Oretga High Res Pics – San Diego!

September 1st, 2008 @ 5:13 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Albert Ortega

  • Our high resolution San Diego Comic Con series continues today, with the official Albert Ortega series now beginning (we saw his colleague’s work last week) — This first batch features some great shots of Kev rockin’ the podium, as well as some of the best shots to date of the “Zack And Miri Make a Porno” cast, including some beautiful photos of the stunning Elizabeth Banks. Some great full-cast photos, too. So, as always, click away, and pay thanks to the great Albert Ortega who shares all of these great shots with us at News Askew free of charge, for your viewing pleasure. More to come in the next update!

View Askew NewsBites™

September 1st, 2008 @ 5:09 pm | 1 Comment » | Scooped by John Breslin, Zach Eastman, Dave James, Chuck Gould, Alonso Duralde, Rich Howells

  • The webcomic called “Hijinks Ensue” continued their 2 part arc covering Kevin’s ability to see Geek movies before everyone else this weekend. You can catch our previously mentioned Watchmen edition HERE, and the continuation which mentions “Star Trek” HERE.
  • CORRECTION: It seems that “Fanboys” may see a theatrical release after all. In our last update, we mentioned a December 23rd arrival for the DVD, but it turns out that a September 19th release date was announced in San Diego. Certainly worth seeking out from the sound of it (and we’re sure that Kevin’s cameo remains intact).
  • We’ve been known to post some tidbits or video segements from Kevin’s Q&A sessions here, and of course there’s the DVDs, but it’s rare that we’ll see a long form Q&A with another of View Askew’s vets, Jason Mewes! Mewes has been hitting the convention circuit lately, promoting some of his upcoming film efforts, taking pictures, signing autographs, and the like. This one comes to us from Monster Mania and was posted in a four-part Youtube video filmed by one of the attendees. The worst part is probably some low audio here and there, so get your headphones or turn up your audio and listen closely. Mewes seems to work the crowd and relate to the attendees really well, so watch the dude work the room and enjoy!

  • Longtime fan Tony Teofilo had a chance to sit down with Toby Keith and Mallrats alum Claire Forlani to chat up their new film “Beer for my Horses”, and guess what — He asked her about “Mallrats” and working with Kevin again! It’s always neat to hear her British accent as she’s often seen playing American roles, so worth the watch just for that, and also to see that rare connection made to the Askewniverse. Nice job, Tony — And yep, for the record, she does say she’d do it again – Wouldn’t that be cool? How about Forlani for “Red State”? We’d dig that.
  • If you look closely at the first paragraph of this review of “Babylon AD”, you’ll notice that the reviewer mentions the superior nature of the “Jersey Girl” director’s cut to the theatrical version that most of you have seen. We’re still hoping that somehow that wonderful director’s cut can see the light of day. If a Vulgarthon comes up in 2009, let’s hope Kevin breaks that one out again.
  • While certainly not at all a laughing matter, one shopkeeper had some good humor in advance of Hurricane Gustav’s arrival in Lousiana with this “Clerks” tribute spray painted on his plywood window coverings. Stay safe, everyone.

“Zack And Miri” In New York! TICKETS AVAILABLE???

August 29th, 2008 @ 12:53 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Sam Rettig, Movidude74, Germain Lussier

  • Word came into the News Askew offices that a benefit screening of “Zack And Miri Make a Porno” was coming to the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, NY (about 30 miles north of Manhattan)…And just like that, it looked like it might be SOLD OUT. However, at presstime, it seems more seats have been made available online, so BUY THEM UP NOW! We do hear Kevin plans to be on hand to present the movie (no word on any Q&A stuff at this point). Many die-hard fans from the View Askew boards have already grabbed tickets, so we’re expecting a fantastic audience for this one.

    This screening will take place right after the film’s debut in Canada at the Toronto Internation Film Festival, on Wednesday, September 10th at 7:30 PM. The Jacob Burns Film Center is a nonprofit cultural arts center dedicated to: presenting the best of independent, documentary, and world cinema; promoting visual literacy; and making film a vibrant part of the community.

    We can’t stress it enough – Buy tix now if you wanna go, in fact, they may already be sold out by the time you’re reading this. Enjoy, and brag to all your friends that you’re seeing the movie almost 2 full months early!

MTV Breaks Details On “Porno”, “Batman”…

August 29th, 2008 @ 12:52 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brian Jacks, John Whiteaker, Jenn Camp

  • We’re got three more new articles from MTV today, all of which feature information that we haven’t seen mentioned anywhere before! So, some nice exclusives here, and information you’ll be interested to read, regarding of course “Zack And Miri Make a Porno” and also more details on Kev’s return to comics, “Batman: Cacophony”. The first is a brand new interview with brand new quotes from Kevin. We’ve got some select passages below, but highly recommend you click over and check out the full text of each:

      “…There’s like 20 to 25 percent ad-libbing in the movie. The genius of Rogen is that that dude can ad-lib and every bit is useable in a way that feels insanely organic — it moves the scene and plot forward. You welcome a dude like that — not only can he execute, but he can elevate. Having him was a blessing. His ad-libs don’t stick out like a sore thumb: “That’s a Kevin Smith line, that’s a Seth Rogen line.” “

      “…I think it’s our most visually interesting movie to date — that seems to be the compliment from a lot of people, including Bob Weinstein. So there’s a sequence in the movie that features some slow-mo — It features Seth and Elizabeth. I think it’s just beautiful, and I’m so proud of it. “


      “…“We don’t need put a foot in both worlds,” Smith said. “This is a different thing.”

      Sure, we didn’t expect a Jay and Silent Bob cameo (not least of all because Jason Mewes is starring in the film as a different character), but not even a little nod?

      “Nothing, not even like a little wink,” Smith said. “There’s a moment where we needed to showcase a pack of cigarettes at one point. I don’t even think it wound up in the final cut. And our designer who’s been on almost every movie with us was like, ‘Should we use Nails?’ And I was like no, find some fake movie cigarette brand.””


      “…For “Cacophony,” Smith will be bringing Onomatopoeia back to the mean streets of Gotham, this time setting his sights on the Caped Crusader, which Smith is quick to point out is the “apex” of non-superpowered heroes. “He’s just a dude in a suit, he’s not like Superman,” elaborated Smith. “Onomatopoeia would never go after Superman — what’s the point? You can’t take him down. But Batman is a prey he can get his head around, like, if I can do this it’d be great.”

      While Smith obviously prefers to keep details of his story under wraps, he assures fans that this will not be one of those projects that will see massive delays between issues (case in point, his infamous “Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do” mini-series for Marvel). Cut the guy some slack — he’s got movies to write and direct, after all! — but he also has two issues already written and in the hands of “Cacophony” artist, Walt J. Flanagan. “I’m two issues done [and] I got one issue to do, Walter is almost on the last page of issue one in terms of artwork.””

High Res Week Continues: Galactica Panel!

August 29th, 2008 @ 12:51 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Albert Ortega

  • Our special edition of San Diego Con pics continues, courtesy Albert Ortega, as photographed beautifully by his colleague Austin Gorum (thanks Austin!) – This time ’round, we’re featuring shots taken at the Battlestar Galactica panel, which may look familiar to some of you who watched the full video — Still, nice to see this stuff blown up in high resolution, of course. Click away.

View Askew NewsBites™

August 29th, 2008 @ 12:49 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Jason Jackson, Amy Windham, Justin McGill, John Couture, John Whiteaker, Jenn Camp

  • While the release date is now a closely guarded secret, we can confirm the title for Kevin’s upcoming third Q&A DVD, filmed on his 37th birthday in Red Bank, New Jersey — “A Threevening with Kevin Smith: Sold Out”! More details in a week or so…
  • G4TV reports on the Crazy 4 Cult II art show at Gallery 1988 via an 8 minute video from premiere night. A nice new interview outside of the show with Smith and Mos is a highlight – Look at those crowds! You’ll also see a ton of looks at the amazing works that were on display and for sale. Can someone bring this event to the EAST coast as well…PLEASE???
  • Wanna read more about Affleck’s recent low key political exploits for Obama? The Boston Herald has the details on what he’s quietly been up to.
  • DVD supersite The Digital Bits reports that “Fanboys”, in which Kevin has a cameo, will arrive on DVD and Bluray on December 23rd. The film has only had a very small theatrical release, seen by few at festivals and such. We’ll keep you posted as it’s always looked like a fun little flick, shame it didn’t get more of a chance on the big screen.
  • Cinematical makes their own comments on Kev’s recent brief quotes to MTV regarding the next proposed Superman film sequel.
  • Entertainment Weekly once again remembers View Askew in their latest photo gallery, titled “The Cult 25: The Essential Left-Field Movie Hits Since ’83”. “Clerks” takes the #13 slot:


      13. CLERKS (1994)

      Kevin Smith’s debut, about a day in the life of two service-industry suburbanites, was made for $27,575. It’s hard to tell where all that money went, but the cruddy lensing and muddy sound actually enhance the experience. This spitball of nonstop scatology and pop-cult obsessiveness — what are the ethical implications of killing independent contractors aboard the Death Star? — feels like a bootleg copy of an adolescent mind. SIGNATURE LINE ”I’m not even supposed to be here today.”

Two “Zack And Miri” Shows In Toronto?

August 28th, 2008 @ 7:15 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Robert Bellair, Daniel Spilatro

  • Several folks dropped us e-mails regarding a mysterious Sunday, September 7th screening of “Zack & Miri Make a Porno” in Toronto, as listed on the fest’s official page for the film. This screening is listed for another venue (Ryerson) and of course is two days before the previously mentioned show, which tix recently went on sale for. Sadly, this is all we know right now — We CAN confirm there’s no way we have seen (yet) to buy tickets for the Sunday show. UPDATE : We have just learned that the Ryerson screening on 9/7 will in fact be the premiere of the film!


    We have yet to hear any confirmation on this second screening, though it MUST be on the fest’s page for a reason — We’ll keep you posted on tickets, the nature of the show, and of course let you know if it’s confirmed or denied. Stay tuned.

Pick “Zack And Miri” In EW’s Opening Weekend Poll!

August 28th, 2008 @ 7:13 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • Entertainment Weekly is asking website readers to predict the weekend winners of big flicks opening this Fall. On this page, our beloved “Zack And Miri Make a Porno” is going up against “Rocknrolla” and “Changeling” — We’ve got high hopes for a big opening as well as a #1, having the only comedy in the bunch and definitely the film that will easily appeal to the core moviegoing age group. Head over to the page and let EW know that “Zack And Miri” will be the one you go to see! At presstime, we’ve got well over 50% of the vote already. Niiiice.

Hi-Res Series: San Diego Con 2008, Part One…

August 28th, 2008 @ 7:12 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Albert Ortega, Austin Gorum

  • With thanks to Austin Gorum and Albert Ortega, we will be continuing our photo series of exclusive, high resolution shots from Comic Con ALL WEEK LONG! Today, let’s take a look at some snaps from the “Zack And Miri Make a Porno” panel, as well as Kevin’s big Q&A. As always, click ’em for a SUPER BIG look and Kev and your favorite actors in high resolution.

View Askew NewsBites™

August 28th, 2008 @ 7:07 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Matt H, Michael Vinduska, Artimus Naugin, Rex Moribe, Leigh Webb, Jan Welter

  • Mosier and Smith reunite this week for SModcast #62, where Foreigner’s Lou Graham takes a drubbing, but then the talk soon turns to other topics, including the latest happenings in the world of View Askew (The NC-17 appeal, Kev’s awards, Watchmen, and more.) Here’s that rundown:

      SModcast 62: The Human Quilt –

      In which our heroes accost a rocker in the cereal aisle, get unruly on a plane, fear the wrath of a pent-up Paul Bunyan, and go to the movies.

    For those looking for a few more words on “Watchmen”, Kevin does once again confirm that everything from the books is unchanged. Which we hope means everything about the ending! Listen for Mosier’s take as well — Yep, he got to watch it, too.

    SModcast remains a free (thanks ThinkGeek!), fast download exclusively at Quick Stop Entertainment — Go grab your copy and enjoy another hour of the best podcast in all the land.

  • Via an MTV News article today, Kevin chats about the possibility for yet ANOTHER Superman film franchise reboot, though stops short of saying the films need a darker tone (as others have suggested):


      “…fan-favorite writer/director Kevin Smith also had reservations on a newer, darker Man of Steel. “You always have to always keep Superman very distinct from Batman,” he related. “Batman can be brooding and bleak and dark but Superman – if you want to take a realistic approach to him that’s fine, but I don’t think you can turn him into an angry character. Superman is about the hope in people, the good in people, whereas Batman is about the more driven, hungry for justice angry side of us. [So] I don’t know if doing a dark Superman is the approach, but I’m all for a reboot.”

  • Kevin appears in Terry Moore’s “Runaways 3” #1 from Marvel, out today. A skrull character shape-shifts into Kevin when the team needs a celebrity. Humberto Ramos did the art. While we’re not sure of any current working relationship between Kevin and Terry, he DID write a blurb for the back of Terry’s “Strangers in Paradise” pocket book #2.
  • Another mention of Kevin’s “Watchmen” watch shows up in online geek comic “Hijinks Ensue” today.
  • Our congrats to new Dad Jason Lee, who along with girlfriend Ceren Alkac welcomed a daughter on August 10th. The little girl is their first child together.