- We’re chomping at the bit for news on “Zack & Miri Make A Porno”, considering that the cast and crew have done such a fine job at keeping the Pittsburgh area production under wraps for the past month. So, when Kevin shows up online with some random surprise posts, we’re all for digging through them to get you the latest tidbits from the set. Let’s first read the big announcement regarding the plan to test screen the movie for the die-hard fans this Spring:
On the first potential test screening: “Some of you will find out in April or May. We’ll be doing another one of those private pre-test screenings for boardies only around then. I really doubt we’ll test in NY/NJ with this one. But this screening I’m talking about would be the first, unofficial test: like we did with “Clerks II”, with no scoring cards or paperwork to fill out; just a long conversation afterwards. In essence, this would be the screening that helps me get ready for the dopey test screening I’ll be forced to eventually do – and I have no clue where that’ll be. ”[Ed. note – This will likely be a similar process to what happened with Clerks II a couple years back, and is a real treat to attend. Kevin goes on to say the screening will be on the west coast, because it’s just plain easier. “Clerks II” eventually did hold an east coast NYC session as well, which is what he refers to in this quote.]
In other general news, Kevin proclaims the film “hands-down, our best looking flick to date.” Mewes is looking quite dapper as well, as evidenced by this fan-supplied photo recently taken from the set. Mewes will come fouth in the film’s front billing, with Craig Robinson in the 3rd spot.
In other casting news, Kevin confirms Tom Savini will indeed appear, as our IMDB scoop from earlier in the week predicted. Finally, the hope is to get the trailer for the film attached to “Pineapple Express”, the Seth Rogen flick due to arrive in theaters this July, for the biggest visibility. As fans, we’re hoping to get an “internet only” trailer even earlier than that. With Kevin behind the editing controls, we’re thinking that’s a strong possibility.
As we’ve had some wintry weather here in Pennsylvania, Kevin shot his first REAL snowfall for the film, which we think will look fantastic. We’ve had quite a few nice light snowstorms here since filming began, which we think is part of the reason they chose to come back to the state at this time of the year. As of last Tuesday, February 12th, they are officially halfway through the shoot.
More “Zack & Miri” news as we see or hear it. Stay tuned.
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View Askew NewsBites™
- The IMDB picked up this blog entry titled “10 Years, 10 Great Screenplays” on their front page this week, giving “Chasing Amy” some much deserved praise as their 1997 selection:
CHASING AMY – Written by: Kevin SmithArguably one of Kevin Smith’s best movies (though maybe not his wittiest, which would go to Clerks), Chasing Amy is a story about a lesbian and the man in love with her. Whether you are straight, gay, or bi, you can’t deny that Chasing Amy has heart. And its script is really well done, at that. My personal favorite scene would be when Jason Lee is trying to explain to Ben Affleck why the relationship can’t work, using examples with Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, and the Man-Hating Dyke. It’s just classic Smith dialogue.
- Not to be outdone by the greatness that is “Chasing Amy”, Silent Bob himself also makes the list over at Blog Cabins, where he is ranked among the 20 best movie characters over the last 20 years:
Character: Silent Bob
Films: Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Clerks II
Years Released: 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2006
Chief traits: Silent, Not Silent
Trademark line: ” “
Additional comments: Probably not since the days of silent films has one man said so much by saying so little. Pairing with his hopped-up sidekick Jay (or is Bob the sidekick?), Silent Bob went from a quirky minor character in Kevin Smith’s debut Clerks to the co-star of his own film, along the way spawning a franchise for Smith and Bob alike, including comic books, cartoons, and guest spots on crappy TV shows (Yes, Dear). - Total Film also picked up on that small bit of footage from the “Zack & Miri” mall shoot that /Film leaked. Given the amount of public location filming we’ve heard about, it’s amazing this is all that’s leaked so far. The crew’s doing a good job at security and secrecy, so good for them.
- And finally today, College Humor is currently holding a “Celebrity Look-Alike” contest, where they ask fans to send in their photos. One fan sure does do a mean Silent Bob. Later!
Live Behind-The-Scenes “Zack & Miri” Footage…
- /Film runs a nice “Zack & Miri” story today with the first video from the set (though it’s quite blurry and from a distance). We’re also guessing, as the article does, this is from the shoot’s first day at the Monroeville Mall. The mall was open regular hours so fans walking by could simply film and shoot as they pleased. What we like even more are the two images they have from the set, especially the closer one of Seth, which came from that earlier article from Woodland Progress.
The article summarizes some of what was said in Kevin’s blog post and on SModcast, which have been some of the only gossip that’s leaked from the set so far. We’re guessing the cast and crew have been extremely busy at work on this one. With a month of shooting completed, though, we’re expecting to see some emergence from the shadows and for the news floodgates to open up once again, very soon. Until then, take a gander at the /Film article for the small video, and look forward to seeing much clearer stuff in the coming weeks.
View Askew NewsBites™
- As we mentioned last update, here’s the actual scan from Empire Magazine where “Chasing Amy” is mentioned among the best “get you laid” flicks. Click and enjoy.
- Ever wonder what “Clerks” might have looked like as a horror flick? A cool contest being held over at our favorite horror genre site, “Bloody-Disgusting”, asked their users to turn movie posters from non-horror into horror. The results are great, including one reader’s take on “Clerks” (see scan above). You can view the entire crop of entries over at their site.
- The website “Monsters & Critics” reports that View Askew alum hottie Shannon Elizabeth will be one of the newest celebrities to take on the challenge of “Dancing with the Stars”. Shannon will appear as part of season six of the program, which returns to ABC on Monday, March 17th. Shannon is also an avid poker player. We wish her the very best of luck.
- Composer Ira Newborn talks briefly about working on “Mallrats” with Kevin in this new interview from “The Den of Geek”:
Moving more recently, how was working with Kevin Smith? He seems to be a very big fan of your work?Working with Kevin was very nice. He did seem to appreciate my previous work and he did seem to like what I wrote for him for Mallrats.
I’ve read an interview when you seemed to really appreciate that level of detail Kevin went in to regarding your work. Do you find that most directors don’t have that level of respect or understanding for the scoring process?
Most directors don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground about music. If they’re regular guys and somewhat modest people who are interested in having a fruitful relationship with the composer, they don’t puff themselves up and they speak frankly with their composer, who is almost always ready to bend over backwards to help them get what they want and need… just like an intelligent homeowner who wants to get a great paint job and listens to the expert painter that he hires.
Massive IMDB “Zack & Miri” Cast Update!
- Despite very little word from the Pittsburgh set, the Internet Movie Database has checked in with a fairly substantial cast list update for “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”, including names that we haven’t seen mentioned before (but have no reason to doubt). In addition to the recent cast confirmations, new additions include fan favorite Betty Aberlin (who appeared in scenes in both “Dogma” and “Jersey Girl”), horror legend and Pittsburgh native Tom Savini (who we’ve idolized since we were kids for basically inventing horror film special effects), and comedian Kenny Hotz (of the infamous “Kenny vs. Spenny” series), who is credited, interestingly, as “Zack II”. Finally, a role for Jen Schwalbach is confirmed, her fourth return to the View Askew world (following J&SBSB, Jersey Girl, and Clerks II). Happy to see that the lovely Jen will be back onscreen for this one, as well.
Given the silence from the set, we can only speculate on the roles here, but we’re loving the cast and excited to see how everything rolls together. If we hear more, you’ll see it at News Askew. See our Zack & Miri cast page for a full listing with photos, where available.
Official Bergen PAC Date: May 2, 2008!
- Thanks to all who wrote in regarding the date change for Kevin’s highly anticipated live appearance at the Bergen Performing Arts Center. We wanted to ensure we had accurate info before posting the official change, which is now indeed FRIDAY, MAY 2ND. You can now purchase tickets directly from their website by clicking HERE. If you had previously purchased tickets for the March date, we assume they are still just valid for the new date, but to be safe, you may want to contact the box office at (201) 227-1030 to make sure your seats are secure.
We probably don’t need to tell you this, but Kevin’s New Jersey shows are always sell-out crowds. Get your tickets early, NOW, to ensure the best seats — they have several options at different prices. As this is currently scheduled to be Kevin’s first live show since wrapping “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”, we’re betting on a lot of new anecdotes told for the first time, and possibly even some live footage from the film itself. This will be a can’t-miss event for fans, so if you have the means, plan on coming in. You won’t find a better way to spend a Friday night, with your friends, or with a date. We’ll keep you informed as we learn more.
View Askew NewsBites™
- More love from the UK’s Empire Magazine this month, who list “Chasing Amy” as one of the “40 Films to Help You Get Laid”. The blurb goes on to cite that it is the perfect antidote to Richard Curtis rom-coms, and that the Banky/Alyssa discussion is the best moment. If anyone’s got a scan, hook us up (especially if there’s a photo and stuff).
- Speaking of “Amy”, the title once again becomes an easy headline — As Elle Magazine’s cover story this month is about actress Amy Adams. The article itself is titled, of course, “Chasing Amy.” We’ve seen this done several times before, so we’re sure it won’t be the last.
- Anyone still singing that Sarah Silverman Matt Damon tune we ran a link to last week? Well, seems Jimmy Kimmel is aiming to fight back with a parody of his own, Comingsoon reports :
Last week, Silverman surprised her boyfriend, Jimmy Kimmel, on his show with a music video called “I’m [Bleep]ing Matt Damon,” featuring Silverman and the “Bourne Identity” star singing together about their faux affair. Now Kimmel is striking back with a song called “I’m [bleep]ing Ben Affleck.” Our source told us the video for this song, set to the theme of “We Are the World,” will star Affleck, Robin Williams, Don Cheadle, Harrison Ford, Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz.
With Affleck involved, it should be a riot — we can’t wait to see what he gets the guy to do. We’ll be watching for it. Kimmel’s show airs nightly on ABC. - There’s always fun newsbites to post about “My Name Is Earl”, it seems. First up, it seems that show creator Greg Garcia worked in an anonymous fast food joint as a cashier and a janitor for 30 days during the writer’s strike hiatus. Garcia cited it as an excellent chance to get back in touch with the fans of the show, and even gifted a worker that he befriended on the job with a surprise $10,000 check on his way out the door. None of the store’s employees knew of Garcia’s fame until he left the job. “My Name Is Earl” will return with at least 8 new episodes (more than any other comedy this season) on Thursday, April 3rd. Several of Earl’s new episodes are said to be one hour long (including the April premiere).
- Seth Rogen’s star continues to grow brighter, as evidenced by this nifty Vanity Fair piece and image, placing the actor in an iconic image from movie history – Hitchock’s “North by Northwest” (this isn’t an announcement of a remake, by the way, it’s JUST a photo). Click and enjoy.
- With the now apparent casting of Betty Aberlin in “Zack & Miri Make a Porno”, we think fans might enjoy this fan’s tune titled “Lady Aberlin’s Muumuu”, which he wrote as a tribute to her stints on Mister Rogers back in the day. The artist, Jonathan Coulton, is also the subject of a New York Times article from last Spring, which coincidentally also mentions Kevin’s penchant for communicating with fans through the internet.
- Kevin’s way-cool custom built Nintendo Wii has made the newest issue of Nintendo Power magazine — It’s towards the back of the issue on page 95, we’re told — If anyone gets to a scan of it before we do, of course, shoot it our way, we’d appreciate it. Now, back to some more home run derby in Wii Sports…
View Askew NewsBites™
- HEADS-UP: Kevin’s Bergan County Q&A date is going to be changing. We don’t have a new date to announce at this point, but we DO want to let you know it’s coming soon, this week. The appearance is not being cancelled, just moved.
- It’s a small mention, so we’re not running a scan, but writer Diablo Cody (“Juno”) makes reference to a hilarious Affleck line from the great “Mallrats” in her back page column for the mid-month issue of “Entertainment Weekly”, while discussing a rumored “New Kids on the Block” reunion:
“In the movie Mallrats, Ben Affleck famously (rhetorically?) asks, ‘Who’s your favorite New Kid?’ while atop a schoolgirl. This surprisingly profound question begs the inevitable Beatles analogy.” - More love from the folks at Film-411 today: Jay & Silent Bob show up as #32 in their list of all-time greatest movie characters, along with a detailed write-up and a clip.
- As promised, here’s a German-to-English translation of that Jersey Girl scan from the last edition of NewsBites, for the curious:
NEW: Jersey Girl
Arrogant Yuppie finds his way back into the simple, real life.
Charming, tragic comedy with Ben AffleckCritics bashed this Kevin Smith movie really hard, although it is a pleasant watch until the happy end.
PICK OF THE DAY: Charmingly sympathetic
The Ben Affleck Info-Box says:
Arrogant and rude
A Producer denied Affleck the leading role in Smiths Mallrats. The director gave his friend a supporting role, and after Ben’s Oscar win for “Good Will Hunting”, even leading roles. (Chasing Amy, Dogma) In 2007, Affleck made a critically acclaimed directorial debut with “Gone Baby Gone”. Right now he is filming with Russell Crowe the Remake of the BBC Movie “State of Play”.
- Seems that Netflix is recommending the recent film “F*ck” to folks who love Kevin Smith movies, according to this scan from their site. Check it out.
- And finally today, we can’t go by this update without mentioning our sadness on the passing of actor Roy Scheider, best known for his work in “Jaws”, a favorite film of Kevin’s where his character’s name (Chief Brody) was inspiration for our favorite dude in “Mallrats”. Our condolences to all his friends and family.
“SModPAST” Brings SModcast To Your Screen!
- Every once in a while we’re surprised by an out of the blue find on the ‘net, and this sure is a pleasant one — A fan of SModcast has taken a few of the show’s more memorable bits and turned them into Flash animation. What first seems like it may be a basic cartoon gets more detailed as things move along. Watch the guys for costume changes and hilarious side bits that fit just perfect with the story, along with clever references to movies past (even a “Zack and Miri poster in the background of a more recent bit). These remind of us the bits that fans used to do for some of the memorable “Howard Stern Show” clips over the years, and seem very much inspired by that. Kudos to the author, and here’s hoping there’s more.
Check out the first (and only?) episode of “SModPast” over at NewGround. It features the opening moments of the first cast, Harry Scotter, and the spider/scorpion story. Great stuff, which we sincerely enjoyed.
View Askew NewsBites™
- A Hollywood Reporter article on the proposed new cartoon from Mike Judge (“Beavis and Butthead”, “King of the Hill”) wisely notices it’s the first foray for ABC into the animation realm since the “Clerks” cartoon way back in 2000.
- Wanna see the View Askew production “Small Town, Gay Bar” at home for free? You may be in luck. For those who have the Logo channel on their cable system, the film is available as part of the OnDemand program until February 17th. Most major cable systems now carry this (we can confirm it’s a part of the Comcast package). Enjoy.
- “Jersey Girl” will soon premiere on German free-tv, and a local magazine there has listed it as “Movie of the Day”. Best we can do now is a photo of the ad, a translation is on the way for the curious.
