• News Askew would like to congratulate Jason Lee on his Golden Globe nomination. Both Lee AND his series, “My Name Is Earl”, made the short list of nominees for the awards, which weere announced today. We couldn’t be more excited or proud for Lee, a great guy who’s been working with us a lot of years and deserves all of these accoldades and more. Let’s take a look at the categories as well as the competition:

Lots of good competition there, but we do believe both Lee and Earl have a shot. The program is loved by both audiences and critics, though it does face some tough trials in returning competition. Our thoughts? Earl is the most original and universal new show on there, and Lee OWNS the role. Good luck to Jason and Earl’s creators! You can view a full list of award nominees at the Hollywood Foreign Press website.

• Loveline has been rotating in and out different guests/cohosts since Adam Carolla left to replace Stern in the west coast starting January 3rd. As we mentioned last week, our own Jason Mewes did the co-host thing back on the 6th of December. Thankfully, for those of you that want to hear it, the epsiodes are re-posted online. Check the Loveline FAQ for download locations, or grab the show at the Loveline Download Center. One of our scoopers has also posted another copy of the program, in RealMeda format, HERE. Enjoy!
• Last Wednesday, a screening of the awesome new extended cut of “Sin City” was held. Kevin was in attendance, and made a brief appearance at the very end. Pulp Fiction Online reports.

• Seems we’ve been handing out the congratulations all over the place lately — Today, we’d like to congratulate Matt Damon and his fiancee Luciana Barroso on their marriage. The couple tied the knot on Friday morning in New York City. Access Hollywood is also reporting that they’re expecting their first child together, as Luciana’s 3 months pregnant. Damon and Affleck, married with children in the same year! We’re sure that they’ll always find time to show up in some View Askew productions down the line, despite their new family commitments. Congratulations!
• TV Shows on DVD reports that “The Andy Milonakis Show” will be released on DVD in 2006. Longtime fans of View Askew may recognize Andy from many past View Askew events. He’s been a longtime fan.
• Chris Rock has announced that he will NOT host the Oscars again this year.

• Our good ‘ol Buddy Christ appears on the cover of PLAY, a local newspaper to New Haven, CT. Check out the photo right here.
• Stan Lee speaks about his Mallrats role in a new interview he conducted with IGN. Here’s the excerpt:

• And last, but certainly not least today, a final bit of congratulatory business – The marriages keep on comin’, with our beloved Bob Chapman also tied the knot last week! Here’s wishing Bob and his new bride a wonderful honeymoon and a happy, healthy marriage! Thanks to Albert Ortega for his always-excellent photos.

“The Boys Are Back”

“The Man With The Plan”

• Fresh off the Avid, here are two new behind-the-scenes clips from Clerks 2 for your viewing pleasure. First off there’s the triumphant return of Jay & Silent Bob. It’s a lot of fun to see Kevin and Jay preparing for their first day of dialogue.

The second clip introduces us to Panasonic guru and newly-minted professional actor Ed Janda. This clip gives you a glimpse into the kind of family atmosphere Kevin fosters on all of his sets. Make sure you check them both out by clicking the pics above! We’ll be back with more news later…

• If you can find a way to watch CBC Television in Canada on Sunday Dec. 11th at 7:25pm (to be exact), then it’s your lucky day. You’ll catch Kevin talking up Clerks 2 and reminiscing about the good ol’ days (not!) behind the convenience store counter. And yes, Kevin still wants to be Randal Graves. Kevin appears on CBC Television’s irreverant business show, Venture (yes, business show… but it’s not boring, we swear!) The Venture crew came down to Kevin’s New Jersey comic book store to pick his brain about Clerks 2, customers from hell and life behind the cash register. Tune if if you have the means.

• Panasonic is rolling out an amazing new camcorder, capable of making HD quality films. Kevin was on hand for the press event introducing the camera yesterday, which looks like an amazing piece of equipment. >From the article:

Alright, so the AG-HVX200 is now on our respective Christmas lists. Any takers?

• We hear that Jason Mewes unexpectedly filled in for Jack Osbourne on the radio program “LoveLine” on Wednesday night. The program is syndicated throughout the country and helps kids with their sex-type problems. We’re sorry we didn’t have pre-notice to inform you, though if anyone’s got clips, we’d love to share them. Congrats on a cool gig, Mewes.
• A limited edition audio CD called “The Collection” from Alanis Morissette includes an hourlong DVD documentary about her career. Keivn appears in it, where he talks about “Dogma”, her playing God, and writing “Still” for the flick’s soundtrack.
• “24” fanatic Shannen Doherty appears on an episode’s commentary track on the new “24: Season 4” DVD box set.
• And finally today…A real-life “My Name Is Earl” story? The Austin Chronicle reports. We’ll be back again with more updates, as it’s been an incredibly busy and exciting December. Those of you (like us) getting hammered with that first snowstorm of the season, stay warm and be careful out there!

• As promised, here’s a few nice screen captures from the second (and possibly final) appearance of Kevin Smith & Jason Mewes (and Jay & Silent Bob) in the world of Degrassi. “Lexicon of Love, Part 2” wrapped up the premiere of the fake Canadian Jay & Bob movie, and of course cleverly worked them into a suplot or two, as well. The episodes are expected to air on The N here in the US soon. We’ll let you know when dates are solid. In the meantime, watch for advanced capsule reviews right here (for those of you into the spoiler thing).

“Silent Movie”

“Jesus Was A Show-Off”

• Zak Knutson and Joey Figueroa’s video series continues to break new ground (and speed records) at Clerks2.com, with two more new entries to the blog today. “Silent Movie” takes an unexpected but brilliant turn by showcasing a series of black and white still photos from the set of Clerks 2, during the first 2 weeks of filming. The camera and acute eye of producer Scott Mosier is the man responsible for all the shots, which are once again shot, framed, and presented beautifully, much like the series we ran back during Jay & Bob’s production. A color series will follow.

“Jesus Was a Show-Off” is one of our favorites yet. During a pre-shoot ritual car ride to church, Smith and Mosier discuss their respective faiths. A fascinating discussion, and one that we’d just never have been privy to were it not for this medium. An inside look into a conversation between the dudes behind View Askew that you just never would have heard otherwise. Mosier’s initial comments earlier in the week about “water to wine” are a highlight of this series thus far.

As always, we urge you to watch each and every one of these videos while they’re available online. Some of this footage will likely make it onto the documentary on the eventual Clerks 2 DVD, but the edits that you see here won’t, mostly due to the need for music clearances. You can get away with a lot more on the internet. So enjoy, don’t miss a second, and we’ll be back with more soon.

• Ain’t It Cool News runs a story today about a new documentary titled “This Film Is Not Yet Rated”. Kevin is listed as a filmmaker who will speak candidly in interviews during the film. With the original Clerks first being branded with an NC-17 (they’ve got the certificate to prove it), and the same for Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, we imagine Kevin has quite a bit to say about the ratings system. Here’s an excerpt (you can read the full article at AICN):

Clerks was the first film to receive the NC-17 rating based on dialogue alone. Quite the milestone. With Clerks 2 set to go UNRATED, bypassing the ratings system completely, this documentary couldn’t be more timely. Interestingly enough, the very ratings board discussed in this film has branded it NC-17, though IFC promises to air it unedited.

• 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!