• Rob Unck sends us the news of Amy reaching yet another top 10 listfrom 1997, this one being from Mr. Showbiz:

• Nolan Reese set up a site for View Askew-related tape trading (Not the flicks, but interviews, specials, and the like…) and we think it’s a good idea. With Kev being the self-proclaimed “press whore” that he is, this should make it easier for you to catch all that stuff you missed…Check it out here.
• Here’s a part of an article from the San Mateo County Times on Tuesday, December 30, 1997-

Thanks to Rain for sending in the clip.

• We hit 45,000 today…Thanks to Devin Clancy for writing us withthe news. It’s no 50,000, but it’s not too shabby, either.
• BiggityBam was watching the PBS and spotted an obscure, but interestingfact: Apparently, Ben Affleck once starred in a show called “Voyage of the Mimi” about a group of young people looking for humpback whales who get shipwrecked. “It’s sort of a lesson type show…15 minutes of show, 15 minutes of scientific stuff. He couldn’t have been more than 11 when on the show.”

• Yep, we know that some of you lucky folks have gotten their discs in the past 2 days, but we, unfortunately, had to wait until today, the official release date. Anyway, Chris just called to tell me he’s got the disc and we’re PSYCHED! Fans who have written us so far tell us that the disc is outstanding. The commentary track is supposedly excellent, not to mention all the extras on (and within) the disc, including the View Askew time line, a map of the film’s locations, and of course all those extra scenes & outtakes that you can’t get anywhere else. If you’ve got a laserdisc player, GO BUY THIS DISC!!! If not, go buy a laserdisc player, THEN GO BUY THIS DISC!!!

• Hey folks. Well, here we are. The end of 1997. Looking back on all that’s happened (Which is pretty easy to do with our handy-dandy Archives section), it’s certainly been a pretty eventful year in the world of View Askew. This year, we not only saw the release of the critically-acclaimed “Chasing Amy” in theatres and the home, but learned of some incredible casting for Kevin’s next film, “Dogma”.

View Askew gained a great deal of visiblity in the press this year, from it’s spinoff projects (“A Better Place”, “Big Helium Dog”, “Vulgar”), Kevin’s upcoming comics, MTV shorts, and Coke commercial, and of course the aforementioned “Chasing Amy”.

Finally, this year marked the debut of this here site, News/Drinks Askew. Back during our humble beginnings in July, we never expected the site to take off and gain the acceptance and exposure that we’ve seen thus far. We’d like to send many thanks to first, the folks at View Askew that wrote and supported us: Kevin Smith, for letting us know that he enjoys the site and initiating the effort to link us from the View Askew homepage; Ming, for executing that plan and giving us the visibility that let the site grow to what it is; Vincent, for being a good friend and an excellent contact to everything Askew, and for inviting us to Red Bank for an outstanding day (See the BHD Diary) in the links; and finally, Brian Lynch, for all his compliments and allowing us to invade his turf (and his movie!).

Most importantly, thanks to ALL OF YOU. Look at that hit counter. Over 40,000 visitors in under half a year! Not bad at all. Also, to everyone who’s sent in a scoop, you’re the folks that allow this site to continue providing the timely information that it does. Many thanks!

We’ll, I suppose that’s enough babbling for one day, I’ve got some New Year’s Eve festivites to attend, AND a Chasing Amy laserdisc to watch. Happy New Year to you all, and we’ll see you in 1998!

-Brad & Chris

• Thanks to Gramp for letting us know that Chasing Amy has made the top 10 of two more charts, according to Microsoft Cinemania. Critics Andy Klien and Leonard Maltin both put the flick in their top 10. For the curious here’s their complete lists:

• Michael Williams dropped us a line with this brief piece on Chasing Amy that appeared in his TV Guide…We thought you might like to give it a read:

• In the newly released Tick holiday comic, The Tick Big Yule Log Special, released by New England Comics Press, the chasing Amy movie poster makes an appearance. On page 18, panel 5, just after the Tick jumps the Evil Elf, we see the Elf trying to take some chinese finger traps off his hands. In the background of this panel is a movie store and in the store window is the poster! Thanks to BabaLou for digging up this obscure newsbite!
• Matt Damon will be making another TV appearance tonight. This one’s on the David Letterman show. Be sure to check it out. Thanks to Carrie for the scoop!
• The ‘Oni Double Feature’ comic is due to ship to comic book stores mid-January. Can’t wait!

Sorry for the delay…Ya know how it is…Holidays and all. You’re all doing great at getting our hit counter up there, but we’re still a far cry from our desired 50,000 mark by VulgarThon. Doesn’t look like it’s gonna happen, but dammit, we’re still gonna try! Tell all your friends to visit us this week! On with da news…

• We’ve gotten a few e-mails from people who spotted Quentin Tarantino on the “Charlie Rose Show” the other night. When asked what his favorite movie of the year was, he said “Chasing Amy”! We’ve looked all around for an actual transcript of the show, but we came up empty. If you can find one, please e-mail us! In the meantime, here’s a few scooper’s summaries of the whole incident..