“This film is heartening, funny, sad, informative, and in some parts downright offensive in its candid look at reality. small town gay bar was an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival and though it did not win any awards, it did receive a standing ovation. The film did hit theatres in a very limited release, but will hit its stride now on DVD, at least that is the hope of executive producer Kevin Smith, who has helped shepherd the project along since Ingram had pitched the film.”

Got something to say about the week, your experience, or have your own photos to share? We’d love to hear from you in the comments area of this post. Thanks to everyone who made the trek to New Jersey last week. After all, these events wouldn’t be anything without the fans, and it’s what keeps Kevin coming back year after year.

Anyway, all that aside, this is one of those interviews that you don’t wanna miss a word of – Just compelling page for page. So enjoy the scans, click away, and read it all. We think you’re gonna dig this one.

Decked out in strands upon strands of Christmas lights and surrounded by fake snow, the Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse was one of many backdrops filmed for Kevin Smith’s “Jersey Girl,” which premiered in 2004.

To the disappointment of many a lighthouse enthusiast, though, it suffered the same fate as the relationship between Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez and was left on the cutting room floor.

Despite being excluded from the film, members of the Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse society say they have hosted upwards of 3,000 visitors per year since they opened the lighthouse to the public 10 years ago.

…But, to think that this compared to Kevin Smith’s Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back, which got GLAAD in a hissy fit, despite Smith being so pro-gay and always putting the homophobic stuff in the mouths of his dumbest characters while everyone around them clearly knows better, it is just phenomenal. (In fact, some of the anti-gay stuff happened in editing, as Smith’s original girl group in the movie were supposed to include a lesbian couple, so his “anti-gay” stuff actually was a result of editing, unlike Sandler and James where it happened in the writing room).


GLAAD extorted $10,000 out of Smith, by way of a donation to the Matthew Shepard Foundation, as a form of public apology. Yet this movie gets the papal dispensation? Unbelievable.

Wow, consider us flabbergasted, too. We’ll dig some more on this one and keep you posted on what else we hear. Could it mean a schedule change? A new actress for Miri? Things change fast in the biz. We’ll let ya know.

Kevin Smith: 20 Questions In Red Bank
Story: Brad Plevyak

Photos: Edward Anastasio

It started with St. Kevin, and it ended in an anal fissure. That’s how it was last night when a sold-out crowd took over the town of Red Bank, NJ, as Kevin Smith took to the stage of the Count Basie theater once again. 20 lucky attendees had the chance to step up to the mic and share a moment with the man of the evening, who celebrated his 37th birthday with a seven hour extravaganza. The waterfront area was buzzing with a kinetic energy, crowd of pedestrians on Monmouth St. (and lack of parking) clearly indicated this was no normal night for this trendy little town. The shady, disheveled woman scalping tickets outside on our way in, discreetly asking “Need a ticket?” on my way in confirmed it — This was the place to be tonight.

Right on schedule, following an introduction from wife Jen and daughter Harley, Smith took to the stage to a chorus of “Happy Birthday”, backed by a projected photo of the man in his MUCH younger years. Lines of hopeful question askers flank both sides of the room, all of whom we’re told lined up immediately, without even seeking their seats, which ranged in price from $25 all the way up to $75 for the best in the place. Without any imposed time limits, and a stocked cash bar in the theater lobby, it’s looking to be a memorable night before the first tale’s even been told.

Zak Knutson, whose Chop Shop Entertainment will produce the DVD based on this event, has things well in hand — Cameras are capturing the question lines, the audience, the stage, the aisles, and a MASSIVE crane rig on stage right is panning both the crowd and all aspects of Kevin and the stage throughout the evening. Knutson’s disclaimer to the crowd to bring their A-game with questions does not go unheeded. But before the crowd had their say, Smith had a monologue to give.

For most past Q&As, Smith’s jumped into the audience within moments — This time, for this special birthday occasion, he’d done some homework — The religious backstory (or lack thereof) of St. Kevin, the saint who bore his namesake. With notes in hand, and humorous observations aplenty, the night (and the crowd) were rolling before the first fan had even walked up to a mic.

By 7:45, the formalities complete and the introduction wrapped, it was time for the first question — One geared towards children’s movies, which led into the first and possibly longest tale of the night — That of the Smith canine clan. The dude can weave a yarn like no other — Tales for the evening ranged in both topic and length: Jay Mewes’ Clerks II enthusiasm. The ups and downs of money and fame. The saga of the ill-fated “Clerks” live-action sitcom (the animated series’ “Outbreak” script dated back this far). Sneaking into a “Catch & Release” test screening. Hearing his name on TV. For almost seven hours, it was all that and so much more, including (as always) those unsuspected audience moments that you just can’t see coming.

An evening highlight featured a fresh tale of the time Smith spent with Bruce Willis on the set of “Live Free or Die Hard”.

Smith wasn’t afraid to throw out candid, even embarrassing stories involving some of the most famous folks in the biz. If these tales told for public consumption are this compelling, one can only imagine how lurid the stuff that CAN’T be shared onstage must be.

Most of the night’s big revelations had been spent up at the San Diego con just a few short days ago. The “Heroes” gig was briefly discussed. We learned that Showtime’s “Manchild” pilot was indeed jettisoned, and won’t see air, due to the network opting for David Duchovny’s “Californication” instead. The surf story that went with it was fresh and hilarious, with Smith remarking the upside being no longer wearing a wet suit or paddling into the shark-infested ocean. The “Die Hard” interview he conducted with Bruce Willis for the eventual DVD ran somewhere from 45 minutes to an hour, though there’s no idea how that will be cut together. Dogma II? Never going to happen, though one day, in comic book form, we could possibly learn what became of some of the original’s characters. The “Evening With” series was never planned to be an “all-Kevin” collection. Other directors were planned to film their own sessions, though the process stalled when some realized they weren’t up to the task.

Smith’s callbacks to previous moments in stories throughout the night kept the audience in stitches, rewarding those who stuck it out for the duration and didn’t miss a beat. For me, the joy of hearing the director speak stems from his inner-geekdom that shines through in these stories. He expresses his love for modern classics like “Terminator 2”, and “Shaun of the Dead”. He makes veiled references to “Arrested Development” and “Goodfellas”. The inner geek in me was absolutely drooling over his recounting of his recent tour through the soundstages of “Battlestar Galactica” (still the best show on television today). Moments like that make me realize why he’s so good to his fans — He realizes what it’s like to totally geek out about something. Much like his Galactica set experience, for those of us to line up to shake his hand, get his autograph, and watch him speak…That’s OUR Galactica set visit. And he gets that. Kevin Smith truly is just, well…”one of us”.

At 1:45 AM, Smith had done what he set out to do — Ending on a high note, with the lurid extended tale of his proctological exploits a couple years back, he thanked the crowd and proclaimed he was “Going to bed”, leaving the still full auditorium cheering and hungering for more. Once again, the man had delivered. The crowd, while hungering for more, left fulfilled and jovial, discussing their favorite moments of the evening. What was this reporter’s? Hard to say, there’s always so many. Though it’s tough to shake that vision of Smith and Willis, kickin’ it on the set of a “Die Hard” film…

This week kicks off probably one of the busiest for Kevin as well as the die-hard View Askew fan. Last night, Kevin and Jen hosted a poker game that ran all night long.

Today, we’ve got the big Q&A at the famous Count Basie. Over 1,500 seats, SOLD OUT. We’ll be there! Ming’s invited loyal fans from the web (that’s you) to stop up the street to the Dublin House (2 ½ short blocks away) for some pre-show drinks and apps starting at 5 PM. You’re responsible for your part of the tab, of course, but it’s a great crew and a very cool spot in Red Bank. We hope to get out of here early enough to drop by, as well, but it’s a bit of a drive so a lot depends on the traffic today. Also, take note – They’re being restrictive with cameras this year. From what I hear, no video cameras or still camera photography at all. Last time, they did let us bring in cameras, but we’re sure they don’t want flashes going off due to the taping. We’ll see how restrictive it is, but you’ve been warned. When these things get filmed professionally, a lot of the rules change.

Tomorrow, it’s poker game number two with the fans, this time, a big tournament of 4 tables or more. Wow.

And then, the event of the weekend, to cap it all off – VIEW ASKEW PROM this Saturday! Lucky fans will show up in tuxes and dresses to celebrate Kevin’s birthday with Kevin and Jen, eating and dancing the night away. With its 80’s theme, this should be one to remember.

When all’s said and done, this one will go on the record books as the biggest fan-oriented week in View Askew history – All in the beautiful Red Bank, New Jersey area. We look forward to seeing some of you today. Have a safe trip into town and enjoy any or all of the events you’re attending.

Happy Birthday Kevin, and thanks for allowing us and the fans to celebrate this one so closely with ya.