• As you know, the only official on-the-books event we have so far for Kevin in 2007 is the gig in Akron, Ohio, taking place March 2, 2007. We’re sure there will be other chances to catch Kev, but right now, this is your best bet. So, if you’re in the area, or have the means to get there, we highly recommend picking up seats at this show.

As of this morning, Kevin reports that 2,147 out of 2,952 seats are taken. So there are still seats to be had.

Tickets are an incredible bargain for this, a mere $8 for best available seating via this Ticketmaster link. Kevin never disappoints, and a Friday night sure is sure to be a late-night marathon of fun and unpredictability. If you’ve been on the fence, now is the time to nab up those last minute seats. Spread the word and let’s sell out the joint!

• “Catch and Release” held its big Hollywood premiere this week, and the IESB was there to capture a bunch of exclusive photos. All the stars were in attendance, including Kevin, of course (who took quite a few nice shots with costar Juliette Lewis). Some choice photos are above, for the full set, surf on over and see the good folks at the IESB. See the romantic comedy yourself this Friday in theaters all over the place.

• That fantastic evening where Kevin moderated a chat between comic icons Stan Lee and Joe Quesada is coming to DVD this Spring, and now they’ve got a TRAILER to prove it! Here’s the press release that just came across the news desk:

What are ya waiting for? Visit the official site to learn more, and check out the trailer itself direct, complete with kickin’ Ramones music, some funny quips, and behind the scenes. Looks like another must-have DVD. We’re so happy to have the chance to own this and see it for ourselves, after having to miss it due to being coastally-challenged.

• Rotten Tomatoes scoops some bits of a new interview where Kevin thorws out a few more clues and quotes on the horror project he’s prepping in 2007. Wanna see what he said? Read on, friends:

• An interesting connection with “Catch and Release” (in theaters everywhere Friday) – Tommy Stinson (of bands Bash & Pop, Perfect, & The Replacements) helped write the score for “Catch and Release”. Bash & Pop’s tune “Making Me Sick” was on the “Clerks” soundtrack. Interesting, eh?
• Yes, fellas, it’s here — Previews announces the chance to own your very own “Kinky Kelly” T-Shirt!

CLERKS II: KINKY KELLY T-SHIRT

Kevin Smith shines a whole new light on man and beast in Clerks II and on the new Clerks II: Kinky Kelly T-Shirt, featuring the marquee for the greatest show on earth screen-printed in color on a black 100% cotton shirt.

S-XL – $17.95

XXL – $20.95

The item should show up in the Stash and online in the next month or so.

• The Clerks II DVD is hitting the Netherlands on March 28th, sadly, in quite a bare edition compared to the releases of the disc we’ve seen before. The Dutch company RCV apparently strips all the stuff to save cash, so only includes the film itself. We’ve shown shots that came in of the boxset, which looks to include a copy of Clerks at least (as if you don’t already have that, though). You can even see the sales sheet where they bill AFFLECK as a main cast member! Har-har. At any rate, if you’re in the part of the world, we’re sorry, and strongly advise you to get a region-free player and the US or UK version of the disc. SERIOUSLY.
• Michael Rooker has just been added to Maryland’s Horrorfind Weekend from March 2-4 in Towson. Rooker is normally very happy to chat Mallrats with fans, and sign your ‘Rats related stuff. Just don’t bring him any chocolate pretzels. Please.
• Vilmos Zsigmond, best known by us here for his work in “Jersey Girl”, has yet another Oscar nomination under his belt: ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY for “The Black Dahlia”. Let’s cheer him on!
• Don’t forget, “Catch and Release” starring Kevin Smith in theaters EVERYWHERE this Friday! See it first, then catch Affleck in a small role in “Smokin’ Aces” for a Sunday matinee or something. Reviews for both flicks have been quite good, especially for catch which is surprising audiences everywhere. We loved it at Vulgarthon last year, now you can love it too!

Kevin will be making a Q&A appearance at the University of Akrons EJ Thomas Hall in Ohio!!!

• On this weekends Ebert and Roeper, Richard Roeper and guest critic Govindini Murty (co-founder of the Liberty Film Festival together awarded “Catch and Release” the much coveted “Two Thumbs Up” award, enthusiastic as well! Govindini called it a great film for women, with a strong supporting cast. Roeper admitted that although the trailer didn’t appeal to him, he was pleasantly surprised and gave a strong thumbs up as well. We’re betting you may see this in the print/TV ads, as it’s proof that this is one worth spending some bucks to see this weekend.

Want more good news for “Catch and Release”? The Hollywood Reporter ALSO shows the love for the film with a very positive review as well. We believe this was published earlier, but it’s been re-issued today to coincide with release week. Clips ahead:

The best ink in the review, in fact, goes to Kevin right there. Bravo and kudos!!!!

• Kevin uses his blog today to reveal that he’s made quite a major resolution to kick off 2007. Also, to let us know that he’ll be doing a weekly entry (every Monday) to track his progress. Here’s a few snips:

Read the entire post at Kevin’s Myspace blog.

• Two corrections to kick off the day — First up, it seems that Kevin’s appearance on Conan this week is a RERUN — So, sorry to say, no “Catch and Release” promo spot there. We’ll let you know if we hear of Kevin doing any other press for the flick this week. Sorry for the mix-up. Second, for those of you in New Haven, CT looking forward to Mallrats this weekend, don’t go — The Criterion Cinemas did a last minute switch and flopped it with another flick. Mallrats played last weekend instead. Sorry if you missed it, but we just found out that this happened.
• Today’s most popular scoop: Kevin is the subject of a strange IMDB poll today, asking users how they feel about his involvement starring in “Catch and Release”. You can surf on over and cast your vote (and when you do, recall what we’ve told you about how much he shines in the film). The choices are a bit odd, but it’s cool to see Kevin as the featured person in the poll on one of the largest film sites on the web.
• Also in the polls today, scroll to the bottom of this USA Today LIFE page for a question asking users the best Sundance Festival submission. CLERKS is one of the options. You DO wanna stop by and give it a vote!

• A new website called “Flixster” helps you find friends who have similar taste in films. Check out this screenshot of one of their ongoing trivia questions.
• And on a final sad note today, it seems that the rumors are true – RST Video will be forever closing its doors on an unknown date. A Red Bank local scooper noted a sign in the window saying “Stores Closed” and saw everything inside being packed up. Quick Stop employees did confirm, but with no further details. It’s sad to see a legacy of View Askew go, but a sign of our times in the age of the all-digital video store. We’ll see ya next time.

• What’s up with the Die Hard role? Kevin’s lips are pretty sealed on it, though he did tease a bit in a recent Web Board thread. He mentions that his character is “neutral” in the realm of good/bad. According to this article his character we will be a master hacker known as “The Warlock”. We dig it!
• Kevin did another marathon sit-in with Opie and Anthony, for their XM only portion, so it was totally uncensored and fantastic. Kevin spent Friday morning with the guys, covering topics such as the woman who killed herself by drinking too much water in Sacramento, the marathon poker game, “Catch and Release:, and more. We hope to have complete audio clips available soon.
• Kevin is scheduled for a THURSDAY, January 25th appearance on Late Night with Conan O’Brien on NBC. Yep, that’s THIS THURSDAY. We’re certian he’ll be there to promo “Catch and Release”, which opens the following day. We’ll let you know if we hear of any more appearances next week, as we assume he’ll work a few more in if the schedule permits.

• Funny comedian Sarah Silverman name-drops Kevin in this scan giving her “Top 5 Reasons For Returning To Host The Independent Spirit Awards”.
• Any MST3K fans out there? We were SUCH big fans of Mystery Science Theater 3000 when it made the Comedy Central and SciFi Channel rounds, so we were pleased as all get-out when we saw that Mike Nelson, (”Mike” on the later seasons of the show) was posting NEW film-length MP3 commentaries called RiffTrax for sale at a low price. Download the audio, sync it up with your DVD on your PC, and you’re set. So, we only supposed it was a matter of time until they got to this one — The Daredevil Rifftrack features all 3 MST3K guys: Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy, and it’s all in good fun. Check out a sample at the site or buy the whole mere track for $3.99.

• “Clerks” is quoted in the Jan. 18, 2007 issue of Chicago RedEye Magazine. A scan of the blurb is right here. Click away!
• The Criterion Cinemas in New Haven, CT (right by Yale) will be showing the great Mallrats on the big screen next weekend, Friday 1/26 and Saturday 1/27 (11:30pm on 1/26, 11:00 am and 11:30 pm on 1/27). This is a fantastic chance to catch this crowd pleaser on the big screen with a bunch of fans. Details can be found at their official site.

• And finally today, this one comes to us by way of the Star Wars fansite HYPERSPACE. Could the Death Star independent contractors debate finally be settled? Check out the blurb and the screenshot from Jedi by clicking the scan. See ya next time, enjoy the rest of your weekend.