Kevin. Fallon. Friday!

September 23rd, 2009 @ 7:52 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Tim Dahill

  • Several websites are confirming that Kevin will sit on the couch with Jimmy Fallon on NBC late night this Friday, September 25th. Kevin will likely be there to pimp the new book, “Shootin’ The Sh*t with Kevin Smith” (we can’t wait to see how they make the title TV-friendly). The book’s now available everywhere, so be sure you’ve got your copy reserved and on the way — Not going to a signing? Order it signed direct from our Stash.

    Fallon’s official site lists Kev as well, so we’re pretty sure this is gospel. Get the popcorn ready and set up those Tivos! Kevin on LATE night where the harbor is a little less safe as far as what’s allowed to be said on TV should be a blast. If you record it, don’t forget this is TECHNICALLY Saturday that Kev will be on, as the time will be 12:35 AM EST/PST.

Toronto Signing: Cancelled For Now…

September 23rd, 2009 @ 7:52 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • For those of you planning to attend Kevin’s book signing in Toronto tomorrow, we’re sorry to report that it will need to be rescheduled. Unfortunately, Kevin has reached an editing phase with “A Couple of Dicks” where he’s unable to leave Cali and the editing suite. Via Twitter:

      “Toronto Uh-Oh: it sucks, but I have to cancel and re-schedule Thursday’s T-Dot press and Indigo signing. DICKS is close to the point when I can turn it over to other for temp mix and prep for test in Nov while I go on tour. Edit needs 24 hours of undivided attention.”

    Kevin currently predicts he’ll return in late October or early November to sign your books, and hopes to ALSO bring a Q&A into the mix as an added bonus for your patience. We’ll keep ya posted of course.

View Askew Newsbites

September 9th, 2009 @ 9:12 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Chuck K, Scott, Christoffer Kullman, Laura Cohohan, Jamie Buckner

  • Sure, we know you are planning to buy a copy, but you wanna WIN one, too? ScreenCrave is offering up 3 copies of “Shootin the Sh*t” simply by signing up for their RSS Feed/Twitter and sending them a Kevin-related comment or tweet. Winners will be randomly drawn on September 16th. Good luck!
  • SciFi Wire wonders if Kevin will give Batman a new sidekick over the course of “Widening Gyre”. A snippet:

      Smith completed the first six issues and will begin writing another batch of six. “We’re breaking it up into a volume 1, volume 2 kind of thing,” Smith continued. “So the first six issues happen, then there’s a break, and then the next six issues happen, but I don’t know. DC’ll probably ultimately wind up going, ‘Why don’t we just make it two separate miniseries? 1-6 is one thing, and call the next one something else.’ So we may do that. I don’t know, but I know we’re going to stop at six for the time being and take a little break. Then whether or not the next issue is 7 or a new number 1 for a volume 2 miniseries remains to be seen.”

  • Mallrats’ Shannen Doherty has joined the guest list for Orlando’s Spooky Empire Con which takes place from October 9-11. Tickets are now available at the official site. No definite schedule for appearances has yet been announced, so watch the official site for signing times if you’ve like to meet Shannen or any of the show’s other guests.
  • Catch a screening of Malcolm Ingram’s acclaimed doc “Small Town, Gay Bar” in Brooklyn, NY next Tuesday, September 15th at 8:00 PM. Visit the event’s Facebook page for full details. All proceeds will benefit the Brooklyn Community Pride Center. Suggested donation is $10.
  • Jay Mewes recently hosted a concert event in Edmonton, called Sonic Boom. The Sun’s got a nice writeup on the event which features a nice Mewes mention:

      Keeping the audience entertained between sets was Jason Mewes — famous for playing Jay, a pot dealer in the Jay and Silent Bob flicks.

      “It’s a lot of fun. It’s been great,” said Mewes, between signing autographs for a huge lineup of fans. “(There are) a lot of cool bands (and) a lot of cool people here.”

      Between acts, Mewes dutifully told the crowd to “drink water, be safe, recycle and Jesus loves you.”

  • Buddy Christ pops up in a funny little posting on popular website “Passive Aggessive Notes”.
  • Watch for “Chasing Amy”‘s Dwight Ewell in a small recurring role on the new “90210” on the CW. Ewell appeared late in the season as a teacher, and showed up again in Tuesday’s premiere.

View Askew NewsBites™

August 30th, 2009 @ 4:14 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Chuck K., Ian Muttoo

  • Kevin just announced 3 new stops for his fall tour : Glasgow Concert Hall: Indigo2, Dublin: Vicar Street Theater, Edmonton: Myer Horowitz Theatre. Ticket information will be released sometime this week, but until then here’s what’s going on in the Askewniverse:
    • Comic Book.com ran a very nice, but spoiler filled, review of Batman : The Widening Gyre #1.
    • The St. Louis Examiner also ran a little piece on the first issue right HERE.
    • Today’s issue of the Toronto Star ran 2 stories about Kevin’s involvment in the latest Degrassi TV movie and Degrassi as a whole. Check them out HERE and HERE.
    • The Kansas City Star is running a poll to determine the best cult film of all time. CLERKS is currently is last place, let’s all get over there and vote to correct this thing.
    • And finally today, here’s a uplifting story from the set of A COUPLE OF DICKS courtesy of the Echo Press:

        A DAY WITH DIRECTION

        By: Jo Colvin, Alexandria Echo Press

        Cody Saurdiff never imagined his wildest dream would come true. But it did.

        He got to hang out in a hotel room eating cupcakes and pizza with a guy in a T-shirt, shorts and a bathrobe. What more could a 16-year-old boy wish for?

        Of course, the fact that he was eating junk food with his idol Kevin Smith, a famous film writer, actor and director, in a penthouse suite in New York City with a view of the Statue of Liberty after spending an entire day watching Smith direct a film and getting to act in a scene himself was the icing on the cupcakes.

        We got as much out of that day as we possibly could, said Cody, son of Bob Saurdiff and Barb Saurdiff, both of Alexandria. I spent from 10 a.m. to midnight with my hero. I felt so fulfilled.

        How Cody got there wasnt so fulfilling. But typical of this easy-going, eloquent teen, his quirky sense of humor and his positive attitude helped him take the bumps on the road to New York City in stride.

        MAKING THE BEST OF IT.

        I just kind of accepted it for the most part, Cody said.

        Brave words coming from a kid who just whipped cancer twice.

        Two years ago, Cody was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The tumor was removed and the cancer did not spread. About a year and a half later, a cancerous lump was found in his abdomen.

        The lump was removed, but this time chemotherapy was in order. Complicating this treatment was the fact that Cody doesnt have a very good heart.

        Born with a heart defect called tetralogy of fallot, Cody had heart surgery at 6 months old and pretty much grew up around doctors.

        His five chemotherapy sessions caused him to miss the last two months of his sophomore year. But he didnt let the nausea and hair loss get him down.

        I thought I could have some fun with it, he said of losing his hair. Eventually I had to shave my head. I invited everyone I knew into my basement and I had a friend shave my head. I tried to make the best possible out of an awful situation.

        In the meantime, Bob was trying to do the same thing. He wanted to do something special for his son, so he turned to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for advice never imagining that Cody would qualify.

        I was looking for more help than having them do it, Bob said, thinking that Make-A-Wish was only for terminal illnesses. But they called back and said he was qualified and his wish was granted.

        FILM FREAKS

        Cody didnt hesitate at all when his dad asked what wish he would like granted. He wanted to meet Kevin Smith writer, actor and director of some of Codys favorite movies.

        Referring to his family as film freaks, Cody had been exposed to all types of film in his childhood. But Smiths movies called to him, and made him want to write screenplays himself.

        He has a quiet and intellectual humor he has drawn down to a level that people can understand, Cody explained. His ideas are really fun but really out there. The guy is so articulate. Ive always thought his work was the best thing in the world.

        Only two months after Bob contacted Make-A-Wish, Cody received a letter saying his wish had been accepted. Two weeks later, it was already set up.

        Kevin Smith said yes right on the spot, Cody said.

        On July 23, Cody, his parents and brother, Dillyn, took off for Minneapolis. The next morning a limousine arrived at their motel to transport them to the airport. And when they arrived in New York City, another limousine was waiting.

        You wouldnt believe what they [Make-A-Wish] went through. There was a limousine service everywhere we went and contacts everywhere we went, said a grateful Bob. Someone was with us to help throughout the whole trip. We pretty much didnt have to do anything but show up.

        The first day in the Big Apple, the Saurdiffs played tourist visiting Manhattan, Park Avenue, Central Park, The Museum of Art, Ground Zero and Grand Central Station.

        But that paled in comparison to day two of Codys big adventure when he visited a movie set, met his mentor and acted in a movie all in one day.

        That one day made it the best trip we have ever had, Cody said.

        A REGULAR GUY

        Cody wasnt expecting much. Smith was a busy man. He was in the middle of filming a movie titled A Couple of Dicks. The teen figured he would visit the movie set, shake hands, exchange a few words, and be on his way.

        He was sorely mistaken.

        It started with a car accident and a bald guy.

        This car came screeching to a stop, and Bruce Willis got out. It turned out to be Bruce Willis and a stunt double, Cody said, noting that because Willis is bald, so were all the stunt doubles. I was right at home. Everybody was bald.

        The Saurdiffs scored the best seats on the street, right behind the directors chair. Then came Smith.

        He had a big old smile, waved to us and talked to us for a bit, Cody said, impressed with Smiths kindness and genuine welcome. Then he leans back and says, Hey, do you want to be in the movie?

        The Saurdiffs were amazed to learn that Smith had rewritten part of the script to accommodate a part for Cody.

        In the scene, Cody plays a teenage student driver who hits Willis with a car. Although it would be a 20-second scene, the Saurdiffs spent eight hours on the set.

        After he was done filming, Cody got out of the car and the film crew gave him a standing ovation.

        They took a shining to Cody, said his proud dad. They loved this kid. He was holding cameras and everything. They couldnt do enough.

        Everyone there was super nice, Cody agreed.

        When the filming wrapped up, a satisfied, overwhelmed Cody expected to shake hands and say goodbye.

        Then it got even better.

        He invited us to go to his editing room, Cody said incredulously.

        And of course, we were so busy, we said, Well, maybe, he joked.

        Smith showed the Saurdiffs the editing room and explained the process. He ordered pizza and shared the cupcakes his daughter baked. He listened to Codys cancer story and listened to his opinions. And he sat and joked around with them.

        At 9:30 p.m. it was finally a wrap. Cody had experienced the best day of his life.

        I had a crush on him before, but I fell in love with him afterward, Cody joked. Anything I experienced with him that day made everything about him better, if it could be better.

        HOT DOG!

        The Saurdiffs had one more day to tour New York City, but it was anti-climactic. Not even seeing the Rockefeller Center or getting bumped to the front of the line at the Statue of Liberty held a candle to the previous day.

        We did have this really good hot dog, Cody teased, pondering the highlight of his New York adventure. It was something. I was mesmerized by the taste.

        But the best hot dog hed ever tasted couldnt even compare to his day on the movie set and everything he learned. And it wasnt just about making movies.

        I realize how some people in this world can be, he concluded. Make-A-Wish did everything they could for us. Kevin Smith did everything he could for us. They were the nicest people we could ever imagine.

        I learned a lot about the goodness of peoples hearts.

View Askew NewsBites™

August 29th, 2009 @ 5:06 am | No Comments » | Scooped by E. Christopher, Jack Gregson, JimmyD

  • Will Kevin appear at Prince Charles Cinema in London during his fall tour? Their website seems to think so though keep in mind nothing is official yet. Our thoughts are that the deal’s not quite in place, but anyway, here’s what they’re saying if you want to make plans for live SModcast UK:

      Kevin and Scott Mosier will be recording a live podcast at The Prince Charles Cinema!

      07/10/09 at 18:00 Kevin Smith & Scott Mosier

      Tickets (which are going to sell out fast) will be available at

      www.viewaskew.com/events/uksmod

      We are not aware when these will go live

    Please keep in mind this has not yet been officially announced by View Askew — But hopefully we’ll be able to confirm soon.

  • Mania reports that yet another character from Kevin’s revival of Green Arrow is making their way to “Smallville” next season. You may recall no one was really talking much about Green Arrow until Kev brought him back in comics back in 2001. Now, he’s a regular on “Smallville”, soon to be joined by sidekick Mia Dearden:

      Speedy Coming to SMALLVILLE

      The Green Arrow has become a staple player in the ranks of characters featured in ‘Smallville’. He’s been unsuccessful in one endeavor on the show though: recruiting Clark as his full-time partner in crime-fighting. Well. KryptonSite suggests there may be a remedy for that, as season 9 of the show will introduce Arrow’s original sidekick Speedy.

      Well, not the original, exactly. Mia Dearden is set to appear in an upcoming episode. She was introduced in Kevin Smith’s revival of Green Arrow back in 2001 and went on to take up the role of sidekick archer.

      Check out KryptonSite’s description of episode 7 for more on the ‘Smallville’ version of Dearden.

  • PostModernBarney writes up what they call “uncomfortable plot summaries” that basically amount to taking a movie’s logline and skewing it in an un-PC sorta way. Here’s the Askewish ones:

      CHASING AMY: Homosexuality proved to be passing fancy and sign of sexual deviance.

      CLERKS: Aimless loser remains in dead-end job, abusive “friendship.”

      GOOD WILL HUNTING: Underemployed genius squanders prestigious job opportunity to chase trim.

Batman: Widening Gyre WEDNESDAY!

August 26th, 2009 @ 12:01 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris, Chuck K

  • It’s a big day to celebrate when a new comic from Kevin hits shelves — Today, Kevin & Walt return to the world of Batman, as “Widening Gyre” issue #1 is now on shelves everywhere. Get your copy before the firsting printing becomes extinct. MTV’s digging the new book , too:

      “BATMAN: THE WIDENING GYRE” #1 (DC): Back in May, Kevin Smith told Splash Page that this could be the last Batman story he ever writes–which should be reason enough to pick it up. Having previously authored “Batman: Cacophony” (which featured my favorite new villain, Onomatopoeia, created by Smith during his “Green Arrow” run), Smith promises to introduce a brand new character in “Widening Gyre,” which he’s writing alongside his frequent collaborator in both comics and film, artist/actor Walt Flanagan.

      With the combined comics cred of Smith and Flanagan and a new character in the wings, this one’s a can’t-miss pickup for readers this week.

    Can’t sleep or wait until you local comic shop opens? How’s about a nice look at some finished pages from the new series, eh? DC’s Source presents the two covers for issue #1 and some colorful looks at key moments. Click the pages here for a bigger look, or visit DC Source. Enjoy issue #1!

View Askew NewsBites™

August 25th, 2009 @ 10:04 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Daniel Spilatro, Larry Daguanno, Chuck K

  • JoBlo confirms that the 2 new features on the “Clerks” Blu-ray will be a new introduction from Kevin, and the “Lovely Tea Party” documentary from Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back. If you’ve never experienced Tea Party, you’re in for a nice treat, a look back many years ago to the filming of this Askewniverse classic. This disc also has everything on “Clerks X”, so buy yourself a nice Bluray and ship your Clerks X off to a pal who’s still slumming it with the previous generation of DVD player. The disc streets along with the new “Amy” on November 17th.
  • More Mewes comedy? Comedian Barry Taylor is listing Jason along with his touring schedule – If you wanna catch Jay live, this is a good page to watch for upcoming dates (as well as News Askew, of course). At a recent event, Mewes announced that he announced that he will be direct and star in a music video for the band ‘The Artist Life’.
  • The Philly Examiner takes a look back at the developments surrounding “Red State”, and asks, “When is Kevin Smith gonna make his darn horror movie?”. Recent tweets from Kevin do confirm he’s still interested, and just wants to find the right financier for the job.
  • Winding up the day — Wired covers the annual Lego Brickfair along with a shot of one of the coolest (yet simplest) Lego creations we’ve ever laid eyes on. Folks, we bring you, Lego Quick Stop. Catch ya next time.

The “Kevin” Report…

August 23rd, 2009 @ 1:15 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • Kevin’s back on the west coast, having taken the “A Couple of Dicks” footage he just spent the summer shooting back into his home editing suite to cut it all together. Yes, we’re extremely thankful that Kevin not only got to direct the flick, but that he’s the guy who’s piecing it together as well.

    Now that he’s off the set, he’s found a lot more time to be online as well. In past years, Kevin’s been spotted frequently at his WWWBoard at the official View Askew website, where he perused posts and randomly answered questions from the fans. Now, it seems, Twitter is the place to be if you’d like a shot at some interaction. In recent days, Kevin’s not only been posting his own random news and thoughts via the service, but also responding to followers who have direct tweeted some messages to him.

    Now, we’re not going to repost every tweet here at the site for ya, we figure, if you’re into Kevin’s stuff, you’re either following him via your own Twitter account, or can just read Kevin’s twitter page even if you’re not a subscriber. Still, some quite newsworthy information and statements have come across, which we’ll now run down for you straight ahead, in no particular order:

    • No details just yet, but Kevin announces that, on 10/23 at Gallery1988 on Melrose, the day before the L.A. Q&A show at Orpheum, they’ll present… A SMOD ART SHOW! 25 artists painting the weirdest SModcast moments, all up for sale. If you’re coming in for the Q&A, change those plans and get into town a day earlier. More details to come.
    • Tickets for the live show in London have already allegedly SOLD OUT (as we warned), so Kevin’s added a second show at O2, as well as inviting Mosier over for a live UK SModcast. If it happens, there will be only 300 seats, so you better be ready with those credit cards. We’ll have details on all of this soon.
    • Via this post, Kevin reveals he’s splitting his official Facebook into two. You’re going to be removed from his official account, most likely, but can rejoin at his new “fan” account that he links there. He’s wisely decided to use the main Facebook account for close friends & family only. Find the new one here.
    • On the possibility of Jersey Girl’s director’s cut coming to an extended Blu-ray: ” I suggested giving JG extended BD, but it was as if I’d suggested blumpkin.”
    • On the possiblity for more overseas Q&As: “Oz dates being looked at. Also trying for Scotland and Ireland post-10/10.”
    • Details on the Forbidden Planet signing in the UK are confirmed. This is a great spot to hit if you missed get seats at the Q&A.
    • Kevin’s not forgotten about “Red State”, but still wants to find funding before he makes it. Will some wise investor cough up the dough, already..Please? Maybe we should see what we can come up with collectively as fans, huh?
    • If you’re missing SModcast for whatever crazy reason, take a peek at this hilarious 2 minute bite than was animated courtesy of Stark Toons. Kevin tweets: “STARKUS! This made me cry hysterically, the (limited) animation is so good”.
    • Last, certainly not least – Kevin points out the first, and also by luck quite positive, review of the SModcast book.

Batman: Widening Gyre #1 In 3 Days!

August 23rd, 2009 @ 1:14 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • This Wednesday, you can grab yourself a copy of the highly anticipated “Batman: Widening Gyre” in comic shops everywhere. Kevin’s gifted us with the first look at some of Walt’s line art from issue #2, which you’ll see here. If you’re a fan and a collector, we highly recommend hitting up the Stash online and ordering what is sure to be a sold-out first printing, signed by the writer AND the artist themselves. Very well worth your $10.

    The series will run 12 issues, made up of 2, six-part arcs. There will be a break between the two arcs. A new DC universe hero is introduced in book two. MTV ran a nice story and interview with Kevin earlier this year that you might want to take a look back on as well. Hurry up, Wednesday.

Watch Kevin & Jay As “Degrassi Goes Hollywood”!

August 22nd, 2009 @ 8:08 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by David Hugh

  • The N in the U.S. is now airing “Degrassi Goes Hollywood”, a new feature-length Degrassi flick where Kevin and Jay play frequent roles. In fact, both Smith and Mewes are mentioned and seen before the opening credits are done running, and you’ll catch Kevin doing a Q&A right up front. In fact, the main plot is about Mewes directing a new musical flick called “Musical High” that he’s casting at Degrassi.

    Wanna see it? Check your local listings to catch it on the tube. OR…Even better, view it RIGHT NOW at the N’s official website!!!

    Click Here for the 90-minute “Degrassi Goes Hollywood” movie, free!

    Looks like the entire Degrassi cast is back, so if you haven’t checked the show out in a while, here’s a chance to catch up. Enjoy.