Poopie Trim #2!

• Looks like the Askewniverse has become a running inside gag on Jason Lee’s “My Name Is Earl”. Near the end of this week’s episode, Earl and Randy have to wake up super-early to make some errands. Upon Earl’s exclamation, “Herkey-perky, hands of jerky,” Ethan Slupee once again mutters the immortal “Poopie trim”! We’ve got the video for ya.
• There’s a small but obvious visual shout-out to the Askewniverse in this edition of web comic “Spudmunkey”.
• IGN Filmforce is reporting that Ben Affleck’s film “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” is looking for a new title, due to alleged legal threats from Warner Brothers.
• This Salon.com article on Independent Film discoveries at Sundance cites Chasing Amy as one of the most culturally influential to come out of the festival (page 2). And hey, there’s a pretty smokin’ Jennifer Aniston pic on page one, too.
• Finally today, seems that our famous Jay & Silent Bobbleheads were the centerpieces among a list of stolen items tied to break-ins in Wyoming. Imagine going to jail over stolen bobbleheads! Catch ya next time!

• For those of you attempting to send scoops in to us today, we apologize. Seems that all the “@newsaskew.com” email boxes are down for some strange reason. Nothing’s come in all day. If stuff is bouncing back to you, please hold onto it, and try again tomorrow. We’re hoping the fine folks running our server, or Mr. Ming, can get us back in business. We’re not sure if any mail that came in today will come or not, so if you don’t hear back from us, please do resend it. Sorry for the inconvenience. And now, the news…

“Digital vs. Film – aka The Dirty Lens”

• Thank the Gods! Alright, too much “Battlestar Galactica” watching lately, but we’re MOST pleased that documentary gods Zak Knutson and Joey Figueroa have returned with another edition of their brilliant web series “Train Wreck”, chronicling the antics just around and about the Clerks 2 set. We’re still out west at the good ‘ol Moobys set this time. If you use your freeze frame carefully, you might be able to read off some of the hilarious new Mooby’s menu items as Ratface raises the Drive Thru sign (we chatted him up good when we were out in Jersey, great stuff there). The driving force behing this latest clip, “Digital Vs. Film”, involves a connversation between Kevin and Scott on the future of film. Kevin’s ideal world? A world where digital has become the standard, and looks identical to a flick done on film. Lots of fun visuals in between, and as always, a snappy classic tune to drive things along. Enjoy!

• Kevin beat us to the punch today with a very nice article on the direction of the Weinstein Company, which appears at the New York Times website. The article also links to a nice little bio about Kevin, courtesy of the All Media Guide. Worth reading, as it’s probably one of the most accurate, yet concise versions of his career we’ve yet to see. Nicely done, AMG.
• Check out CNN’s Showbiz site for a new video clip about the Sundance Film Festival. At the end, Kevin is featured speaking about his journey in 1994 with Clerks, and how he came away from the festival with a career. No direct link due to CNN’s weird setup, but under the “More News” section you can click “Watch: The Making of Movie Stars”, then “Sundance Is Still an Indie Must” to see the clip, which runs 2 minutes, 12 seconds. Dig it.
• Was that a shout-out on the latest episode of “Scrubs” this week? On the show’s 100th episode, the JD character proclaims “I’m not even supposed to be here today!”. A common phrase, sure, but intentional? You be the judge.
• Got some love for Earl Hickey? Check out these Hot Topic tees.

• We let this run one all day, potentially setting the record for the highest amount of scoops ever to come into News Askew on one topic. So, at any rate, if you’re now among the few yet to hear, the great Jason Lee has come down with the chicken pox, of all things, delaying production on “My Name Is Earl” a few weeks. This comes hot on the heels of the big announcement that the show has been picked up for a 24 episode SECOND SEASON by NBC (whoohoo!). E! Online reports:

The pox are a rite of passage for many at childhood, but as a person ages, the ailment is a bit more severe, thus the mandated shutdown and rest for Lee. All of us at News Askew and View Askew wish Jason a speedy recovery. Congraulations to Lee and the cast/creators of Earl on the well-deserved second season order. Perhaps we’ll see Kevin guest star or direct next year?

• Attention collectors, variant lovers and inaction figure fans! We’ve got one that YOU don’t have yet — And it’s just a mouse click away. These Exclusive Inaction Figures feature the familiar Kevin Smith Inaction Figure sculpt with the View Askew Productions logo on the front and the word ‘LUNCHBOX’ emblazoned on a red, white and green jersey. The packaging proudly explains that this is indeed a Secret Stash Online Exclusive. That’s right, no need to attend a convention to get one — And as always, we have a limited supply. So we suggest you order one NOW before you regret it. As an online exclusive, this could become our rarest and fastest selling variant yet.

The figures are SHIPPING NOW and signed personally by Kevin Smith himself. $15.00. Order yours NOW!

• This reviewer over at AICN didn’t seem to be a big Joey Laruen Adams fan, but he LOVES her film “Come Early Morning”, now showing at Sundance:

• Notable on DVD this week: “The Aristocrats”, a documentary featuring multiple re-tellings of the world’s dirtiest joke, features View Askew alums George Carlin, Carrie Fisher, Chris Rock, and John Stewart. Also on shelves, “My Big Fat Independent Movie”, which spoofs the indie genre, features the voice of Jason Mewes.

• A News Askew reader was the lucky winner of Jason Lee’s decorated Grolsch beer bottle auction that we mentioned here last month. The final price was $207.50, beaten out only by Donald Trump and Jeff Gordon. Check out the photos as proof!

• Retro View Askew hockey lovers: Popular deal-a-day website woot.com runs a special today on controllers you can hook up to your TV to play those classic video hockey versions, like you see in Mallrats and Amy. We believe the one sold here (NHL 95) is the one that was used in “Chasing Amy”. The prior year, 1994, was showcased in “Swingers”, by the way.
• And finally today, “My Name Is Earl” fans…Seems one fan has given Earl his own Myspace account. We don’t think it’s official, but it’s a fun read if you’re a fan of the show. Catch ya next time!

• Alright, east-coasters and especially residents of the N-E-W Jers…It seems that the idea of a RED BANK VULGARTHON is being tossed around by Kevin himself! Take a look:

Alright, so we KNOW you’re going to sell this thing out, no matter what. But think about this: First off, having see the Jersey Girl extended cut, we know it’s worth the admission price alone. It’s such an excitingly new look at the film’s characterization with the extra stuff back in. Tea Party is also a rare catch, since we’re still not sure when and how that will be released. And while some of you have seen the latter flicks before, they’re always an easy/fun watch again, especially with an Askew crowd. And while Kevin may not be able to promise Clerks 2, we have a feeling that he’s not going to let you down in some regard. We think you’d be CRAZY not to buy a ticket. Oh, and of course — We’re SO there. And we’re sure there will be many pre and post parties abound, as well.

If this goes down, it could be the greatest east coast event EVER. We’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, let Kevin know how excited you are about it at The Board.

• Kevin returns to the world of blogging with three new editions of “My Boring-Ass Life”, dated January 18th, 19th, and 20th. In the first edition, he presents his thoughts on the ever shrinking theatrical to video window, and presents a list of his favorites watched in the past year. Here’s that list:

Read all of Kevin’s new diary entries, which also delve into a blast from the past, in a positive “Mallrats” review (the 19th), and an excellent confession/explanation on the events that led to the famous comic book script shortage of 2004 (complete with a simulated instant messenger session between Kevin and Joe Quesada). Required historical reading, at www.silentbobspeaks.com!

“Reynold’s Style”

• Watch the great Jason Lee jar with Kevin and Jay on the set of Clerks 2 in this latest video from the “Train Wreck” series. Zak and Joey present us with some behind-the-scenes stuff featuring Lee getting into character, as well as channeling his “Earl” character. We learn that this was the first flick Lee has worked on since starting work on his TV series, and that the character he plays in this one is closest to Azrael when comparing to his past Askew personas. As always, fire up that Quicktime and head on over to clerks2.com.