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More On Supes…

October 14th, 1998 @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Aug & Michael Sims

  • Well, the rumors just won’t die! NOW we hear that, in addition to the project not being dead, that Burton may indeed still be attached…Here’s the latest from Cinescape:
Warner Bros. Addresses ‘Superman’ Story

A source at Warner Bros. was anxious to respond to the quotes we ran last week from Superman producer Jon Peters. According to the Warner insider, “The comments were the speculation of a producer based on an enthusiastic reaction to a new script that everybody likes but agrees still needs work.” The source stressed that Tim Burton is not necessarily off the project, as Peters had indicated. “We’re still talking to everyone involved in the project, including Tim Burton and Nicolas Cage. No decisions have been made about anything. All the pieces are not in place yet. It’s very premature, but this movie will be made.”

According to the source, rumors about director Brett Ratner — suddenly white-hot thanks to the success of Rush Hour — having been approached about helming the Supermovie are not true. And in a move sure to break many fanboys’ hearts, the source also said that Kevin Smith will definitely NOT be brought back in to brush up Dan Gilroy’s screenplay.

By the way, HSX also speaks a bit about Supes here:

“Superman” Lives

You thought the “Superman” movie was dead. It’s not, as Warner Bros. continues to push it through development hell.

By : Miss Information

All right movie buffs, Never let it be said that I don’t work hard for you. After much digging and cajoling and pulling of strings, I was finally able to get my hands on a copy of the latest draft of “Superman Lives” (SPRMN). I had previously read Kevin Smith’s (KSMIT) draft, and while I’m a big fan of the indie filmmaker, his “Superman” rewrite was plain awful. (Smith received $300,000 for three weeks work and later admitted that he procrastinated and wrote the whole script in the last five days.)

This latest draft, which had the date 9/20/98 on its cover page, was written by Dan Gilroy, a well-known script doctor. Gilroy’s produced credits include “Chasers” and “Freejack,” and he currently has several high profile projects set up around town.

Whatever Warner Bros. (WBDX) is paying Gilroy to work on “Superman,” it’s well worth it because the script has greatly improved since the Smith version. Here are some details about the script. Then I’ll update you on what’s happening with its eventual production. I should warn you, there are some spoilers below…

Fade In on Metropolis

The script weighs in at 111 pages and begins not unlike the 1980 Christopher Reeve version of “Superman,” with Jorel rocketing his son off the doomed planet of Krypton. However, in the yet-to-be-filmed version, it turns out Jorel had been working on a humanoid creation that went awry. It has taken on an evil life of its own and doesn’t like the fact that Jorel has given up on him in order to raise some puny little baby. Brainiac, who survives and feeds on electrical energy, destroys Krypton and vows to find Kal-el, Jorel’s son… Superman.

What’s interesting about the new script and what Gilroy has given the super-hero are some true character traits. You see, Clark Kent/Superman is unaware that he’s from another planet, nor is he certain why he has special powers, until Lex Luthor, a wealthy tycoon, announces that his satellites have discovered an alien spacecraft buried beneath the earth in a rural town named Smallville. The ship is literally buried in the backyard of the farm Kent grew up on. That’s when he realizes that he must be from another world.

It turns out Lois Lane and Superman are actually having an affair, though she wants more of a commitment from him while he is torn between his work and his personal life. (Sound familiar, girls?!) Clark Kent decides to tell Lois that he is really Superman over a Japanese dinner. It takes all the fun out of it if she is having an affair with Superman, and Clark has nothing to hide. How lame! That’s what was so touching about the previous Superman film.

Thanks to the unearthing of Superman’s escape pod, Braniac discovers his whereabouts in the galaxy and makes his way toward Earth. By the middle of the film, Braniac has taken over the body of Lex Luthor with the intent of finding and destroying Superman. In an amazing action sequence (often referred to as a set piece by industry types), Braniac actually succeeds in offing the super-hero, and he dies in Lois’ arms. Yes, Superman dies. I’ve given away so much by now, I don’t think I’m going to give away how he’s reborn and saves the world. I’ve gotta leave you in suspense until the movie is released. Just know that while the script may need a little work, it is in much better shape than any of the earlier drafts I’ve gotten my hands on.

The Story Behind the Story

Thankfully for all of us, it appears that Warner Bros. has figured out how to develop “Superman Lives” into a blockbuster film. (At least it looks that way after reading the script.) Many had reported the project dead, and indeed it was indefinitely postponed at one point. Remember, this is the same studio that released such summer hits as “The Avengers.” With all the bombs that have come out of Warner Bros., no executive was ready to sign off on any of the previous scripts.

With this new draft, Nicolas Cage (NCAGE) is said to have recommitted to the film. The film’s producer, Jon Peters (“Batman,” “The Color Purple,” “Rainman”), has confirmed this, claiming he didn’t want just a good-looking actor to play the role–he wanted an Academy Award winning actor. Now he’s got both. As for Tim Burton, the director is off shooting “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” with Johnny Depp (JDEPP) and Christina Ricci (CRICC). He is definitely off the project. Instead, Peters and Warner Bros. are looking for an A-list action director to take his place. Last week, they submitted the script to Michael Bay (“Armageddon,” “The Rock”). Bay was said to be excited about reading it.

Finally, it appears “Superman Lives” may be on the right track to getting made. With Nicolas Cage in the lead and top-notch writers such as Dan Gilroy penning the script, it seems all the right moves are being made. Now, we just have to patiently await the news of a director signing on…

Filed in: News

View Askew NewsBites™

August 10th, 1998 @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Jake, Laura Ross, Vishal Sharma, & Ryan

  • Art Alexakis of the band Everclear was on ‘Modern Rock Live’ Sunday evening. When a caller asked if he was considering an acting career he mentioned two directors he would like to work with: Kevin Smith and Ben Stiller. He called Kevin ‘brilliant’ and mentioned that he had been asked to have a walk-on role in ‘Dogma’ but was too busy.
  • A NA reader has written his own piece on Kevin and his films…and he’d love to hear your feedback. Visit his site HERE and take a peek.
  • Claire Forlani (of Mallrats fame) will star in the film “Mystery Men”, based on the Dark Horse Comic.
  • Finally today, from this week’s TV Guide‘s “Siskel On Screen”, movie critic Gene Sisksel says some nice things about Chasing Amy…”Smith, along with Quentin Tarantino, is writing some of the liveliest dialogue in movies today”. And, when offering his opinion after seeing the film twice, he says, “I continue to like it…alot”.

    • Filed in: News

    NY Press Interview…

    August 9th, 1998 @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • This interview first appeared in NYPress, the Manhattan weekly newspaper, in a somewhat different form, but the author’s been kind enough to allow us the chance to post the entire thing. It’s a long, detailed, but excellent interview that we think you’d enjoy reading.
      Kevin Smith, director of “Clerks,” “Mallrats, ” and “Chasing Amy,” is a notorious workaholic. When I contacted his production company, View Askew, to ask if he was available to sit down with me to talk about his extensive work in comic books — not only is he working on titles for DC and Marvel, he also has his own titles for Oni Press, most recently a “Jay and Silent Bob” mini-series, the second of which is slated to be available to coincide with the release of “Dogma,” his fourth feature film — I was told he was tied up in globe-trotting post production on the film. However, where there is a will, there is a way. While Smith was willing to grant me a brief phone interview, I thought it might be more advantageous to utilize another passion the two of us have in common — e-mail. After all, that is how the British Monarchy have taken to answering questions, and Smith is the crown prince of Indies — the star in the Miramax crown. While I have a feeling he was typing on a laptop while simultaneously hunching over an edit bay, checking sound loops on his ‘flick,’ as he refers to his films, I prefer to romanticize it a little. He’s sitting in his bedroom, in a pair of footie pj’s (hey, it’s MY fantasy, damn it!), surrounded by half-finished comic art and scrawled-in spiral notebooks, a cigarette dripping from his mouth, a cold cup of coffee next to him, typing away on his laptop, and every once in a while, he’s smiling (it makes his eyes crinkle in a very appealing way.) And I am in my apartment, in a red satin teddy, a lipstick print on the cup of cold coffee next to me, smiling and typing right back. That’s as much as I’m going to tell you… except I hope it was as good for him as it was for me.
      NY Press : The great thing about the Jay and Silent Bob books is that it’s moved you away from the label “vanity press,” and the common belief held by non-comic lovers that all you were doing was illustrating scripts of your movies. They really do stand on their own as independent stories, while maintaining that prevalent point of view you infuse your other projects with. Which came first, the desire to create comics or films?
      Kevin Smith : It depends which comics you mean.
      Long before I wanted to be a filmmaker, I wanted to write comics in the vein of Alan Moore and Frank Miller — the first authors I’d read after dropping out of the comics scene during those too-cool-for-that-shit high school years. I was blown away by their stuff, and figured that if ‘Dark Knight’ and ‘Watchmen’ were what comics were today, then I wanted to be a comic book writer.
      It was, however, a field that didn’t seem like there was much access to — a very incestuous field, almost. Very few new writers ever popped up, and when they did, they were someone like Neil Gaiman — someone who made it seem that much more daunting by virtue of the fact that they were so fucking brilliant, and writing incredibly original stuff.
      Film, in comparison, seemed far more accessible to me. In the end, I think I just took a roundabout way of getting into comics.
      NY Press : Do you draw at all? Do you storyboard together with the artist, or do you give your stuff over to that artist’s interpretation? As a writer/director, it’s clearly your vision — how does it feel to be under an editor as opposed to being in control?
      Kevin Smith : I couldn’t draw with a gun to my head. I’m a terrible artist (in ALL media, my detractors would suggest). Based on that, I’ve had to be a thousand times more descriptive and detailed in the comic strips, whereas in the screenplays to the flicks I’m going to direct I can be as fast and loose with the descriptive passages because I know what I want to see and will make sure I see it when we shoot — I’m not the one visualizing the comic script. I have to detail anything I want to see in each panel on every page. So, comparatively, the comic scripts end up being longer on a per-page basis than the screenplays.
      In terms of having an editor, Schreck and Joe (my publishers/editors) have been about as liberal as folks who hold the title can be. They’ve never restricted me, always have been supportive, and offered only the most technical of editorial notes (for example — how to figure out whether or not you can stick a splash page anywhere you want to). I’m fairly decent with spelling and my grammar, so they rarely have to worry about that. And it’s not like they have to play “continuity cops” on the scripts; the only continuity I have to be mindful of are the films, really, and who knows those better than me?
      But having an editor for ‘Daredevil’ — that’s a different story. There’s decades worth of history on that character, as well as a comics code to contend with. It’s notes-city with that title.
      NY Press : Ok, I can see that you feel you need the strong visual element to tell your stories — that’s why comic books (and movies) and not novels… I can see that it’s easy to translate your work into comics, similar scripting and all. But will there be a graphic novel, something longer, deeper, and meaty for fans of both your prose and visual sensibilities?
      Kevin Smith : Do I even have visual sensibilities? I never think of myself as being visual — something I’ve always marked as ironic, being that I work in a visual medium (now two).
      I don’t know if there’s a graphic novel somewhere down the road, but I can say that the writing I’m doing on ‘Daredevil” at Marvel and plan to do on ‘Green Arrow’ over at DC is leaps and bounds away from what I call the ‘Askewniverse’ stuff — the titles that stem from the flicks. The DD and GA stuff is more along the lines of what I’ve always wanted to do — tell literate, haunting stories like Moore, Miller, Gaiman, Grant Morrison, John Ostrander, Matt Wagner, Mark Millar, etc. When Joe Quesada first gave my DD pages a look, he said, “I don’t want this to come off as [sounding] bad, but it’s not ‘you’, it’s not what I expected. It’s hard core, classical comic book storytelling.” That made my year.
      NY Press : Why Oni as your publishing company? I mean, it’s hard to see a commitment to a singular vision there. Is that the point? Is this so your work doesn’t get tarted up by marketing it through Dark Horse or lost in the infamous Fantagraphics-Dennis Kitchen “have another bong hit, great comic, man, so, we’ll shoot for say, next year to release it” shuffle?
      Kevin Smith : We’re with Oni for two reasons — a) Bob Schreck, and b) they asked.
      It’s true — no one else was knocking on our door. In fact, we’d tried to set up house a few times before, to no avail.
      After we’d shot “Chasing Amy,” we met Schreck in Atlanta at the DragonCon. He was with Dark Horse at the time, and Scott Mosier (my producer) and I had this idea that we could maybe do a ‘Bluntman and Chronic’ title to coincide with the release of the flick. It made sense, here’s a movie set in the comic book industry, featuring a title drawn by the main characters. Schreck thought it was a no-brainer, so he went back to Mike Richardson (editor in chief at the Horse) and pitched it. Richardson said, “Nah.” That was that.
      The frustration over that — and for many other reasons– prompted Bob to quit the Horse. So a few months after he quit, Schreck called me and Mosier and announced he’d decided to go into publishing. After all his years toiling at places like Comico, Marvel, and Dark Horse, he’d worked with almost anyone on the talent side you could think of, so it was going to be no problem getting good material to put out there. He wanted to know if we still felt like doing any comics stuff.
      At that point, Mosier and I had been entertaining notions of self-publishing a ‘Jay and Silent Bob’ book anyway, so joining forces with Bob seemed like a good move — he knew the business, and was the only guy (outside of Quesada and Palmiotti) who ever said to himself, “Duh! Those guys like comics, AND they have a built-in audience!”
      Kudos to the man who uses his noggin and works on a hunch, I say. That’s the guy I hitch my wagon to.
      NY Press : The Oni imprint says it’s dedicated to some sort of quality, and they certainly have signed up all kinds of big names to do bit work, but by diversifying your artists and editors, aren’t you afraid that your vision will be diluted?
      Kevin Smith : Again, I don’t know that I necessarily have a ‘vision.’ I just want to tell these stories that wouldn’t be strong enough to carry their own feature, but work like gang-busters on the paneled page.
      The nice thing about the three artists I’ve worked with on the Oni stuff is that they’ve had three completely different sensibilities, all of which have blended nicely with the particular stories they’ve drawn. As much as I love what Jim Mahfood did with the ‘Clerks’ comic, I don’t think his style would’ve suited the ‘Jay and Silent Bob’ mini-series. And as gorgeous as Duncan’s stuff is on the ‘Jay and Silent Bob’ mini-series, it wouldn’t have fit the surrealistic story of the ‘Clerks’ comic. And Matt’s take on Jay and Bob was the only one that could’ve possibly made the transition to action figures. I’m happy that each book has had a different artist; it’s given each book its own distinct look.
      NY Press : Duncan Fegredo is the illustrator of the new Jay and Silent Bob comic. Why, and how, did you work with Duncan? After all, the illustrated cover (as opposed to the photo cover also available, featuring both yourself and Jason Mewes as the title characters) was done by Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti…
      Kevin Smith : There was a project Duncan was working on that got pulled out from under him rather unfairly. It left a huge window open for him to do some work. He was telling Schreck about his misfortune, and Schreck was looking for an artist for the mini at that point. He asked Duncan if he’d like to give it a shot, then asked me what I thought of Duncan. I’d loved Duncan’s work on DC’s ‘Enigma’ years before, so I jumped at the chance to work with him. I was a little worried at first that his ultra-realistic style might not blend with the slightly – heightened tone of the series, but Duncan’s delivered in spades. He’s stretching with this book, if you can believe that. I think it’s his first “humorous” work.
      Joe and Jimmy were kind enough to provide the cover for the first issue, Mike Allred did the cover to issue #2, and Duncan’s doing the covers to #3 and #4.
      NY Press : You’re not the first director to make the crossover to comics, obviously. What did you think of the Spike Lee comics? I saw him more of a producer than a creator, myself — not a writer/editor/artist, but someone more committed to creating an independent (politicized) vision than to creating the kind of quality that comic audiences expect.
      Kevin Smith : I had no idea Spike dabbled in comics.
      NY Press : Do you identify with Glenn Danzig and his Verotic press? He’s certainly creating comics he’d like to buy, the whole sex, violence, fantasy, teenage geek heaven trip.
      Kevin Smith : While I haven’t liked everything they’ve put out, I do respect the fact that Danzig’s doing precisely the kinds of titles he’d like to buy. He saw a void out there and filled it. Good for him.
      NY Press : You know, the more I read about you, the more I’m reminded of Frank Miller and his rise from Daredevil to Ronin to RoboCop 2 (the movie), then back to any damn comic project he wants…
      Kevin Smith : Thanks. That’s a compliment and a half.
      NY Press : … and now (Event Comics proprietor and Daredevil artist) Joe Quesada has brought you in to write a six-issue run of Daredevil for Marvel…
      Kevin Smith : That was a real vote of confidence. It’s been a challenge, too — both for me and for Joe and Jimmy. I’ve had to labor like hell to come up with a storyline that we’d never seen in ‘Daredevil’, and Joe and Jimmy have had to labor like hell to get me to meet my deadlines. Unfortunately, we were shooting “Dogma” while the first DD issue was due, so there was a lot of , “It’ll be on your desk tomorrow,” that Joe, Jimmy, and especially Nancy (the editor) had to put up with. I know those cats are ecstatic that I’m done with the film — it means they’ll start getting their scripts on time.
      I’ve seen artwork on the book, and it’s beyond what you’d expect from Joe and Jimmy. There’s some simply gorgeous stuff on those pages. Those boys have outdone themselves.
      As for the storyline… I’m not saying a word.
      NY Press : Stan Lee (founder of Marvel Comics) has a cameo in Mallrats, your second movie. Has he given you any feedback on the Jay and Silent Bob books?
      Kevin Smith : I haven’t seen Stan since ComiCon last year, at which the Oni stuff wasn’t out yet. I guess I’ll get his take on it in August at this year’s Con(though I’m sure it will be something like, “Watch that language, Spider-friend.”)
      NY Press : Would you consider an on-line comic series for one of the titles you’ve been given to resurrect? Mike Carlin (DC editor) might be open to the idea for the Green Arrow series, especially as you’re thinking of bringing back (alter ego) Oliver Queen. Granted, the quality of on-line comics has a ways to go, but is it an option?
      Kevin Smith : Nope. GA’s for the four color page only.
      NY Press : If you had your druthers, who are some of the artists you’d like to work with?
      Kevin Smith : Working with Wagner was a dream come true. Beyond him, everyone else seems like gravy at this point– icing on the cake.
      But I would like to work with Tim Sale. I love the stuff he’d done on the ‘Batman Halloween’ specials. And wouldn’t you like to see a Frank Miller rendition of ‘Jay and Silent Bob?’
      NY Press : Your comics are kind of Modern Romance type comics — never a truly popular comic form in this country, the big exception being the ones with a touch of porn a la Penthouse Comics. Why not do shojo manga in Japan — your stuff is VERY Rumiko Takahasi (the creator of “Ranma 1/2” and “Maison Ikkoku”, she is the foremost female comic creator in Japan.)
      Kevin Smith : I’m not sure if she’s the one, but there’s a Japanese artist who’s illustrating a ‘Chasing Amy’ book for release in Japan, to coincide with the release of the film there next month. I can’t wait to see it.
      NY Press : Would you do a series from a non-superhero, female perspective? A Love and Rockets-esque title in the future?
      Kevin Smith : I’ll be writing some strong female characters in ‘Daredevil’ and ‘Green Arrow,’ but I can’t see myself writing something like ‘Love and Rockets.’
      NY Press : Your comic book store, Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, in Red Bank NJ, has become the comic lover’s mecca of late — I know guys who could easily pick up the latest titles at St. Mark’s Comics or Forbidden Planet, but insist on renting a car once a month and driving out to Red Bank just so they can write “A Stash Score” in red ink on the Mylar bag they keep the comic in. You gotta love that…
      Kevin Smith : Makes me feel great. We see a lot… and I mean A LOT… of out of state traffic at the Stash. The fucked up thing is that they sometimes feel that entitles them to a discount of some sort. When someone comes in and says, “I drove all the way from Long Island to come here, how about twenty percent off?” we smile and offer, “Yesterday, we had folks from Alaska in here, man. Trek more than fifty miles and we’ll talk percentage off.”
      NY Press : The Kevin Smith Legend goes like this: you sold your comic book collection to help finance your first movie, Clerks. Then, after the movie turned a profit, you bought ’em back. But what I want to know is, what was the first comic you splurged on, the one you bought because you finally COULD, you know what I mean?
      Kevin Smith : There hasn’t been a book like that in years. Back when I was collecting EVERYTHING (prior to “Clerks”), I once threw down the seventy bucks for the ‘Giant Size X-Men.’ That was about as extravagant as I ever got. To this day, I still can’t bring myself to pay huge prices for something that I should’ve had the foresight to buy for the cover price.
      NY Press : And the elusive, “if I could only get my hands on that book I’d die with a load of spunk in my shorts and a smile on my face” title for you, as a, well, rabid collector?
      Kevin Smith : A mint run of ‘Grimjack.’ Had one once, and now it’s next to impossible to get it all back as pristine as I’d had it.
      NY Press : Oni Press aside, are we going to be seeing “Jay and Silent Bob Babies,” or “Kevin Smith’s Tiny Clerks Toons” on the Saturday morning cartoon circuit? Or will you leave the corruption of our youth to Trey Parker and Matt Stone?
      Kevin Smith : We’re talking about putting together a “Clerks” animated series, actually.
      NY Press : You were the guest of honor at the recent annual Pittsburgh ComiCon. How does it feel to be on the other side of the velvet rope in such a big way?
      Kevin Smith : It’s nice to have a little respect in an industry you love. I’ve been asked to deliver the key-note address at this year’s ExpoMart at ComiCon International in San Diego. It always feels nice to be acknowledged.
      NY Press : Ok, but most importantly, who’s longer, Jay or Silent Bob? (I mean sure, The Thing is strong, but Mr. Fantastic can stretch…) Or will the action figures be anatomically correct?
      Kevin Smith : Only their hairdressers know for sure.

    • Filed in: News

    Kevin Returns To The WWWBoard…

    August 3rd, 1998 @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • On the evening after his vacation/birthday, Kevin stopped by the good ‘ol VA WWWBoard to make some of those informative and eye-catching posts (thanks to that snazzy red KEVIN by all of ’em). In addition to his update on the state of things, he also made a long statement on his thoughts on Saving Private Ryan that I think should be read (only if you’ve SEEN the flick though!)…SPR is an outstanding film, but it’s still scary how much sense Kevin manages to make at 4:12 in the AM. Anyway, here’s some of that REAL VA gossip:
      Such An Odd Age…

      I guess next year will have more significance – being that it’s the year before I leave my twenties for good.

      Nevertheless, it was a nice birthday. Hung with friends and family, saw a flick (‘The Negotiator’… not very good), got jiggy with it, etc.

      I just got back from a trip to Georgia. Fifteen hours if you do it straight. I answered ‘Trivial Pursuit’ questions the whole way there and back, and let me tell you something: the ratio of rights to wrongs was stacked in favor of the rights. I’m always amazed at the useless shit I have stored in the hat-stand. I’m reading ‘The Blind Watchmaker’ by Dick Dawkins (it’s a defense of Darwinism against the attacks of the creationists), and in it, he talks about the brain’s storage capacity, and just how vast it is – amazing, considering we’re only really programmed to feed, seek shelter, hunt and gather, and fuck. Everything else is just gravy.

      Ah, but what good gravy.

      The cutting continues to go well, but the frightening news is that this beast will clock in it over three hours for the first cut (perhaps WELL over three hours). You know what that means, kids: LOADS of extras in the secondary market. This is tricky biz, as there’s very little fat in the script: it’s dense, but mostly all plot-oriented. Tough decisions will be made in the next few months.

      The comics continue to do well. Duncan’s finishing up issue two of the Jay and Bob mini as we speak. It’s really quite odd and funny, and I promised myself I wouldn’t give anything away. I will say, however, that two extremely random and non-V.A. guest stars pop up in the book (and not just in the background). If it doesn’t make you at least chuckle, I owe you head (guys and gals, this means you!).

      On the topic of the comics, we’re going to be doing another issue of ‘Clerks’ – this one a Christmas special. The idea for the story makes me chuckle, but I’m worried it may be too ‘inside’.

      Also – I’ve seen pages from issues 1 and 2 of Daredevil, and it’s gorgeous. Joe and Jimmy poured their hearts into this stuff, and I couldn’t be happier with or prouder of it. If you’re a comics reader, I think you’ll be pleased. If you’re not, I still think you’ll dig it.

      I’ll have some pretty big news to unleash on ya’ll in the coming months – not all of it Askew-related. Hopefully, my visits here will become more regular once we’ve tamed the beast for the first go-round (but I leave for San Diego in a week, so please forgive me if I pop in only sporadically).

    Ah yes, those informative posts that raise as many questions as they answer…How we missed ’em. It’s nice to see theguy stopping by again.

    • Filed in: News

    Crew Askew In Details…

    May 6th, 1998 @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Hal Phillips

    • Details Magazine ran some stories which mentioned quite a few of the Askew family…Here’s some excerpts, of just the important stuff:
    The Jason Lee bit is called “Feed Your Head: Current Pop-Culture Obsessions, Served Piping Hot”. Jason and a few others each get a blurb about something they dig. Here’s his:

    JASON LEE, Actor: Laser discs. They’re expensive, so you have to be choosy. I got LUST FOR LIFE, with Kirk Douglas as van Gogh, because I’d seen VINCENT AND THEO and it’s an incredible story.

    The Kevin bit is from an article called “Oscar’s Redheaded Stepchild” by Paul Zimmerman. These are the two Kevin-related paragraphs (as you can see, nothing new on this topic):

    Emcee John Turturro‘s sweaty impersonations of Duvall and Scorsese get a few chuckles, but the belly laughs don’t arrive until he whips out his Walken. The afternoon’s biggest yucks, however, go to Kevin Smith. Having won Best Screenplay for CHASING AMY, he blurts out, “This makes up for all the chicks who told me I had a small dick.” Smith sports a Superman T-shirt, an obvious dig at Tim Burton, who jettisoned Smith’s script for SUPERMAN LIVES, Burton’s remake of the Man of Steel with Nic Cage.

    Presenter James Woods just won’t let go of Smith’s dick remark. “You gotta wonder whether he’d rather have (spreading his hands wide like the one that got away) or that Spirit Award.”

    There’s also a picture of Kevin, standing at the podium with his award and looking mighty proud.


    Jason Lee wins the award for Best Supporting Male for his role in “Chasing Amy.” He gets a hug from Kevin Smith.

    “I’d like to thank Kevin Smith because he saw that I can act somewhat and cast me in ‘Mall Rats,’ which most of you haven’t seen.” He gets a little tongue tied — “Oh, man, I’ve never done anything like this before” — but winds up remembering about fifteen people to thank.

    Jason Lee, fresh from his win for “Best Supporting Actor” approaches our intrepid reporter.

    A very handsome young man indeed! A woman later threw her arms around the “Chasing Amy” star and let him know, “I love you so much!” After much hard thought, we’ve considered the possibitily that there’s a slight chance that the woman could maybe have been his girlfriend.

    Joey Lauren Adams was briefly detained by security for lacking an “all access” pass. She was truly miffed, chewing her gum with gusto, but posed sweetly for our intrepid reporter.

    Filed in: News

    Dogma: Rumor Control Facelift!!!

    April 2nd, 1998 @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

    • To celebrate the commencement of Dogma’s filming, we’re pleased to announce that the net’s ONLY Dogma dedicated website just got better! Check out the new and improved Dogma: Rumor Control by clicking HERE!

    A lot of you have been asking about when we’re going to have a first-hand exclusive on Dogma. To be totally honest, we’ve been promised a set visit (and possibly some extras spots) and are waiting for the call to find out when we’re going down! We’ll be back with some stories, of course, but only the stuff we’re contractually allowed to say. Sorry, we gotta play by the rules if we want to keep providing these cool exlcusives.

    Anyway, stay tuned for that, but for now, enjoy the new, faster-loading, slicker Dogma: Rumor Control! Dropus a line and let us know what you think. Your feedback is important to us.

    Filed in: News

    USA Today Interviews Kevin!

    March 30th, 1998 @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Robert Newhart

    • You’ve been waiting for this one…The USA Today article finally ran in Sunday’s Life section. It’s a long one, but covers pretty much everything that’s been going on for the past few months. Enjoy!
    ‘Clerks’ creator spreads good will

    HOLLYWOOD – At the Golden Apple on Melrose Avenue, a countercultural outpost for comix and ‘zine freaks, more than 1,000 Gen Xers face up to a five-hour wait in hopes of an autograph or some words of wisdom from their hero.

    Independent film writer/ producer/director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy) has come to L.A. for the unveiling of his first comic book, Clerks, which continues the tale of his crass but lovable slacker characters.

    His work has made the 27-year-old Red Bank, N.J., native a force in the indie film world. He’s also credited with helping get Good Will Hunting, written by buddies Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, made.

    For his help, he received an executive producer credit on Hunting, which garnered nine Academy Award nominations and earned screenplay and supporting actor Oscars. Damon and Affleck star in his next film, Dogma, which begins shooting Wednesday in Pittsburgh.

    Smith‘s insights into pop culture and the new generation of moviegoers are so respected that his phone calls got the Good Will Hunting script on the right desk, the one belonging to Miramax man-behind-the-movies Harvey Weinstein.

    On this day in L.A., after the autographs are signed, Smith kicks back in his Bel Age hotel suite to explain how he mixes business and friendships in high-stakes Hollywood.

    He met Affleck in Minneapolis during filming of Mallrats. Affleck, who had a small role, kept flying to L.A. for meetings on Hunting.

    ”Every time the dude left, he would leave a thank-you note on my desk,” Smith recalls. ”It was completely unnecessary, but after four or five notes I realized what a tremendous soul he was. He’s so charming, intelligent and good-looking that I was like ‘This guy should be playing leads.’ ”

    So Smith wrote him one, the role of Holden in Chasing Amy. The female lead was written for Smith‘s then-girlfriend, Joey Lauren Adams.

    In that keep-it-in-the-family spirit, Smith cast Damon after a suggestion from Affleck.

    Gradually Affleck confided concerns about turning over control of the Hunting script to Castle Rock productions. The film was trapped in development, with the studio edging closer to being able to make the film as it saw fit, including picking other actors.

    Panicked, the writers sent Smith the script. ”I cried when I read it,” he says. And he wished he had written it. ”It is about what real male friendships are like, that there is something underneath the exterior of chasing tail and drinking beer.”

    The rest is movie history.

    ”I owe everything to this guy,” Affleck says.

    ”I would do anything for him,” Damon says. ”Of course, I respect Kevin as a director and a writer, but more importantly I value our friendship.”

    Damon and Affleck were cast in Smith‘s Dogma before Hunting happened. ”They are now getting huge, huge offers,” Smith says. ”So I felt the need to let them know if they wanted to walk away from Dogma, I wouldn’t be offended.” They stayed.

    Jason Lee (Mallrats, Chasing Amy) is in Dogma, too. ”Kevin‘s characters have a sense of honesty, and he allows them to say things that would never be allowed in other movies,” Lee says.

    Dogma‘s theme is a departure for Smith. ”My first three were (boy-girl) relationship movies, but Dogma is about man’s relationship with God.” Smith is a practicing Catholic, down to prayers at bedtime.

    When not filming, he often can be found behind the counter of his comic book store, Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, in Red Bank. (It’s also spotlighted in humorous promotional spots he helped make for MTV.)

    Smith‘s film-comic crossover goes both ways.

    To raise the $27,575 he needed to make Clerks, Smith sold his extensive personal comic collection and maxed out his credit cards. But the loss became a gain when Clerks brought home ’94 Sundance and Cannes film festival awards, not bad for the then-23-year-old film school dropout.

    ”I had seen Richard Linklater‘s Slacker and figured if this counts, I can do it, too,” he says. ”That is how the indie genre regenerates itself, and now it’s nice to be a link in that chain.”

    A chance to work on new story lines for Green Arrow (DC Comics) and for Daredevil (Marvel) came from having written a Superman Lives script for a Man of Steel film, starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Tim Burton.

    Though his Superman script wasn’t used, it ended up on the Internet, and fans sent comments to View Askew, Smith‘s production company.

    Smith takes a break from chain-smoking Marlboro Lights to smile about having gotten ”mad props (positive feedback)” from the script attempt. For the sake of irony he chose to wear a Superman T-shirt under his Armani jacket to this year’s Independent Spirit Awards, where he picked up best screenplay for Chasing Amy. ”There is something nice about being the outlaw,” Smith concedes. And ”since the (Superman) movie isn’t being made with my script, I don’t have to take any s- – – for it.”

    Smith may not be an outlaw for long. With Hunting now Miramax‘s highest-grossing film ever (topping $110 million), Smith and his extended family may be bringing the buddy system back in style.

    By Jennifer Schwalbach, USA TODAY

    Filed in: News

    EXCLUSIVE: Jay & Silent Bob #2 Cover Art!

    March 26th, 1998 @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Joe Nozemack @ Oni Press

    Jay & Silent Bob Issue #2

    • Once again, News Askew brings you the the first look at Oni’s latest! Click here or on the thumbnail above to visit our Oni Press page for Jay & Silent Bob #2 (Don’t flip out, issue one isn’t even out yet) for a first look at this risque, humorous, cover! Remember where ya saw it first when the books arrive this summer. Thanks again to Joe & Oni for feeding us the scoop.

    Filed in: News

    Jay & Silent Bob’s Video Stash – Thoughts, Etc…

    February 18th, 1998 @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

    • Well, what can we say? Once again the gang put together an entertaining and very amusing piece of media to add to the View Askew gallery. Kevin and Jay were in top form as they hung out in the Stash and introduced the bits (our favorite of which had to be the Jay’s Niece piece), showed some clips of classic MTV videos that we remembered the same way from our childhood, and of course got those rarely-seen VA videos we’ve been taking about all week on the air for yet another run.

    Ming has already set up a cool page with all of the spots converted to Real Video for everyone to enjoy over and over again. Just click HERE to check them out.

    Hopefully the show, and the spots (which you’ll start seeing pop up on MTV fairly often for the next month or so) will broaden the audience, so more people out there can enjoy View Askew’s flicks and become more familiar with Kevin’s work. The shorts were definitely filmed in a general way, so newcomers could see the humor in them just as well as us veterans. Kudos to the whole gang responsible…You all did a fantastic job. It was cool seeing Walt & Bry getting lots of screentime, as well.

    If you missed the special, according to MTV, it will air again at 10 AM, this Saturday morning, same time on all coasts, we believe. Don’t miss it AGAIN!

    You can also e-mail MTV directly HERE to let them you you loved the show and want to see more cool things like it in the future.

    By the way, on an unrelated note…this is the SECOND thunderstorm we’ve had in the middle of WINTER in central Pennsylvania this year. What the HELL is going on here?!?!?

    Filed in: News

    Short Interview In Yahoo Internet Life…

    January 21st, 1998 @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Mike

  • This little exchange appears in February’s issue of Yahoo Internet Life. Looks like it took place pre-Vulgarthon:
      Y-Life: How has the site changed your work?

      Kevin Smith: You get a lot of feedback (from fans) on certain things you’re working on. It’s a nice guiding light, so to speak.

      Y-Life: Do you find it’s helping fans of your films connect with one another?

      Kevin Smith: It’s definitely helped our fan base hook up. We’re having a minigala, and people are coming from all over. We sell the tickets exclusively through the Web site. So, yeah, there’s a real familial aspect to the whole thing.

      Y-Life: Do you think that some studios aren’t using the Net as well as they could be?

      Kevin Smith: The studios should really be embracing (the Net). Why not get online and listen to the people who eventually buy the tickets, and tailor it to that? Don’t make what you think they want to see.

      Y-Life: How has the Net affected you personally?

      Kevin Smith: I get all wound up with the site…then go cruisin’ around the Net. It’s like the Bermuda Triangle-you can get lost there, you disappear and never come back. It does take up a lot of your day, but all things in moderation, right? You just can’t get nuts.

    • Filed in: News

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