• Well we certainly have your attention now, don’t we? It’s not even a ploy…It’s totally true. Kevin is looking for 50 lucky folks to watch a rough cut of what could very well be his greatest work yet, “Clerks 2”. Free of charge. Heck, you even get to meet Kevin and have a say in what you liked and didn’t like about the film. Some would pay ridiculous amounts of cash for such a chance. We’re offering it up free, via the View Askew website. Here’s Kevin with the full details:

So here’s the deal: we’ve got the cut down to an hour and forty two minutes, and I want to get the flick in front of an audience, to see how it plays. So I’m looking for fifty folks to come watch the flick with us, here in L.A., this FRIDAY, December 16th.

We’ll be renting out a small theater and throwing up a DigiBeta-projected version of the current cut of “Clerks 2”. The movie’s still rough (no sound mix and some unfinished visual effects shots), but it’s totally watchable nonetheless. This isn’t an official test screening (no cards to fill out or scores); it’s more about us getting a feel for the pacing, and seeing if there’s anything else to trim. Regardless, I’ll probably do a focus group afterwards, so be prepared to talk about the movie honestly.

Below is a sign-up list. I don’t want this thread filled with “I wish I could go” posts. If you can’t go, don’t post about it here. You don’t have to be from L.A., but since we’re screening it here, it’d be helpful (however, if you’re from other parts of the country – or the world – and you can make it out by the afternoon of Friday, December 16th, feel free to sign up).

I’m gonna be hand-picking the fifty myself. Attendance is gonna be based on how long you’ve been posting, what kind of postings you make, and ultimately, how trustworthy I think you are (Kate, your attendance is mandatory). Anyone attending will be signing a non-disclosure agreement; you’ll be expected (and legally-bound) to keep all the details of the flick under your hat.

So let me hear it below: why do you think you should be in the audience for this first look at “Clerks 2”?

You must be a member at the View Askew Web Board and post in this thread for consideration. So get on over there, state your case, and cross your fingers at being one of the fortunate fifty who get to feast their eyes on the first cut of Clerks 2.

Kevin continues to make it harder and harder to tolerate living on the east coast, that’s for sure! Have a good time, folks, and try not to let our piercing jealously hurt you through your PC screen!

• For those of you holding out hope for a Kevin-directed Degrassi flick, here’s the latest posting from exec producer Stephen Stohn via the Degrassi.tv website:

• And in other interesting Degrassi news, Comic Book Resources is reporting that “Degrassi Junior High: The Next Generation” graphic novels are part of a big Degrassi push next year (along with the possible Kevin flick).
• The ALMOST View Askewer Seth Green coincidentally mentions the Buddy Christ Bobble Head in one of the commentaries included on the new Season 4 Box Set of Family Guy. If you’ve been checking out the latest episodes on Fox in the new season, it’s truly remarkable what they’ve been getting away with, by the way. Some of it’s making “South Park” look tame!
• Popular fun and games site LiquidGeneration has a “How Nerdy Are You?” quiz where one of the questions (#16) cites “Clerks” as one of the films as a choice.
• And finally today, anyone wondering what the makers of the Fantastic Four movie thought when posed with Brodie’s question about Thing, click HERE for their answer. See you again soon!

• Okay, so there’s not much more to say than the headline, but tomorrow’s a big big day. Yes, it’s the result of many years of questions, patient waiting…And now, Wednesday marks the return of Kevin to the world of comics. On shelves everywhere tomorrow, issue #4 of “Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do”! The book costs a mere $2.99 at your local shop, though we’re guessing signed copies from our own Stash will be available shortly, if not even by the time you read this. There’s still 2 more issues after this one in the series, for a total of 6, and Kevin promises MAJOR surprises and twists to come. Don’t miss issue #4 tomorrow! Welcome back, Kevin!

• Film critic and aficionado Jeffrey Wells has been a friend of the View Askew fold ever since an early meeting with Kevin. Since then, he’s contined to be a regular guest, working a column at our own Movie Poop Shoot website, and now runs an awesome website called Hollywood Elsewhere that’s got a staggering amount of information, including regular columns and a podcast from Wells himself (admittedly, this is the first we’ve seen this website, and we’re hooked, now — Wells is doing an amazing job). Kevin was the guest on that podcast on Sunday night. You can listen to Kevin’s telephone interivew in the archives of the “Elsewhere Live” show by clicking HERE. An archive of Well’s excellent podcasts can also be found, for iTunes users only, HERE. If you’re in a hurry (the interview runs around 30 minutes), here’s a summary of tidbits revealed by Kevin during the call:

• The 1st cut of Clerks 2 is done, with a running time of 1:49.
• Kevin is guessing after trimming a little more, the final cut will likely end up somewhere around 1:40.
• The goal is to debut the film at Cannes in May, though it will not be shown as part of the competition.
• The expected US theatrical release date for the film is August.
• Kevin confirmed the plan is still to release the film UNRATED (hooray!)

If you’re not already excited to see the film, wait until you hear this clip where Kevin discusses it. You’ll be stoked. After spending a few minutes chatting with him on the set in New Jersey last month, we could see the excitement first hand. This one’s going to please the fans, and surprise any nay-sayers out there as well. It’s not just about a bunch of one-liners, but rather, has a sweet, meaningful story and speaks a lot to the 30-something generation. August isn’t that long off, either — And just think about it — The first EVER unrated Kevin Smith flick? The tickets are as good as sold. And hey — Feel better, Kevin.

• One excited fan is so stoked for the Chasing Amy inactions, he made himself a desktop wallpaper. Wanna share in the joy? Get it HERE.

• And finally today, a blast from the past — We ran a scoop on a rare Jeff Anderson film appearance (as a clerk, no less) in a small movie called “Stealing Time”. Well, if you wanna see it, you can catch it on The Movie Channel this month. TMC Xtra on December 8th at 6:30 AM, and December 13th at 9:45 AM. The Movie Channel (original) on December 14th at 11:30 AM. Set the tivo! See you again soon.

• Jersey Girl’s Raquel Castro is in the spotlight this week, as she’s got some big appearances that you might wanna catch her in. First up, she’ll guest star on Law & Order: SVU TOMORROW (Tuesday) night. The show airs on NBC. We haven’t heard many details on her role, but believe it’s fairly central to the plot. Worth looking into.

She’ll also be doing a Childrens benefit this Sunday for DKNY in Manhattan, and is currently in negotiations to appear in a thriller/horror flick filming in Los Angeles this summer.

One fan even spotted Raquel in a Pillsbury “Grands” biscuits commercial recently (we’ve yet to catch it to verify). The IMDB still lists “Little Fugitive” as her next big screen appearance. As always, we wish Raquel the best as her career continues to grow post-Jersey Girl.

• A weekly podcast called the “Picture Show Pundits” from smart-popcorn.com did a segment on Kevin Smith and “An Evening With Kevin Smith” in their recent episode. It’s near the end of the program, at 46:40 into the MP3 if you want to skip right to it. The Evening with Kevin Smith segment starts at 49:50. The show can be found here both as a downloadable mp3 and through an integrated flash player. It can also be found on iTunes.

• This syndicated cartoon is quite clever! It’s one of those little one-shots you’d find in the “Parade”-type magazines of the world. Funny stuff.

• In other cartoon news, fans of the Clerks animated series will appreciate this nod to the show in the latest episode http://www.niego.org/comic/comic140.gif of web comic “Niego”.

• Kevin is number 10 out of 100 on the most popular directors in all members collections over at DVDSpot. He’s among some very good company.

• Jason Lee will hand-paint a Grolsch Beer bottle that will be put up for eBay auction as part of Grolsh’s Celebrity Art Auction to benefit the Fight Against Prostate Cancer.You can view all the bottles and learn more details HERE. Looks like Jason’s son Pilot helped with the art on his bottle! Auctions start Monday, December 5th.
• And speaking of “Earl”, seems that NBC is SO confident in the show’s ratings and success this year, they’re moving the program into a really tough spot Thursday night, 9:00 AM, verus the powerhouse CSI. Great sitcoms like Cheers and Seinfeld have enjoyed this spot over the years, now it’s Lee’s turn to take a shot at the title. “The Office” will follow at 9:30. It’s all part of NBC’s strategy to regain their once undeniable dominance of the Thursday night ratings. All the moves will begin on Thursday, January 5th, so be sure and find Earl in his new home in 2006. And best of luck to Jason, Ethan, and the rest of the cast and crew on their new night.
• Finally in Earl news, not sure it’s the wisest pick, but a column over at the ESPN website by writer Bill Simmons makes a funny little “My Name Is Earl” nod this week:

• A couple more details on that View Askew soundbite used in the rap tune — The track is called “Eye on the Prize” and is from “Epitome The One”. You’ll notice another familiar soundbite pop up right at the start of the song. Enjoy your weekend!

• One of the most oft-asked questions we see here at News Askew is “When will the next wave of inaction figures come ’round?” These things just look so cool on the shelf, and with each passing set, the world just expands and becomes more colorful and detailed. So we can’t blame you for asking. We’re now pleased to announce that we do have an official date for the next wave, Chasing Amy: June 2006. This wave will include Banky Edwards, Holden McNeil, Alyssa Jones, Hooper X and the Tracer Guy. A possible (and first in this series) playset may also be included in this set. No details or official photos of that playset, though rumor has been that it would be the Marina Diner where Jay & Bob meet Holden in the film. We’re going to see what dirt we can dig up on that one for you. In the meantime, clear some room on those shelves, and we’ll let you know when the set’s ready for your preorders.

• Join us at the west coast Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash and get your gear signed by Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes!

Need a unique Christmas gift for friends and family? Come in and have shit signed AND PERSONALIZED TO THEM by Kevin and Jay! They’ll be in the store and signing from noon ’til 8pm.

Simply purchase the brand new Secret Stash West Kevin InAction Figure, and the boys will then sign whatever you put in front of them, for whomever you want! What better way to say “Happy Holidays” than with signed View Askew swag?!

Visit the official site For more info on the signing and party. Don’t miss this opportunity to surprise the View Askew fans in your friends and family circle with a unique gift, personalized to their name by Kevin and Jay.

• Newsarama reports that one of Kevin’s Green Arrow covers will become forver immortalized in US postal history as a stamp next year. As part of a 20 set colletion of DC comics stamps, the cover of Vol. 2, Issue #15, from “The Sound Of Violence” arc, will show up as part of the set. We know what you’re thinking…The issue show 39 cent stamps, not 37 cents…If only they’d have thought of this sooner! Even though we’ve never been into collecting stamps, this looks like a tough sheet to pass up.
• The “Encore Love” cable channel (which comes free as part of digital cable service in a lot of areas) is currently running a very nice 3 minute promo of Jersey Girl. It contains interviews with Kev, Ben, Liv and Raquel, and advertises that the film will air in December. Some of the interview clips are new to us, never seen them before — Worth watch between flicks for! If we get a capture, we’d be happy to post it for ya.
• Underground hiphop artists “Eyedea and Abilities” use a sound clip from Chasing Amy where Holden yells at Alyssa asking “HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSE TO FEEL ABOUT ALL THIS” and Alyssa replies “HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSE TO FEEL ABOUT IT? FEEL WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT TO FEEL ABOUT IT, ALRIGHT?”. The song is called “Two men and a lady”. We’re not sure where to find it, but fans of MCs probably do.
• The issue with Comcast and Hotmail continues, so we thank all our Hotmail friends for the scoops, though we are unable to reply until Comcast and Microsoft get the problem worked out.