• A new blog from Kevin hit the web today which comprises of a fairly “boring” week by Kevin’s standards — Lots of movie watching, sure, but also an interesting exchange regarding his run-in with a snooty hostess at a Las Vegas restaurant. As part of the Monday goodness, the boys are amazingly keeping up with their schedule, delivering yet another BRAND NEW SModcast, which is very Harry Potter-centric. SMod’s now at episode #29, and still the coolest podcast on the planet.
• Congrats to “My Name Is Earl”‘s Jaime Pressly, who took home the Best Supporting Actress Emmy last night — Sadly, no awards for Lee or Suplee just yet, though the show continues to be one of the funniest sitcoms on TV. We’re anxiously awaiting the start of season 3 — Thursday, September 27th on NBC (next week!). We’ll see ya next time.

• Retro alert! You can now view the full video (and audio, of course) for the original Clerks review from Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert via their site archive. Watch for the Ebert praise which caused so many folks to seek the original out back in 1994. It’s a great watch, you can see that Ebert immediately connected with Kevin and the world of View Askew — The late Siskel also heaps similar praise. It’s great to see this online after all these years — A welcome addition to the multimedia archive.
• Thanks to YouTube, you can now peep out Kevin’s brief appearance on the DVD extras of “Hot Fuzz”. The segment featured is a brief moment from the Q&A session held after an early screening of the film. Seek out Fuzz on DVD now, another inspired entry from this brilliant team. Can’t wait to see what they do next (and secretly hope Kevin might be invited on board for a cameo in it somehow).
• /film takes another route in confirming that Jason Bateman is not attached to play any roles in “Zack and Miri Make A Porno”, despite rumors that were running rampant otherwise. A couple weeks back, we checked with Kevin and
  confirmed that the rumor was just that, and now, the /film guys have briefly spoken with Bateman as well. So, the entire cast of the film, even the desired cast, remain a total mystery. Speculating’s always fun, though — We’ll keep you informed of any whispers going ’round.
• FREE EARL! The new season of quite possibly the best sitcom on TV right now, “My Name Is Earl”, starts back on NBC soon. Fans of the show recall our hero was left in the slammer at the end of last season — Now, word has it that he’ll remain there for the start of the new one, and NBC’s got a great campgain running to promote it. You can watch the complete “Free Earl” music video (done “We Are The World” style) as well as a web-exclusive “behind-the-scenes” both courtesty of NBC.com. Earl returns to NBC with a 1 hour season premiere on September 27th.
• Over at his blog, promoting his new film “The Nines”, director John August releases a theatrical podcast commentary which they’re promoting for the film. He does, however, mention that Clerks II did it first (though this likely will be the first time it’s out coinciding with a theatrical release, as the Clerks II track did get pulled and saved for the eventual DVD due to fear of it interfering with audiences). Here’s the entry:
  “But in the age of iPods, there’s really no reason why audio commentary has to be relegated to DVD. That’s why Ryan Reynolds and I recorded one last week for The Nines which is now yours to download. (47MB, right-click to save to disk)

  
  This isn’t an original idea, by the way. Kevin Smith recorded an in-theater commentary for Clerks II, though I can’t find confirmation he released it into the wild. (Someone in the comments section will know.)”

• And finally today, on a light note, with a name like Kevin Smith, you know there’s gonna be others — This “Kevin Smith Show” features a gentleman of that namesake doing a podcast on the paranormal. Enjoy, perhaps between SModcasts? See ya next time!

• As promised, Kevin’s blog updates on his day-to-day continue at the usual spots online. We won’t be doing a daily alert to each posting (we urge you to visit the official sites for that), but we will be clipping any tidbits relating directly to the news aspect of upcoming projects, or other items of interest. Sort of a blog Cliff’s Notes, if you will. Thursday’s blog featured the most extensive report of the week, where Kevin relates the Battlestar Galactica saga (and shares some jealousy-inducing photos). We also hear a bit more about “Red State”. Here’s some Galactica tidbits for ya:
  A few months back I got a call from Endeavor (where I’m repped) saying the folks at “Galactica” were asking if I’d wanted to direct an episode. I asked for some time to think about it, because while I love that show, I honestly felt there was nothing I could bring to it. When I directed the “Reaper” pilot, we were creating the world/tone/look from the ground-up. “Galactica” has been on the air for a few years now, has a genius staff of writers who’ve created a brilliant mythology and many hours of compelling television, and sports a distinctive look that’s never deviated from. In truth, I’m more a writer than a director, but I wouldn’t be writing my “Galactica” episode (nor would I want to; I’m not a good enough writer to tackle a “Galactica” script, to be honest); and in terms of directing… well, when a show’s been up and running as long as “Galactica”, and the look is established and distinctive, it’s not like a visiting director jumps aboard and says “I’m gonna change everything for my episode…” – particularly for a show that’s gonna be in it’s final season.

  
  I mean, does anyone remember when Quentin directed an episode of “E.R.”? When all was said and done, even with a genius like Quentin at the helm, that episode looked like every other episode of “E.R.”. The same can be said of his recent stint directing “C.S.I.” (Quentin, apparently, only directs shows with initials as titles). And that’s not me criticizing Quentin – not in the least; that’s me saying that, when a successful television show is up-and-running (not in the pilot stage), nobody is allowed to come in and alter the status quo.

  
  Kevin goes on to explain what happened from that point, including a reprinted e-mail from David Eick (one of the geniuses behind the show). In short, due to the uncertainly and their thinking Kevin would be a tough get due to the “Heroes” gig, the position for the episode was filled while Kevin was contemplating the gig. There’s so much more, and it’s a much better read, so be sure and check out the full entry.

And a taste of the “Red State” stuff:

…I check email, where I find a few more thoughts from Dan Etheridge on “Red State”…


I have to say, I haven’t really been able stop thinking about the script since yesterday. That’s surely one sign. Malcolm and I were IM’ing this morning, debating points about it.


He made one good point, in that he’s read the other movie you’re shooting (apparently a tonal opposite of RED STATE). He said making that movie first might make the subversive nature of RED STATE more possible. True, I think.


Anyway, you sure did write a helluva provocative script.

The script for “Red State” will be officially submitted this week. Everyone who’s read it so far has had a very strong reaction, and that’s a great sign. This one sounds bleak and so different than anything View Askew has done before — It’s going to be tough resisting reading this or spoilers before we see the film, as we’re already intrigued beyond belief.

For the latest, complete, unabridged posts from Kevin Smith, subscribe yourself to his Myspace blog or visit the “My Boring-Ass Life” blogsite.

• Wanna win something REALLY cool? How about a Reaper poster, signed by director Kevin Smith himself? TV Squad’s got one to give away, and it’s as posting a comment on their website. You can only enter once, and a winner will be chosen at random. If you snag it, let us know — We’re tempted to enter ourselves though now that we’ve let the cat out of the bag, we expect the comment thread to run pretty wild over there. You’re welcome.
• Starting this week, Clerks II is now FINALLY available on DVD in South Africa, sadly though, in a slimmed-down single disc edition. But hey, it’s better than nothin’.
• The FX dude behind “Dogma”, “Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back” and “Vulgar”, Vincent Guastini, is the subject of a new video interview. He talks about his effects work, childhood and life and gives insight to why and how he got into this business. Among the films Vincent talks about in this in-depth 14-part Q & A formatted interview are the ground breaking thinning prosthetics in the film “Requiem For A Dream”, how he took over the make-up effects on his first studio epic of “The Last Of the Mohicans”, the animatronic effects in the film “Dogma”, and more. He also talks of his relationship with Kevin in the piece. Watch it all in a nifty question by question interactive interview over at “Interviewing Hollywood”.

• Our pal the professional photographer Albert Ortega shot some of his beautiful high res shots over today for some of the more recent events that Kevin’s been spotted at — Most sites charge you cash to view stuff of this quality, so enjoy. We thank Mr. Ortega as always for the hook-up, and think you should thank him as well! Here’s what we got for ya. As always, click for a closer look using our fancy new image engine.
  KEVIN’S “SUPERBAD” AT THE PREMIERE

  

  THE SMITHS MEET “THE SIMPSONS”

  

  THE KING OF THE SAN DIEGO CON, WITH SPECIAL “REAPER” GUESTS!

  

  

  

• You addicted to the Nintendo Wii as much as this webmaster? Then you might find these Mii images from Flickr and ShowMii amusing. The Mii’s are the graphical avatars that you create to represent yourself on the system. They’re pretty fun and versatile.
• Variety is reporting that our pal Ben Affleck may be joining the already impressive ensemble of “He’s Just Not Into You”:
  Affleck in talks to star in comedy

  
  New Line is in negotiations with Ben Affleck to round out the cast of ensemble comedy “He’s Just Not That Into You,” with Drew Barrymore and Nancy Juvonen producing through their Flower Films banner.

  
  Shooting starts Sept. 10 in Los Angeles, with Ken Kwapis (“License to Wed”) directing.

  
  Along with Affleck and Barrymore, “You” will star Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Ginnifer Goodwin, Scarlett Johansson and Justin Long.

  
  Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein (“Never Been Kissed”) adapted the bestseller about modern-day relationships by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, who worked together on “Sex and the City.” The book focuses on how men and women often misconstrue the intentions of the opposite sex.

• That famous “Robot Chicken” mention of Scott Mosier that we mentioned back in March of 2006 can now be witnessed on YouTube. Enjoy the Mosier goodness!

• We recently broke some big news that Kevin would be helming one of Battlestar Galactica’s final season episodes — And man, were we excited. Now comes news that a scheduling conflict could have gotten in the way of the gig. We’re still awaiting final confirmation on the go or no-go, but can say that it would be a true loss. The idea of a fan as big as Kevin taking the reins as an outsider had us stoked to see how he’d shape the episode. Sigh. Here’s what went down today, as reported by SyFy Portal and the Sci-Fi Channel Forums :
  Terry Moore, wife of showrunner Ronald D. Moore, told fans at the official SciFi Channel Web site that despite what he said during a recent interview with AOL, Smith of “Clerks” and “Dogma” fame will not take the director’s chair for “Battlestar Galactica.”

  
  “No he’s not,” Moore said in a post. “Scheduling conflict.”

  
  There has been no statement about the recent development on any of Smith’s Web sites, or through any interview sources, but it does appear that Smith’s dream come true was, in the end, just a dream.

  
  Will the media be in an uproar?

  
  “No, they probably won’t,” Moore said of SciFi Channel’s publicity team having to counter this story. “Something like that only registers on message boards.”

  Aw, Ron – We’re upset, darn it. We’re waiting for some more official type news on this rather than forum posts, so please watch here for a word from us or from Kevin. Regardless of what happens, we still have the Reaper pilot (quite possibly the best pilot of the new Fall season) and Kevin’s take on a new hero for the Heroes spinoff. Man, what a great year of TV we’ve got on the way.

  
  Also big thanks to one of our favorite sites, /Film, for the shout-out, as well as the other sites who Tracked Back to us. You can see track backs as part of the News Askew comment system, which automatically lists sites that have picked up the story. Coool.

• This one’s a bit old, but new to YouTube, we believe — Take a gander at this interview held with Kevin at Sundance, where the topic of the day was “Small Town, Gay Bar”. With the film now out on a Special Edition DVD, it’s a better time than ever to hear more about it, and definitely a worthy addition to your View Askew DVD collection.
• This one came into the mailbox today:
  This might take some investigation… I was at an American Eagle clithing store with my daughter today… On those large screens on the back wall they were playing a clip promoting an upcoming show (I believe it’s on MTV) about a group of kids who all work in a amll. The lead actress was being interviewed and she described the upcoming show as “it’s like a modern day MALLRATS”.

  We’ll clear this up right quick — MTV shows this “show” titled “It’s a Mall World” from time to time, usually during new “Real World” episodes. The new program is a mall-based webisode show that runs over at the American Eagle Outfitters site, exclusively. So, more of a promotional tool than a series. Other than taking place in a mall, and featuring young people, we don’t really see other similarities.

• Catch View Askew alum Carrie Fisher in the latest episode of Showtime’s brilliant “Weeds”, titled “The Brick Dance” (and what a dance it is, we gotta say). She plays a shark of a divorce lawyer. No word on her appearing in any future epsiodes this season, though we can highly recommend this program, well worth checking out and even subscribing to the service for (not to mention, “Dexter” will be back soon, another of the best shows on TV — Check out the first season on DVD if you don’t believe us). Go Showtime!

• Kevin Smith, film AND TV director! That’s how we think the dude’s bio will start reading after this announcement today. In an interview with AOL TV, Kevin has revealed that he will be directing an episode of the final season of quite possibly the best show on television today, ‘Battlestar Galactica.’ With his brilliant work on the hilarious “Reaper” pilot, and the recent announcement that he’ll helm an episode of ‘Heroes: Origins’, this is a TV trifecta of awesomeness for the 2007-2008 TV season. Not only is Kevin getting on board with some of the best stuff on TV, but he’s doing an incredible job with the material to boot. Kevin took the funny ‘Reaper’ script and brought the show to a whole new level, with side-splitting gags and a slick, unique style. Not only that, he ALSO confirms he will indeed WRITE (as well as direct) his Heroes episode. COOOOOOOOOL.

  We can’t wait to see what he does with Heroes and now, B-Star G! Here’s some of the interview’s juicy bits:

  
  Will we see you doing more TV?

  I know that I’m going to go up and direct an episode of ‘Battlestar Galactica,’ which I’m kind of stoked about. It’s cool, but it is scary because it is like, “What the f—? I can’t bring anything to that show.” That show is genius and they have a very distinctive visual style. But you are safe as a kitten. If you go in there and say, “I’m going to shoot everything in one big master shot,” they’ll go, “No you’re not, because that is not what we do on ‘Battlestar Galactica.'” I guess it is more about performance-oriented stuff, but at the same time that cast is top notch. How do you f—– direct Mary McDonnell?

  Did you get to pick which hero you wanted to introduce?

  Yeah. Tim Kring was like, “You write and direct it dude. It is your world, you do what you want.” That of course was appetizing as hell. Last week, I went in and pitched my story and every three minutes into my breakdown I was like, “Now mind you, you can say no at any time and put a nail in this because I realize it might not be your cup of tea,” but they kind of went for it. It is very in keeping with what ‘Heroes’ is, but tonally it is different than what they normally do.

  Are you putting in a cameo for yourself?

  Oh, heavens no. Nobody wants to see me on ‘Heroes.’

  ‘Red State’ is a horror flick, right?

  That’s the horror one. It is a little different. I’ve only made one kind of a movie, a comedy with more dramatic elements to them or sometimes just a flat-out comedic, but always in the arena of comedy. Most days, I don’t feel like I’m a filmmaker. I just feel like I’m a guy who directs his own scripts. I felt like if we did a horror movie, which is outside my comfort zone, it would be a nice test to see if I could pull off a film that I am not known for making.

  Is this a straight horror film, or ‘Shaun of the Dead’ type of horror?

  Not ‘Shaun of the Dead.’ I’m sure there will be a little bit of humor in it, but it’s not like a comedic horror film. I don’t know how they are going to market it. The last thing you want to put on the poster is “from the director of ‘Clerks.'”

  So what’s Kevin got planned tonally for Heroes? Something a bit lighter, perhaps? Maybe even DARKER? And with this being Galactica’s last season for sure, every episode’s going to have major plot stuff going on, so there’s no doubt Kevin will solidify his spot in TV history with this gig.

  The above’s just a taste of this new 2-page exclusive interview, so don’t miss the complete interview with TV Guide.

• Amazon.com is offering a nifty deal whereby you can buy individual episodes of the excellent program “Dinner for Five” for $9.95. Kevin appears on three separate episodes (Jersey Girl ep., Daredevil ep. and a random episode with Stan Lee, Mark Hamill and JJ Abrams.). Or, you can click on the “create custom DVD” link at the top and get eight Kevin clips from various episodes put on to ONE DVD for the price of $14.95. If you do that, you also have plenty of room to add other View Askew alum clips inclusing clips with the likes of: Janeane Garafolo, Alanis Morrisette, Stephen Root, Carrie Fisher and Tracey Morgan. The best deal is, of course, the series set, with all four seasons for $59.95.
• “Chasing Amy” is one of the 40 choices in The Advocate’s survey citing the top gay-themed films of the past 40 years. Why not go complete a survey and make your choice or choices known? You can pick up to 10 flicks.
• Entertainment Weekly’s Popwatch celebrated Kevin’s birthday last week with this posting which links to a classic Q&A clip which also had some very kind things to say about his “Die Hard” turn:
  What do you say to the man who’s heard everything? You say you’re sorry that you worried his cameo in Live Free or Die Hard would be grating — turns out it was way funnier than the trailer made it look. You say that you actually tried to listen to his Catch and Release commentary track with the film’s director, but got bored waiting for them to talk about Timothy Olyphant. And you say that you’re hoping someone asks him about Olyphant tonight — when Smith celebrates his 37th birthday with an onstage Q&A at Red Bank’s Count Basie Theatre — and reports back in.
• For those of you who can’t get enough of that way cool recent Crazy4Cult art show (we’re one of them), G4TV has another video for your viewing pleasure. This one looks like a “must see” next year, hands down.
• Superman Homepage has posted a positive, SPOILER-FILLED review of the upcoming straight-to-DVD “Superman: Doomsday” animated movie. The reviewer states that “There’s also a very, very cool Kevin Smith cameo that I won’t spoil either, but which will rock your world if you’re deep into the mythos/behind the scenes stuff.”.
• And finally today, did you know that View Askew’s bash to celebrate the openings of the two comic stores wasn’t the only one? Check THIS out…And we’ll see ya back soon. Later!