• Film critic and aficionado Jeffrey Wells has been a friend of the View Askew fold ever since an early meeting with Kevin. Since then, he’s contined to be a regular guest, working a column at our own Movie Poop Shoot website, and now runs an awesome website called Hollywood Elsewhere that’s got a staggering amount of information, including regular columns and a podcast from Wells himself (admittedly, this is the first we’ve seen this website, and we’re hooked, now — Wells is doing an amazing job). Kevin was the guest on that podcast on Sunday night. You can listen to Kevin’s telephone interivew in the archives of the “Elsewhere Live” show by clicking HERE. An archive of Well’s excellent podcasts can also be found, for iTunes users only, HERE. If you’re in a hurry (the interview runs around 30 minutes), here’s a summary of tidbits revealed by Kevin during the call:

• The 1st cut of Clerks 2 is done, with a running time of 1:49.
• Kevin is guessing after trimming a little more, the final cut will likely end up somewhere around 1:40.
• The goal is to debut the film at Cannes in May, though it will not be shown as part of the competition.
• The expected US theatrical release date for the film is August.
• Kevin confirmed the plan is still to release the film UNRATED (hooray!)

If you’re not already excited to see the film, wait until you hear this clip where Kevin discusses it. You’ll be stoked. After spending a few minutes chatting with him on the set in New Jersey last month, we could see the excitement first hand. This one’s going to please the fans, and surprise any nay-sayers out there as well. It’s not just about a bunch of one-liners, but rather, has a sweet, meaningful story and speaks a lot to the 30-something generation. August isn’t that long off, either — And just think about it — The first EVER unrated Kevin Smith flick? The tickets are as good as sold. And hey — Feel better, Kevin.

• One excited fan is so stoked for the Chasing Amy inactions, he made himself a desktop wallpaper. Wanna share in the joy? Get it HERE.

• And finally today, a blast from the past — We ran a scoop on a rare Jeff Anderson film appearance (as a clerk, no less) in a small movie called “Stealing Time”. Well, if you wanna see it, you can catch it on The Movie Channel this month. TMC Xtra on December 8th at 6:30 AM, and December 13th at 9:45 AM. The Movie Channel (original) on December 14th at 11:30 AM. Set the tivo! See you again soon.

• Jersey Girl’s Raquel Castro is in the spotlight this week, as she’s got some big appearances that you might wanna catch her in. First up, she’ll guest star on Law & Order: SVU TOMORROW (Tuesday) night. The show airs on NBC. We haven’t heard many details on her role, but believe it’s fairly central to the plot. Worth looking into.

She’ll also be doing a Childrens benefit this Sunday for DKNY in Manhattan, and is currently in negotiations to appear in a thriller/horror flick filming in Los Angeles this summer.

One fan even spotted Raquel in a Pillsbury “Grands” biscuits commercial recently (we’ve yet to catch it to verify). The IMDB still lists “Little Fugitive” as her next big screen appearance. As always, we wish Raquel the best as her career continues to grow post-Jersey Girl.

• A weekly podcast called the “Picture Show Pundits” from smart-popcorn.com did a segment on Kevin Smith and “An Evening With Kevin Smith” in their recent episode. It’s near the end of the program, at 46:40 into the MP3 if you want to skip right to it. The Evening with Kevin Smith segment starts at 49:50. The show can be found here both as a downloadable mp3 and through an integrated flash player. It can also be found on iTunes.

• This syndicated cartoon is quite clever! It’s one of those little one-shots you’d find in the “Parade”-type magazines of the world. Funny stuff.

• In other cartoon news, fans of the Clerks animated series will appreciate this nod to the show in the latest episode http://www.niego.org/comic/comic140.gif of web comic “Niego”.

• Kevin is number 10 out of 100 on the most popular directors in all members collections over at DVDSpot. He’s among some very good company.

• Jason Lee will hand-paint a Grolsch Beer bottle that will be put up for eBay auction as part of Grolsh’s Celebrity Art Auction to benefit the Fight Against Prostate Cancer.You can view all the bottles and learn more details HERE. Looks like Jason’s son Pilot helped with the art on his bottle! Auctions start Monday, December 5th.
• And speaking of “Earl”, seems that NBC is SO confident in the show’s ratings and success this year, they’re moving the program into a really tough spot Thursday night, 9:00 AM, verus the powerhouse CSI. Great sitcoms like Cheers and Seinfeld have enjoyed this spot over the years, now it’s Lee’s turn to take a shot at the title. “The Office” will follow at 9:30. It’s all part of NBC’s strategy to regain their once undeniable dominance of the Thursday night ratings. All the moves will begin on Thursday, January 5th, so be sure and find Earl in his new home in 2006. And best of luck to Jason, Ethan, and the rest of the cast and crew on their new night.
• Finally in Earl news, not sure it’s the wisest pick, but a column over at the ESPN website by writer Bill Simmons makes a funny little “My Name Is Earl” nod this week:

• A couple more details on that View Askew soundbite used in the rap tune — The track is called “Eye on the Prize” and is from “Epitome The One”. You’ll notice another familiar soundbite pop up right at the start of the song. Enjoy your weekend!

• One of the most oft-asked questions we see here at News Askew is “When will the next wave of inaction figures come ’round?” These things just look so cool on the shelf, and with each passing set, the world just expands and becomes more colorful and detailed. So we can’t blame you for asking. We’re now pleased to announce that we do have an official date for the next wave, Chasing Amy: June 2006. This wave will include Banky Edwards, Holden McNeil, Alyssa Jones, Hooper X and the Tracer Guy. A possible (and first in this series) playset may also be included in this set. No details or official photos of that playset, though rumor has been that it would be the Marina Diner where Jay & Bob meet Holden in the film. We’re going to see what dirt we can dig up on that one for you. In the meantime, clear some room on those shelves, and we’ll let you know when the set’s ready for your preorders.

• Join us at the west coast Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash and get your gear signed by Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes!

Need a unique Christmas gift for friends and family? Come in and have shit signed AND PERSONALIZED TO THEM by Kevin and Jay! They’ll be in the store and signing from noon ’til 8pm.

Simply purchase the brand new Secret Stash West Kevin InAction Figure, and the boys will then sign whatever you put in front of them, for whomever you want! What better way to say “Happy Holidays” than with signed View Askew swag?!

Visit the official site For more info on the signing and party. Don’t miss this opportunity to surprise the View Askew fans in your friends and family circle with a unique gift, personalized to their name by Kevin and Jay.

• Newsarama reports that one of Kevin’s Green Arrow covers will become forver immortalized in US postal history as a stamp next year. As part of a 20 set colletion of DC comics stamps, the cover of Vol. 2, Issue #15, from “The Sound Of Violence” arc, will show up as part of the set. We know what you’re thinking…The issue show 39 cent stamps, not 37 cents…If only they’d have thought of this sooner! Even though we’ve never been into collecting stamps, this looks like a tough sheet to pass up.
• The “Encore Love” cable channel (which comes free as part of digital cable service in a lot of areas) is currently running a very nice 3 minute promo of Jersey Girl. It contains interviews with Kev, Ben, Liv and Raquel, and advertises that the film will air in December. Some of the interview clips are new to us, never seen them before — Worth watch between flicks for! If we get a capture, we’d be happy to post it for ya.
• Underground hiphop artists “Eyedea and Abilities” use a sound clip from Chasing Amy where Holden yells at Alyssa asking “HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSE TO FEEL ABOUT ALL THIS” and Alyssa replies “HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSE TO FEEL ABOUT IT? FEEL WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT TO FEEL ABOUT IT, ALRIGHT?”. The song is called “Two men and a lady”. We’re not sure where to find it, but fans of MCs probably do.
• The issue with Comcast and Hotmail continues, so we thank all our Hotmail friends for the scoops, though we are unable to reply until Comcast and Microsoft get the problem worked out.

• The awesome DVD supersite DVDTalk does it again, with a brilliant review of the latest disc to hit the View Askew library, “Jay And Silent Bob Do Degrassi”. Citing it as “…Probably the most elaborate special edition ever for a three episode arc of a Canadian teen drama”, the disc gets a “Highly Recommended” from the site. Here’s a snippet or two:

Jay and Silent Bob Do Degrassi kicks off with three commentary tracks, each featuring Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Stacie Mistysyn, associate producer Jim Jackman, and writer Aaron Martin. Kevin Smith sets the gold standard for audio commentaries, and these tracks are predictably hysterical as he points out all of the suspension of disbelief stuff that I didn’t really catch on the first time through and as he tries to make one-time crush Stacie as uncomfortable as possible. The alternate “West End Girls” commentary, which Kevin politely requests that you listen to last, is still worth a listen but is the least essential of the three. They had some studio time left to burn and a lot more they wanted to talk about, so they gave it a second pass. This time, Kevin’s more of a moderator than a participant, prompting conversation about the business end of producing a show for Canadian television and talking about the show’s viewership in the U.S. and Canada.

…

A minute and a half of bloopers are almost entirely devoted to Kevin and Jason rattling off various bits of innuendo, and there are also five minutes of Kevin cracking up Stacie while filming an overdramatic promo. Two short deleted scenes are also included. “Best…Year of Our Lives” is the minute long dramatic finalé to Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh? (and it’s easier to understand than the reverb-drenched dialogue from the finished episode). “Too Young” clocks in around 25 seconds and has an alternate version of Kevin explaining to Jason that statutory rape’s still frowned upon in the Great White North.

“How to Film a Ninja Fight Scene” compares thirteen minutes of raw footage with the minute and a half sequence that made into the episode. The entirety of the unedited footage is a little much to wade through, but it definitely gives me a greater appreciation for the magic of editing. The disc opens with a brief intro with Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes, and the full seven minutes and change of raw footage, complete with rants about the appropriateness of different masturbatory material, Mewes’ sexual hangups, and Canadian unfamiliarity with the concept of a cocksucker, are piled on as an extra.

That’s right. It’s a FULL disc. Don’t let the fact it’s not a View Askew production throw you off. You need it! Check out the whole shebang HERE.

“Ratface’s Neighborhood”

“Kenny Bob Thorton”

• As promised, the videos are indeed now starting to come in at lightning speeds with the production of Clerks 2 being wrapped. Two MORE entries today for your viewing enjoyment, in Quicktime now, and coming soon (possibly by the time you read this) for your cool little ipod video.

First up, a dude near and dear to our hearts, Robert “Ratface” Holtzman, longtime View Askew production designer, who takes you into his neighborhood of amazing artwork, props, and madness. One of the highlights of any set visit we ever make is getting to check out Rat’s world — For Jay & Bob, it was the trailer where they had all the amazing props…Recently for Clerks 2, we got to screen TONS of photos and hear from the man himself about the miracle of building Mooby’s. The dude’s a real cool character, and always takes time to give us the inside track on all his amazing art and designs. Enjoy this look into Rat and some of his art department crew. He sure is proud of that hot cheese beverage for sure, we gotta tell ya!

Kevin Weisman is introduced in “Kenny Bob Thorton”. You Alias fans know the dude as Marshall, in this flick, he’ll cameo in a yet unannounced role. Watch Kevin rap with the OTHER Kevin you know, chat up his band (learn it’s ties to the almighty Tenacious D), and, if you watch real closely, get a hint or two about his role in Clerks 2.

As always, mad props to Zak and Joey for their uber-cool camera and editing work.

• News Askew would like to congratulate long-time View Askew favorite Ben Affleck on the birth of his first child! Affleck and wife Jennifer Garner welcomed their new daughter Violet into the world sometime late last night or early this morning. Sincerest congratulations to both parents! Many stories are sure to follow, all of which we’re not going to run here, though IMDB reports with a smaller blurb, indicating Garner will go back to work on the final season of Alias after an 8 week maternity leave. It’s also being reported that Affleck was by her side during the entire birth: