- DVDFile.com is reporting that “Comic Book: The Movie” (in which Kevin cameos) will hit DVD on December 16th. Among the special features is “additional interviews with Stan Lee, Kevin Smith, High Hefner and Bruce Campbell.”
- Disney has jumped ship on what sounded like a very interesting flick for Affleck, “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”. Hopefully, another studio will pick this one up.
- Scott Kurtz, creator of the popular web comic “PVP” , is obviously a View Askew fan, as he’s posted a photo of some Clerks inaction figures in his cell phone photo gallery. Scott’s PVP book is now being published by Image.
Author Archive
Askew’s Brian Lynch To Write For Spidey…
- A congratulations to View Askew’s own Brian Lynch for landing a new writing gig on Unlimited Spider Man for Marvel! Fans know Lynch for having the only currently-unreleased and less seen (but incredibly funny) View Askew flick, “Big Helium Dog”. Of course, Brian’s been keeping busy doing a ton of scriptwriting and with his weekly Monkey Man column over at the ‘Shoot, as well.
MARVEL’S NEW ‘UNLIMITED’ CREATORS
…First up, a View Askew.com homeboy done good – Brian Lynch, who’s Monkey Man strip appears weekly on Newsarama’s sister site, www.moviepoopshoot.com.
“I had just finished writing a really good “stoned guy hits his head on something” joke for Scary Movie 3 when my managers called me to say Marvel Comics wanted to find screenwriters looking to also work in comics,” Lynch explained. “I did, and Marvel asked me to submit a treatment for a character they were looking to relaunch. I wrote this really goofy six-issue arc that I was really proud of, they read it and liked it but decided to go in a grittier direction with the book, but told me they’d be on the look out for anything I might click with. There were a couple more near-misses, and I was starting to worry nothing was clicking, but a few days later, Teresa contacted me and told me about the Unlimited books. I wrote up a list of ideas, Teresa picked her three favorites, I wrote two of them, one of them was the Spider-Man story that will appear in January. They like the other one too, hopefully it’ll pop up somewhere.”
…First up, a View Askew.com homeboy done good – Brian Lynch, who’s Monkey Man strip appears weekly on Newsarama’s sister site, www.moviepoopshoot.com.
“I had just finished writing a really good “stoned guy hits his head on something” joke for Scary Movie 3 when my managers called me to say Marvel Comics wanted to find screenwriters looking to also work in comics,” Lynch explained. “I did, and Marvel asked me to submit a treatment for a character they were looking to relaunch. I wrote this really goofy six-issue arc that I was really proud of, they read it and liked it but decided to go in a grittier direction with the book, but told me they’d be on the look out for anything I might click with. There were a couple more near-misses, and I was starting to worry nothing was clicking, but a few days later, Teresa contacted me and told me about the Unlimited books. I wrote up a list of ideas, Teresa picked her three favorites, I wrote two of them, one of them was the Spider-Man story that will appear in January. They like the other one too, hopefully it’ll pop up somewhere.”
Thanks to Newsarama for the story. Big Helium Dog, by the way, you’ll all finally be able to see. Soon.
View Askew NewsBites™
- We missed Kevin’s update in his string of posts, but he did indeed confirm that Part 2 of the New Jersey Roadside Attractions will air on The Tonight Show on November 14th. We assume Kevin will be on hand to introduce and give a couple of chuckles, as always.
- Upcoming Pay TV Askew: Clerks will be on HBO Comedy this Thursday night(or Friday morning) at 1:10 AM. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back will air on Showtime 2 this Thursday night at 11:35 PM. Check your local listings, times vary depending on your zone.
- There’s been another of them-thar Buddy Christ spottings: This time on the just-released “Rush In Rio” concert DVD. Among the toys and other doo-dads displayed on top of the band’s equipment was our familiar-looking fellow. He’s between Alex Lifeson and Mr. Potato Head in the screen-grab you see here.
- Alright, here’s the weird, wacky, and probably totally false (but you never know) update for today, courtesy of Australia’s “Herald Sun”, which does go a bit bonkers sometimes. Be sure and read to the end:
Q: What does Quentin Tarantino have in store for us after the two “Kill Bills”?
A: While on the promo trailer for “Kill Bill”, Tarantino has been talking up his World War 2 drama “Inglorious Bastards”, which was recently given the green light for shooting in mid-2004 after many years on the drawing board. The plot centres on a group of convicted US soldiers saved from execution by accepting a suicide mission behind enemy lines in central Europe. No casting moves as yet, but the buzz keeps throwing up names like Johnny Depp, Adam Sandler, Heath Ledger and “Jay & Silent Bob” legend Jason Mewes.
- Boy did “Box Office Prophets” ever get this right:
For people who want another mind-numbing piece of crap this week: Planet of the Apes (Special Edition) (2001)
The best story about this film belongs to Clerks director Kevin Smith, who, on his “An Evening with Kevin Smith” DVD, goes into detail about Tim Burton’s reaction to Smith’s noticing that the ending to Burton’s Planet of the Apes suspiciously echoes the ending of a comic book Smith wrote a few years prior. That story, nowhere to be found on this DVD, is quite literally the most interesting and entertaining thing involved in this movie. It is a terrible, terrible film. Rather than purchase this DVD, I recommend “An Evening with Kevin Smith.”
The best story about this film belongs to Clerks director Kevin Smith, who, on his “An Evening with Kevin Smith” DVD, goes into detail about Tim Burton’s reaction to Smith’s noticing that the ending to Burton’s Planet of the Apes suspiciously echoes the ending of a comic book Smith wrote a few years prior. That story, nowhere to be found on this DVD, is quite literally the most interesting and entertaining thing involved in this movie. It is a terrible, terrible film. Rather than purchase this DVD, I recommend “An Evening with Kevin Smith.”
- And on a somber note: Elliott Smith, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his song “Miss Misery” in Good Will Hunting, has died at age 34 of an apparent suicide. Deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and many fans.
The Latest Revelations From Kevin…
- Kevin made a brief appearance over the weekend for a little Q&A — Here’s the skinny on the latest projects and upcoming events from the man himself:
On Roadside Attractions, New Jersey, Part II: “First, second, or third week of November. I’m thinking the third week.”
On Mallrats Inaction Figure Stash Bash Availability: “The Stash is getting their shipment this week, I know that.”
On Stash Bash Swag: “I’ve seen the stuff, and it is, indeed, cool. Cheap, too.”
On us Seeing A View Askew Video Game: “Sooner or later, yes.”
On the Clerks 10th Anniversary DVD and Clerks: Sell Out (The Animated Film):“Moving along.”
On Jersey Girl’s Ad Campaign: “Lots and lots of Ben and the kid.”
On Having A Live Event For Clerks’ 10th Anniversary” “Yup.”
On Mallrats Inaction Figure Stash Bash Availability: “The Stash is getting their shipment this week, I know that.”
On Stash Bash Swag: “I’ve seen the stuff, and it is, indeed, cool. Cheap, too.”
On us Seeing A View Askew Video Game: “Sooner or later, yes.”
On the Clerks 10th Anniversary DVD and Clerks: Sell Out (The Animated Film):“Moving along.”
On Jersey Girl’s Ad Campaign: “Lots and lots of Ben and the kid.”
On Having A Live Event For Clerks’ 10th Anniversary” “Yup.”
Kevin also revealed that a lead for “Fletch Won” has not yet been cast, and that the start of filming will of course depend on that happening first. He plans to include the book’s R-rated stuff, whether the film’s final cut lets that get through or not will of course remain to be seen.
Stash Bash Fever Grows!
- With the event just a few short days away, Stash Bash 2 fever is getting contagious! Stop by the View Askew WWWBoard, where many have been exchanging ride/carpool info, trading hotel rooms, setting up meeting times, and the like. Don’t just show up for your hour and then leave town! Take some time to look around, meet some fellow fans, and mingle! Chris will be there covering the event, so those of you who aren’t gonna be there (present company included) can enjoy photos and news from the big shindig.
Don’t forget to check out Tours Askew for directions, maps, and other stuff to see in the Red Bank area. For many of you, we realize this will be your first trip in, and there’s certainly a lot of View Askew history to see. Have a great time at the bash!
View Askew NewsBites™
- Wanna see scans of Kevin’s appearance as a familiar superhero on the animated “Duck Dodgers”? Take a gander.
- On October 18th, Dogma was the movie of the day on the daily “Video Hound’s Movie-a-Day Guide Desk Calendar”. It’s the first View Askew film to be listed. Check out a scan above (sorry about the blur).
- In the December issue of Tattoo magazine, on page 45, there’s a big tattoo of Jay on some guys upper arm. If anyone’s got a scan, feel free to pass it on.
Raquel Castro In USA Today…
- Finally, it seems like we’re starting to get some nice Jersey Girl press NOT associated with a gossip column of some sort. In USA Today, the Jersey Girl herself, Raquel Castro speaks very intelligently about her experiences with the film and those tabloid reports:
Ben’s jitters, ‘Jersey Girl’: Raquel explains it all
By Susan Wloszczyna, USA TODAY
Watch out, Ms. Welch. There’s another Raquel out there ready to take the world by storm.
Raquel Castro may only be 9 and has but one feature to her credit. But as the co-star of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s other film, Jersey Girl, the Long Island fourth-grader has seen her share of off-screen drama.
“They were saying that because Gigli was a bad movie, they may not bring out Jersey Girl,” she says of Ben ‘n’ Jen’s notorious summer flop. “I thought, ‘All that work and nothing?’”
Not to worry. The domestic comedy about a workaholic PR exec (Affleck) who must raise his 6-year-old daughter alone after his wife (Lopez) suddenly dies will open March 19 after being moved from this fall.
During her audition, Raquel — who is of Puerto Rican descent, just like her movie mom — figured out quickly that she nailed it. “This lady kept staring at me. Kevin Smith (the director/writer) kept staring at me. They thought I looked like J. Lo. I told my parents, ‘I think I got the part.’”
Raquel, who performs songs from Sweeney Todd in the movie and may do a musical version of Interview With the Vampire on Broadway, found the real-life couple to be “very nice. They understand kids. This was Ben’s first movie with a kid, and he might not be scared of being a dad now.”
She also stands up for the tabloid-taunted pair. “I don’t think they are telling the truth about Jen and Ben. I think they are still going to get married. Ben just got nervous. Sometimes, when it’s your first wedding, that happens.” Yes, she is only 9.
Hey, has anyone thought of THIS for opening weekend? How about Kevin bringing Raquel with him onto The Tonight Show?
View Askew NewsBites™
- We’ve been passing over a lot of the Something Awful Photoshop stuff just because it got too frequent, but this mock-up of Jay & Bob on a familiar Robert Zemeckis film poster is too good to pass up.
- In the current edition of Star Wars Insider (#71), in an article about Star Wars collector Steve Sansweet, he mentions a visit from Kevin to his Museum:
“Kevin Smith, the director was over to tape a show for The Sci-Fi channel, and he kept chalenging me to find things,” Sansweet says. “He’d say ‘I”ll bet you don’t have…’ and I’d run and get it. He finally gave up after he said ‘You coulden’t possibly have a Star Wars fan’ and I brought three hand held paper fans from Japan.”
- Another site’s got a mirror of that “Incredibles” preview that features Jason Lee reading some dialogue. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Kevin Presents “Spirit of Liberty” Award To Affleck…
- Last night, the Spirit of Liberty awards were held in Washington, DC. The award is presented to to individuals who have made an extraordinary contribution to advancing the values and principles at the core of the American Way: freedom of religion, tolerance, civic responsiblity, and equal opportunity. Kevin was on hand (check out the spiky ‘do!) to present one of these to Affleck at the event. Apparently, there’s footage airing from the show on both Access Hollywood and Entertainment Tonight today, so if anyone’s got screen captures or a video of these, please send it on (we missed the east coast feeds).
View Askew NewsBites™
- Kevin’s response to the crazy rumor about HIM frontlining Jersey Girl posters is covered on today’s MSNBC entertainment column. Apparently, US Magazine is still sticking by their story, despite Kevin’s flat-out denial.
- Check out this BBC article for a few brief words from Jason Biggs on what it was like working with “Bennifer” on Jersey Girl. They still seem to be a day or two behind on Kevin’s denial (referenced above), though. See, that’s how these rumors get started in the first place!
- We hope that some of you got to catch the live “Clerks” play in Bakersfield, because we hear it’s been shut down due to licensing issues with the material. For the curious, here’s an article on what the show was like:
Vulgar Display of Power
By DANIELLE C. BELTON, Californian staff writer
Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.
So many swears.
The Empty Space’s production of “Clerks” is not for people who don’t appreciate the Lord’s name being taken in vain or who may enjoy “Happy Scrappy: The Hero Pup” films.
It’s not for the really, really old and incontinent. It’s not for the really, really young and innocent.
It’s not for people who thought “Hook” was a good movie.
But for everyone else, “Clerks” is the most lively, inventive and contagiously funny bit of community theater going around.
Sure, it’s bawdy, vulgar and offensive. But it’s supposed to be.
After all, it’s an adaptation of the cult classic, black-and-white flick by Kevin Smith. His first film, “Clerks” earned Smith an avid fan following and the ire of anyone with respect for the English language.
The flick also spawned Smith’s two most famous characters, Jay and Silent Bob, who were featured in their own film, “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” in 2001.
The spirit of Jay and Bob were alive and well in the Empty Space’s version of the film, adapted for the stage by Roger Mathey.
Mathey, who has also adapted “The Breakfast Club” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs” for the stage, wore two hats during the production, taking on the role of Silent Bob and directing the fast-paced farce.
“Clerks” tells the story of Dante Hicks, a down-and-out convenience store clerk who is forced to come in to work on his day off.
The play covers one horrible day in the life of a clerk where Dante deals with girlfriends (current and ex), hostile costumers, health officials, a man with an egg fetish, drug dealers, prostitutes, a dead guy and his meddling, anti-social friend, Randal Graves, who runs the adjacent video store.
Joel Walton is excellent as Dante Hicks, carrying the play along and moving from varying degrees of annoyance to anger, from lustful intrigue to insanity.
Stephen Taylor, who plays “Clerks” mischievous Puck of a cad, Randal, drives Walton to distraction as a video store jockey who spits water in customers’ faces and watches hermaphroditic porn during business hours.
Taylor is doubly good and both he and Walton have great chemistry together. During a guffaw-inducing sequence of broad, physical comedy the duo chase each other on and off the stage using everything from Formula 409 multipurpose cleanser to a fake Jedi light saber in a slapdash fight.
The revolving-door cast of characters are colorful and lively, and Mathey did an excellent job finding actors to match.
With the numerous customers, friends and enemies showing up to ruin Dante’s day, most of the actors were playing three characters or more. Amazingly, most were able to disappear into each role, causing no confusion to the audience as the play zipped by at a breakneck pace.
Two standouts were Jared Cantrell and Jason Gonzales.
Cantrell, who tackled five different straight-laced characters, was an especially apt chameleon. He went from chewing-gum hustler to huffy customer to health inspector without a hitch. Gonzales, fresh from the Candlelight Dinner Theatre’s “Guys and Dolls” production, sped through six different degrees of junkie, playing drugged up customers and a testosterone-fueled hockey player.
Ariane Sarzotti, Anna Newlin and Jennifer Hatzman were also excellent, managing to go from piously innocent to sundry-corroded caricatures of “sluttiness” in one costume change.
The set was sparse but worked perfectly. It consisted mostly of a revolving counter full of junk food, cigarettes and pornography. Amidst the mess is a broken cash register with a sign asking customers to tell the clerk first if they’re going to shoplift.
Jarrod Ackerley, who played Jay, and Mathey handled all the moving in-between scenes. Although they were working as stagehands they never broke character, muttering and cursing throughout.
Overall, the production was a fun and bawdy time and even the actors seemed to be enjoying themselves. It’s fun to be both offended and laughing out loud at the same time.
“Clerks” is not for those under 17 or people who are easily offended.”
By DANIELLE C. BELTON, Californian staff writer
Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.
So many swears.
The Empty Space’s production of “Clerks” is not for people who don’t appreciate the Lord’s name being taken in vain or who may enjoy “Happy Scrappy: The Hero Pup” films.
It’s not for the really, really old and incontinent. It’s not for the really, really young and innocent.
It’s not for people who thought “Hook” was a good movie.
But for everyone else, “Clerks” is the most lively, inventive and contagiously funny bit of community theater going around.
Sure, it’s bawdy, vulgar and offensive. But it’s supposed to be.
After all, it’s an adaptation of the cult classic, black-and-white flick by Kevin Smith. His first film, “Clerks” earned Smith an avid fan following and the ire of anyone with respect for the English language.
The flick also spawned Smith’s two most famous characters, Jay and Silent Bob, who were featured in their own film, “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” in 2001.
The spirit of Jay and Bob were alive and well in the Empty Space’s version of the film, adapted for the stage by Roger Mathey.
Mathey, who has also adapted “The Breakfast Club” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs” for the stage, wore two hats during the production, taking on the role of Silent Bob and directing the fast-paced farce.
“Clerks” tells the story of Dante Hicks, a down-and-out convenience store clerk who is forced to come in to work on his day off.
The play covers one horrible day in the life of a clerk where Dante deals with girlfriends (current and ex), hostile costumers, health officials, a man with an egg fetish, drug dealers, prostitutes, a dead guy and his meddling, anti-social friend, Randal Graves, who runs the adjacent video store.
Joel Walton is excellent as Dante Hicks, carrying the play along and moving from varying degrees of annoyance to anger, from lustful intrigue to insanity.
Stephen Taylor, who plays “Clerks” mischievous Puck of a cad, Randal, drives Walton to distraction as a video store jockey who spits water in customers’ faces and watches hermaphroditic porn during business hours.
Taylor is doubly good and both he and Walton have great chemistry together. During a guffaw-inducing sequence of broad, physical comedy the duo chase each other on and off the stage using everything from Formula 409 multipurpose cleanser to a fake Jedi light saber in a slapdash fight.
The revolving-door cast of characters are colorful and lively, and Mathey did an excellent job finding actors to match.
With the numerous customers, friends and enemies showing up to ruin Dante’s day, most of the actors were playing three characters or more. Amazingly, most were able to disappear into each role, causing no confusion to the audience as the play zipped by at a breakneck pace.
Two standouts were Jared Cantrell and Jason Gonzales.
Cantrell, who tackled five different straight-laced characters, was an especially apt chameleon. He went from chewing-gum hustler to huffy customer to health inspector without a hitch. Gonzales, fresh from the Candlelight Dinner Theatre’s “Guys and Dolls” production, sped through six different degrees of junkie, playing drugged up customers and a testosterone-fueled hockey player.
Ariane Sarzotti, Anna Newlin and Jennifer Hatzman were also excellent, managing to go from piously innocent to sundry-corroded caricatures of “sluttiness” in one costume change.
The set was sparse but worked perfectly. It consisted mostly of a revolving counter full of junk food, cigarettes and pornography. Amidst the mess is a broken cash register with a sign asking customers to tell the clerk first if they’re going to shoplift.
Jarrod Ackerley, who played Jay, and Mathey handled all the moving in-between scenes. Although they were working as stagehands they never broke character, muttering and cursing throughout.
Overall, the production was a fun and bawdy time and even the actors seemed to be enjoying themselves. It’s fun to be both offended and laughing out loud at the same time.
“Clerks” is not for those under 17 or people who are easily offended.”
- And finally, just because so many of us were enthralled by Kevin’s “Prince” story on the “Evening With…” DVD, this Minneapolis Star Tribune report claims that Mr. Symbol himself is now going door to door during Sunday football games to…Recruit for Jehovah’s Witnesses? Would have seemed outrageous before Kevin’s tale. Now? Who knows. You be the judge.