Archive for May 29th, 2006

Kevin Confirms “R” Rating For Clerks II…

May 29th @ 1:03 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • We made this assumption a few weeks back, and in yesterday’s press release from Cannes it seemed confirmed…Now Kevin himself has spoken publicly about the exciting news: Clerks II did indeed receive an “R” rating from the MPAA without a single edit. His words:
I was shocked… literally, in shock… when I got the call regarding the rating. Based on our history with the MPAA (we fought NC-17’s on both “Clerks” and “Strike Back”, and fought an R on “Jersey Girl”), we were all gearing-up for another battle, as the “questionable” content in “Clerks II” goes beyond anything we’ve ever presented in a film before. Don’t know what happened in the MPAA screening that morning, and don’t need to know. All I do know is that they handed us an R, without asking for a single cut. And rather than obsess over it, I just quickly (and happily) accepted the rating and moved on – delighted that I won’t have to “revisit” the flick editorially, or deal with distribs saying “But with no rating, we’re severely limited in how many theaters we can screen in, we can’t do TV spots, we can’t…”

But ask anyone who’s seen the flick already and they’ll probably tell you: the fact that “Clerks II” got an R without any cuts is kinda wacky.

But I’ll take wacky over all the stress that comes with an MPAA battle any day.

Having caught an early cut of the film, we’re pleasantly surprised as well — Kevin himself giggled outside that screening back in December when we were discussing it — Pointing out the one moment where the film certainly SHOULD tread into NC-17 territory. However, the fact it made it through is a joy — Considering what DOES earn the “R” these days, it probably was a winnable battle, but without having to battle at all, less stress on the rating and more focus on the marketing can only mean good things for Clerks II. We’re excited for this one’s arrival in July. Here’s hoping that audiences find it and spread the word.

Filed in: News

More Praise For “Clerks II”…

May 29th @ 1:03 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris, Francois Dubuc

  • Clerks II continues to generate positive press following its Cannes debut on Friday night. We’ve got two more reviews in English today, and one in French which, while we can’t read, we’re assured gives the film high praise. Links and highlights straight ahead. Please beware, all these links contain big spoilers for the film, though the Aint It Cool piece probably the least of the offenders if you wanna read something. Here ya go:
Aint It Cool News – “Evil Henchman goes to Cannes and blows CLERKS 2”

“…The movie is much more sentimental then the first Clerks.. there are some moments with messages about how important frienship is and Randall really shows his love for Dante but for me it works. Some might think it’s tacky but I think it’s pretty cute and you really feel how much Kevin loves these characters. The sequel compared to the first one feels more like a movie. It has more events and you feel Dante and Randall evolving in it.”

Empire Online – “United 93 and Clerks II Debut At Cannes” (Spoilers)

“…Perfectly recapturing the original film’s provincial whimsy, Clerks II successfully folds in the romanticism of Jersey Girl but this time with Smith’s familiar, unique voice. And after so long, it’s not only a pleasure to see O’Halloran and Anderson back on screen again, it’s a positive joy to see how well they work together – so much so, you wonder why they don’t make more movies, and not just for Smith.”

Ecran Large – “Critique, Clerks II” (French

(Not sure about the text, but the reviewer gives the film a 9/10!)

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View Askew NewsBites™

May 29th @ 1:02 am | No Comments » | Scooped by E. Christopher, Ryan Maxwell, Evan Pinsoneault

  • Catch Kevin IN STUDIO on Opie & Anthony’s XM radio program this Tuesday morning, May 30th. We’ll work to get clippage of Kevin’s stint online ASAP for you non-subscribers. Last time, Kevin hung out for the duration of the program, and many called it one of the best O&A shows of all time. What’ll happen next time? Tune in Tuesday, and watch News Askew for your own chance to listen.
  • Clerks was selected at the 33rd funniest movie of all time by the American Movie Classics channel (AMC). In the program they aired, there were a couple of good clips of Kevin discussing the film, along with director Penelope Spheeris and critic Richard Roeper also chatting about it. Congrats!
  • Catch Kevin this weekend on the Bravo channel, appearing in interviews on a new clip show called “The 100 Funniest Movies of All Time”.
  • Joey Lauren Adams appears in the new comedy “The Break-Up” next weekend, in a supporting role as lead Aniston’s best friend. The New York Daily News runs a nice profile piece on her featuring some interesting info on a past relationship, and some quotes about “Come Early Morning” and “Break-Up”. Here’s a snippet:
But the roles, she found, were not as memorable as her sexy squeak. “After ‘Chasing Amy,’ I thought, ‘Oh, I’m finally gonna get to do good parts,’” Adams says. “But they’re not out there. I was really disillusioned.” Tired of sitting around waiting, she decided to write and direct her own movie. “Come Early Morning,” a semiautobiographical film starring Ashley Judd, took Adams five years to make but premiered at this year’s Sundance to good notices.

But her off-screen life has a parallel with her new film: She has had a sort-of breakup with Vince Vaughn. The two met over a decade ago in Hollywood.

“I thought he was really cute, and we ended up talking, and he asked me out,” she recalls. The next day she invited Vaughn to a dog park with her friend, even though no one actually had a dog. “Vince thought that was really strange … and I completely freaked him out by bringing a friend along.”

Adams remembers Vaughn telling her that day about a new script a friend had written, and how one character was based on him. “Vince was really shy,” she says. “I thought, ‘Why would someone base a character on you?’” The friend was Jon Favreau, and the movie was the indie cult classic “Swingers.” And despite her and Vaughn’s awkward “date,” a friendship flourished; she became part of his creative circle, which includes Favreau, “Arrested Development” star Jason Bateman and “Break-Up” producer Peter Billingsley.

  • High praise from the author of “Gone Baby, Gone”, Affleck’s upcoming directorial effort, in the Boston Herald. Dennis Lehane really digs the cast that’s been assembled for the film.

Filed in: News