Via @torontoist “The Toronto Underground Cinema Prepares to Rise Up: http://bit.ly/aOyRC8 ” Looks like a great place to SMod…

Via @Anthem85 “please buy a nicer mic for SMods. You get really distorted when laughing/loud” Part of the charm is sounding home-made, sir.

@chefcharming “bottom line, did Cop Out make money?” Only cost 32mil, so we’re all good & WB happy. Home video still ahead, too. But best of all? It led directly to both RED STATE and HIT SOMEBODY money (& lead). Oddly, worst reviewed flick was biggest bucket of win.

Via @Anthem85 “script of HIT? How many pages you in” 52. Wanted Canadian feedback, so I showed some to @MalcolmIngram. Ask him what he said.

Via @hockeynight “Nice to see that you’re including some Canadian compatriots in the process” Hockey Night makes first appearance on page 5.

SModcast114: Highlands – A Peephole History, Pt 1. First chapter in a sporadic, ongoing SMod sub-series. Only at http://www.smodcast.com

There’s a fantastic series of tweets from Kevin recalling his wedding as he celebrates his 11th anniversary that’s worth the trip alone, along with the great before and after pic we posted above.

The live Smodcast tour continues in Fargo, North Dakota tonight, on to Billings, Montana tomorrow and finally to San Francisco on May 2nd. If you’re lucky, you might still be able to nab some last minute tickets at the official site. Get there if you can, we live to think of live SMod as a rare commodity, one that doesn’t happen a lot and could stop at any time. Don’t miss your chance to attend one of these hilarious sessions.

The bearded comics writer/filmmaker/author/pride-of-Jersey was utterly comfortable in his own skin (right down to his self-effacing fat jokes), if not his signature outfit: hoodie (navy), ankle-scraping denim shorts and backward ballcap. Smith — director of “Clerks” 1 and 2, “Mallrats” and “Chasing Amy” right up through this year’s “Cop Out” — had his fans in the palm of his perspiring hand from the get-go, and he seemed to feed off that energy. The room was the height of pure geeklove — from shared “insider” references to a hug for a female fan who giddily requested the embrace.

Smith recently attended a George Carlin tribute ceremony in New York, and Thursday night’s crowd reveled in his storytelling about the late comedian. Smith relayed stories about how sweet and sentimental Carlin could be in person. Once, after Carlin talked about his then-recently deceased first wife, the touched Smith said: “I wish you were my mom and dad.”

Smith also said that by example, Carlin — whom he called “an incredible craftsman” as an entertainer — “taught me a way to live. … to play it truthfully.” Added Smith: “I miss him every day and think about him every day.”

Scroll to the very bottom of the article for a bonus fan-shot Youtube clip from the event.

Hey, it’s Jay and Silent Bob.

Drug dealers as lovable as Muppets.

These guys made it okay to be friends with your pot dealer. Up until Jay and Bob, drug dealers were portrayed as less than desirable elements in our culture. They made it possible for bromances like Pineapple Express to come later.

Via @billhelm “Dang, live #SModcast in Duluth” @SMosier & I will Live-SMod the Untold Delights of Duluth: http://tinyurl.com/livenudeduluth

Coming to see me & @SMosier do #LiveNudeSMod in Duluth or Fargo? Make sure you snag one of THESE: http://viewaskew.com/kevin/FargoFlip.jpg

That link on the 2nd #LiveNudeSMod poster (by http://dkngstudios.com ) is good now: http://viewaskew.com/kevin/FargoFlip.jpg You coming?

Via @peterwattie “SMod was awesome this week, already listened 3 times” Me too. As a SMod fan, I’d say me & @SMosier are on a roll lately.

Dear @StarkToons: I peeped the FORGETICUS cartoon 13x now. You’re a goddamned genius, sir! @SMosier in animal form is my new favorite Scott.

Via @johnleete “where can we find the FORGETICUS cartoon? I checked the @StarkToons website” It’ll be at www.SModcast.com very soon…

More news later — And don’t forget, Kevin’s making his first-ever appearance in York, Pennsylvania THIS MONDAY, April 26th, along with Scott Mosier for another sure-to-be classic edition of SModcast Live. Tickets available for immediate purchase!

Weinsteins to take back Miramax

It looks as if the Weinsteins have managed to fashion a winning bid in the Miramax auction and will take back operating control of the company they founded in 1979 and sold to Disney for $80 million in 1993.

Running the process internally, the Burbank studio for months has been soliciting offers for the recently shut specialty-film unit and its 611-title library.

Miramax founders Harvey and Bob Weinstein had been building enough financial muscle to put together an offer of $600 million or thereabouts, seeking to top bids from such rival suitors as businessmen Alec and Tom Gores and a more controversial one from Hollywood wheeler-dealer David Bergstein.

Harvey and Bob Weinstein have been kibitzing with billionaire financier Ron Burkle throughout the auction process. In addition to Burkle’s Yucaipa group, the duo’s backers include hedge funds Fortress and Colbeck Capital. In effect, Burkle and friends would be the official buyers, but the Weinsteins effectively would run the operation.

No word yet on when an official announcement of the deal will be made, as Disney lawyers apparently were still going over the financial details provided by the Weinsteins on Thursday.

“No deal has been reached,” a Disney spokesperson said Thursday night.

WaxWord did a great job summarizing Kevin’s tweets of support as well:

Exclusive! Kevin Smith Sweetens Weinstein’s Offer for Miramax

News from Silent Bob, the man who lately made SouthWest Airlines tremble with his mere thumbs.

Filmmaker Kevin Smith writes WaxWord that he has desperately been trying to help Bob and Harvey Weinstein close the deal to buy Miramax. “I’ve sweetened the Weinstein’s offer to buy Miramax back,” he writes. “All day yesterday and just now this morning, I’ve been throwing Tweets and large artwork at the Mouse to up the ante, but they’ve not responded.”

Smith is a Weinstein diehard, who has been following the MIramax sale closely. The brothers bravely backed Smith in making such lasting cultural oddities …landmarks… movies as “Clerks,” “Mallrats,” and “Chasing Amy.” He has been Twittering (@thatkevinsmith) to his million-plus followers about the deal – offernig Mickey Mouse paintings, for example.

The deal is in the midst of pitched negotiations since the Weinsteins were granted an exclusive window through the weekend to try and close the deal.

Here is what Smith has offered in the past few hours, via Twitter:

Ease on down, Dis! 600mil & 2 huge paintings: http://twitpic.com/1gaz4s http://twitpic.com/1gb15k For Miramax. Deal? #YoPharaohLetMyPeopleGo about 2 hours ago via web

On top of Weinstein 600mil bid, AND my giant “Blue Mickey”, I’ll also throw in Helnwein’s “LA Confidential”: http://twitpic.com/1gb15k about 2 hours ago

Your silence in the matter telegraphs the tough negotiator you are, Disney. So lemme sweeten the pot with ANOTHER piece of giant Disney art! about 2 hours ago via Echofon DearDisney: Friday, I offered to sweeten Harvey/Bob’s 600mil Miramax bid w/ inclusion of this giant MM painting: http://twitpic.com/1gaz4s about 2 hours ago via Echofon

That & I promise to never tarnish your magical legacy w/ twat & cock jokes ever again. Please, Disney… #WaltWouldSellMiramaxToHarveyAndBob about 18 hours ago via Echofon

This amazing, eight foot Gottfried Helnwein piece will look dope in some lucky Disney exec’s office! So 600 mil… PLUS a Mickey painting! about 18 hours ago via Echofon

Dear Disney, I’d like to sweeten Harvey & Bob’s 600k offer for Miramax by throwing in this giant painting: http://bit.ly/9ackU4

The Weinsteins had last offered $600 million in cash, to those who are following this process. They need to come up with a bit more to beat out their rivals, Alec and Tom Gores, and David Bergstein.

Now they have the mighty Silent Bob on their side. He concludes: “Please inform the Disney cabal that I’m super-serious. They’d look awesome in any exec’s office.”

Kevin Smith: (laughs) Roger Ebert is in rare form with how he keeps re-tweeting his Cop Out review. I was thinking if Roger was trying to send me a message. But he’s liked enough of my stuff in the past. He liked Jersey Girl, but I know he didn’t like Mallrats and Clerks II. He also said something great about Chasing Amy saying how he regretted not putting it in his top ten. Roger has always been so fucking fair. Even though people kept pointing out he keeps re-tweeting that Cop Out review and saying, “isn’t that suspicious?” Obviously I’m not retarded, it’s very suspicious. But he’s a guy who’s been nice to me throughout my career in particular when I really needed it. I wasn’t going to start yelling, “he did what? I fucking guested on his show!” I mean I’ve been saying a lot lately and it’s dawning on me, but I’m almost 40. Getting mad at Roger Ebert is just not in the cards for me. He’s an icon and I like the dude. He didn’t like it? That’s fine, he liked something else I did. It’s not like I don’t get it. I used to be very contentious… Shit, used to be? A few weeks ago I took on a huge corporation (laughs). That was a real thing, but getting mad about an opinion isn’t my thing. Maybe they’ll like the next one. For Cop Out, it’s a different world. A bad review for Cop Out isn’t going to fucking kill the movie. Most people going in are thinking, “we know it’s stupid, who cares?”

Read it all over at DVD Talk.

We’re talking about Dogma, the 1999 comedy in which Smith pits a pair of exiled angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) against a ragtag group that includes a Greek muse turned stripper (Salma Hayek), the heretofore unknown 13th apostle (Chris Rock), Jesus Christ’s last surviving relative (Linda Fiorentino), and a pair of unwitting prophets (Jason Mewes and Smith as, of course, Jay and Silent Bob) — all while God (played by Alanis Morissette, natch) lies trapped in the comatose body of a homeless man (s)He was using to play skee ball. Not for the easily offended, obviously — but despite what Dogma’s detractors may have thought, Smith didn’t go for cheap gags, instead using humor to leaven a thoughtful look at what we believe, and why. “Make no mistake,” cautioned TV Guide’s Maitland McDonagh, “Kevin Smith’s talky, farcical comedy of cosmic errors is clever. But it’s clever in a deeply juvenile way.”

#16: Clerks (1994)

The ’90s Film: At the time, Kevin Smith’s comedy was a defining document of no-budget slacker filmmaking, with its slapshod camerawork, shaggy-dog dialogue and on-the-pulse video store setting.

Nowadays, apart from still being hilarious, it’s a period piece. The technical ability bar has been raised for budding auteurs, and – as Clerks 2 confirmed – nobody rents anymore.

If They Have To Remake It: It should be topical. Let’s set it in the vast warehouses of Lovefilm.com, with Dante and Randall bitching and moaning all day long as they traipse to the stockroom to post yet another boxset of The Hills.

Via @dvdmike “another 80’s score on #redstate?” Gonna try… TRY… to go no score whatsoever. No score, no music. Just dry and unsettling.

Via @Saint_Johner “u finally getting sick of Twitter? I don’t see as much from ya lately” Sick’a Twit’a? Nev’a! (Just been writing, sir…)

@MikeSeils “SouthwestAir hiring a social media superstar: http://bit.ly/dCp2r1 ” I’d do that job FOR FREE. But first, they gotta let me remake THIS commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHnqnyzegfc …with me as the lead, in titular attire. #KindaSaidTitJustNow

My Gay Proxy, @MalcolmIngram, drops another episode of THE TORONTO, ONTARIO MO & GLO SHOW! In a good way. http://smodcast.com/moandglo

Wanna see me doing it with @SMosier? http://viewaskew.com/events/livenudesmod/ Wanna see me doing it alone? http://viewaskew.com/events/hob

Via @JIMMYDANGER1 “The head backer for Weinsteins is Ron Burkle, co-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins.” Wow. And me with a hockey movie…

Saw Al Pacino waiting at a light just now. Dude looked contemplative – like he was thinking “Holy shit: I’m Al motherfuckin’ Pacino…”

Walt of @BryAndWalt fame is almost done drawing our 44-page WIDENING GYRE #6! And look who’s back: http://www.viewaskew.com/kevin/lawton.jpg

Remember, it’s totally free to follow Kevin’s tweets at Twitter or via your favorite client of choice.

Wanna BE green while reading my GREEN HORNET? Voila: http://bit.ly/9hZu4t Feel the Hornet’s sting on iPhone/Pod/Pad (sorry: no MaxiPad).

See me swear & sweat LIVE ON THE SUNSET STRIP! Me talking dirty at L.A.’s House of Blues, Friday, May 7th! http://viewaskew.com/events/hob

Via @dvdmike “plans for #CopOut bluray?” I’ve seen it. WB’s giving it MaximumMovieMode treatment (like WATCHMEN or 300). It’s LOADED.

Via @tim_brooks “will you be talking about the flick like z.snyder in watchmen’s max.movie mode?” Nonstop, starting with shield interaction.

A few years back, @SMosier produced an AcademyAwardNominated short film entitled SALIM BABA. Got a sec? http://tinyurl.com/PeepSalimBabaHere

Via @LukasRidge “whats the best thing you’ve ever written?” Could be on page 42 of it now… #HitSomebody

Here there be bickering! TELL ‘EM, STEVE-DAVE #7 is now ready to tickle your aural funny boner! I bow to them. http://smodcast.com/stevedave

Via @bluepoet3 “when does Batman: WG #6 street?” I think they resolicited the book & now it’s closer to June. Long wait, but worth it.

Via @bobbahawk “any chance you’ll be playing Carnegie Hall again? SModcast?” Yes. There was a June offer but we’re gonna wait ’til November.

Kevin Smith Makes No Claims to Knowing Music, but He’s a Tastemaker Anyway

Given the varied pop culture terrain liberally explored throughout Kevin Smith’s nine films — comic book legend Stan Lee doling out relationship advice in Mallrats, cracks about Con Air in Dogma, a wacky Scooby-Doo homage in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, ubiquitous Star Wars references sprinkled throughout his oeuvre — it’s a bit conspicuous that there isn’t much about music in any of those movies. The appearance of Morris Day and The Time at the end of Jay and Silent Bob is one of few notably awesome exceptions. Apparently there’s a good reason for that.

“My musical tastes are reputably deplorable,” Smith says via telephone from New Jersey. “My iPod tells a very embarrassing story.”

Embarrassing is subjective, especially for a guy prone to disclosing on his SModcast podcast excruciatingly intimate details of sexual encounters with his wife. He has well-thought-out reasons for what he likes, even if it isn’t hip.

“I’m a huge Sting fan,” he says. “I always thought Sting was kind of cool, not only because he started the Police and shit, or because he knows how to have a tantric orgasm — but because his lyrics sound like they were written by an English teacher, which he used to be.”

As someone who interacts extensively with his fickle fans — through Twitter, through his message board, through his live Q&As (he’s coming to Phoenix on April 10), Smith is unfazed when folks give him a hard time for his KEZ-worthy playlist.

“People jump on you when you say you like Sting and shit, like it’s some kind of metrosexual crime or something,” says Smith, just as potty-mouthed in person as you would expect from the dialogue of his movies. “I’ve taken shit for liking the Commodores, but I don’t take too much shit for liking the Commodores because people can’t give you shit, because they’re black, and they don’t want to sound racist.”

While Smith readily admits to not being the biggest music fan, even saying that he “can’t stand” going to live shows because “you can never hear the lyrics,” there is one obvious place where he does get to play tastemaker (successfully!): the soundtracks of his films.

“Basically I just go to my iPod and pull the tunes I listen to the most, and they wind up in the movie,” he says. “Any time you see the movie you’re kind of hearing what’s on my iPod, what I’m spinning.”

And there have been some memorable uses of music in his body of work, from Stroke 9’s otherwise forgettable “Kick Some Ass” playing in Jay and Silent Bob (as the title characters exact revenge on their online detractors) to New Edition’s “Candy Girl” accompanying the Salma Hayek strip scene in Dogma or the main characters gleefully dancing on the rooftop to “ABC” in Clerks II.

“I think, hands down, the best combo of my visuals and a chosen song was in Zack and Miri [Make a Porno] when we used that Pixies song ‘Hey,'” Smiths says. “That whole sequence when Miri’s kind of testing Zack, suggests he fucks that other girl.”

Though Smith will never challenge Cameron Crowe to a music trivia contest, he’s living like a rock star in one way: taking a tour bus to his latest appearances. This has less to do with living a decadent lifestyle and much more to do with avoiding air travel — specifically the much-publicized incident in February when he reportedly was removed from a Southwest flight because a crew member told the director that he was, essentially, too fat to fly.

The incident clearly upset Smith, who went on to lash out against the airline on his Twitter account. And the SModcast. And for about 20 uninterrupted minutes on the phone with New Times. He’s irritated not only at what happened to him but also at what he perceives as inconsistencies in Southwest’s policies regarding exactly how fat you have to be to occupy two seats. Smith was able to put both armrests down, in keeping with their policy.

“These people are fucking gross. They’re too cowardly to stand behind a policy, to create a policy, because they don’t want to alienate a customer base,” Smith says, with palpable contempt in his voice. “But instead they’ll alienate people in person, or in my case, alienate you and lie about it.”

This rancor isn’t keeping Smith from moving ahead with work on his 10th film, Red State, or his spring speaking tour. He’s been to Phoenix once before, for a test screening of Jersey Girl, when a couple of teenage girls walked out of the movie after the masturbation-discussion scene (keep in mind that’s his most family-friendly film). He was surprised to learn Arizona is a red state.

“I thought, ‘Phoenix is hot, people wear less clothing, so they’d be less inhibited and less conservative,'” he says. “Or maybe it’s the opposite — since people are wearing less clothing, they feel the need to be the morality police.”

Smith’s live Q&As started in 1994 while he was promoting his first movie, the iconic ballad of underachievers: Clerks. After becoming comfortable with the format, he simply showed up at colleges for Q&As. Eventually, the discussions broadened from movies to whatever anyone wanted to talk about.

Last year, Smith was able to do a Q&A at Carnegie Hall (“That got my dick hard,” he says), and selling out Carnegie caught the notice of theaters across the country. Not that geography has much of an impact on the shows.

“The questions are so similar, that’s the beautiful thing,” Smith says. “By the time someone asks me, ‘What was it like to work with Bruce Willis?’ 400 people have asked me that, and I’ve had the chance to shape and shape and shape and hone the story down to laser-sharp science.”

He worked with Willis in February’s Cop Out, another highlight of an already eventful 2010, full of speaking gigs and feuds with airlines. A buddy cop comedy co-starring Tracy Morgan, it was the first movie Smith directed that wasn’t his screenplay. Despite a critical drubbing (currently sitting at 31 out of a possible 100 on Metacritic), it’s been Smith’s highest-grossing film yet, making $43 million. Not only did that make the harsh reviews (“phoned-in, gutless piece of hack work,” wrote A.O. Scott in the New York Times) easier to take, it changed his perception on the general usefulness of movie critics.

“Film criticism is completely democratized now,” Smith says. “Anybody can do it. Showing the movies free to the critics? Fuck ’em! Let ’em pay like everybody else. It makes no sense, this system. And I say that good or bad . . . Why are you better than the dude on Twitter?”

Smith continues to dabble in comic books, writing a 12-issue Batman series titled The Widening Gyre. He’s dealt with criticism there, too — mainly accusations that the series’ artist, Walt Flanagan, wouldn’t have gotten the job if he wasn’t one of Smith’s best friends. Given the crowd of devotees apt to attend his Phoenix show, it’s probably review-proof. Unless the review is of his iPod, in which case fans can give him shit about liking the Commodores.

Not too much, though.

That would be racist.