- It’s thrilling to see tidbits from Kevin this week, who confirms that “Red State” is now underway with a couple day’s work in front of the cameras already in the books. This project’s got us real excited, as it’s a complete genre change, the first non-comedic project as a writer-director, and a script that we know very, very little about.
Take a look at Mr. Smith’s “Red”-related tweets from the week so far:
Rolled our first few feet of film on RED STATE, featuring Michael Angarano & Anna Gunn – great actors, even in wide, MOS establishing shots.
Tomorrow is our first full day on RED STATE. Some high school stuff with our boys: the aforementioned Angarano, Kyle Gallner & Nick Braun.
Via @VideoETA “Can you confirm casting/offers to Pollack and/or Melissa Leo?” I cannot confirm offers; I can confirm they’re both cast.
RED STATE fully underway. Observations: Michael, Kyle & Nick crushed the first scene. Excellent crew. Red cameras rock. Catering top-notch.
RED STATE, Day 1 felt like coming home. Big thanks to a great cast & crew. And HUGE thanks to the Tweeps who came down to do background.
Sounds like a fantastic start, always good to hear. How about a blast from the past? The news that Kevin was going to make a horror flick first broke on August 6, 2006 — Yes, that’s how long it took this week to become a reality! From the full detail story a few days later, which even contains the video of Kevin’s first public reveal of the plans to make the flick…
…You can now check out the famous Rock-Paper-Scissors sequence on YouTube, where Kevin first announced his intentions to do a horror flick.
Kevin’s also recently posted this blurb on the flick: “…it’ll be pretty different from anything else I’ve done thus far – that much I can tell you. There may be a few chuckles in it along the way, but it won’t be comedy-horror. It’ll be chills and gore.”
No release date has been set just yet, but as production continues, we’ll have all your news here.
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View Askew NewsBites™
- G4’s “Attack of the Show” gives great press to the awesome SModcastle with a new 10 minute segement with Kevin and Scott from the mecca itself. You’ll also catch some of the best-yet recorded looks at the theater, the lobby, the decoration, and more. The interview covers all the shows and their genesis and is done up perfectly as only G4 could. Recommended for you to watch immediately , as it’s the coolest press we’ve seen for the SModcastle and SModcast brands yet. Good on ya, G4.
- The Wall Street Journal runs a nice story on the recent 25th anniverasry “The Breakfast Club” event which Kevin hosted. A clip:
What could have been a mournful memorial instead became a hilarious and engaging evening. Kevin Smith, noted director and Southwest Airlines enemy, was ecstatic at getting the opportunity to host the panel; his enthusiasm heralded not only the appreciation of a great director, but also the celebration of an iconic film beloved by millions of teenagers.
“I wish I could go in a time machine and tell my 14-year-old self that I was going to be on stage right now,” Smith said to introduce the panel. “And he would say to me, ‘How the f– did you get so fat? You’re hosting ‘The Breakfast Club’? Did you eat the breakfast club?'”
Continuing seriously, he added: “John had his own Hughes-iverse. I wanted to do the same with my films.”
“Red State” Casting News this AM?
- With the digital cameras set to roll in just 2 days on “Red State”, Kevin’s next feature film project, we’ve been waiting for some more casting news, and it might just be here — Kevin’s set to appear on the Opie & Anthony show this morning (syndicated on FM as well as satellite radio). Take a look at a couple recent tweets, which also seem to hint to the fact that the news relates to a reunion of sorts. If that’s the case, it’s a bit of a clash with Kevin’s announcement, stating that he’s always been a fan of the person cast, hinting that he’s never worked with this person before. So, time will tell. Listen in this morning, and in the meantime, here’s the tweets:
Tomorrow morning I’m having a NYC play-date with @OpieRadio @AnthonyCumia & @JimNorton. Got some news to share… #ReunitedAndItFeelsSoGoood
I was just given some awesome RED STATE casting news. If reports are accurate, I just landed someone I’ve always been a massive fan of…
Shout out to a RED STATE hero: Bob Gersh – the agent who not only didn’t hurt our effort to make a deal with an actor, but actually helped!
Via @JAL1115 “RED STATE already generating Oscar buzz” Uh… no. It’s a nasty-ass $4mil horror flick with few (if any) redeeming characters.
More news later.
The Twitter Report…
- Kevin’s busy prepping for “Red State”, kicking off production in just over a week, so tweets have been less frequent (though he promises a return to form once he’s done filming). Until then, you can still keep up with him and the crew as SModcastle shows are scheduled regularly, even during production. For the latest schedule, which covers us all the way through the end of the month of September, hit the tickets page. Get to the castle for a one-of-a-kind experience with the world’s only podcasting theater. Yes, all your faves including Kevin, Malcolm, Scott, Mewes, and more are on the schedule.
Kevin’s latest tweets help you keep up with the greatness that is the live shows, as they’re made available free to the public for your listening pleasure, along with a few other tidbits. Check ’em out:
Via @GrahamWilko “when Gyre hardback” 12/23. But HORNET hardcover’s out NOW. And it’s fucking SWEET: http://viewaskew.com/kevin/HornetHC.jpg
Take a stand, motherfuckers! Live free or #BLOWHARD ! Hear the BRAND NEW EPISODE in which we try CHAT ROULETTE! http://smodcast.com/blowhard
On Sunday night, I give you aural: A BRAND NEW #SModcast http://smodcast.com/main SMod 133: Lanny McDonald. In which no books are burned.
Lights, camera… BABBLE! A brand new HOLLYWOOD BABBLE-ON (with me & @RalphGarman) is now ready for insertion! http://smodcast.com/babbleon
Via @Lunakitten “what’s the wheelchair access/seating like at SMODcastle?” No ramps, sadly, but we carry you & ride in for front row seats.
On Thursdays, me & @JayMewes GET OLD! Yes, a BRAND NEW Jay & Silent Bob Get Old! Ep4: I’ll Tumble 4 Mewes. – http://www.smodcast.com/getold
Via @JasonMatthew “will there be a new Tuesday show?” Yup. And when I’m done shooting RED STATE, we’ll be adding 4 NEW shows to the network.
Via @Kobrakai80 “any news on Mallrats Bluray” Not a word, not a sound. Dear Universal Home Video: the kids want the MALLRATS on the Bluray.
Via @ErnestSalazar “I’d rather see you making movies.” Meh. Been there, done that. I’m having way more fun with #SModcast & her spinoffs…
Via @donnaleetree “I miss the days when you tweeted more” Sometimes I have to make a movie. Once RED STATE’s done, it’ll be full throttle.
All this and more via @ThatKevinSmith on Twitter. Follow Follow Follow!
View Askew NewsBites™
- You gotta love the French and their take on stuff — Here’s how they’re marketing “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” on DVD and Bluray via box art. Check out that digitally enhanced rack on Banks. Yowza.
- Take a look at Empire Magzine’s rule #2 on “How to be a Straight Man”:
Rule Two: Cock a good eyebrow, and be prepared to wiggle your facial features curiously as and when.
Example: Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) Vs Jay (Jason Mewes)
Living up to his nickname (for the most part), Silent Bob mostly communicates wordlessly through hand gestures and gesticulations. He also hangs out with one of the loudest, crudest, most ridiculous human beings in this or any other askewniverse, and so after one of Jay’s disgusting diatribes the well-placed eyebrow pop is king.
When he does speak, it’s either out of extreme frustration or in a genuine moment of heartfelt emotion – such as in the famous ‘Chasing Amy’ speech from, you guessed it, Dogma. No, wait, Chasing Amy. Anyway, Ol Bob’s a classic example of the not-so-funny man playing it straight, but with a bit of brow-work nabbing the laughs clean off his supposedly more humourous counterpart.
See also: Alan Rickman, anywhere, John Belushi in The Blues Brothers (not a straight man, as such, but still), and The Rock, in any comedy. We’re being serious here.
- See if you can spot Jay in this look at famous characters from comics past and present. Took us a while!
Wanna Be In “Red State”? Here’s How!
- Kevin has revealed that extras will be needed for “Red State”, filming in the Los Angeles vicinity, on the following 3 days: September 22nd, October 14th, and October 25th. No further details about the type of person they are looking for, though the scenes will take place in a school quad on September 22nd (so likely a younger group), a funeral on October 15th (likely a smaller group of varied age), and an airport on October 25th (likely the biggest, most wide-ranged group of age and look).
You’ll need to provide some personal info and a photo of yourself via this online form http://viewaskew.com/redstate/or shoot an E-Mail with all your info to redstateextras@viewaskew.com.
If they like what they see, and you fit the bill, you just might get the call, and get your chance to be a part of a Kevin Smith film. We’ve had the pleasure of doing this on a few occasions, and it’s always been a memorable, fun, and rewarding experience. Don’t delay on getting your requests in — We assume that where you live isn’t a factor, as long as you can get into town for the shoot, you’ve got a chance.
Good luck, and if you make it, we’ll look forward to hearing from you about your experiences on set.
“Red State” News, new SModimation, & More via Tweet…
- Kevin’s gearing up to start filming “Red State” in just 15 days, so we’re focusing mostly on tweets on that topic for our features this week — Read on for words on budget, casting, and the inevitable R rating that we’re happy to hear about.
In addition, you’ll find a new SModimation, just posted for FREE, that you can enjoy at the official SModcast site. Don’t miss it. Here’s Kevin:
GREEN HORNET #7 at comic stores now! http://tinyurl.com/272yotl. While there, grab HORNET 1-6 Hardcover book! http://tinyuerl.com/2ewez6w
Via @mrBgone1155 “Green Hornet 7 rocked” The end of the next issue is something I’ve been waiting to do in comics since I was five or six…
Via @flamethrowerrd “finish writing Hit Somebody yet?” Got busy for the last month or two. Still on page 101. Will head back in after RED.
Speaking of which, less than 4 weeks away from rolling on RED. Big thanks to all the folks at the production office. You guys are READY! Today was the first fully-funded day of pre-production. Much love & undying thanks to our two investor teams. Biggest love to Jon Gordon. Walked through locations with a few department heads. Even lower budget than we had on CLERKS II, so we can’t afford that many departments. RED STATE is the lowest budget flick I’ve made since CHASING AMY. That’s not me bitching AT ALL either; always more comfortable under 10mil.
Via @ActuallyNickW “where you guys shooting?” Whittier, bitch! Like half an hour from my house! Behind maximum security walls! #ParksPwnage
Via @CluelessAplomb “Can you name anyone else you nabbed for the cast?” The IMDB page for RED STATE is Missing Kerry, Nick, Kevin…
Via @RobVitetta “Am I correct in the assumption that RED STATE is moving forward?” We start shooting September 22nd. I’m almost ready…
Via @danimacinn “What rating are you expecting for red state?” R, sir. I’m not courting the Tween dollar here. #FuckPussyPGHorror
Via @CincinnatiGAZzy “is it true that Matt Jones (Badger from BREAKING BAD) is cast in RED STATE?” Yup. He & Parks share a killer scene…
Hit up @ThatKevinSmith on Twitter for the latest links to all the live and recorded SModcast and SModcastle series shows, details on upcoming guests, and lots lots more, including Kevin’s thoughts on the surprising lack of local coverage for the world’s only live podcasting theater (we totally agree, where’s the love?).
View Askew NewsBites™
- Kevin voices a George Lucas-esque director called Clive Addison in a “Phineas and Ferb” episode about Sci Fi Conventions, now airing on the Disney Channel. Check your listings or Zap2It for re-airings (looks like several chances to catch it later this month).
- Join Bow-Tie Cinemas for their Insomnia series, and watch the classic “Clerks” up on the big screen on September 10th and 11th, starting at 11:30 PM. This is only available at the Movieland at Boulevard Square, Richmond, VA location. Fans who attended this showing earlier this year said it was a great crowd and fantastic time. Don’t miss it this weekend!
- Lawsuit? Seems that someone re-appropriated the Buddy Christ image to appeal to New Orleans Saints fans.
- Mewes news: Jason starts in “Shoot the Hero”, arriving on DVD October 19th. A synopsis:
Jason Mewes (Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Clerks, Chasing Amy) and Samantha Lockwood (Lords of Dogtown, TV’s CSI: NY) are Nate and Kate, a newly engaged couple whose search for the perfect wedding rings catapult them into a scenario that that may end their relationship–and lives! After they witness a jewelry store heist gone awry in a hail of gunfire from rival hoods, they hit the road, unaware that they are now targets of a hit ordered by mob boss Crazy Joe, played by Danny Trejo (Spy Kids, From Dusk Till Dawn and the upcoming Machete). Meanwhile, the Smith Brothers (Nic Nac of Van Wilder: Freshman Year and Mike Hatton of Fairway to Heaven), stranded on their way to work after a series of misfortunes, manage to get a ride from Nate and Kate. As the evening unfolds, everyone quickly discovers that their lives are strangely connected in a night of intrigue, plot twists, a desert militia and a heavy dose of action and comedy!
Kevin To Host Historic 24-Hour Twitter Q&A!
- Ah, the good ‘ol days. Back when we created News Askew, the one and only way to get direct interaction and communication from Kevin was at the View Askew WWWBoard. Users would posts hundreds, even thousands of messages a day (and still do). Kevin attempted to read them all and, sometimes, would even respond. It was always a great honor to see a post from the man in your thread. Often, responses to questions were quite lengthy, which explained why responses were such a rare selective treat.
Over the years, times have changed – Kevin took to blogging a lot of these thoughts for the world to see. He also continued to use the WWWBoard to talk to the fans, but typically on a more rapid-fire basis. It seemed that the new trend was “say less, more often”. And fans loved it. Still, there was never any promise that a post or question would get attention from Kevin. The number one question in our mailboxes was always “How can I talk to Kevin”?
Enter TWITTER. This new insta-blog service limits each post to a mere 140 characters, causing those with busy lives to take to it in droves, due to its simplicity. Kevin himself has been seen on the service almost daily over the past few months, with a record number of followers — More than practically every other Twitter account out there.
While some folks typically make Twitter a one-way street to communicate outward, Kevin has taken this a step further, and gone on several Q&A response rampages via the account, basically taking tweets that had been sent in his direction and responding for the world to see. As far as we know, Kevin’s the first guy to take it to this level. Now, this Monday, Kevin will blaze a trail that no tweeter has dared blaze before.
This Monday, September 7th, Labor Day in the US, for 24 straight hours, Kevin will take any and all questions via Twitter and answer them in a Q&A marathon. If you’ve been waiting for years to have a direct chat with the man, this is your best chance ever.
The story is making its rounds on the web – Major news outlet Reuters broke the story last night (along with a nice link back to a classic story here at News Askew, thanks very much). So, keep in mind that there’s likely to be a lot of people firing tweets Kevin’s way. We imagine he’ll get to as many as he can, though the better the tweet, the more likely a response. Check out this snippet:
“Filmmaker Kevin Smith has some faithful fans, the kind of movie buffs who at least in the online world would love to have an all-night chat with Silent Bob, Smiths movie screen alter ego, ironically named because Smith is anything but silent. In fact, Smith is loquacious enough to fulfill hiskevin-smith1 fans desire for nonstop conversation, by planning for a 24-hour Twitter marathon of questions-and-answers on Monday.”
/Film also notes what a big deal this is gonna be.
Get those questions ready — Who knows, maybe we’ll even prep a couple ourselves. We don’t want to say we missed out on this historical event. Neither should you. See you in tweet-land this Monday.
View Askew Newsbites
- MTV Movies, in a converation with Adam Brody, suggests that the title of “A Couple of Dicks” may indeed be changed.
- Consequence of Sound has a nice piece about the awesomeness of the “Clerks” motion picture soundtrack, a disc whose tunes and dialogue still plays fantastic today on the iPod, by the way. Though, when it came out, who the heck knew what an iPod or even an MP3 was, right? We really dig this story, probably the best we’ve seen written about the soundtrack, and rightfully so, we might add. Here’s a sample:
The Clerks OST was definitive in that it literally sums up everything about 90s young adult derision and its impact on society, complementing attitude with amplitude and allowing room for both witty quotations and suitable background audio. There are obvious moments where a song makes the scene, such as the quintessential opening credits featuring Clerks by New Jersey alt rock outfit Love Among Freaks. The band was local to Smith and he approached them to do music for his film; the movie unwittingly became a vehicle for Love Among Freaks as they also performed the soundtrack inclusion Berserker and reappeared on the soundtrack to Chasing Amy, but unfortunately the group only released one full studio album before dissipating into nostalgic bliss.
Other pivotal moments that are boosted by their musical companions include: the introduction of Jay & Silent Bob receiving the Girls Against Boys treatment with Kill The Sex Player a stoner rock tune (how appropriate) with plenty of fuzz and bass along for the ride; Jay attempting a white boy break dance routine to the sound of Stabbing Westwards Violent Mood Swings [Thread Mix]; the Randal and Dante discussion of contractors killed on an exploding Death Star (one of two primary Star Wars conversations) is enhanced by Bash & Pops Making Me Sick; the entrance of Randal Graves is accented by Alice In Chains bluesy Got Me Wrong before he exits at the end credits to Soul Asylums Cant Even Tell.
- Just to clarify, here are the official UK and US release dates for Kevin’s two upcoming books: “Shooting the Shit” hits US shelves on September 22nd, and UK shelves on October 2nd. The new Special Edition of best-seller “My Boring-Ass Life” arrives in the US on September 29th, and in the UK, on October 2nd, same day as the new book. As always, signed copies from Mr. Smith will be shipping from The Stash immediately, so get your orders in there, or come buy your books in person at upcoming events, inluding the live Jersey SModcast. On a releated note, check out Paste Magazine for a short blub on “Shootin'” as well.
- Mewes continues to conduct press for his own Q&A events happening lately in and around Canada. This article from Ground Control. In this new interview, he talks about the status of “K-11”, producing, directing, acting outside the Askewniverse, and moer. But here’s the most amusing quote, when he discusses his own Q&A strategy:
“It’ll be fun; it’s sort of like Kevin’s ‘Night With’ that he’s doing and they filmed one of for HBO, but Kevin can go for five or six hours or longer because he’s been doing them for years. I’m building up to that [laughing]; I can go for about three hours and while his stories are about fifteen or twenty minutes long, mine are about three to six minutes but I’ll pull my balls out and he won’t.
Has Mewes thrown down the gauntlet? Catch him live…if you dare. For more Jay press, check out a similar blurb at Pulse Niagara.
- One of our fave movie news sites out there, Cinematical, runs a piece titled “Filmmakers Who Love to Talk About Movies”, featuring, well…Just that. There’s video evidence to back up their claims, as well. The entire article is highly recommended, where they call Kevin “The Storyteller”:
The Storyteller – Kevin Smith
You may not like the films of Kevin Smith, but after watching this clip you can’t tell me that this guy doesn’t know how to tell an entertaining story. Listening to Smith talk about movies is like having a conversation with one of your friends, and there are very few people who can connect with their audience like that. Granted, his critiques aren’t always the most ‘highbrow’, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t accurate — and more importantly, pretty damn funny.
Surf over and watch the video, where Kev talks Superman Returns and Star Trek during an “Evening With”.