- Kevin’s running hot with the Twitter to kick off the week (close to 50 tweets yesterday, and well over that number today already), so let’s take another look at some of the more interesting tweets from the last 48 hours. In instances where major news drops, we’re still going to split those tweets into their own headlines. Lots of love continuing for the New Jersey Devils — It’s great to see that he’s continued to keep hockey on the brain, which should put him in the perfect state of mind as he continues writing “Hit Somebody” this winter. Let’s take a look at some of the more newsworthy tweets:
- Via @courtenaymmkay “whatcha doing today?” Signing mountains of merchandise for http://www.jayandsilentbob.com – Christmas rush is coming…
- Via @movieinsiders “Check out this Amazon deal: Dogma(Bluray) $7.99 http://bit.ly/28a7fM ” That’s a pretty sweet deal and a packed disc.
- Via @dvdmike “Dave: getting in the ASC” HUGE congrats to Baby Dave Klein (my eyes), invited 2 join the American Society of Cinematographers.
- Via @timmcknightUK “does Jason Mewes have twitter?” Yes, but be warned: it’s a lot of “Mmm..coffee” and “Love the Puggle” Tweets. @JayMewes
Hit up the official twitter page for detailed tweet sessions on some recent couples times with the wife, and his thoughts on attending the recent “Twilight: New Moon” premiere with his daughter. WireImage has the photos.
You are at the archive for the DVD category &rarr
View Askew NewsBites™
- With Kevin hard at work building “Red State”, the tweets have slowed a bit, though you’ll definitely want to hit the feed up for notes on the latest episodes from the SModcast network, including another hilarious new SModimation , a new, never-before published live SModcast, and episode 7 of the insanely popular and equally awesome Babble-On.
- And hey, while we’re talking about the Castle, how about this nice Los Angeles Times article with new quotes from Smith and Ingram. Check out some clippage:
The comically raunchy universe of director Kevin Smith is a place where low-brow humor rules supreme and no subject, no matter how offensive, is off limits. At age 40, Smith has built a career that consists of nine feature films, several comedy podcasts, numerous comic books and — thanks to his prolific tweeting habit — more than 1.6 million online followers.
Recently, Smith added another wing to his media biosphere: a 50-seat house in the heart of Theater Row in Hollywood. The modest venue, called the Smodcastle and located at the Complex on Santa Monica Boulevard, serves as headquarters for Smith’s new hybrid experiment combining comedy theater and podcasting.
…
…”The coolest thing about this project is that there are people listening in from everywhere,” said Ingram. “In this small, little theater, we’re reaching the world.”
Smith said he intends to keep appearing at the Smodcastle through the making of his movie “Red State,” which is conveniently shooting in L.A.
“I like the instant feedback that theater gives you,” said the director. “It’s so creatively fulfilling and it’s so much fun. Last year, I earned more money talking than directing. It feels way more comfortable. Maybe this was where I was meant to be.”
- Major thanks to scooper Jim Savage for providing us some more insight into the rare “Best of Both Worlds” Snowball Edition of “Clerks’ released on DVD in Canada a while back — Turns out it was just the standard DVD in there, with the exclusive slipcase on top that you see pictured here. You’ll notice the slipcover flips up to create a humorous tie-in to Randal’s choice of porn in “Clerks”. A collector’s item, as we hear that not many were produced.
- And finally today, congrats to Kevin on being the IMDB’s “Star of the Day” this week, where he talks about Bill Murray, the movie industry, and “Red State” for a few minutes.
“Cop Out” – Hottest Bluray/DVD In The Country!
- “Cop Out” is selling briskly in stores everywhere, now available on both Bluray (recommended) and DVD. Grab your copy at your favorite web outlet of choice — We’re still waiting on word for our online Secret Stash to have signed copies as well.
Crave Online does a nice video chat with Mr. Smith on “Cop Out” and the awesome Maximum Comedy Mode on the Bluray. Trust us, you gotta see MCM. Lots of great stuff here featuring Kevin talking about his love for extras going all the way back to laserdisc.
Want more? Reelzchannel also spent a few moments with Kev to talk about the Bluray’s MCM mode.
DirecTV is enjoying exclusive rights to on-demand “Cop Out” now, so those of you waiting for Redbox or Netflix, it’ll be a few more weeks until the flick is allowed via those services. Pick up a copy to own today.
“Cop Out” DVD/Bluray: July 20th, 2010!
- DVD Active reveals covert art and two editions for “Cop Out”, arriving for home consumption this summer. The DVD editions looks to be a standard edition of the film with some deleted scenes. The Bluray, which is being called the “Rock Out with your Glock Out Edition”, will feature a “Maximum Comedy Mode” where Kevin Smith and Seann William Scott will walk in throughout the film with comments and skits. Additional features on the Blu include something called “Focus Points” and “Wisdom from the Shit Bandit”.
If the deleted scenes include some of the absolutely hilarious stuff that Kevin was doing with Seann and Tracy on the last day of shooting we had the pleasure of watching in Brooklyn, you’re in for a major treat — Tons of off the cuff dialogue that was fed from Kevin to these guys via the headset is some of the funniest stuff that ended up on the cutting room floor.
More details will come as the date draws closer, but for now, feast your eyes on the cover art, and mark your calendar for another packed home movie release from Kevin, who never disappoints when it comes to getting your money’s worth out of one of his theatrical efforts in your home collection.
The “Twitter” Report…
- What interesting tweets did Kevin drop on us this past week? Need to catch up or make sure you didn’t miss one? Here’s some noteworthy blips for ya:
Wanna BE green while reading my GREEN HORNET? Voila: http://bit.ly/9hZu4t Feel the Hornet’s sting on iPhone/Pod/Pad (sorry: no MaxiPad).
See me swear & sweat LIVE ON THE SUNSET STRIP! Me talking dirty at L.A.’s House of Blues, Friday, May 7th! http://viewaskew.com/events/hob
Via @dvdmike “plans for #CopOut bluray?” I’ve seen it. WB’s giving it MaximumMovieMode treatment (like WATCHMEN or 300). It’s LOADED.
Via @tim_brooks “will you be talking about the flick like z.snyder in watchmen’s max.movie mode?” Nonstop, starting with shield interaction.
A few years back, @SMosier produced an AcademyAwardNominated short film entitled SALIM BABA. Got a sec? http://tinyurl.com/PeepSalimBabaHere
Via @LukasRidge “whats the best thing you’ve ever written?” Could be on page 42 of it now… #HitSomebody
Here there be bickering! TELL ‘EM, STEVE-DAVE #7 is now ready to tickle your aural funny boner! I bow to them. http://smodcast.com/stevedave
Via @bluepoet3 “when does Batman: WG #6 street?” I think they resolicited the book & now it’s closer to June. Long wait, but worth it.
Via @bobbahawk “any chance you’ll be playing Carnegie Hall again? SModcast?” Yes. There was a June offer but we’re gonna wait ’til November.
Our Bluray Box Review Is Finally Here!
- We’re pleased to finally bring you our own look at the wonderful new “Kevin Smith Collection” on Bluray. Some shipping snafus held our review copy up quite a bit, coupled with the holidays and some issues grabbing screenshots, and there ya have it. A late review. Still, we’re got a lot of insight on this collection, and plan to cover all the stuff the fans care most about here — The NEW stuff. As for screenshots, unfortunately our PS3 used to review the flick doesn’t have the ability to grab stills (surprisingly). So, not the ideal review that we wanted to put together for you, but we still wanted to give you a nice idea of what was in the set — Especially if you’ve yet to experience it and have it on your Christmas shopping list. So, let’s take some looks at what’s included with this 3-movie collection…
Bluray Box Set – IN STORES TODAY!
- Bluray is here to stay, evidenced by View Askew’s full embrace of the format, with today’s 3-disc set, taking 3 View Askew classics and putting them in one neat package. You’ll get “Clerks”, “Chasing Amy”, and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”, packed to the gills with never-before offered extras, including the festival-only “What a Lovely Tea Party” documentary (hidden on the “Clerks” disc despite its J&SBSB pedigree), and the crown jewel, a brand new “Chasing Amy” doc from Zak and Joey of Chop Shop Entertainment. We always feel these documentaries are worth the purchase price alone. This one could be the best yet.
Our own review’s running a little late this time, due to a shipping mix-up with Buena Vista and our screener, but we’ll be sure to have our own look at this set ASAP. Taking all the new content at once, this may very well be the most new, never-before-available content in a View Askew disc release. In the meantime, surf over to DVD Talk, a fantastic site who have done an amazing job at summing up the collection in just a couple of pages. Here’s what they said about a few of the biggest extras:
To that, one new feature of note has been added. In one of the most uproariously candid introductions in DVD history, Smith calls the Clerks Blu-ray a “vulgar cash grab,” but notes that they’ve “gotta keep wringing pennies out of this little black and white movie.” So, for what he calls the “15th Anniversary Give Us Your Money DVD,” he says he begged Miramax to let him add something new of value, in order to “take the sting out of having to buy Clerks for the 19th time.” (Although, he notes, “do you know how many times I’ve bought T2?”) What he added was “Oh, What a Lovely Tea Party: The Making of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” (3:18 intro, 1:27:17 feature), an intimate, fly-on-the-wall documentary directed by Smith’s wife, Jennifer Schwalbach, and his friend and fellow filmmaker Malcolm Ingram. It captures Kevin and the gang joking around on-set, supplemented by on-the-fly interviews with cast and crew (Affleck and Rock’s interviews are the highlights). It’s a tad overlong, and certainly feels homemade (Affleck’s interview is noticeably out of focus), but is a nice added treat for fans, even if it is, indeed, on the wrong disc.
Chasing Amy was originally released on laserdisc and DVD by Criterion, and unfortunately, that disc’s first-rate, uproarious commentary track is property of that label (as are the intros to the deleted scenes and a few other scattered extras) and therefore doesn’t make the leap. However, Buena Vista has done the right by the movie and worked up some excellent new bonus material. First of all, Smith and Mosier provide a new, “SModcast”-style Audio Commentary; they dub it a “technical commentary track,” and while it has some interesting technical information, it is also, in the style of their podcast, a pretty free-form ramble (my favorite detour was their way off-topic discussion of the pedophilia episode of Diff’rent Strokes). It’s a funny track, though not quite the scream that the Affleck-infused Criterion commentary was.
The treat of the disc, however, is “Tracing Amy: The Chasing Amy Doc” (1:21:15). Produced and directed by Zak Knutson and Joey Figueroa (who directed the similarly spiffy making-of docs for Clerks II and Zack and Miri, in addition to Smith’s most recent Evening With DVD), it is a well-constructed and compelling look at the making of the film, from their mindset coming out of the failure of Mallrats to the creation of the script (influenced by Mosier’s crush on Go Fish star Guin Turner, and Smith’s real-life relationship with Joey Lauren Adams) to the casting and budget woes, as well as Smith’s intensive rehearsals and Mosier’s stressful attempts to keep the film under budget. Most of the key players are interviewed-Smith, Mosier, Adams, Affleck, Lee (on the My Name is Earl set, in full Earl garb), Jason Mewes, cinematographer David Klein, associate producer Bob Hawk, Miramax acquisitions manager Mark Tusk, film critic (and Smith booster) Amy Taubin, and more-and wonderful vintage behind-the-scenes footage supplement the genuinely warm memories of the experience (check out Affleck’s sincere and heartfelt closing interview).
We’ll be spinning up the discs this week — In the meantime, if you’ve got a Bluray player or are planning on nabbing one for the holidays, the Stash is now taking orders for SIGNED SETS, the only place you can find them that way. It’s the perfect gift item for you or the View Askew fan in your life. Kevin also suggested grabbing a Dogma Bluray for just $7.99 to help complete the set via Twitter today. For current or future Bluray owners, this purchase is a no-brainer.
View Askew Newsbites
- Bloody Disgusting (via MTV) takes a recent video of Kevin talking “Red State” — Now, we know we recently reported that he’d found funding, however that seemed to be pending some discussions back here in the States. As the guy has been non-stop busy since the UK trip, we have a feeling that funding’s still up in the air, but remain hopeful. This interview is likely a couple of weeks old. Still, we like the approach of get the cash first, and it doesn’t even have to be a lot, then start working on cast. We love this project, and hope Kevin gets the chance to make it. We’ll keep you posted of course.
- You gotta love Twitter, if even just for public exchanges like this one yesterday:
ThatKevinSmith – Dear @edgarwright @simonpegg & @nickjfrost: Thanking you anew for the truly brilliant SHAUN OF THE DEAD – which I just watched again & LOVE.
simonpegg – Bless you @ThatKevinSmith for your kind words. You taught us it was okay to write about the things we love. Snooch.
- On the heels of our big press release yesterday, DVD Active confirms that Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back will of course have everything the past releases have, some completists take note — You will not lose anything by making this your choice copy of the film (as you should, if you’ve got BluRay). This set also includes the brand new Amy doc, the Amy Q&A — And don’t forget, the “Clerks” disc has the first ever release of “Oh What a Lovely Tea Party”, the doc from J&SBSB. This is a BIG one, folks — Set aside a weekend when this set arrives on your doorstep. If you’re like us and already bought “Strike Back” on Blu, pass on that copy to a pal and keep the new one from your box set. Hurry up, November 17.
Blu-Ray 3 Pack Nov 17 – Press Release HERE!
- On November 17th, Buena Vista Home Entertainment releases THE KEVIN SMITH COLLECTION on Blu-ray, including Clerks, Chasing Amy, and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back! Both Clerks and Chasing Amy debut all-new Blu-ray bonus material including a making-of featurette, the Chasing Amy reunion Q&A, and tons more. We’re now close enough to have an official press release to share…While nothing new here that we haven’t mentioned in the past, it’s cool to see it all spelled out here — This release is easily the largest ever for a DVD or Bluray as far as content goes. Check it out:
Three Classic Kevin Smith Comedies Now Available In One Must-Own Blu-ray Box Set!
THE KEVIN SMITH COLLECTION: CLERKS, CHASING AMY and JAY & SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK
Includes All New Blu-ray Editions of Clerks and Chasing Amy Plus Hours of Outrageous New Bonus Features!
If You Like Your Comedy Hip, Smart and “Blu,” Pick Up This Hilarious Box Set November 17, 2009, for an SRP of $89.99 Individual Blu-ray Editions Sold separately for an SRP of $39.99
CLERKS on Blu-ray!
Featuring All New Blu-ray Bonus Features!
• “Oh, What A Lovely Tea Party: The Making Of Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back”
• Introduction By Kevin Smith
• Plus Original DVD Bonus Features: Classic Commentary; Enhanced Playback Track; Intro To
The First Cut 2004 Commentary; 2004 Commentary (with New Authoring); Clerks Lost Scene – Animated Short; The Flying Car; MTV Spots With Jay & Silent Bob; Theatrical Trailer; Soul Asylum’s “Can’t Even Tell” Music Video; Clerks Restoration; Original Auditions; Snowball Effect; Outtakes From Snowball Effect; Mae Day: The Crumbling Of A Documentary With Intro By Kevin Smith And Scott Mosier; 10th Anniversary Q & A and more!CHASING AMY on Blu-ray!
Featuring All New Blu-ray Bonus Features!:
• “Tracing Amy: The Chasing Amy Doc”
• “Was It Something I Said?” – A Conversation With Kevin & Joey
• 10 Years later Q & A
• Audio Commentary with Writer/Director/Actor Kevin Smith and Producer Scott Mosier
• Plus Original DVD Bonus Features: Deleted Scenes; Outtakes; Trailer and more!JAY & SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK on Blu-ray!
• Bonus Features Include: Audio Commentary with Director Kevin Smith; Producer Scott Mosier & Jason Mewes; Deleted Scenes with Intros by Kevin Smith and Guests; “The Secret Stash” with Intro; Gag Reel with Intro; Internet Trailers with Intro; TV Spots; Stills Galleries; Behind the Scene featurette; Morris Day and the Time’s video “Learnin the Moves”; Music video Afroman “I Get High”; Music video Stroke 9 “Kick Some Ass”; Comedy Central’s Reel Comedy: Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back; Cast and Crew Filmographies; Guide to Morris Day and The Time (Still Frames), Storyboards and more!
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, a recognized leader in the home entertainment industry, is the marketing, sales and distribution company for Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax and Buena Vista product, which includes DVD, Blu-ray Disc™ and electronic distribution. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is a division of The Walt Disney Studios.
This isn’t quite on The Stash BluRay page just yet, but should be very soon. As always we’re expecting Kevin will sign the discs — And we’ll possibly even see some chances for you to get your set signed in person, as well. Stay tuned. This is a must-own collection if you’ve got a Blu-ray player.
FULL “Chasing Amy” Blu-ray Deets…
- The HD Room has scored a few more concrete details on what we’re going to see when the new “Chasing Amy” Bluray hits this fall. One of the BIG new confirmations we have here is that there is indeed a brand new commentary track that will included on the disc. This will be the first time that Kevin and Scott have talked about the film since the original commentary got recorded for the Criterion laserdisc way back in 1997. Also confirmed are the BRAND NEW documentary, the never before seen Q&A, and a new conversation between Kevin & Joey that’s a nice surprise. Here’s the full rundown:
The November 17 release of Chasing Amy on Blu-ray will be offered in 1.85:1 1080p video and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio 48kHz/24.bit.
Bonus features are a mix of what was included on the previously released Criterion Collection DVD and newly produced extras. What will not be ported from DVD is the Kevin Smith DVD introduction (naturally), screen specific audio commentaries with the cast and crew (replaced with new commentary and a q/a), and The Askewniverse Legend guide. At the end of the day this new Blu-ray edition’s supplements are on par with the Criterion DVD, only more relevant in retrospect to where the cast and crew’s minds are today.
All of the new bonus features on Blu-ray are marked as such in this comprehensive list.
* NEW: Commentary with Kevin Smith and producer Scott Mosier
* NEW: Tracing Amy: The Chasing Amy doc
* NEW: Was It Something I Said? A conversation with Kevin and Joey
* NEW: 10 Years Later Q/A with Kevin and the cast
* Deleted scenes
* Outtakes
* TrailerWe’re stoked for this release, as Amy is one of our all-time faves. It’ll be great to watch the film again and take in all of this new material. Seeing what Kevin & Scott have to say about the film with all this time passing should prove for an interesting new commentary. As soon as the Stash has pre-orders out there, we’ll let ya know.