Archive for March, 2003

View Askew NewsBites™

March 31st @ 11:59 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Justin Owades, Brand X, Joe Guthrie, E.Christopher, XCalND, Mike, Mike McGranaghan, Michael Brindamour, Derek Boyer, Moyaku Shoy.

  • Thanks to everyone who sent in the Jason Lee “People” magazine article. Here’s the stuff in it that pertains directly to Kevin and View Askew:
Fittingly for a guy who’s signature move was once the “360 flip,” Lee, 32, always seems to be adding new tricks to his repertoire. A long time favorite of directors Kevin Smith (Chasing Amy) and Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous), both of whom have repeatedly showcased his coffee-shop-hipster vibe, Lee “has this coolest-dorky-guy thing going” says pal Selma Blair. Adds Smith: “He’s never been into the notion of marketplace domination or superstardom.” But despite his slacker persona, in real life Lee is anything but, having tried everything from race-car driving to art collecting. “I fulfill something quickly,” he says. “Once that’s been fulfilled, it’s done.”

After starting his own company selling boards and videos, “I got bored,” he says. Plus, “it’s the biggest work out ever.” So in 1994 Lee began auditioning for acting rolls, landing his big break in Kevin Smith’s 1995 film Mallrats. “He was just a guy who wanted to act,” recalls Smith. “There was no discussion of the mechanics or the performance.” Since then Smith has directed him in four films, including the forthcoming Jersey Girl (with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez), and hopes to cast him in a planned prequel to the ‘85 Chevy Chase cult hit Fletch.

You can, of course, also read the entire article in the scans above. Click ‘em!

  • Chalk up yet ANOTHER positive review for the hilarious “Evening With Kevin Smith” DVD. Cinescape digs it http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=Video+%26+DVD&action=page&obj_id=38155 ! Check out their review and, for goodness’ sake, buy this disc if you don’t have it on your shelf already!
  • We’re receiving some nice reports from Brian O’Halloran’s recent visit to Cedar Crest College in Allentown. Some theorized that Brian was happy to be at an all girl school (sheesh, if we knew that we’d have gone in!), but all agreed that he was a great guy, very generous with his time answering any and all questions brought forth. Brian will be at the Indie Film Festival in New York City later this week!
  • HMV Australia hmv.com.au reports that Region 4 SE DVDs of Clerks and Chasing Amy will be available separately beginning May 5th.
  • A cartoon on the preview page of the Mad Magazine website http://www2.warnerbros.com/madmagazine/files/onthestands/ots_429/sbevery.html called “SpongeBob is Everywhere” features a reference to everyone’s favourite hetero-lifemate.
  • Buddy Christ pops up again, this time in the new Sum 41 video for “Hell Town”. The entire video is done with action figures, and our buddy appears toward the end of the video for a quick cameo.
  • The Anti-Webster, “Urban Dictionary” website features some familiar terms that you might be interested in seeing the user-entered definitions for: “Kevin Smith” http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?form=1&term=Kevin+Smith , “Mallrats” http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?form=1&term=Mallrats .”nubian” http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?form=1&term=nubian , and http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Snoochie+Boochies “Snoochie Boochies”.

New York City Bound For DDR!

March 29th @ 11:34 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad

  • Hey folks, just wanted to let you know that I’ll be heading into New York City for next Friday’s “Drop Dead Roses” screening. Brian O’Halloran and other cast members from the film WILL be in attendance. The film screens on Friday, April 4th at the Village East Cinemas (181 2nd. Ave. at 12th St.), Screen 6 at 6:00 PM. If ya spot me, be sure to stop and say hi! Furthermore, I’ll be in the city all night long and into Saturday, so if any of you local folks have some suggestions on cool places to hang out and have a few drinks on a Friday night, let me know! Hope to see some of you there at the show.

Brian, by the way, appeared at Cedar Crest College in nearby Allentown, PA tonight. If anyone’s got a report from that, send it on!

View Askew NewsBites™

March 29th @ 11:33 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Dan P, Jello, Hoser, Greenarrow

  • Friday’s Howard Stern show erroneously cited “Jersey Girl” as making reshoots now as part of their weekly “Gossip Game”. We’ve got the clip HERE in MP3 format. Just so you know, the film they are talking about is GIGLI, and NOT Jersey Girl, as Mike Walker mistakenly says.
  • The Arcmax Entertainment Daily mailing ran this very cool blurb from an interview with Chris Rock, where he discusses his enjoyment of working with Kevin and his desire to do so again in the future:
ROCK WANTS TO WORK WITH KEVIN SMITH AGAIN

Chris Rock says he would love to work again with his “Dogma” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” filmmaker Kevin Smith.

“I want to work with Kevin again,” Rock told reporters in New York. “Ben Affleck’s the star of (‘Jersey Girl’). I wanted that movie. I want to star in a (Kevin Smith movie.)”

So, did he actually lobby for the role in “Jersey Girl”?

“Yeah. I mentioned it,” he admitted. “I wanted that movie. I really wanted ‘Jersey Girl.’ He wanted Ben and then I started this. I want to star in one.”

Of course, the award-winning comedian said he would play another supporting role for a filmmaker like Smith.

“If Kevin had a supporting role, I’d take that,” he stated. “It depends on who the movie’s with. If the star is bigger than me, then I’ll take the supporting role. If the star is not… I just got ! offered the role, Ashton Kutcher, a supporting role, I was like, ‘Why would I do that?’ I would have no problem carrying Mel Gibson’s bag, but Ashton Kutcher’s bags?”

Asked what he admires so much about the “Chasing Amy” and “Clerks” director, Rock replied: “He does it so simple. Very simple. Movies don’t have to be so complicated. He does it so simple. It’s all on the page.”

“Head of State,” Rock’s directorial debut, opens Friday. (ArcaMax Entertainment Today for Friday March 28, 2003)

  • A two-page interview with Jason Lee appears in the latest issue of People Magazine. If anyone’s got a scan or the text, please send it on.
  • Those way cool Clerks figures are starting to make their way into retail outlets as well…Some have been spotted at Suncoast Pictures, though at a higher price than at the Stash, we believe. Get these things, you won’t be sorry! They just look so damn cool.

Interesting Minnesota Tidbits!

March 27th @ 7:21 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Jon Farthing

  • An article on Kevin’s recent Minnesota appearance from The Minnesota Daily is now available. Sounds like a few interesting bits of information were asked about answered. Here’s a snippet of the good stuff:
In response to one student question, Smith said a cartoon based on the movie “Clerks” is moving closer to an animation test.

Smith said he and his colleagues would like to do the whole movie using Flash animation.

Smith also said Ben Affleck has tried to convince him to write a “Daredevil” sequel but that he’s not sure he wants the job.

“I love comic books, but I don’t know whether I’d want to work on a superhero movie,” Smith said. “There are too many studio executives that have to justify their jobs, so they say things like, ‘What if “Daredevil’s” not blind? Why does he have to be blind?’ “

Read the whole shebang HERE. Thanks to DARK HORIZONS for the link!

Clerks Inaction Figures: They Rule!

March 27th @ 7:19 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • Well, Ming’s hooked us up with our sets of the Clerks inaction figures: Randal, Dante, Jay & Silent Bob, and it’s really great to see these things up close and personal. They’ve really captured the cartoony likenesses of these folks, and they sure do look damn cool hanging out around the PC here. Each of the 4 figures ranges in size and weight, Bob of course being the heaviest by far, and come in a nifty little filmstrip like package card. It’s always sad to rip a collectible like this open, but they just screamed to get out of the package. These items are definitely a must-have for any fan, so be sure and order yourself a set from the Stash today, while they last. Or heck, order two, keep a set in the packages! This being the first wave, we’re sure they’re gonna be very collectible once they sell out. The packages promise Wave 2, the Mallrats set, featuring 7 new figures, this summer. We’ll keep you posted on the progress with those. Preorders are shipping on these as we speak, so if you’ve yet to get your set, watch for them any day now. Enjoy.

New Look On The Way In April!

March 27th @ 7:19 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • Prepare folks, prepare…We’ve been working tirelessly, day and night, non stop, on creating what we’re hoping is going to be the absolute most amazing website you’ve ever seen. Be prepared, as we’ve got a HUGE update to the look of this site coming in just a few short days. We’re so excited about it, we can’t wait to debut it, but we’ve just got a few final touches to work out before it’s JUST perfect. We promise that you’ll all absolutely LOVE it, and that it’s going to completely revolutionalize the way that web pages are done from this point forward. Stay tuned, the NEW NEWS ASKEW is on the way to your computer screen NEXT WEEK!

View Askew NewsBites™

March 27th @ 7:18 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by John Lovegrove, Matt Booker, Drew Seachrist, Daniel Zelter

  • Jason Lee is scheduled to appear on a new episode of “Last Call with Carson Daly” on NBC late night TONIGHT. Check your local listings for the air time. We imagine he may be there to promote “Dreamcatcher”.
  • We’re getting a lot of mail on this so we figured we’d best mention it: In issue #702 of Entertainment Weekly, with the American Idol cover, on page 67, there’s a picture of rapper Jean Grae, and behind her, there’s a DJ with the Brodie’s Mallrats t-shirt on.
  • The song “Berserker” (from Clerks) is referenced in Episode 5 of the animated “Berserk – War Cry”.
  • Finally today…Don’t be fooled by the bombs that he got…He’s still Saddam from Iraq. Take care, all.

View Askew NewsBites™

March 24th @ 10:53 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Daniel Zelter, Mike Prince, Spacekitten, Kirk Gilmore, S Phillips, Scott

  • A small promotional Jersey Girl site has been set up at Miramax, touting a winter 2003 release for the film. Don’t forget, we’ve got continuing coverage at Exit 37 and full archives in case you missed anything from the film, and expect the site to speed up drastically as release draws closer.
  • Apparently Kevin Michael Richardson, who did the phony Morpehus voice in the Clerks cartoon did such a good job, he’s also doing a voice in the newly released Animatrix short, Final Flight of the Osiris, now in theaters with Dreamcatcher. We were unable to verify this but a scooper swears it’s so.
  • UK’s Maxim magazine didn’t have such good things to say about Stealing Harvard, but cited Lee’s Mallrats performance as his best to date:
Stealing Harvard Tom Green, Jason Lee

Jason Lee was a superstar in Mallrats, but has never filled his potential because he keeps making charmless wastes of celluloid like this. Due to a flippant promise he made a few years back, he finds himself having to find $30,000 to finance his niece’s Harvard education. Cue lying to his fiancee, hooking up with hapless loser Tom Green, and lots of crazy plans to try to raise the cash. And it’s not funny. At all.

  • During a quick interview with Salma Hayek on the Oscar pre-show, a bar at the bottom of the screen said she has also appeared in “Wild Wild West” and “DOGMA”! Nice little mention there.
  • In a recent episode of MTV UKs series “Screenpaly”, Corey Taylor of the band “Slipknot” chose “Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back” as his favorite film, explaining why he loves it and Kevin’s work so much. Rapper Lil Bow Wow also cited the film as one of his favorites in the video store currently on the MTV US show “Moviehouse”.
  • Finally today, we usually don’t run all this Fark stuff, but this one’s pretty funny — The latest contest had folks messing with a picture of Wolverine from X2. In this shot, a familiar face shows up in place of the dude with the knives. Catch ya next time!

Kevin @ SMSU: Date Change!

March 23rd @ 9:59 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Laura D, Kevinicus, Jalhoser, Preston Hultz

  • Kevin’s Q&A appearance at Southwest Missouri State University has been moved from April 10th to Sunday, April 27th at 8:00 PM. Here’s the official word from their website:
Date and time: Sunday, April 27, 2003, 8:00 PM

Location: Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts

Description: SAC presents a lecture and evening of laughs with Director Kevin Smith. This event is rescheduled from April 10. Tickets are available for SMSU students for only $8 starting on March 3 and will be sold until the show date. Tickets purchased for the origianlly planned date will be valid on April 27. SMSU faculty/staff tickets will be available for $15, and community tickets will be $20.

His first movie, “Clerks” (1994), was filmed in the convenience store in which Smith worked. This movie won the highest award at the Sundance film festival and was brought to theaters by Miramax. Since then, Kevin has directed numerous other films including “Mallrats,” “Chasing Amy,” “Dogma,” and most recently “Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back,”with Kevin playing the role of Bob.

Clerks Inaction Figures Arrive!

March 23rd @ 9:58 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Ming

  • Yes, what we still claim are one of, if not THE coolest pieces of View Askew merchandise, have ARRIVED! The proof’s right there in Amy’s hands. Ming says:
THANK GOD THEY’RE FINALLY F-ING HERE!

The long awaited CLERKS INACTION FIGURES have finally reached our shelves and all preorders are being filled as I type. ALL pre-orders will be shipped in the order they were received. And for those of you who have not ordered yet – what are you waiting for? Mallrats? Inaction figures? (Coming Summer 2003…)

If you haven’t gotten your order in yet, do it now HERE. We’re eagerly awaiting setting these babies up at home, and we’re hoping they continue to sell really well — Remember, good sales mean we’ll get more of these things in future waves. Think of how cool it’ll be to have them all set up in their own little world!