• Alright, so the big day is here, and by now, some of you have undoubtedly seen the glory that is the new Mallrats DVD, as today it hit stores evywhere. If you’re waiting for the big weekend event, or for your signed preorder to show up, sit tight — It’ll be in your hands very soon! For those of you with the disc, or those who don’t enjoy the hunt, here’s a full rundown of where you’ll find all of the easter eggs on this edition:

	Side A Bonus Features, Go to Outtakes, Hit left, then Kevin’s Bat-a-rang lits up. Main Menu, hit up and flames over the Mallrats Logo. Lanuages, Commentary selection – push right on the remote for some Jason Lee action. Scene selection, highlight scene 6, and press down and you will see a brand new Secret Stash Ad!
	Side B Bonus Features – Mallrats the Reunion, Press Up, Get a big X. Menu, Bonus Features, Hit left twice to highlight sound waves from Silent Bob’s mouth. Languages, Menu, Hit left twice to highlight the words Snoochie Boochies!! Scene Selection – third page. Arrow up until you get words comming out of T.S.’s mouth for some Stan Lee action.

If you’ve been in a cave or that pesky Big Brother house or something, check out our review and get your copy ordered today. This one one must-have DVD for your View Askew collection.

• Yep, “Earl” did it! Here’s what IMDB has to say about last night’s premiere episode:

• In case you missed it, yesterday’s newsbite interview with Kevin did indeed finally have him revealing he was NOT asked to be involved with the Star Wars television show…ever:

• Be sure to check that Mallrats DVD Easter Eggs story just below again, we’ve made a few additions to it thanks to our astute readership. Thanks all, nice hunting.
• Here’s a quick report that came in regarding a radio call-in that Kevin did on KRAB 106.1 in Bakersfield, CA yesterday:

If anyone perchance taped the phone in, let us know so we can add it to the archives. Later!

• Here’s a bit of coolness for you SoCo’ers tomorrow — Why not knock off work for a day and see Jason Lee appear Live on Carson Daly? His appearance is taping in Burbank tomorrow, and yes, they do indeed PAY you $14 to sit in the audience. It should be a fun appearance, as those of you who watched (and it better darn well be all of ya) “My Name Is Earl” know that Daly plays a role in the pilot episode. Here’s details:

Carson Daly Show
Date – Thur 9/22(5:45pm)
Rate – (1.5hrs – 2hrs/ $14 flat rate)
Location – Burbank
Guest – Jason Lee, Shia Labeouf, Music: Gavin Rossdale, House Band: Max & The Attack

E-mail contact: brandon@standingingroomonly.tv
OR CALL: 818 762-9936

Hope some of you can make it!

• Jason Lee, one of NA’s favorite Askew personalities, celebrates the premiere of his own sitcom on NBC television TOMORROW NIGHT! It’s a monumental day seeing the dude who stole the show in Mallrats now sitting as the gem of the Fall sitcom lineup. And there’s even another Askewer rounding out the cast, as well. So naturally, we were pleased to have the chance to catch an early look at the pilot and the script, which we’ve got a capsule review for ahead (minor spoilers, though we’ll save the best jokes for you to discover, never fear):

“MY NAME IS EARL” – The Pilot Episode (capsule review)

By now, you all know the story. Guy leads a dishonest life. Guy wins lottery. Guy discovers karma. Guy decides to right his wrongs. It’s an interesting premise, and one that you can run with for YEARS in 24 minute snippets. Thus, “My Name Is Earl”. But what separates this sitcom from so many others that come with it, came before it, and will come after it?

First off, it’s Jason Lee. As the narrator, star, and hero, Lee’s got a lot to carry on his shoulders with this one. But if was ever an actor that could pull it off, it’s this guy. Immediately, from the show’s onset, in a brilliant introductory montage, we’re filled in on the life of Earl — Past and present. And in just a few short minutes, despite his obvious shortcomings, you already can’t help but love the guy. In five minutes, you’ve not only met Earl, but his wife Joy (Jaime Pressly) and brother Randy (Ethan Suplee). We’re also treated to what hopefully will be a continuing cast of minor characters…”Crab man” Darnell, and a kid that Earl seems to enjoy playing a different sort of game of tag with to name a couple. I found myself immediately sucked into Earl’s world — That trailer park vibe that many are comparing to “Raising Arizona”, played in the same deadpan way. The pilot episode runs more like a short film than a sitcom, thanks mostly to the clever writing, pacing, multiple locations, and, thankfully, LACK of a laugh track. Much like the brilliant “Arrested Development” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, “Earl” doesn’t need to cue the audience when to laugh. You just know when.

What else works? Quite simply, the funny. Case in point: A hilarious sequence involving Randy and and unforutnate encounter with beer (one you can only assume will continue throughout the season). Flashbacks are peppered in throughout the program “Family Guy” style…Fast, furious, and often gone before you can even fully process them. With a seemingly unlimited “list” of wrongs to right that our hero is working from, locations and characters can change on a weekly basis, too. I’m hoping they keep the core cast in there but manage to bring on some recurring guest roles — Not to mention, if the show succeeds as well as NBC hopes, imagine the special guest opportunities they can nab for Earl’s past victims. Endless possibilities.

“My Name Is Earl”’s pilot manages to stuff a lot in just 24 minutes — Not only do we meet the cast, and set the stage for Earl’s new life mission — We see hints of a love triangle between the particulars, ongoing conflict with wife Joy, AND witness Earl take his first shot at making good on his promise. The episode comes full circle, and has you ready for week two by the time it ends. Looks to be that rare combination of a witty, clever story, an ongoing plot thread for the faithful watchers, and an entertaining anecdote every week (maybe even a bit of morality tossed in there, for good measure). We’ll say it now: Kevin MUST guest star and direct an episode of this show!!!

We’re predicting “My Name Is Earl” will fulfill the prophecy of leading the pack of the new comedies this year. We hope you’ll tune in tomorrow night at 9 PM on NBC, each and every week — You won’t be sorry.

• Thanks to all of you who entered our Mallrats 10th Anniverasry DVD giveaway! We had a staggering amount of entires for this contest. Just ahead are the correct answers to the quiz, as well as our list of 10 lucky winners, who will each receive a brand new Mallats 10th Anniversary DVD, courtesy of News Askew and Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

The most unpopular answer which disqualified quite a few entries was the release date of the ORIGINAL Mallrats DVD. Folks who searched Amazon or other venues got a June 3, 2003 date, which marked the RE-RELEASE of the disc. The original release date was July 20, 1999 (easily found in our DVD reviews section of the site, where our summary of the disc is posted).

Our ten winners were randomly selected from a heap of correct entries. And here we go:

Congratulations to the fortunate 10, and thanks to all for playing. Keep coming back to News Askew for more chances to win cool swag. And for the hundreds who didn’t win this time, let it be known that the amazing Mallrats 10th Anniversary DVD hits the streets tomorrow, and is available from the Stash SIGNED by Kevin Smith himself. And if you’re in the L.A. area, of course, pick up your copy at the big signing event at Stash Westwood THIS WEEKEND! Details above.

• Don’t forget, 11:59:59 tonight, EST, is your final chance to enter our Mallrats 10th Anniversary DVD Giveaway. If you’ve yet to throw in an entry, do it NOW! Hurry!
• Auctions Askew has ended today — We’ll let everyone know what the final tally was when it’s released. Thanks to everyone who put in a bid for their support for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and the American Red Cross, and congratulations to our five lucky winners.
• Mallrats joins Clerks in Arizona Daily Star film critic’s series of the greatest films ever made. Here’s a snippet from the essay:

• And finally today, you’re gonna love this one – Most of you by now have heard Kevin’s famous Jon Peters giant spider story, right? Well, it gets better. A recent inteview with comic legend Neil Gaiman. Here’s the fun part:

And hey, “Mirrormask” sure looks interesting, don’t it? Have a fine weekend, friends. Be safe. See you soon.

• Visit Kevin’s famous “My Boring-Ass Life” blog for a look at a TON of never before seen pics of family, friends, and events. Old and new. There’s stuff dating all the way back to the Mallrats days, as well as more shots of the homestead, faces to names you’ve seen in the blog, and a lot more. Above represents just a small sampling of the photos, so visit the site for close to 30 images, including Kevin’s high school yearbook photo, his computer’s desktop, the real Walt Flanagan’s dog, and heaps heaps more. You’ll find it all under the September 12th blog entry.

• Today’s IMDB Poll asks simply, “Who’s Your Favorite Kevin?” At presstime, our own Kevin Smith is running second place — Let’s get over there and get voting to change that, eh?
• DVD Talk has their review of the new Mallrats DVD available now. Read our review as well, which is more extensive, and don’t forget that our contest to win a free copy ends at 11:59:59 PM tomorrow.
• Developer Hamster will be making a game called “The Convenience Store X” for the forthcoming Xbox 360, a new entry in a series that’s

THE FUTURE OF GAMING?

kinda like Sim City except you run a convenience store chain. Let’s hope there’s a hack or hidden code to work Quick Stop into it somehow.

• Jason Lee was oddly absent on Leno last night, despite still being on the guest schedule up until airtime. We’re not sure what happened there, though we can tell you he’s booked for Late Night with Conan O’Brien on Tuesday, September 20th (Earl’s premiere date).

• Sometimes, you just see a new Stash item and know you gotta own it. That’s what our thoughts are when we spotted this first look from Kevin at a brand new DVD box to store your collection. This one looks super colorful, and it’ll be ready in time for Christmas. The perfect gift for that VA fan in your family (or something to spend grandma’s christmas money on too). Details as they come.
• More Mattt Potter goodness comes your way today, in a new video, coming soon to a West Coast Stash near you — But hey, for those of you that can’t be there in person — how about a Quicktime video chock full of “Fat Boys”! Yeah!
• The Christian Science Monitor cites “Mallrats” as an example in an article they’re running on the crackdown on kids hanging out at the local shopping mall. We’re betting they hate people with no shopping agenda.
• Joblo.com is reporting via richard-kelly.net that Justin Timberlake and Mandy Moore have joined the cast of Southland Tales. The full article along with a couple pics of Miss Moore looking yummy is over at JoBlo. This is quite the ensemble that Kelly’s picking up for ST. We’re still hoping plot details stay as secretive as they’ve been.

• It’s just 8 days until NBC premieres their flagship comedy for the new season, “My Name Is Earl”. What’s perhaps amazing about this sitcom isn’t that it’s getting the most consistently GREAT reviews across the board, but that it stars not one, but TWO Mallrats/View Askew alumni. Both Jason Lee AND Ethan Suplee have major roles and well, that’s just got us here at News Askew stoked at the prospect of a hit sitcom that’s got two of our own in the spotlight.

But hey, it’s not only us. Lee’s been popping up everywhere in the media — The latest spot of amazement — Last weekend’s “Entertainemnt Weekly” hit the stands with a TALKING “My Name Is Earl” ad. You heard it right. Open up this week’s issue, and a chip in there when you hit the visal ad for Earl, speaks, in Jason Lee’s voice: “My name is Earl, Do good things and good things happen to you, do bad things and it will come back to haunt you. I’m talkin’ about karma. My name is Earl.” We believe it’s the first audio ad in a magazine ever. If anyone wants to shoot one off to us, we’d love to keep it for the archives.

If you wanna hear the Earl audio, you can surf HERE as well.

Want more “Lee” news. We sure got it:

• 
• In Toronto, TV Guide equivalent “Television” rated “Earl” among the best of the new fall season. They also added that Jason was the best casting choice of any new show this season.
• An artist by the name of Jeff Boyes has a unique, interesting print of Jason Lee for sale at Gig Posters.
• In the ‘Here’s Looking at You’ section of today’s Daily Quickie at ESPN.com, Jason Lee is compared to Randy Johnson.
• Chicago Tribune – Lee is a pearl of an `Earl’ in off-the-wall new series

  “After dropping out of high school in his senior year, Jason Lee decided to become a professional skateboarder, so he did.

  Then, a decade ago, after snagging a role in the Kevin Smith film “Mallrats,” he decided to become a legit, full-time actor. He did that, too, with a 10-year film career that has taken him to a level somewhere between the guy who steals the show and the star in movies such as “Almost Famous” and “The Ballad of Jack and Rose.”

  There was just one thing Lee was pretty sure he never wanted to do: cross over to the world of television…”

• Lee is featured in the “Stars We Love” section of E! Online today with a small interview. Here’s an interesting little tidbit from that:
  You’re known for working with director Kevin Smith. Is there any chance he’ll make an appearance on Earl?

  Yeah, we’ve definitely explored Kevin being a part of this in some way.

  You may remember, Lee mentioned Kevin coming on board to direct as a possibility. Given Kevin’s recent talent for super cool guest appearances, we’d love to see him on the program later this season, even. Don’t miss the little Lee video inset on that page as well, by the way.

• The New York Times – “Put on Your Best Gimme Hat. It’s the Upscale Redneck Show”

  “…Against the odds, the comedy here works. The actors Jason Lee, who is also a producer, and especially Jaime Pressly are superb in the lead roles, and the fact that this show gratifies some low impulses – to embrace stereotypes, say – doesn’t mean that it doesn’t also gratify some mid-level impulses: to laugh, say.”

“My Name Is Earl”. Tuesday, September 20th, 9:00 PM, NBC.