- Sorry for the late notice on this (though we believe the show does rerun later at night or early tomorrow), but Jason Mewes is scheduled to appear as a guest tonight on G4TechTV’s “The Screensavers”. The show initially airs at 7 PM EST. Catch it if you can! More updates in a bit…
You are at the archive for the News category &rarr
LA Times: “Director Is Drawn To Comics Business”…
- A great little piece ran in the Calendar Section of the widely read and respected Los Angeles Times…It’s called “Director is Drawn to Comics Business” and summaries Kevin’s recent opening of Secret Stash West in Westwood, CA. The article confirms Mewes’ employment in the store and frequent visits from Kevin himself. Click the scan above to see it all.
View Askew NewsBites™
- Those of you following the Miramax/Disney saga or intrigued by the man that’s helped make View Askew’s films all possible, Harvey Weinstein, will find an excellent read in this new piece, “How Harvey Weinstein Survived His Midlife Crisis (For Now)” from New York Metro. This is by far the most we’ve seen on the man, and a very interesting, informative, and well-written piece on one of the great supporters of independent filmmakers today. Recommended reading!
- The ‘Shoot’s got a TON of new material up that we think will be relevant to all News Askew readers — First up, check out that wonderful Halloween rendition of Jay and Bob on the front gateway page to the site. Nifty, eh?
Michael Dequina also treats us to a ton of new photos in his “A Night Out” column where he chronicles both the Stash Westwood opening ceremonies and that way cool Buena Vista DVD party from a few weeks back. Scroll on down for bunches of photos and new commentary.
- Popular View Askew composer JAMES L. VENABLE is performing at THE SUNSET ROOM on October 9th – that’s THIS SATURDAY at 8:30pm. For those of you in the L.A. area that would like to attend, go to www.screamingfan.com (”news” on the home page) and RSVP to get on the DISCOUNT list… only $7.00 cover gets you in for the whole night at this very cool club. Tell Jim we sent ya!
- Drew Struzan, who’s known for his original art that is the wonderful Mallrats poster (among many, many other amazingly photorealistic film posters) has a new book coming out, showcasing these works. He’ll be at LA Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention on December 12th. Sadly, it seems Drew can only sign copies of the book there, though perhaps you can catch him in a generous moment pre or post-signing and get a Mallrats poster signed or something. At any rate, the book’s bound to be full of coolness, and it’s a great chance to meet this legend.
“Action!” w/Kevin on Biography TUESDAY!
- A new series from the Biography Channel, featuring today’s hottest film directors, titled “Action!”, will feature Kevin on tomorrow night’s program, premeiring at 11:30 PM ET/PT. Here’s the write-up:
In a series profiling today’s film directors, we meet Kevin Smith, who established himself as a force in independent filmmaking when his 1994 “Clerks” won Sundance. Born and raised in New Jersey, Smith shot “Clerks” in a convenience store in which he worked–when it was closed at night! His films “Mallrats”, “Chasing Amy”, “Dogma”, and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” all have a cult following. “Jersey Girl” (2004), with Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, and George Carlin, was his first mainstream film.
Remember, that’s TOMORROW, TUESDAY NIGHT, OCTOBER 5th, on the Biography Channel! Don’t miss it.
Donnie Darko: Region 2 Capsule Review!
- So why’s this here at News Askew, you probably asked, after reading that headline? Well, as you may or may not know, Kevin recorded a commentary track for the new director’s cut of this excellent film with director Richard Kelly (whom Kevin is filming “Southland Tales” with sometime soon). This disc is currently available ONLY in Region 2 of the world (for UK DVD players), and thusly, we don’t have it stateside (and who knows if/when we ever will get it, at least with this commentary track, as no announcement has yet been made). One viewer checks in with a capsule review of the disc, which we thought might interest you.
Just to chime in with a few notes on the superb new UK Donnie Darko DVD. The Richard Kelly and Kevin Smith commentary is excellent, its a slow starter but once things get going they rarely stop, the guys actually have to stop talking when the final credit rolls as they run out of time.
Just as importantly though, as promised Kevin got through a whole load of questions from the guys and gals on the board, most of the good or just plain bizarre stuff was asked and this particular Q&A section of the commentary actually takes over about half of the film. Certainly one for you guys to import as this 2 disc DVD is very UK specific so I can’t imagine a US release any time soon.
Certainly sounds like it’s time to dial up the ‘ol import DVD website and place an order…Pick of a “Shaun of the Dead” while you’re at it!
View Askew NewsBites™
- Pop Culture website “Forces Of Good” presents an extended installment called “Kingdom Askew”. The article takes a fan’s point of view at Kevin’s contributions and loyal legions, namely, the online fans (hey, that’s YOU!). Here’s a small snippet from the piece:
There’s an affable”aw-shucks” element in everything Kevin Smith says. Coughlin, a View Askewniverse regular, is a Pennsylvania native with over 1,500 posts under his belt. He observes,”His self-deprecating style is a breath of fresh air in a world of Hollywood phonies.”
Smith’s alter ego, Silent Bob, is frequently the butt of many fat-jokes at the hands of his foul-mouthed partner Jay. Nicknames like “Tons-of-fun” and”Lunchbox” are used interchangeably with the character’s name, no doubt a reflection of his own personal insecurities. The fact that a big-time Hollywood director could suffer from low self-esteem is both refreshing and reassuring to us regular blokes. There’s just something endearing about a man who seemingly has it all but still struggles with self-doubt.
Large though he may be, Smith just doesn’t act like he’s too big even for his own britches. For most Hollywood writers, the thought of writing a comic book is beneath them. On the contrary, Smith parlayed his Clerks characters successfully transferring them from film to print and back again. Chasing Dogma was originally inked to fill in the gaps between the time Jay and Silent Bob left Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck) sitting in a diner in Chasing Amy to the time they rescued Bethany Sloane (Linda Fiorentino) from a trio of Mighty Duck wannabes in front of an abortion clinic in Dogma. Smith eventually swiped elements from the story for the film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. He has also scripted stories for Daredevil, Green Arrow, and Spider-man. In each case Smith’s books lead to an increase in sales.
“He isn’t the unreachable Hollywood director; he’s a cool comic- and movie-loving guy who happens to be the writer/director of some amazing films,” Gabe, another View Askewniverse regular, was quick to mention. In a very real sense Smith is still that same old kid from Jersey who spends too much time watching movies, reading comic books, and hanging out online.
Read the entire thing, which uses several users and quotes from “TheBoard”, at Forces Of Good.
- More bits on the Star Wars TV show: Babylon 5creator J. Michael Straczynski has expressed interest in the showrunning gig. JoBlo also posted a small blurb regarding Kevin’s potential rumored involvement in the project.
- Boondoggle’s tune “Stalking Jason Lee” is airing on radio stations KRCC and KTCL in Colorado. Check out the lyrics at their official site. The track appears on their new album “Barfly”.
- UK fans: HMV is selling the Evening With Kevin Smith DVD at half price atA39.99 in its current sale. If you don’t have a region 1 player and didn’t pick up the signed disc from us, here’s a chance at a cheap Region 2 option.
- An astute fan checking out Jon Peters’ section at the wonderful IMDB site took notice that Kevin’s famous Superman story has become part of his biography . How about that?
- The Kevin storyline continues over at webcomic Hayt-N-Auggie with Kevin appearing (slightly offscreen) in the latest episodes (check previous and future comics as there’s always new episodes going up, the most current being on the front page).
- Score yet another positive review for Clerks X on DVD. This one comes to us from Texas A&M’s “The Battalion”:
As a special edition DVD, “Clerks X” is an incredible collection of bonus material and insight into the film’s creation and cultural impact since the original’s debut. The legion of loyal fans who have turned what started as an “almost wasn’t” into a massive underground hit will find themselves amazed at this DVD. A work of labor, the ironic part about the DVD is that more money probably went into its creation than did the film itself. This is a must-have for any film collector’s library and a great view for anybody who doesn’t yet know the significance of the number 37.
If you didn’t order yet, DO IT NOW! This is an absolute must-have for any View Askew fan.
- The always amusing “Rewinders” cartoon in Video Store Magazine chalks up a Clerks reference from a very Randal-esque clerk in the latest edition. Check it out above.
- And while we’re throwing images in your face, how about a look at the design of the new skateboard design graphic by Billy Marks? Look familiar? Catch ya next update. Thanks for stopping on by.
UGO’s Kevin “Super-Feature”!
- UnderGround Online has blown the lid off the joint with a HUGE page dubbed a “Super Feature”,
and SUPER it sure is! At their page, you’ll find reviews of both the Clerks X and Jersey Girl DVDs, a new interview with Kevin, cast interviews from
the Westwood signing, AND a ton of exclusive photos. There’s even a poll asking your favorite View Askew flick. WOW! There’s so much to read, that we
have no idea idea how to even summarize it all. Here’s just a few select clips from a TON of new, fascinating material:
UGO: 10 years later, without being too specific, can you tell us anything about how the character of Randall has evolved in the new script?
JEFF: Randall has evolved, but the only thing I can say without being too specific is that he’s still Randall. Pain in the ass…funny…still Randall.
UGO: Will you be reprising multiple roles in the Clerks sequel?
SCOTT: At this point we haven’t really discussed any of the day players. It’s mostly the lead right now. As far as the day players go, we haven’t really talked about who’s playing what.
UGO: Have you read any of The Passion of the Clerks yet?
BRIAN: Yeah. I’ve read two drafts of it now, and it’s hysterical. It really brings back the old school flavor of Kevin’s films with Clerks. We’re not going out to many locations and we’re not bringing in tons of cameos. It’s a very simple story about the relationship between two guys, how its evolved over ten years, and where it’s going.
If we ever recommended surfing away to another page for a story, this one’s worth your valuable time. Don’t miss it.
Kevin & Others Remember DD
- To help celebrate Daredevil’s 40th Anniversary, the webmaster of manwithoutfear.com spent the last month getting in touch with as many past and present Daredevil creators as he could. Why? To get them to answer one question: “What did it mean to you personally and professionally to work on Daredevil?”
Kevin Smith – Writer, DAREDEVIL
Professionally?
I had fun.
I gained respect from folks I wouldn’t have otherwise been respected by.
I earned legitimacy in a field I’ve always adored.
I got to work with good friends on something we all believed in, and helped restore an amazing character to its former greatness.
I fulfilled another life-long dream.
Personally? Well, that’s personal.
Jimmy Palmiotti – Inker, DAREDEVIL
For me, it was an exciting time to be working in comics and when Joe and I created Marvel Knights, the first character we asked for was Daredevil. At that time, the book was being cancelled and we thought we could bring the numbers and interest back up to where it should be. The run with Kevin Smith and Joe was a lot of fun and having been a fan since the book began, I took special pleasure in interpreting all the characters in this modern version and then seeing what we did make it to film. Probably the most fun was doing the Wizard 1/2 featuring Daredevil. I got to work on the cover and ink John Romita, as well as pencil a piece that was inked by my favorite, Kevin Nowlan. All around, working on the title was a great experience.
Joe Quesada – Penciller, editor, DAREDEVIL
I guess I could say it’s a dream project to be working on Daredevil but that wouldn’t be doing it justice. Working on DD, for me, has been almost therapeutic in nature and completely life altering. Matt Murdock and his life are so Shakespearean, that you to work out a lot of your own personal demons as you create stories for Matt and his world. But more importantly, I will eternally be indebted to Matt and DD, he is the character that has changed my life and I guess by virtue of that changed Marvel. If it wasn’t for DD flagshipping Marvel Knights with Kevin Smith, MK wouldn’t be the success that it turned out to be. It’s “the little imprint that could!” From there DD helped get me this very cool job I now have as EiC. So, although Spidey and X-Men are the big players here at Marvel, it took a little guy dressed in red to change the direction of the company and my life completely.
You can read ALL the answers at the site.
“Dinner With Affleck” In Charity Auction…
- Godiva is sponsoring a charity auction that will buy you and seven of your closest friends dinner with Affleck prepared
by a famous chef. Proceeds from the auction benefit The Ataxia Telangiectasia Children’s Project. Here’s details:
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?
The Godiva Truffle Celebrity Dinner Auction
How great would it be to say to someone, “I’ve got to run, I’m having dinner with Ben Affleck tonight.” Or, “I’m sorry, I can’t make it, I’m meeting Sarah Jessica Parker.” Well, the opportunity could be yours. Bid on a dinner party for eight, with your favorite celebrity (Ben Affleck! Sarah Jessica Parker! Leonardo DiCaprio! Ricky Martin! Benjamin Bratt!) prepared by an acclaimed chef (Mario Batali! Gary Danko! Todd English! Allen Susser! Govind Armstrong!), all inspired by the launch of The 2004 Limited Edition Truffle Collection by Godiva. With each of these exotic new truffles inspiring a unique menu and experience, you can bid on “Mojitos in Massachusetts” with Ben Affleck, dinner prepared by Todd English, or “Sex and the Solstice” with Sarah Jessica Parker, dinner prepared by Mario Batali. Absolutely all proceeds will go to the charity of the celebrity’s choice, so you can name drop and be generous, both at the same time.
So remember, you, seven of your nearest and dearest and your favorite celebrity. Pick their brains, flirt shamelessly, eat fabulous food and Godiva truffles galore, and of course, talk about it nonstop the next day. And the next day. And the next day. All for a very good cause.
Bidding starts 9/23 (5pm PDT) and ends 10/3 (5pm PDT).
Click to visit ebay and view these auctions.
View Askew NewsBites™
- Kevin will be the subject of an interview on the digital cable channel “HDNet”,
starting tomorrow (Friday). It’s scheduled for 8:00 PM ET. The name of the program is “Higher Definition”. That’s all we have as far as
details go right now. - Art imitates life? :
Actors Ben Affleck, David Schwimmer and William H Macy are to star in a comic feature set around an international poker tournament, the
trade publication Variety reported today.
trade publication Variety reported today.
The movie is to begin shooting in February at the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas.
Its production comes after poker tournaments have emerged as a surprise hit on American reality television in recent years.
The movie will be directed by independent-filmmaker Zack Penn, who plans to let the actors – most of whom are dedicated poker fans –
improvise their lines.
- After the Zurich, Switzerland screenings of View Askew movies, now there’s word of yet another retrospective happening in
Berne, the capital. Details on the program can be found HERE.
- Heat Magazine published a capsule review of Jersey Girl which scores the film 4 stars and the DVD a full 5 stars. Click
the graphic here to check it out. - George Carlin will be the special guest on Bravo’s Inside the Actor’s Studio, premiering on October 31st @ 8/7c. With
Kevin giving Carlin his biggest dramatic role yet in Jersey Girl, it’s certain to come up among the discussion. - And finally, a belated happy 1st birthday tp Pilot Inspektor Riesgraf Lee, son of View Askew favorite Jason Lee!