• Well, all looks to be running very smoothly on the set, and editing is also going well, all sure signs that the big August 10th release date will be made. Here’s Kevin with the latest:

• A BETTER PLACE (the director’s cut version coming out on DVD) will be screening at Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, at 7 PM this Friday (January 26th). The screening is open to the public and the right price…FREE! More info can be obtained by calling the Student Activities Office at 330-569-5181. Vincent will be on hand for one of his excellent Q&A sessions directly after the flick. Vincent does Q&A very well.

ALSO – Would you like Vincent to appear at your college to screen the flick and do a Q&A? It’s very easy to book – Use Auburn Moon, the same agencythat books Kevin’s appearances. So, if anyone is interested in having A BETTER PLACE screened at their college and having Vincent out for a question-and-answer lecture session, call Jeff or Nancy at Auburn Moon at 1-800-566-6653 for more information. Ask anyone who’s seen the film and heard Vincent speak about it – It’s excellent and definitely worth booking at your school. Trust us.

• Hey folks, long time no talk. Well, things are finally calming down for a bit and there’s time to do one of these commentary deals. Things certainly are heating up with the new flick, aren’t they? It happened pretty damn fast, faster than any of the last 4, it seems. We’re happy to be keeping you on top of the latest news here at News Askew AND the new Jay & Bob site. Keep checking over there as the cast revelations continue, as we’re updating that cast page just about every day. Look for more new material there in the coming months.

The Psycomic DTM column is missed but may not be totally dead (see below). Either way, you know between Kevin’s reports and what we get here, you’ll have all the latest with the flick, at least, what leaks out. Kev’s keeping this one as tight as a drum and, unlike Dogma, there’s nary a script leak out there (thankfully). Sounds like a cameo-filled funfest so far.

The Jay & Silent Bob font that we posted the other day had a lot of complaints as far as problems with installation. We’re going to test it out and see where the problem might be. Once we figure it out, we’ll post a new version and let you all know. Also, there’s been quite a few talkback double and triple posts lately, and some of that may be due to server load and problems. Keep in mind, the message you post hits the board in 5 seconds or less. It’s the regeneration of the front news page (that updates the comment total you see there) that takes longest. We’re working on an automated way to speed this up considerably, and hope to have some good news on that soon.

We’re also happy to present a new poll topic and, of course, some new news for ya today. Thanks for stopping in as always. Let’s go:

• We’re not sure if this is just wishful thinking, a rumor, or some new development, but one of the Psycomic guys had this to say about taking Kevin’s “Developing The Monkey” column to a new place:

So, while Kevin has seemingly written off the column and moved on, demand may bring it back. We know that Kevin only had a couple (if that) written in advance, so unless another site gives him the forum and the freedom AND Kevin still has the time to continue with the column, it still seems like a long shot. Still, there’s hope, and we wanted to let you know the latest that was being said. We’re sure it’ll all be settled soon, one way or another.

• We’re hearing that Kevin and Jay will NOT appear at Mega-Con this Spring now, according to the convention’s people. The due were both slated to appear there but now, due to what they said was scheduling conflicts, it won’t happen. We attribute it to the fast-paced development of “Strike Back”. Sorry for the bad news, folks.
• The gang behind the “Chasing Kevin” short that got a lot of buzz both here and at Vulgarthon this past year will be showing the flick for free in Park City, Utah tomorrow. Here’s the details. Why not stop by if you’re in the area?

• Kevin was kind enough to hit us with back to back updates from the set’s second day of shooting, and then the end of the week wrap-up. In them, he confirms news on Psycomic, Duchov’s outs, and even addresses folks who are worried about the film’s cast. Our take: Look at how big this cast list is getting. Now, assume that the flick will likely be driven by Jay & Silent Bob, with an incredible amount of cameos along the way. We’re expecting it to be just that – A solid 90 minutes or so of jokes and cameos from past characters from the Askewniverse as well as a ton of familar faces from present-day Hollywood. Kevin’s only spending a day or two with most of these folks. That should amount to only a few minutes of screentime at most (one scene, probably). So if there’s someone you dislike, hey, cover your eyes or something. It’s going to be cool, folks. Here’s Kevin:

We’ll be keeping track of all the news from the set over at our J&SBSB website, so be sure and check there so you don’t miss anything. Soon, we’ll also begin carrying more exclusive content over there (the cast list continues to grow with each and every new announcement, including the Diedrich Bader one from above).

• Even after reading Kev’s stuff above, in case there are still any misconceptions, yes, Psycomic has indeed gone away. Kevin’s busy enough with his directing duties and otherwise, and seems to be quite content keeping us informed through the WWWBoard, so we don’t expect “Developing The Monkey” to continue in its current form. News Askew will offer the current archive of Psycomic columns as well for your convenience on the Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back site. Here’s the official notice that appeared on Psycomic itself yesterday:

• Thanks to Joey Baloney at Joblo.Com, we’ve got here on pretty good authority what looks to be the final cover art for the Clerks Uncensored DVD which arrives later next month. You can see the package promises a 2-disc collection filled with lots of extras. Fantastic choice of cover art, too, and much better than the rumored Clerks logo cover from a while back. Remember, the disc arrives on February 20, 2001. We’ll try and get an advanced review copy for an early look as soon as they’re available.

• Kevin gets a mention and a quote in the latest column from Jeffrey Wells, regarding his recent dissing in Premiere Magazine, firing back with a stab of his own:

• Jason Lee’s new film, “Big Trouble”, has a positive script review that appears on Screenwriter’s Utopia.
• Expect trailers for Ben Affleck in “Pearl Harbor” and Chris Rock in “Osmosis Jones” during the Superbowl next Sunday.
• Here’s yet another pic of Mewes and Pauly from Shore’s site about his new flick.
• Shannon Elizabeth will be on MTV Sunday at 1 PM this weekend for a Super Bowl themed show. She might mention Jay & Silent Bob as she tends to talk about current projects in interviews. Check it out.
• Some online websites are rescheduling the A BETTER PLACE DVD for March 6, 2001. This seems in line with the timeframes Vincent has been discussing. Could we be seeing a release soon? We’ll let ya know, as we’re expecting check discs once pressing happens. Once we’ve got those, you know a release won’t be far off.
• There’s apparently even more Clerks references on that upcoming album from “The Ataris”. The disc streets later next month. Here’s a sampling:

• Here’s an update on Region 4 DVDs for Australia: There’s still no news about Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy or the Clerks Cartoon being released by anyone on DVD (though the cartoon series was on television). Dogma, however will be released on February 14 with the same features as the US version we have currently: Cast and crew bios, Interviews, Trailer, English subtitle. Those of you with multi-region players may wanna hold out for the US Special Edition.

• Howdy folks…Just wanted to let you know that we’ve got a big update coming your way later today, including the latest from Kevin at the set, casting news, the Psycomic demise, and lots lots more. We’ll see you back here then!