MSN Slate – “Summary Judgement”
IGN Filmforce – “The Sound of Silent Bob” (Part One, Part Two Monday)
About.Com – “Jay and Silent Bob in Action”
Kansas City Star – “Kevin Smith balances budgets and themes and gets to keep making his movies”

JIM MAHFOOD COMES TO NYC ON OCTOBER 27, 2001

Ultimate Spider-Man Team Up #9 artist, JIM MAHFOOD, to appear at BEST COMICS & HOBBY CENTER in NYC.

BEST COMICS & HOBBY CENTER announced the first East Coast appearance of Indy veteran and up-and-coming mainstream comic book artist JIM (Ultimate Marvel Team-up #9) MAHFOOD. Having teamed with creators, such as KEVIN (Clerks, Green Arrow) SMITH and BRIAN MICHAEL (Ultimate Spider-man, Powers) BENDIS, as well as turning out his creator owned titles, such as Grrl Scouts, Zombie Kid, and Smoke Dog, Jim has worked on a host of projects that appeal to all walks of life.

Jim’s just finished work on Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #9 with Brian Michael Bendis. Being a long time Spider-man fan, Jim got the chance to work with his childhood hero. “I’m actually having a blast drawing all this [stuff].”

On October 27th, Jim will be appearing at Best Comics & Hobby Center from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm! On hand will be copies of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #9, the new Image Comics Edition of Clerks: The Comic Book, Grrl Scouts and much more. As an added bonus there will be a BRAND NEW mini comic featuring Jim’s creation, Smoke Dog, as well as a handful of other Indy creators work. This 32-page mini comic will be exclusive to the signing session and limited to only a few hundred copies.

E-mail, call or drop by our website in the next few weeks for more information or directions.

“JAY and Silent Bob Strike Back” star Carrie Fisher wasn’t the first choice for the role of an affronted nun – or even the fifth. “We went to Sally Field first,” says director Kevin Smith. “We thought, she’s a genius and she was a huge ‘Chasing Amy’ fan. She didn’t want to do it. Then we tried Wendie Malick, Kathy Najimy, all of the obvious nun candidates. Then I thought of Carrie, who’s really acerbic. And Carrie thought the part was funny – even after six people had turned it down.”

After an aggressive week of promotions varying from late night talk shows to television spots, Kevin Smith’s Jay & Silent Bob topped the box office as expected, but the comedy turned in only $4.4 million. While this will become the best debut for a Smith production, the Miramax release was expected to do a bit more. Jay & Silent Bob received promising exit polls from opening night, scoring an A from males under 21 and A- from females under 21 (CinemaScore). The film played in 2,735 theaters and averaged a good, but not spectacular $1,608 per-screen. For the weekend expect Jay to pull in around $12.0 – 14.5 million depending on its Saturday holdup.

Warner Brothers’ Summer Catch debuted decently, earning $2.8 million for $1,207 per-cinema in 2,335 locations. The Freddy Prince Jr. baseball flick scored a B+ average among moviegoers polled and should gross $8 – 9 million for the weekend.

Not even Ice Cube could escalate Ghosts of Mars to a solid position, as the John Carpenter flick took in $1.3 million at the box office for a poor $625 per-screen in 2,048 sites. Along with its weak opening, the film also received harsh feedback as it scored a C- average among moviegoers polled on Friday night. Ghosts of Mars looks to see about $3.6 – 4.0 million for the weekend.

Woody Allen’s Curse of the Jade Scorpion launched to rather disappointing sales, picking up just $778,000 from 903 theaters, on its way to around $2.3 – 2.8 million in ticket sales. By contrast, Small Time Crooks earned $3.9 million in 865 cinemas. Jade Scorpion picked up a B+ average among polled audiences.

Disney’s Bubble Boy saw dreadful results, as the terribly reviewed comedy grossed $646,000 for a pitiful $402 average in 1,605 locations. Bubble Boy should see $1.8 – 2.2 million in ticket sales. On the surprising side, the comedy did receive a B average grade among polled crowds.

Among holdups, American Pie 2 slipped to second place on its way to roughly $11 – 12 million. If Jay & Silent Bob were to slip up on Saturday night, AP2 could have a shot at #1.

Rush Hour 2 scored $3.4 million and is on its way to about $10 – 11 million at the box office.

I Need Your Help, Folks

If we’re to take the number one spot this weekend, I’m going to have to shamelessly (or shamefully) ask for your help today (or tonight)…

I need you to go pay to see the flick again. Today. Saturday. Not Sunday (although, feel free to go again Sunday, if you’re so inclined); but SATURDAY.

Right now, we were number one for last night. But the margin between us and the number two flick (‘American Pie 2′) was about four hundred grand. I’d like to make that margin much wider, so that we can comfortably slide into first place for the weekend – which would be a View Askew first (and probably last).

So if you saw it last night (or last week), please pay to see it again tonight. And bring a few friends. Or a few thousand friends even. Because it’s really important to win the Saturday, if we’re to win the weekend. And if we win the weekend…

Well, there’s a surprise in store for ya’ll if we win the weekend. A very nice surprise, if you like Jay and Silent Bob.

So help a brother out. Please.

Tell you what – I’ll sweeten the pot: anyone that sends in a Friday night AND Saturday night ticket stub gets a free, signed and personalized ‘Jay and Silent Bob’ mini-poster. Seriously. The ticket stubs have to be from the same theater, with two respective dates on them (Aug 24th and Aug 25th only).

Send the above-described ticket stubs and name to…
Kev’s Utter Lack of Dignity
c/o View Askew
3 Harding Road
Red Bank, NJ
07701

I know this may come off as desperate, but there’s one more thing I’d like to do with Jay and Bob before I put ‘em to bed, and in order to do that, we need to win the weekend. So you’re help would be much appreciated (and rewarded).

But regardless of what happens…

Right now…

We’re number one.

Woo-hoo!