• The Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, TN will be showing Mallrats on April 11th and 12th at Midnight. More details can be found at the Belcourt site. Mallrats is one of the best View Askew flicks to see with a crowd of fans, so if you’re in the area, do NOT miss this chance!

• It’s a BIG day for “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” news, as widely read USA Today breaks in with the first high resolution still from the film (available with this story) and speculation that it’ll be a big hit this year. Read on for a couple new quotes from Kevin on the film’s title and content, and all the positive buzz circling the industry:

  
  If the title says ‘Porno,’ will moviegoers say ‘no thanks’?

  By Anthony Breznican, USA TODAY

  

  
  MONROEVILLE, Pa. — It sounds like the most dangerous title in movies —Zack & Miri Make a Porno — but in comedy these days, the riskier the better.

  Kevin Smith’s film, now shooting in western Pennsylvania, stars Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks as broke friends who embrace their desperation by making their own X-rated tape to pay off their debts. In the process, they uncover romantic feelings for each other.

  Smith readily acknowledges that having “porno” in the title could turn off some potential viewers.

  “We’re just hoping that by the time the movie comes out, if the marketing people do their jobs right, it’s a word that people will kind of get over,” he says.

  This is the era in which the nation just spent weeks chattering about Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel’s dueling videos about having sex with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. (Banks released her own spoof video about Rogen.) And R-rated films such as Knocked Up (co-starring Rogen), The 40-Year-Old Virgin (co-starring Banks and Rogen) and Superbad are major comedy hits.

  Industry analysts say Porno fits right in. “It’s one of the best titles of the year,” says Jeff Bock, an analyst with movie tracking firm Exhibitor Relations. “It sells the film for exactly what it is.” It helps, he notes, that Smith (Clerks, Dogma) has a dependable fan base. “They’ll follow him anywhere. I don’t think anything is too risqué for Kevin Smith fans.”

  But that base is somewhat limited; Smith’s films tend to gross $20 million to $30 million. (Knocked Up brought in nearly $150 million.) With star-on-the-rise Rogen and the success of Knocked Up, “expectations are up for this particular film,” Bock says.

  Those behind the film point out that it’s more than just a filthy movie (though it’s plenty filthy).

  “What’s weird about it is, it’s dirty. But it’s so incredibly sweet,” Smith says, noting that Porno will be rated R (obviously, there’s no actual porn in it). Banks says grown-ups are mature enough for immature jokes. “These kinds of comedies, these sweet and sexy comedies, have all started to push the envelope. This movie takes it even further, that’s definitely true. But if you’re over 15 years old … you know what sex is, and in comedy you’re always trying to find those taboos that you can break for a laugh. Sex in America is a huge one.”

  And Rogen? For him, there’s no safety in safety: “Oh, we are going too far … ” He laughs and adds: “The first thing people should think is: ‘Are they allowed to do that?’ “

  

  
  Of further interest, a whole second page of goodies they call “Dispatches from the Set”. On this page, both Seth and Elizabeth share their humorous thoughts on preparing for a sex scene in the film — Two more segments are forthcoming, and we’ll let you know when they go live. Be sure to click over to this one, it’s just as cool as the feature story we ran above. More Z&M news as we see it! Be sure and leave some comment over on the dispatch page, as well – Let the world you’ll be seeing the flick over and over! And yes, Ms. Banks, freeze-framing the eventual DVD…

  Will this one be the first to break that mythical $30 million theatrical ceiling? Here at News Askew, we’re betting the farm on it.

• The Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, TN will be showing Mallrats on April 11th and 12th at Midnight. More details can be found at the Belcourt site. Mallrats is one of the best View Askew flicks to see with a crowd of fans, so if you’re in the area, do NOT miss this chance!
• Paris Hilton, who made Askew news by appearing in the film “Bottoms Up” With Jason Mewes (and a Kevin Smith cameo) last year, is now working with another Askew vet this year — She’ll be doing a guest shot on one of TV’s funniest sitcoms, Jason Lee’s “My Name is Earl”. She will appear in a dream sequence in the one-hour April 3rd episode.
• Film 411’s “Casting Call” segement this week takes a closer look at Dogma’s Loki and Bartleby. The column takes a deeper look into the minds of the characters and their motives.
• And last, but certainly not least, our pal Brian O’Halloran has been confirmed to make an appearance in Indianapolis, IN the weekend of March 28th-30th, at the Horrorhound Weekend Convention. He’ll be on hand to promote his new flick “Brutal Massacre”. All the details are at the show’s official site. Brian’s among the most gracious Askewniverse actors we’ve ever met, and truly great to all his fans. Be sure to stop in, support his film, and say hello. Tell him News Askew sent ya.

Brian O’Halloran has been confirmed to make an appearance in Indianapolis, IN the weekend of March 28th-30th, at the Horrorhound Weekend Convention. He is going to be there to promote his new movie, Brutal Massacre. All the details are at www.horrorhoundweekend.com.

• Hot off that hilarious video from Quick Stop Entertainment, Kevin pops back in with some tidbits on the video along with a few more hints on what we’ll see onscreen, hopefully later on this year. Kevin’s comments, along with our explanation as needed, follows:

  
  On that wonderful video: “I wish I could take credit for more than just my little cameo, but all the credit should go to Banks. It was her pet project from start to finish. Funny, funny stuff.”

  On running time, shooting status, and Mewes nudity:

  “Less than two weeks of shooting left, folks.

  Current running time of the (edited) flick is one hour and thirty five minutes… with two weeks worth of stuff left to shoot. The first cut’s easily gonna be over two hours.

  The two leads (and entire cast) have remained brilliant. The first porno scene is spellbinding; funniest scene I’ve ever put on film.

  And ladies?

  Mewes does full-frontal.”


Regarding the Mewes news, which is probably exciting for the ladies, perhaps not so much for most of us guys, Kev also confirms the presence of female nudity (hooray!) and that he’s holding out hope that the flick can secure an R rating without any cuts made. We should find out in a few months.


We’re guessing that the internet approach being taken is a bit different for this one. Once again, we’re betting on a ton of advance photos, vids, and info, but it seems that the gang are holding onto that stuff just a bit longer, to help tease things closer to the film’s release date. This should also allow more creative control and time to put it all together in a more cohesive way, as well. We can’t wait til those floodgates open.

• The Asbury Park Press does it again, with another memorable article from Red Bank — This time, the great Walt Flanagan and Bryan Johnson are the subjects. The piece discusses the historic Red Bank Stash and their work on two books, “Karney” and “War of the Undead”, both available for sale everywhere (including the Stash, of course):

  
  Flanagan, Johnson like the bizarre

  IT’S NOT OFTEN THAT A customer can walk into a comic book shop and purchase a work from one of the men who had a hand in creating it.

  However, that is just the experience comic fans can have at Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash at 35 Broad St. in Red Bank. Store manager and Middletown resident Walt Flanagan, 40, and Highlands resident Bryan Johnson, 40, have created two miniseries, 2005’s “Karney” and 2007’s “War of the Undead,” each on sale on the shelves of the store known as “The Stash.”

  The pair met in 1978, Johnson said, after Flanagan moved from Woodbridge to Highlands, and it was Flanagan who introduced Johnson to comic books.

  “Walter’s always been into comics,” Johnson said. “In fact, I’d say Walter got me into comics. I bounce in and out. Sometimes I get interested, sometimes not.”

  Explaining his love for the medium, Flanagan said, “The art and the characters drew me to comics early on and I never lost my passion for it.”

  The pair first met local filmmaker Kevin Smith around 1988 when Smith got a job at the Highlands Recreation Center, where Flanagan worked.

  Flanagan has worked for the Stash, owned by Smith, since it opened on Monmouth Street in 1997 (it moved to Broad Street in 1999), while Johnson moved to Los Angeles to work at Smith’s West Coast store for a few years before returning to New Jersey.

  Both “Karney,” in which a collection of sideshow performers terrorize a small rural community, and “War of the Undead,” which features such classic monsters as Frankenstein and the Wolf Man battling zombie Nazis at the tail end of World War II, were written by Johnson and drawn by Flanagan.

  “I’d say we share a love of the bizarre, like the decidedly not mainstream,” Johnson said.

  “We grew up in the ’70s, it was really a decade of weird movies,” said the writer, citing “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” (1973) and “Race with the Devil” (1975) as influences.

  According to Johnson, when it comes to collaboration, “Basically, Walt says, “This is what I want to draw, this is kind of the story I want to do,’ and we come up with a synopsis and Walter basically draws whatever he wants and then I’ll go back and put dialogue in.”

  Flanagan said inspiration for “War of the Undead” came from “just a big love of the Universal monsters and just wanting to draw a book where they were forced into the role of being somewhat heroes rather than monsters.” Not coincidentally, the Wolf Man in the book hails from Highlands.

  “Undead” sequel, Marvel pitch

  The pair said they plan on releasing a sequel to “War of the Undead” this year and hope to pitch a one-off issue to Marvel Comics based on the Legion of Monsters from the 1970s.

  When asked if their cameo roles in Smith films such as “Mallrats” and “Dogma” have turned them into local celebrities, Flanagan said, ” “A fan who knows his stuff will recognize you, but I certainly don’t get recognized outside the store.”

  That lack of notoriety can result in some happy situations at the store for Flanagan, as his and Johnson’s works share shelf space with the Marvel and DC classics.

  “That’s real cool, when someone comes in and buys (one of the comics) and has no idea that the guy who’s selling it to them did it,” he said.

  Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash is at 35 Broad St., Red Bank. Call (732) 758-0508.

  For more information on “Karney” and “War of the Undead,” visit http://www.idwpublishing.com.

  
  We highly recommend both books, and especially suggest you stop by The Stash in person, where the guys will be happy to sign ’em for ya if you’re lucky enough to catch them behind the counter. We’ll be watching for the “War” sequel, as well.

• The fantastic deleted dart scene from “Chasing Amy” tops trade mag Home Media Magazine’s list of the top 5 deleted scenes available on DVD. Click away for a look at the scan (and the other mentions). Thanks to our pal Ron over at LA’s awesome Laser Blazer (and Secret Stash West) for catching this one for us!

• Hey, let’s keep rolling on with the scannage — Here’s one from the latest issue of comic supermag “Wizard”, where Kevin and Jay are featured in a new photo. Enjoy. And if you like comics, and don’t subscribe to Wizard, shame on ya!
• Mark your calendars waaay in advance for this one — Jason Mewes has been confirmed to appear at the Ohio Comic Con on OCTOBER 25th & 26th, 2008 at Veterans Memorial in Downtown Columbus, OH. This will be, we believe, the man’s first signing appearance in the state. The official guest list is available at the con’s site. Will Kevin and other Askewers follow suit and attend? We’ll keep ya posted.
• Kevin’s famous take on the “Superman Lives” script is referenced in this new Mania.com article titled “Superman Vs. Hollywood” :

  
  The nineties were crazy time when Jon Peters (uber producer) and Kevin Smith (‘Clerks’ director and fan boy) would butt heads about their new Superman script. Much of these dealings and meetings have been well documented and discussed by a disgruntled Kevin Smith. Any fans of the genre or of Smith have either read about ‘Superman Lives’ (Peters/ Smith title) or heard Smith discuss it in his lecture tours.

• Call us crazy, but we’re big Tom Green fans here, always have admired his off-kilter brand of humor, so it’s nice to see a View Askew fan’s work pop up in an episode of his new program, “Tom Green’s House Tonight”. Around the four-minute mark of this episode, rapper Thaahum, who’s done quite a few View Askew songs and fan videos over the years, has a new video featured. On a follow-up show, Shannon Elizabeth (“Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”), makes a mention of the video on the air and Tom says, “yeah a guy from Kevin Smith’s Site sent that to us.” (referring to the affiliation he’s had with his VA fan tunes for Quick Stop Entertainment from the past). You can watch the entire clip at YouTube as well. Congrats Thaahum!
• And finally today, on a sad note, our condolences to friends and family of Jeff Healy, the very talented musician who passed away Sunday after a lifelong battle with cancer. Healy is possibly best known as a star in our beloved “Road House” (a film so loved that Kevin and Scott recorded a DVD commentary for it) and for the hit “Angel Eyes”. He will be missed.

• “Zack and Miri” co-star Craig Robinson will bringing his stand-up and musical talents to the stage next Saturday night live in Pittsburgh! And a s a special treat, Kevin will be hosting the event. And if that’s not cool enough, word has it that other Z&M cast members will be onhand to enjoy the show. Check out what the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review had to say about the event below and get your tickets now before they are all sold out…
  

  
  Kevin Smith, Darryl Philbin to appear at Improv Saturday

  By William Loeffler
  TRIBUNE-REVIEW
  Friday, February 29, 2008

  Fans of the NBC Comedy series “The Office,” know that Darryl Philbin is not a man to be trifled with.

  The warehouse manager at Dunder-Mifflin has a fierce glower that says “Please don’t make me tear off your arm and beat you with it,”which is probably what he’d like to do to his clueless boss Michael (Steve Carell).

  Robinson used his powers of intimidation to great effect in a scene-stealing turn as a club doorman in Judd Apatow’s smash movie comedy “Knocked Up.”

  Robinson, who’s in town filming “Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” will perform a stand-up show March 8 at the Pittsburgh Improv at the Waterfront in Homestead.

  
  Some of the other “Zack and Miri” cast will be on hand to sign autographs and contribute to the hoopla, including actor Seth Rogen and director Kevin Smith, who will serve as host.

  Robinson, a keyboard player and singer, will log double duty by performing with his band.

  “It’s going to be his show but he’s bringing members of the cast of ‘Zack and Miri Make a Porno,’ ” says Improv manager Aimee Arnold.

  There’s no word on whether cast members Traci Lords or Elizabeth Banks will show.

  Tickets to the 11 p.m. show are $20. Details: 412-462-5233

• “Zack and Miri” co-star Craig Robinson will bringing his stand-up and musical talents to the stage next Saturday night live in Pittsburgh! And a s a special treat, Kevin will be hosting the event. And if that’s not cool enough, word has it that other Z&M cast members will be onhand to enjoy the show. Check out what the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review had to say about the event below and get your tickets now before they are all sold out…
  

  
  Kevin Smith, Darryl Philbin to appear at Improv Saturday

  
  By William Loeffler
  
  TRIBUNE-REVIEW
  
  Friday, February 29, 2008

  
  Fans of the NBC Comedy series “The Office,” know that Darryl Philbin is not a man to be trifled with.

  
  The warehouse manager at Dunder-Mifflin has a fierce glower that says “Please don’t make me tear off your arm and beat you with it,”which is probably what he’d like to do to his clueless boss Michael (Steve Carell).

  
  Robinson used his powers of intimidation to great effect in a scene-stealing turn as a club doorman in Judd Apatow’s smash movie comedy “Knocked Up.”

  
  Robinson, who’s in town filming “Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” will perform a stand-up show March 8 at the Pittsburgh Improv at the Waterfront in Homestead.

  
  Some of the other “Zack and Miri” cast will be on hand to sign autographs and contribute to the hoopla, including actor Seth Rogen and director Kevin Smith, who will serve as host.

  
  Robinson, a keyboard player and singer, will log double duty by performing with his band.

  
  “It’s going to be his show but he’s bringing members of the cast of ‘Zack and Miri Make a Porno,’ ” says Improv manager Aimee Arnold.

  
  There’s no word on whether cast members Traci Lords or Elizabeth Banks will show.

  
  Tickets to the 11 p.m. show are $20. Details: 412-462-5233

• Long time ViewAskew fans will remember Brian Lynch’s horror-comedy script EVERYBODY’S DEAD that’s been in development long before his BIG HELIUM DOG flick. Here’s the last quote we have on the project from Lynch himself from last June…
  Q: I was wondering the status of this project [EVERYBODY’S DEAD] as well. Did “Shaun Of The DEAD” kill it (pardon the pun)?

  
  LYNCH: Nope, EVERYBODY’S DEAD will see the light of day. But probably not as a movie at first. I think by this time next year we can all talk about EVERYBODY’S DEAD at length, for it will be thrust out into the world like a crying, angry baby. But, again, not as a movie at first.

  Now comes word from Brian Lynch himself that EVERYBODY’S DEAD will be launching as a comic book from IDW Publishing on March 26! Here’s a description of the first two issues from IDW’s website:

  

  
  ISSUE #1 – Brian Lynch (writer); Dave Crosland (art & colors) College can be tough. Making new friends, falling in love, being one of the few people left on Earth who isn’t a bloodthirsty zombie… welcome to the world of Everybody’s Dead! Ten friends remain the only ones on campus who have survived an overnight apocalypse. Now they must fend off legions of the undead and restart civilization in their own image! (Civilization, of course, is doomed.) From Brian Lynch, writer on the blockbuster hit Angel: After the Fall, and artist Dave Crosland, from the critically acclaimed Scarface: Scarred for Life!”

  

  
  ISSUE #2 – Brian Lynch (writer); Dave Crosland (art & colors) How do you survive a statewide undead cannibal epidemic when you have no weapons, training, nor athletic abilities? Find the answers (and so much more) in the second issue of Everybody’s Dead. The horror comedy event of 2008 continues, courtesy of Brian Lynch, writer on the sold-out smash hit Angel: After the Fall, and artist Dave Crosland, from the critically acclaimed Scarface: Scarred for Life!”

  
  If you can’t get these issues from your local comic shop, you can pre-order both issues from Things From Another World right now!