• Wow – You’d think there’d be MORE updates now that I’m home all the time…But I’ve never been busier! I’ve been setting up a few interviews and just doing some general job research — The days really do fly by! On top of THAT, Chris went to Vegas (Vegas, baby, Vegas!!!) on business and didn’t let me stow away in his suitcase…So I won’t be there to tell him to double down on 11 or anything. Oh well.

Luckily, the View Askew news in general has been quite slow…Which I’m sure is boring the hell out of you fine people, but is sorta making life a bit easier at least for the next day or two. But I at least wanted to stop by and check in with a couple of stories to let you know that we’re still around. Here ya go:

• Seems that Miramax/Disney/Buena Vista are at least SAYING they’re gonna do right with their upcoming Collectors Series of DVDs. According to a DVD File story today, they’re going to indeed, as we’d hoped, release Clerks, and even hint at a Chasing Amy release somewhere down the road!

Again, we like to think the Clerks stuff got re-thought of after our write-in campaign…But of course no one from Disney ever got in touch with us about it, so who knows? The Amy news is definitely new to us. You can read the full piece HERE, which also hints that From Dusk ‘Til Dawn will get the re-release it deserves (the laser has TONS of fantastic stuff that the earlier released DVD lacks). Stay tuned for more.

• The nifty home video website My Video Store ran a nice piece on Dogma as well as the Clerks DVD controversy (which kindly included a few links back to us), and we thought you may want to check it out. You need to be a member to access the “Video Guru” section where the story is, but membership was free and only took a second. Here’s a tidbit from the story:

I also know that Dogma RC is a slight bit behind…Surprisngly since the big Dogma press onslaught a few weeks back, things have totally gotten quiet. The site WILL be updated more regularly as release approaches and Cannes news rolls in. ‘Til next time…

• Wow – Who knew that so many of you knew your music THIS well? It turns out that the Dogma “symbol” we found yesterday was nothing more than an old piece of promotional material for a band of that same name – It was actually a giveaway along with a 3 track CD (called “Feeding The Future Sampler”) in a issue of Wizard a few years back. You can access the band’s homepage for proof. We have no idea why it got associated with Alanis other than someone else perhaps also mistaking it for Dogma-related advertising. Thanks to all of you who wrote in to clear things up.

• Happy Monday. Last night was that magical, long-awaited night…Star Wars toys are now on the shelves! Many of you wrote in about your toy-buying experiences, most of you spending close to 200 bucks — So it sounds like stores at least had enough to satisfy those of you that took the midnight run to your local toy shop! Kevin, Bryan, & Walt were even spotted at the Eatontown Toys ‘R’ Us in Jersey itching for their chance to get a crack at some of the stuff – Was it for personal or Stash use? Stop by the store today, we’re sure one of the guys will be there to yell ya about it.

Aside from that exciting event, not too much going on. TONS of you wrote with comments and answers on the mysterious Dogma symbol (which turned out to be nothing, see below) and that’s pretty much the extent of stuff so far…

• Hey folks…Phew. Finally a calm day. Just to fill ya in, I was indeed laid off on Thursday as expected — So, the good news is that I’ll be around more to update and such, but the bad news is, of course, I’m now unemployed! Luckily, I’ve got some time due to the severance package and all, which is good, but I’ll now certainly have plenty of time to intensify the job search. I’m going to update my job page with some more info in a day or two (The page now loads in Netscape, too – Sorry about that!). But enough about me, let’s talk about Askew:

(Seated left to right : Phil Benson, Shannon Mills, Sharry Schwartz, Kev, Gary Rizzo, Scott, Tom Myers)

• This just in from Gary Rizzo, one of the re-recording mixers on ‘Dogma’ over at Skywalker Sound. This photo was taken just before Kevin left Thursday Night. We like their choice in fonts. 🙂

• Here’s an odd one…We were sent this scan from something that appeared on a promotion page for Alanis. We mirrored the image and, sure enough, look what it says! This is the first material we’ve seen public for the film, and have no idea what it means or if it’s official. Intriguing though! Also, many of you are wondering if she’s doing a song for the film — Kevin had said that it may lessen the impact of her being in the film, making it look like she was cast just to nab an original song, which is just not the case at all. So, we wouldn’t rule out an original Alanis tune, but it’s certainly not a definite.

• The picture cavalcade continues with these original shots from WonderCon! Just a few similar shots of Kev and Scott on the panel, but if you wanted to see what it looked like…Here ya go.

• Kev’s appearance at the CNCBE has been confirmed! The website’s http://www.hobbystar.com now got all the details for ya.
• A Hollywood satire site suggests that Jay and Silent Bob will be staring in a traveling company of ‘the odd couple’…That’d be amusing, huh? Before you get excited though, folks, keep in mind this is just a JOKE, mind you!

Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith (aka Jay and Silent Bob) : Could they soon be chasing… Tony?

To The Theatre, Cocksmokers!

What’s that? You’re an indie film fanatic and you can’t wait for Dogma, Kevin Smith’s next movie to be released?

Just wait — Jay and Silent Bob may be coming to your town, live on stage! Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith (aka Jay and Silent Bob): Could they soon be chasing… Tony? Filmmaker Smith brought the popular dope-dealing characters to life in his first three films, Clerks, Mallrats and Chasing Amy.

Now Smith (who plays Silent Bob) and longtime buddy/costar Jason Mewes (Jay) have announced that they will take the lead roles this summer in a national touring production of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple.

It’s a casting coup made in heaven, as Smith takes the role of sloppy Oscar Madison and Mewes plays finicky Felix Unger.

“We’ve been taking a lot of heat over Dogma,” Smith said, referring to his upcoming religious satire that has already been stirring up controversy months before its release. “Frankly, we needed a break. We wanted to work on something nice for a change.”

The blockbuster cast will also include Tom Bosley as Murray, Tim Conway as Roy, Tom Poston as Vinnie and Jim J. Bullock as Speed.

Although Neil Simon may seem a little tame for Jay and Silent Bob’s cult following, Mewes insists that this is where their true comedy roots lie. “You ever read Neil Simon, man?” said Mewes as he rolled a fatty blunt. “Plaza Suite? Barefoot in the Park? Man, tha’s some funny fuckin’ shit.”

Agreed, Jay — though we at the FB! believe his Brighton Beach trilogy is also the fucking bomb.

• Kevin was quoted in an L.A. Times article that asked filmmakers about the Star Wars influence:

We’ve also got that new poll for ya today — Thanks to Trevor Dowdy for this one. It’s a good, tough question!