- While things have slowed down slightly from the barrage we saw winding down last week, the press continues to give “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” a great deal of coverage online and in print, especially considering the film is still a month and a half away from theatrical release. In fact, we can’t recall a larger amount of press hitting so far in advance for a past flick, though Kevin and the crew have been VERY low key up to this point. So, we suppose it’s turning into a sort of opening of the floodgates now that audiences have started catching premieres and screenings. Let’s take a peek at a few more stories and another review floating around the web today. The first article, from Salon.com, is particularly GOOD but we warn you, Kevin goes into detail on a few key moments in the film which were reasons that the film was first stuck with the NC-17. So consider them spoilers to a couple outrageous bits. It’s a very good article though with Kevin speaking at great length about the ratings process for the movie. Here we go:
Salon.com – “Mr. Smith makes a “Porno”” (Contains Spoilers)“…[They kicked back trailers] for tiny things, too. We had to argue [for] this one shot in the trailer: Craig Robinson’s sitting on the bed when he’s doing the “titty audition” scene — it sounds embarrassing to say that, but that’s what it is. And behind him there’s a poster on the wall for a small theatrical production called “Girl Parts for Boys.” It’s a drawing of two kids in diapers, just holding out their diapers and looking down. You don’t see anything. But they flagged that. They said, You can’t show that in a green-band [approved-for-all-audiences] trailer.
And we were like, What are you talking about? It’s not even dirty. It’s not even a subliminal dirty reference. We were like, How stringent does it get? “
The Onion AV Club – “The MPAA Hates Kevin Smith”
“…The MPAA, the film ratings organization that keeps us safe from dangerous movie guns pointed directly at our innocent eyes, recently banned the following poster for Kevin Smith’s upcoming movie, Zack & Miri Make A Porno. Their reason? Suggestively placed backs of heads.”
“…This was the funniest movie of the year in my opinion. Before the summer I was really looking forward to “Step Brothers,” “Pineapple Express” and “Tropic Thunder,” as the hype I heard surrounding each of the films was nothing but positive, and each lived up to their hype. I knew “ZAMMAP” was coming out in late October but had heard practically nothing on it until only recently, with positive reviews coming out about it. So I was pumped going in, expecting a great Kevin Smith film, and that’s exactly what I got.”
Associated Press – “Elizabeth Banks flits from first lady to `Porno'” (Contains Spoilers)
“…”I thought, how ironic. A porn princess and the first lady in one year,” Smith said. “It’s also just fun to mark the irony in the fact that two weeks prior to getting down and dirty in our movie, she’s probably not being down and dirty in the other movie.””
You are at the archive for the News category &rarr
Radio Askew Returns Tonight…
- Will Wilkins, the man responsible for quite a few of the Kevin-on-the-radio audio streams you listen to here from time to time, is returning from a 7 month hiatus with his program Radio Askew TONIGHT! To celebrate, he’ll have a live interview with Chop Shop Entertainment’s Zak Knutson, who filmed Kevin’s upcoming “Threevening” DVD. Will also suggests he’ll try and pry some info on the upcoming “Money Shots” web shorts that he shot for “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”. The show happens online tonight at 6:30 PM PST / 9:30 PM EST.
To listen, you just need an MP3 player that is capable of playing live streams (Winamp, iTunes, etc.) and click the link: http://radiohc.gotdns.com:8000/listen.plsDon’t forget to also drop in to take part in the simul-chat where you can suggest your own questions for Zak. Will’s a good guy a puts on a professional show — If you’ll be around a PC this evening we highly suggest tuning on in.
View Askew NewsBites
- We’ve been keeping an eye on the Count Basie website, and it looks like tickets to Kevin’s upcomning Q&A have just about totally sold out (they may be gone by the time you’re reading this). If you have been holding off on getting your seats, now is the time to log in or call the Count Basie to secure your seats. This WILL sell out, just like last time. Kevin takes the stage at 7 PM on Friday, November 7th, hot on the heels of the release of “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”.
- And speaking of the Basie, here’s a couple stills from LAST year’s Basie bash for Kevin’s 37th birthday — These fresh shots come to us as we prepare to screen “Threevening”, out on DVD on October 21st. More details on that release soon, as we’re hoping for a possible Stash event/signing or at least your chance to grab a signed copy directly from us. Stay tuned.
- As its Fall release approaches, DC comics are ramping up the promotions for Kevin’s return to comics with “Batman: Cacophony”. Take a peek at the ad and editorial that appeared in the back of some new DC comics this week. Some folks found it amusing that they showed a picture of the first two scripts. The scan also reveals a few of the other villains Kevin has appearing in the 3-part series, so read if you’re curious, but be careful if you want to save them for surprises. As always, we’re sure Kevin has something very special planned for us in November. Can’t wait.
- Comedian Joshua Sankey’s latest newsletter confirms that his scene in “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” was one of the casualties of the editing process when Kevin was cutting scenes for time. Hopefully, we’ll see his work on the eventual DVD (the gang always saves ALL this stuff).
- FirstShowing picks up on the current status of “Red State”. While the article contains no new information, it’s a nice summary of the events we’ve reported over the past few months regarding the project. As of today, as far as we know, additional funding is still needed to get the project off the ground. The last quote was around $5 million, quite low as far as budgets go these days.
- Seems a group of atheists in Cincinatti have chosen Buddy Christ as their meetup logo. Interesting.
Official Zack and Miri US Poster Is Here!
- Kevin’s released the official USA one-sheet theatrical poster for “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” and it’s a very pleasant surprise. We think posters like this almost force passers-by to stop and read them, so it’s an immediate attention-grabber. Plus, it’s funny and actually TRUE, not just a marketing gimmick.
This one’s sure gonna look great on the wall hanging amongst its fellow View Askew posters from films past. Kudos to the gang on a job well done, and yet another unique and compelling promotional item from the flick.
Kevin Appearing @ University of South Carolina
- Kevin Smith does his famous Q&A thing at the University of South Carolina next Wednesday, September 17, 2008. The event’s been in the books for a while, but the BIG news is that they have just made the event PUBLIC, meaning a limited supply of tickets (500, to be exact), are now available for purchase by ANYONE.
Tickets for university students, faculty and staff are a mere $5 with a valid USC ID and available at the Russell House Information Desk. Tickets for the public are $15 per person plus service charges and are available at the Carolina Coliseum, all Capitol Tickets outlets, online at www.capitoltickets.com or via phone at 803-251-2222. Yes, you read that right. FIVE or FIFTEEN BUCKS. That’s IT!!!!
Basically USC students can ONLY get them at the student union and the general public can ONLY get them at the locations mentioned above. As the number released is VERY limited, you should buy your tix immediately, as we know they will sell out. There’s no way they’ll last at that price or amount. Have a blast at the show, the first time we can remember Kevin visiting the state in a while, if ever.
“Threevening” DVD Released In The US
- The street date for the highly-anticipated third live Q&A DVD with Kevin Smith, titled “Sold Out: A Threevening With Kevin Smith”, has been announced. You’ll be able to own and enjoy the disc a full 10 days before “Zack and Miri” hits theaters. The DVD, which arrives as a TWO DISC SPECIAL EDITION, will come with a suggested retail price of $19.97. Official running time is listed at 222 minutes (that’s 3 hours, 42 minutes!!!!)
While some web outlets will start taking pre-orders now, as always, we suggest waiting for The Stash to get copies made available for order. Typically, Kevin will sign your DVD FOR FREE in person or for mail orders, highly increasing the value of the DVD and making it another valued item in your View Askew collection.
We were there for the show, where Kevin celebrated his 37th birthday in Red Bank, New Jersey. The disc will be packed with all new material, stories we had never heard before (many which have not been told since), and HUGE laughs. There’s a Die Hard 4 story you just must see/hear, quite possibly the best tale Kevin has ever told over the years. We’ll keep you posted on how to order your own copy of this set from The Stash. Just really pleased to finally see that official release date!
As always special thanks to VideoETA for getting that release date sent right over to us.
BIG Update Ahead – Don’t Miss Anything!
- Howdy, folks – Your friendly neighborhood webmasters here. Just wanted to check in quick and let ya know that today’s update is MASSIVE – So massive that it may even roll off the front page, so be sure and click that older news link at the bottom to ensure you didn’t miss anything. Especially if you haven’t been here in a couple days. We’re used to things picking up around a film’s release, but can’t recall this much happening so much in advance of a theatrical arrival, so expect a record-setting pace for the next couple of months here at News Askew. Today’s update itself may even be a record setter in size and materials. 10 headlines in one day. We don’t think we’ve ever done more before. Whew.
This may be a good time to subscribe to our RSS or Twitter feeds, especially if you follow other feeds, as you’ll be sure to not miss a beat. Also, our iPhone-optimized site (which automatically shows up when you visit with an iPhone) should also help those of you with busy lives stay up to date with us. Heck, we can’t stop using the iPhone site ourselves. What a fantastic device. Anyway, read on, enjoy, and thanks for your patience as we continue to do our best to keep up with the incredibly vast amount of news that’s rolling in. Here we go…
“Threevening” with Kevin – October 21st!
- The street date for the highly-anticipated third live Q&A DVD with Kevin Smith, titled “Sold Out: A Threevening With Kevin Smith”, has been announced. You’ll be able to own and enjoy the disc a full 10 days before “Zack and Miri” hits theaters. The DVD, which arrives as a TWO DISC SPECIAL EDITION, will come with a suggested retail price of $19.97. Official running time is listed at 222 minutes (that’s 3 hours, 42 minutes!!!!)
While some web outlets will start taking pre-orders now, as always, we suggest waiting for The Stash to get copies made available for order. Typically, Kevin will sign your DVD FOR FREE in person or for mail orders, highly increasing the value of the DVD and making it another valued item in your View Askew collection.We were there for the show, where Kevin celebrated his 37th birthday in Red Bank, New Jersey. The disc will be packed with all new material, stories we had never heard before (many which have not been told since), and HUGE laughs. There’s a Die Hard 4 story you just must see/hear, quite possibly the best tale Kevin has ever told over the years. We’ll keep you posted on how to order your own copy of this set from The Stash. Just really pleased to finally see that official release date!
As always special thanks to VideoETA for getting that release date sent right over to us.
Kevin In South Carolina (USC) – September 17th!
- Kevin Smith does his famous Q&A thing at the University of South Carolina next Wednesday, September 17, 2008. The event’s been in the books for a while, but the BIG news is that they have just made the event PUBLIC, meaning a limited supply of tickets (500, to be exact), are now available for purchase by ANYONE.
Tickets for university students, faculty and staff are a mere $5 with a valid USC ID and available at the Russell House Information Desk. Tickets for the public are $15 per person plus service charges and are available at the Carolina Coliseum, all Capitol Tickets outlets, online at www.capitoltickets.com or via phone at 803-251-2222. Yes, you read that right. FIVE or FIFTEEN BUCKS. That’s IT!!!!Basically USC students can ONLY get them at the student union and the general public can ONLY get them at the locations mentioned above. As the number released is VERY limited, you should buy your tix immediately, as we know they will sell out. There’s no way they’ll last at that price or amount. Have a blast at the show, the first time we can remember Kevin visiting the state in a while, if ever.
The Great Roger Ebert Rates “Porno”…
- Roger Ebert, arguably one of the most famous film critics in the world, has long been a supporter of Kevin and View Askew, so we’re always hopeful to hear that he likes the latest offerings. This, from his Toronto International Film Festival wrap-up, summarizes his thoughts on “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”. Though this is not his official review of the movie (we’ll have to wait until release time for that), we have a feeling it’ll be thumbs up all the way:
I think Kevin Smith has a hit on his hands. The bad boy director is here with “Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” which contains no hard-core sex but is wall to wall with hard-core language. Smith begins with your basic four-letter words, and supplements them with an astonishing vocabulary and verbal images. The director of “Clerks” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” once told me he’s a mediocre director but a great writer. Wrong. His films are not so much about his visual style as about words; he is a perfectly capable director who, as the author, respects his script.The words in “Zack and Miri” are potty mouth taken to the buddy-movie version of Shakespeare. The audience was roaring with laughter at its sheer audacity and outrageousness. It’s so lively, the movie was initially rated NC-17, but got an R on appeal. Then the plot pulls ahead like two engines on a short train. Seth Rogen, the emerging superstar of raunchy comedy, is Zack, whose best buddy is Miri (Elizabeth Banks). They’ve known each other since first grade, are roommates, have never had sex, are broke and can’t pay the bills.
In desperation, they decide to make a porno film and enlist a mixed bag of cast and crew, including onetime porn star Traci Lords. Zack and Miri are co-producers and co-stars; will they have sex for the first time, out of duty to the movie? The answer to that question somehow creates a poignant love story in the midst of flying words and bodily fluids. Prediction: “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” will set box-office records if the audience is able to fasten its seat belts for the turbulence of the dialogue.
A film that can please both critics AND audiences? Go figure! We love what we’re hearing as far as reaction on this one, it certainly sounds like a crowd pleaser. October 31st is starting to feel like a slow crawl!