOG”, Vincent’s new A Better Place cut, and a special surprise screening towards the event’s end. We’ll be there with full coverage, and, if technology cooperates, live updates from the scene for those of you who were unable to attend.

Thanks to all of you for sticking with News Askew over the past few years. We’re nearing another milestone (4 milliom hits) and that always reminds us about how lucky we are to have such faithful and helpful readers. We’re hoping to keep the site running strong for many years to come. Life’s been busier than usual lately for each of us, between moves, day jobs, family commitments, trips, and the like, but with the colder weather coming, there should be a lot more time to make some general improvements to the site, including speeding up the Talkback post process, cosmetic improvements, new features (including an in-depth VA5 coverage site) and lots more. Thanks for making News Askew a part of your regular surfing routine. We’ll see you next update!