• As Kevin’s doing the Austalian thing this week, we’ll be posting all the latest from that part of the world as we can dig it up – We’ve just gotten word that Australian radio show Tony Martin’s Get this has announced they will have Kevin on Friday morning at 9am, they have been told he will only be there for two segments but will try to get him to stay for the whole show.
• With the Australian premiere, local website Moviehole runs a new interview with Kevin today. A few select passages:

• Seems UK fans will have to wait a bit longer for “Evening Harder”. Sony Pictures has announced a release date of the 15th January 2007 for the UK, which may coincide with Clerks II on DVD there as well.
• Kevin joins the BBC’s Mark Kermode for his podcast this week. Oddly, Kermode is in Los Angeles this week, though Kevin called in from Edinburgh to conduct the interview.
• Don’t forget, Kevin makes an appearance as clerk Duane Anders on the outstanding second season of “Veronica Mars” — Out on DVD today. You’ll catch his obviously ad-libbed turn in Episode Two, “Driver Ed”. We can’t recommend this show enough, by the way, especially after the stellar season finale. The show returns on the new CW in the Fall.
• A new website’s been spotted, designed by web guru Ming Chen, for Zak and Joey, the genius behind the “Train Wreck” series. Check out their new production home on the web, “Chop Shop Entertainment”.
• With Kevin currently off the project, we’re not following this too much, but it’s interesting to see that Zach Braff has still not officially signed on for the new Fletch flick.
• This story claims a thief “dressed like Silent Bob” was responsible for the vandalization of a cool billboard for Showtime’s “Weeds” (a decent show, worth checking out, by the way, now just starting up season two).

• Here’s a good one – A fan who took his new Sidekick 3 and used MyTego to make a Clerks:TAS skin to cover it, complete with Bear who Drive Car. Nice work.
• And finally today, the “What If Steven Seagal Was In…” series takes on Clerks. Enjoy. We’ll see ya next time!

• Bullet Proof Entertainment confirms an August 22nd release date for the Clerks II CD sountrack! We’re pleased to debut the full track listing of the disc now, which includes the never-before-sceen dialogue tracks that will mix in with the tunes. You can likely figure out the segments that will be used by the titles, but speculate away:

Order your SIGNED copy of this must-have disc from the Stash today for $17.99. We expect they’ll be shipping late this week or early next week.

• Still hanging onto your Clerks II ticket stub? Send us a scan of it! We just got an e-mail from our good friends at Buena Vista Home Entertainment, offering us up 5 copies of the hilarious new DVD, “The Tick Vs. Season One” — It’s a funny cartoon, and for the first time anywhere on DVD. We figure many fans of View Askew have the same sense of humor as the show, so why not offer up these goodies to folks who were good enough to see Clerks II theatrically? So, email your scanned ticket to us here at scoops@newsaskew.com, and we’ll draw five random winners. The set, which involves 2 discs of 12 episodes from the show’s first season, streets everywhere on August 29, 2006. Good luck!

• Kevin & Jennifer arrived a bit late in San Diego for the con this year, due to traffic – But our favorite faithful photographer, Albert Ortega, didn’t miss a beat — Check out this new bath of Kevin, Jennifer, and a couple leftovers of Rosario and the Richard Kelley panel, too. As always, click these for large, beautiful high resolution versions, and thanks very much to Mr. Ortega for sharing his wonderful work with us. Enjoy.

• Here’s a look at the press release that’s going around confirming that October 25th overseas release of a 3-disc “Evening With Kevin Smith” which collects the original set along with the second installment. If the release date sticks, it does indeed look like some areas abroad will get “Evening 2” a couple weeks before the U.S.
• Kevin gets mentioned by the ailing Roger Ebert in a recent e-mail sent out to his fans:

We send our best wishes to Mr. Ebert for a speedy recovery.

• With the horrors of war happening in the middle east, it’s hard to imagine things do continue to move business as usual as well — Check out this scanned newspaper ad for Clerks II, which also promises free tickets to whoever lines up on September 1st in the Rev-hen Theater in Tel-Aviv. The film starts in Israel on Aug 24th.

• That famous “Kevin Smith Way” gets mentioned (along with a photo) in a recent article in Paulsboro’s Gloucester County Times. See the scan here.
• Here’s some fresh press from Australia regarding Clerks II. The film opens there on August 31st. Kevin hosts a screening of Clerks II on Tuesday, 7pm, State Theatre, 136 100, for $35.

• We apologize for the error – It seems that we were right to be suspicious, as the con we listed in newsbites yeterday has not only listed current guests, but PAST guests as well — A bit confusing. Kevin was indeed a past guest, but is NOT scheduled to appear this year.

We’re sorry for any confusion we may have caused. More news later!

• We’re getting all sorts of news on the highly anticipated “Evening With Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder” DVD release today. First off, for our US readers: VideoETA confirms that Sony has announced a November 7, 2006 release date for the new set. The official running time remains a whopping 236 minutes, and collects highlights from the Toronto and London appearances.

In addition to the single-set release, a two-pack collection of BOTH Evening 1 and Evening 2 is also planned from Sony (no US release date yet set). If for some crazy reason you didn’t get the first one, this will be your chance to get both at a great price. We’ll let you know full details on getting these items from the Stash as soon as possible. We’re certain there will be signed copies available.

Now, for Australia: We’re getting word that Sony Pictures plans to release Evening 1 and Evening 2 as a 2-pack set on October 25th! Could Australia get Evening 2 a couple weeks before we do? Quite possibly. We’re waiting for official word from Sony on this, but have a source in Australia confirming this date in the dealer packaging promotion. We’ll keep you posted on this exciting development, and hope to have an advanced review of Part Two for you as soon as possible. Evening 1 continues to entertain all who see it, we can only imagine the new collection will bring more of the same. International-style!

• Professional photographer Albert Ortega’s back, with some beautiful high resolution shots taken of the lovely Rosario Dawson as she made her way around the recent San Diego Comicon, including filling in for Kevin’s Q&A panel when he was stuck in traffic. As always, click the mini pics for some gorgeous, fully pixelated versions of Ms. Dawson. Enjoy. Photos of Kevin and Jen’s arrival, and more, coming soon.

• If you just want to listen to Kevin’s appearance on “At The Movies”, iTunes also has the file as a download through their podcast directory.
• And speaking of film critics, Kevin’s rant against Joel Siegel gets mentioned in this L.A. Times article on movie critics having a bad summer:

• You gotta admire an actor who gives everything he’s got to a performance. This fellow on YouTube may just be imitating great performances (in this case, Damon and Affleck’s famous parking garage scene in “Dogma”, but he’s pretty spot on and plays BOTH ROLES. Nice job, young sir. Keep it up.
• Anyone else think it’s funny that post-”Jersey Girl”, “Sweeney Todd” has had such a resurgence? AP is confirming today that Johnny Depp has been cast in the lead of the new film, to be directed by Tim Burton. We still credit JG for the reason this film project exists.
• Empire Online confirms a new casting for Jason Mewes. “Netherbeast Incorporated” is a vampire comedy set in the world of America’s businesses. Robert Wagner, Judd Nelson and Dave Foley are also in the cast for the film, which is now shooting in Arizona. Congrats to Jay, and we’ll of course keep you posted on this project.
• Kevin’s “At The Movies” review of “Half Nelson” is mentioned in this CanMag article. Kevin had very positive things to say about the film during his guest spot.

• Kevin’s staying mostly at home these days after a ton of Clerks II press, and with that comes some nice Q&A online from Kevin himself. Sometimes responses are silly, especially when the questions happen to be silly, but today we’re happy to report that Kevin gives some nice scoop and answers on a variety of topics. Let’s run down some of them, shall we?

• On Clerks II DVD Train Wrecks: “On the “Clerks II” DVD, we’ll include what we’re calling the “Top Ten” Best Wrecks. That’s it. However, depending on where you purchase “Clerks II”, there will be a bonus disc available with a shitload of other Wrecks. From what I’m told, that’s gonna be an exclusive with either Circuit City, Frye or Best Buy outlets.”
• Status of the Clerks Animated Movie: “It doesn’t go at all. Haven’t started that yet. But when I do, rest assured, Bear will pop in.”
• On the Jackson Five’s ABC: “I’ve just always dug that song, and waaaaaaay back in ‘99, when I was thinking of the original incarnation of “Clerks II”, that song (and the dance number that accompanies it) was always gonna be a part of the flick.

  Oddly, back then, it was Randal who was gonna be learning to dance/falling in love atop a roof at the Seaside Heights boardwalk, with all those dancers treading the boards below. The dance partner/love interest I had in mind for him?

  Alanis.”

• On the Horror Flick Script: “I’ll start writing it once I’m done with the Edinburgh/Oz press tours, after we’ve put the DVD to bed. Shooting it? Maybe early next year.”
• On Influences For the Horror Flick: “Favorite? Probably “The Shining” or “Halloween”. The biggest influence on me as I set out to make one? “Race with the Devil”.
• On a Green Arrow film: “If it’s written well, acted well and directed well, it can rock. I do think there’ll be a Green Arrow flick one day. Were I to write it (which I’ve got zero interest in doing, mind you), I’d put him in the classic costume, though – as ridiculous as it may look on film.”
• On A UK Press Trip: “I was scheduled to leave for the UK this evening to do a Thursday press day in London prior to heading to Edinburgh, but had to change plans, as Harley was having a meltdown about me and Jen heading out on the road again (we’re now thinking of bringing her on the Australian leg of the tour). All this flick-related travel has been tough on her. I mean, she’s seven.

  So as it stands, all the UK press I’ll be doing for “Clerks II” (aside from the Empire interview I’ve already done during the LA junket day) will be in Edinburgh. If UK journos can’t make it to the fest, I imagine there’ll be some phoners in my future.

  Then again, the flick doesn’t open there ’til late September, yes? So maybe I’ll be invited back closer to the theatrical release, at which point I can do a bunch of London-based press.”

So there ya have it, folks. Looks like we may get our horror on sometime in 2007! We’ll keep you informed on this and any other breaking news! Feel free to check out the full post for a few other words from the man HERE.