• Thanks to Vincent, we’re happy to present 4 menu screens from the upcoming Synapse DVD release of “A Better Place: Special Edition”. Note: On the final version, “Cassese” and “Skywalker” will be spelled correctly. Click the thumbnails above for a better look at how the chapter selections, special features, introductions and more are organized. It’s nice to see that the deleted scenes will indeed be viewable both with and without a commentary track, a feature often lacking from this area of most discs. Enjoy, and pick up your copy on or preorder before June 19th!

• IGN reviews the Clerks TCS DVD and again the disc scores an amazingly high rating (9 out of 10). The reviewer goes on about how wonderful the disc is, and includes a TON of shots from the episodes and menus (many from that hilarious Korean animation finale of the first ABC-aired show). Here’s a preview, just a couple very slight spoilers:

Read the full review HERE!

• A couple of advanced reviews came into us on the Clerks: Uncensored DVD, as two lucky readers from the UK got their discs a full week early, since companies tend to ship stuff overseas very early to make sure it arrives on time. Anyway, here’s some information that we heard about the disc from these reports:

• The commentary track is quite good, and includes quite a bit of Kevin discussing the cancellation of the show.
• The commentary re-affirms that the Clerks cartoon animated feature will happen.
• Kevin tells about some of the episodes that were never made due to the cancellation. Our scooper says, “My fave one was they were gonna have an episode where Randall bought Kitt from Knight Rider and Kitt becomes so jealous of his relationship with Dante that he kills him, then lays some of Dante’s clothes on the hood and nobody notices.”
• Each episode comes with a multi-angle option. Angle 1 is the actual cartoon, and angle 2 is every single storyboard used to create the episode along with the commentary. How cool is that?
• All the original character development and early pics of their appearances are included on the disc and rumored to be quite good as well.

Both our reviewers were amazed that the series didn’t do better when it aired and wish that it wasn’t pulled. Too bad more US audiences didn’t feel the same way! We’ll of course have a full review of this thing when we get copies. Sadly, we couldn’t get review copies sent out to the site so we had to order our copies just like the rest of ya. We’ll be watching it the same time as you! Our review will probably focus on the extra features more since we’ve seen the toons themselves on several occasions.

• Due to the overwhelming amount of e-mail and requests for an update on the Dogma: Special Edition DVD, we felt we’d better do an update about it even though there’s really no new news, just in the hopes that the mails will stop! Although chains like Amazon and Best Buy are all reporting a release date of April 10, this is all just speculation as there still has been no official resolution to the problems and there is NO set release date. As soon as an official announcement is made, we will have it, rest assured. We want the disc as bad as all of you, and are sad that it’s still not on the shelves. We’ve got a lot of contacts that are involved with the disc though, and are doing our best to keep in touch with them and bring any updates we can. It’s just that lately, there hasn’t been much to say.

Another popular e-mail subject of late is Shannen Doherty‘s involvement in Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, due to her name being listed on the Internet Movie Database in conjunction with the film. As far as we know, unless this was meant to be some big surprise, Kevin has not admitted to Doherty’s involvement, and, given their past relationship during Mallrats and her current TV schedule, we highly doubt it. Still, with a film full of cameos, anything is possible. If we hear that she is officially on board, we’ll report it, otherwise, chalk it up as IMDB’s error.

• Thanks to Joey Baloney at Joblo.Com, we’ve got here on pretty good authority what looks to be the final cover art for the Clerks Uncensored DVD which arrives later next month. You can see the package promises a 2-disc collection filled with lots of extras. Fantastic choice of cover art, too, and much better than the rumored Clerks logo cover from a while back. Remember, the disc arrives on February 20, 2001. We’ll try and get an advanced review copy for an early look as soon as they’re available.

• Well, one of the two anyway….Sadly, we’re still unable to report anything on the Dogma Special Edition DVD. We’re waiting for any info but they’re keeping it quiet for the time being. Basically, we’re still assuming there’s some content issues (similar to those issues a while back that they’d found a way around) and that the studio is working with those involved with the disc to come up with a solution. While this again seems rough, it’s a good sign. Whatever the problem is, the delay means that they’re trying to get the best product out there to the fans, rather than just settling for something inferior.

Speaking of which, the A Better Place DVD could have been done a while ago too, if Vincent hadn’t insisted on making this thing PERFECT. And while we know a lot of you have orders in all over the place, the good news from Vincent himself is that the final blocks are being put into place. Here’s Vincent:

There ya go, folks. Stay tuned for more big DVD news here soon. Clerks Uncensored is still on track and we expect to see the two mentioned in the headline in the next couple of months. Keep those spots on your DVD shelves open.

• The detail’s not so great, but we’ve now got a photo of the BACK cover for the upcoming Dogma: Special Edition DVD as well. Thanks to DVD Review for providing the art. Vincent Pereira has confirmed that the cover we posted last update is going to be the one they go with, perhaps with some minor changes. So, those of you that didn’t like it much, sorry to say, that’s the way it’s gonna be. Sure, there’s some problems with it, but it’s a cool piece of art and MUCH better than a photo or a rehash of what we’ve already got on the current Dogma DVD. At least they’re trying to provide some new content for those of you buying the disc. We still think it’s damn cool.

• We have here what on good authority seems to be the new cover for the upcoming Dogma: Special Edition DVD. And wow, is this cover art ever cool! In fact, in this webmaster’s humble opinion, it’s better than the original poster art. The thumbnail above expands to a slightly larger sized version of this. Click and enjoy. If there was a poster of this, I’d buy it.

The jam-packed Dogma Special Edition DVD is scheduled to street on January 23rd, 2001. Special thanks to Joblo.Com for the tip on the image.

• You’ve heard the rumblings, and from talking to Vincent as well as others, along with the website DVD Express now moving the release date, it looks like Pereira’s “A Better Place” jam-packed special edition DVD will be out this Fall. A release date of October 31, 2000 is now being predicted, but that’s just speculation. Vincent has said that the new remix makes ABP “sound like a [David] Lynch film”, so we’re certainly looking forward to all the great stuff that’s in store. As with all View Askew productions, sit tight, it’ll be well worth the wait!

• Word just came to us that the Dogma: Special Edition DVD’s tentative release date is JANUARY 13, 2001. We realize this is quite a bit later than some of you anticipated (most popular guesses being November before now, which still may happen). Remember, DVD releases are ALWAYS subject to change, but if there ever was a reason for a DVD to take a while, it’s this one: With two commentary tracks, 100 minutes of extra scenes, an all new documentary, and lots more, this 2 disc set is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

We’ll keep you posted as we hear more! A release date, regardless of when, is ALWAYS a fantastic sign.