LATEST NEWS CAST MULTIMEDIA PRESS CLERKS2.COM Back To NEWSASKEW


Tuesday, February 27, 2007

View Askew NewsBites™
  • An interesting quote kicks off newsbites today, this from Crave Online's new interview with Simpsons co-creator Matt Groening:
      Crave Online: Kevin Smith wants to do a guest voice. Why haven't you asked him yet?

      Matt Groening: We'll get him. I can't believe we haven't done it yet.

    So would Kevin Smith vs. Comic Book Guy be too obvious? How about an episode where Kevin comes to town and opens a "Secret Stash" like comic shop (dual tie-in with the Stash as well) and runs CBG out of business? Give us a call, Matt, we'll write it!

  • Here's a couple more shots of Kevin's panel from last weekend's New York Comicon, courtesy of Lu. Thanks!

  • And speaking of the Con, here's a brief piece from MTV pieced together from an interview held there this weekend:
      "Green Hornet": So where does Kevin Smith stand with his heavily hyped "Hornet" adaptation? " 'Green Hornet' is dead," the director insisted, closing the case on the long-awaited comic flick (see " 'Clerks' DVD Inspires Kevin Smith To Write A Sequel"). Smith said the franchise was something he wanted to do for the "first 10 minutes," but that he quickly fell out of love with the idea. "If I'm going to [do] a big-budget movie," the director said, "I'd rather it be on something that I created and not somebody else's character." Instead, Smith is turning his attention to two projects that he'll write and direct: a comedy scheduled to shoot in '08 and a horror film he described as "unsettling and disturbing." Whether he can pull off a no-humor vehicle is a question that Smith doesn't even have an answer to. "I just think of myself as a guy who makes comedies," he said, "so it'd be interesting to test the filmmaker theory by making a movie that doesn't rely on comedy at all."

    We're stoked about both of these projects, especially with all the secrecy surrounding their content so far. It's making our jobs tougher, though has this later part of this year looking pretty darn exciting with the back-to-back shoot. Expect a lot of rumors and news in the coming months regarding these two new films.

  • Kevin responds to an angry viewr of his latest Ebert & Roeper appearance ove on his MySpace blog. It's always amazing how upset people can get! Check out the post right HERE.

  • Kevin scores the #1 spot on the Arizona Daily Star's list of Top DVD Commentaries. Check out them out here...
      1. Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier, "Road House"
      Smith and his producer, who provide stellar tracks to DVDs of their own flicks — Smith also popped up with "Donnie Darko" writer/director Richard Kelly for an awesome "Donnie Darko" director's cut Q&A — both goof on and worship this 1980s cult classic, and their spontaneous dialogue is even funnier than the camped-out Patrick Swayze's bare-chested onscreen antics. There should be a theatrical rerelease of the film with the commentary turned on.

  • CLEKRS 2 also took "Best DVD Of The Year" honors from JoBlo.com's recently announced Golden Schmoe Awards.

  • Clerks ranks number 6 in Maxim's list of "Best Buddy Movies". Well deserved! We'll see ya next time, folks, and thanks for stopping by as always.

    • Wednesday, February 14, 2007

    View Askew NewsBites™
  • The gang from "Clerks II" goes up against the badasses from "The Departed" via voting at the Movie Battle Royale Myspace page. We really dig that photo at the top.

  • A Clerks reference shows up today in the video podcast "Hockey Strike". Not only do they have an obvious nod, in a Quick Stop scene, the episode, titled "Geek Hard" is a Die Hard spoof, and they also reference Veronica Mars season 2. Three references in there. Great taste for sure. It's part two of a three part story that started two weeks ago. The show is HERE and The episode itself can be found HERE. Enjoy!

  • The trailer is up for the movie "Underdog", in which Jason Lee provides the voice of the titular character. Check it out at the Disney website.

  • And finally today, we can all breathe a disdainful sigh today, as yes, Brandi is now off the market. Almost, anyway. Claire Forlani announced her engagement to Dougray Scott today, according to the IMDB:
      British actors Dougray Scott and Claire Forlani are engaged and planning a wedding for later this year. Desperate Housewives star Scott, 41, and Meet Joe Black (Should be Mallrats!) beauty Forlani, 34, will marry at an as-yet-decided location in the UK. The pair met after being introduced by mutual friends. Scott says, "For a while I wasn't sure if I wanted to get married again, but then I met the perfect woman. We're going to get married in the UK this year. We don't know where yet, but I'm sure it'll be somewhere special." Scott's first marriage to casting director Sarah Trevis, with whom he has two children, ended in 2005, after five years together.
    Guess Claire can't be our Valentine. Thanks for stopping by today, and we'll see you back soon.

    • Monday, February 5, 2007

    The COOLEST Hockey Jersey EVER!
  • Every once in a while some of the absolute COOLEST pieces of swag come out at the Stash, and this is one of those days -- You just must own this super-cool Leonardo Reapers hockey jersey, now available at our online store as well as in person at Stash East and Stash West. This jersey is a TOTAL BARGAIN at just $50 and just oozes cool. Great colors, that awesome logo, and just subtle enough that only those View Askew fans out there that catch you looking cool wearing this will know the origin. And of course, that wonderful 37 on the back. Buy this now, and fast, we're betting these suckers sell out:
      Leonardo Reapers Hockey Jersey

      Be prepared to tear up the ice in this beautiful hockey jersey depicting Randal's favorite team - the Leonardo Reapers. This jersey features the logo for the fictional team from Leonardo, New Jersey (home of the Quick Stop and RST Video.) The front of the jersey has the logo that was formerly featured in 'Clerks II' on Randal's hat. The back has the number '37.'

      All jerseys are made of 100% cotton and are tough enough to withstand actual hockey games.

      Sizes L - XXXL available.

      All jersey's will be available on February 12th, 2007. Any additional items ordered with the jersey will not ship until then!

    We love this thing!!!

    • Monday, January 29, 2007

    Got Hoodies?
  • This just in via Ming's excellent periodic View Askew e-mail newsletter that we highly recommend subscribing to (links in our sidebar will get you on there): New chances at must-have swag from our Secret Stash comic shops. Two new hoodies, and a new poster that we LOVE (and is going to sell out FAST)! Here's the stuff:

      'CLERKS II' HOODIES NOW AVAILABLE:

      The 'Got Christ?' black and gray hoodies:

      You’re prayers have been answered… sort of… with the ever-popular Buddy Christ featured on the Got Christ? Hoodie, available in black. All hoodies feature the design imprinted on heavyweight, 10 oz, 90% cotton, 10% poly garments, with a small View Askew logo imprint directly below the neck.

      $40 M-XXL

      THE 'MOOBY'S' HOODIE:

      Get ready to look good (and keep warm), all year round with the new View Askew Mooby Logo Hoodie (on a gold nugget-colored garment)! All hoodies feature the design imprinted on heavyweight, 10 oz, 90% cotton, 10% poly garments, with a small View Askew logo imprint directly below the neck.

      $40 M-XXL

      CLERKS ROLLING ROADSHOW EXCLUSIVE POSTERS:

      These beautiful posters, designed by Todd Slater, was created in very limited numbers for the Rolling Roadshow outdoor screening of 'Clerks' held in Red Bank, NJ on August 8, 2006. Previously sold out for months, a limited run was made exclusively for Jay & Silent Bob's Secret Stash and is now available to you. EXTREMELY LIMITED.

      Measures 24" x 34"

      Silver and Gold variant posters now available:

      A STEAL AT $25!


    • Friday, January 26, 2007

    View Askew NewsBites™
  • The insanely popular tech blog Slashdot is current running a poll asking "Who should direct the Hobbit?" Kevin is second on the list and currently leading with the most votes.

  • Train Wreck LIVES ON! Quick Stop Entertainment comes back with another lost tale from the Clerks II set -- "Lost Tales #3" is called "That's Beastiality, Randal!" and features documentarian and Clerks II star Zak Knutson himself getting up close and personal with his 4-legged friend in this episode. View it in Quicktime EXCLUSIVELY at Quick Stop Entertainment!

  • In international news: The release date for Clerks II in South Africa is finally set: February 23, 2007. If you're in the part of the world and anxious to see the flick on the big screen, that's the time to do it. Crazy how long it takes some countries to get our flicks, isn't it? Go check it out with what's sure to be an audience with some other fellow Askewniverse fans in there.

  • For those folks following "Jersey Girl" Raquel Castro's career: She just finished filming a movie called "The Ministers" written and directed by Franc Reyes who did "Empire". Raquel's younger brother, David, plays John Leguizamo as a kid in the film as well.

    • Wednesday, January 24, 2007

    View Askew NewsBites™
  • An interesting connection with "Catch and Release" (in theaters everywhere Friday) - Tommy Stinson (of bands Bash & Pop, Perfect, & The Replacements) helped write the score for "Catch and Release". Bash & Pop's tune "Making Me Sick" was on the "Clerks" soundtrack. Interesting, eh?

  • Yes, fellas, it's here -- Previews announces the chance to own your very own "Kinky Kelly" T-Shirt!
      CLERKS II: KINKY KELLY T-SHIRT

      Kevin Smith shines a whole new light on man and beast in Clerks II and on the new Clerks II: Kinky Kelly T-Shirt, featuring the marquee for the greatest show on earth screen-printed in color on a black 100% cotton shirt.

      S-XL - $17.95

      XXL - $20.95

    The item should show up in the Stash and online in the next month or so.

  • The Clerks II DVD is hitting the Netherlands on March 28th, sadly, in quite a bare edition compared to the releases of the disc we've seen before. The Dutch company RCV apparently strips all the stuff to save cash, so only includes the film itself. We've shown shots that came in of the boxset, which looks to include a copy of Clerks at least (as if you don't already have that, though). You can even see the sales sheet where they bill AFFLECK as a main cast member! Har-har. At any rate, if you're in the part of the world, we're sorry, and strongly advise you to get a region-free player and the US or UK version of the disc. SERIOUSLY.

  • Michael Rooker has just been added to Maryland's Horrorfind Weekend from March 2-4 in Towson. Rooker is normally very happy to chat Mallrats with fans, and sign your 'Rats related stuff. Just don't bring him any chocolate pretzels. Please.

  • Vilmos Zsigmond, best known by us here for his work in "Jersey Girl", has yet another Oscar nomination under his belt: ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY for "The Black Dahlia". Let's cheer him on!

  • Don't forget, "Catch and Release" starring Kevin Smith in theaters EVERYWHERE this Friday! See it first, then catch Affleck in a small role in "Smokin' Aces" for a Sunday matinee or something. Reviews for both flicks have been quite good, especially for catch which is surprising audiences everywhere. We loved it at Vulgarthon last year, now you can love it too!

    • Sunday, January 14, 2007

    View Askew NewsBites™
  • So why isn't Kevin on that "At The Movies" worst-of 2007 special after all? It seems that he made the decision not to appear, since not having SEEN everything in 2006, it wouldn't have felt right dogging flicks having not given everything a chance to score (or NOT score, as the case may be). Here's Kevin himself with more:
      If you're gonna come on all authoritative with "Here's what was the worst out of everything", you'd have better peeped all the flicks, I say. I hadn't.

      Sadly, I didn't figure that all out until I sat down to write my mini-reviews. The "Ebert" folks were very gracious and understanding.

      For a non-critic like me, I can get away with reviewing a few flicks on any given episode, but considering (unlike Roger and Richard), I don't see every flick that comes out, I shouldn't be sitting in on a year-end "Worst of" special.

      The "Best of" and "Worst of" eps should really be chaired solely by critics.

  • In the new issue of "Famous Magazine" (a movie magazine that's distributed in Cineplex Theatres,) there's an interview with Kevin regarding "Catch and Release". We've got scans on the way, in the meantime, look for your own copy if you stop by one of their locations.

  • Clerks II comes in at #10 on JoBlo's list of the top films of 2006. Here's what he had to say:
      "When I first heard about this sequel being made, I was scared like many of you, but I’m happy to report that this is a solid movie with laughs galore, pop-culture reference galore, vulgarity and sexual connotations galore and even a cute romance for the ladies in the audience. If you’re a fan of Kevin Smith and his previous films, I see no reason why this movie wouldn’t rock your balls off."

      I guess I'm a little biased since I've met Kevin Smith once or twice in my lifetime and he was even cool enough to write a foreword to my book, but that aside, this film was one of the funnier ones of the year for me, especially as a 30-something who connected with some of the film's subtext (and yeah, by "subtext" I mean Pillowpants!!!!!). And I'm pretty sure that I can watch the scene featuring Rosario Dawson "dancing" on the rooftop for say...days on end!

  • And finally today, shame on the Starz service for pulling a double dip on the "Evening Harder" set! Word is that the release just popped up on their Pay-Per-View service, but they charge for each section! In other words, you pay full price to watch the Canada leg, then you pay AGAIN to watch the London leg! Good for them for offering this great disc, but it's a shame they couldn't have offered it for one low price.

    • Monday, January 8, 2007

    A Clerks Double Feature In Austin?
  • It's not too often you have a View Askew double feature, and we don't recall this one's EVER been done...Definitely not OFFICIALLY anyway. Kevin's hinted that he'll come to Austin, Texas in FEBRUARY for a Clerks & Clerks II double feature (followed by a big Q&A session we imagine). Check Kev's post for this blatant hint. No official date or details yet, though hearing this direct from Kevin makes it seem very likely to happen. Probably at that awesome Alamo Drafthouse, too, to make us even more jealous. Man, could more COOL stuff happen in Austin? We'll of course keep you posted on this event, which we're sure will sell out in record time.
    • View Askew NewsBites™
  • According to this weekend's episode, Kevin is slated to host "At The Movies" this weekend, for their "Worst of the Year" episode. Should be a lot of fun. Check your local listings for stations and airtime, as the show syndicates.

  • What we believe is the first DVD review of the HD Clerks II DVD has appeared online at High Def Digest. Big surprise: THEY LOVED IT!!! They don't give it the highest marks for transfer, since the movie after all has an appearance all its own, and looks the way Kevin wanted. The review ALSO reveals that the disc has a hidden TrueHD sound soundtrack!!! Even better, the review confirms that not a single of the awesome extras from the original Clerks II disc are sacrificed. Even better, they've ALL been transferred to 1080p HiDef. WOW. So, HD-DVD owners (yes, we're talking to YOU, Xbox 360 DVD addon folks) -- This should be a fixture in your newly growing HD-DVD library!

  • Check the "films" tab on this filmmaker's website and look for a short called "Pretzels". It features the Leonardo Quick Stop (inside and out) and even switches to Black and white for the inside shots. Perty nifty.

  • And it seems Leonardo/Red Bank trips are become more popular these days! Here's more photos from a fan who was kind enough to share his story in words and pics. He says:
      Hi my name is Zach Cravens. I'm 20 years old and a huge fan of the Kevin and the site. I seen that on Sunday, January 7th you posted two pictures of fans taken in Leonardo. its been a dream of mine for years to visit the Quick Stop, RST Video, Jacks Music Shop, and Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash. Well that dream finally came true when I convinced my mother(I don't have my license) to drive me all the way from Muncie, Indiana to Red Bank and Leonardo, New Jersey. She said yes and we left on August 15th, 2006. It was the 1st time either of us have ever been remotely close to the east coast and it took a little over 16 hours because we got lost in Jersey City. Any way I took quite a bit of pictures and after seeing the two pictures of the guys in front of the Quick Stop I figured i'd send them to you. thank you for your time.

    If you're a fan, make sure you make a trip of your own to the east coast mecca (and of course, the Stash) -- All that stuff really is still there, and truly is neat to see. We still remember the cool factor of pulling up to the block of stores for the first time almost 10 years ago. Hey, thanks for stopping in, and we'll see you back here again!


    • Thursday, January 4, 2007

    Kevin's Personal "Year In Review"!
  • Much like our little Year In Askew review that we posted just before 2006 ended (check lower in our news or in the December 2006 archive, depending on when you're reading this)...Kevin himself has posted a personal year in review of his own via his Myspace blog. Where this differs from what you read here is that Kevin gives his own personal account of his life for the year, which does involve some crossover, but also elabortes on stuff we missed or just didn't even know about. Coolest of all, Kevin includes a vast array of photos taken from his own collection and around the web (including many from our own News Askew archives) to tell the story in a very visual, colorful way. And he's right -- It truly is amazing how much happens in the course of a year in his world.

    Required reading for all of you, this one's split into two parts. Check them both out at the following locations. Enjoy Kevin's commentary, links, and all those oh-so-pretty pictures.


    • Sunday, April 23, 2006

    New Clerks 2 Swag Debuts!
  • If you're anything like us, you dig showing off the latest View Askew merch at home, at work, on the road, etc. So, the latest batch of Clerks 2 swag should make you happy. We've got stuff that's practical pretty much anywhere you go, lets the world know you're a fan, and also puts you way ahead of the curve, showing you love for a flick that hasn't even hit theaters yet. Here's a rundown of the good stuff you can now order from our very own Secret Stash:
      SILICONE BRACELETS - These sweet Clerks II silicone wristbands feature the official Clerks II logo in white and debossed on a black silicone wristband. Very Durable and great looking, these bands will fit up to an 8" inch wrist. $3/each or buy 10 for $25!

      BOTTLE & CAN HOLDER - The Clerks II can and bottle cooler is guaranteed to keep your beverage cool on a hot day. Constructed of a high quality insulating material, these can coolers are black and feature the official Clerks II logo on one side and the Mooby Restaurant logo on the other along with the words, "Back in Business, August 18, 2006". A bargain at only 3 bucks!

      WRISTBANDS - These beautiful Clerks II wristbands measure 3" inches in length and feature the official Clerks II logo embroidered on a black wristband. Made of a soft, durable terry material, these wristbands are the same style as you will find in sporting goods stores around the world. $5 each or get two for $9.

    With prices like this, you can afford to stock up for you and your friends! Think Vulgarthon, think stocking stuffers (never hurts to start early)! All available now for immediate order and shipment, or in person at the Stash East and West!

    • Kevin Returning To Wizard World PHILLY!
  • After taking two years off from the con, it looks like Kevin will be returning to the famous Wizard World Philadelphia convention, which is taking place the weekend AFTER Vulgarthon, June 2nd to the 4th. Kevin hasn't officially announced his participation to us yet, but the con webpage lists him as a just-added guest, along with other big names Joe Quesada, Jim Lee, and Smallville hottie Erica Durance. Kevin normally does the Q&A on Saturday, with a signing early that day or on Sunday. As we learn more, we'll let ya know. This is a great reason to extend your Vulgarthon trip into the weekend, and a chance to watch Kevin work his magic on the convention floor (and almost certainly show Clerks 2 footage). See you there!
    • A Joke On Bobby Hill!

    "A Joke On Bobby Hill"
  • Mike, the Set P.A., is the subject of the latest Train Wreck video, now available at Clerks 2. As you've seen, on set practical jokes are big with this crew, and an endless source of amusement to help pass the time on those long shooting days. This time, an important tin of contracts and other information gets "misplaced", and Mike's feeling the pressure as he searches the set. Watch the fun unspool over at the official Clerks 2 website, and look for more installments of this series soon.
    • View Askew NewsBites™
  • The widely read Entertainment Weekly features Clerks II as number 10 in their "10 Movies We Can't Wait To See" feature this week. They say:
      RELEASE DATE: Aug. 18

      WHY WE CAN'T WAIT: After Jersey Girl, we want to see Kevin Smith get back to his roots: verbal wit, slacker angst, dense pop cultural allusions, and hilarious raunch.

      THE PREMISE: Now in their 30s, Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) are still working dead-end service jobs. But maturity and adult responsibility loom, as Dante is about to move out of state to be with his fiancée.

      SOURCE: Smith's career-launching 1994 film

      THE BACKSTORY: Having seen his last movie overshadowed by the tabloid frenzy surrounding stars Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, Smith says: ''I thought, 'The next movie I want to make, no famous people in it, just actors I love and people I want to work with.''' However, Weinstein Co. co-chief Harvey Weinstein insisted that Smith hire at least one boldface name, so Rosario Dawson has a prominent role as the boys' boss, a manager at a fast-food joint.

      BURNING QUESTION: Is making a sequel to his signature film a sellout move for Smith or, conversely, a cultish in-joke that won't be appreciated beyond his fan base?

      COME FOR: Smith and his ragtag crew of Jersey smartalecks

      STAY FOR: The Hollywood ringers Smith has rounded up, including Dawson and (in a cameo) Smith regular Affleck

  • Kevin's revealed that attendees of the Red Bank Vulgarthon will receive snazzy Mooby Restaurant Funployee name tags to identify themselves during the show. Very, very cool!

  • Check out the hat on Emma in this screen shot from a Degrassi webisode.

  • Congrats to Dogma/Jay & Bob FX guy Vincent Guastini on the recent kudos over at Aint It Cool for the work on his new flick, Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror.

    • Friday, April 21, 2006

    The Latest On Cannes...
  • It's been a tough year at Cannes, with many films that were expected to make the festival already getting passed over. Too many flicks, not enough spots. It'll still be a few days before we know if Clerks II made the cut this year, but in the meantime, Kevin's got some good news: "Southland Tales", in which he plays a role, is a lock for the festival. Kevin reports:
      Last year, I acted in Richard "Donnie Darko" Kelly's flick "Southland Tales". This morning, it was one of only three American films selected for the Cannes Film Festival Competition section. Big congrats to Richard! His film is waaaaay wonderful and out-there, and will surely blow your fucking mind, once you peep it.

      "Clerks II" has to wait 'til next week to find out whether or not we get into the fest as well (we've been angling for a screening slot in either the Un Certain Regard section, or another out-of-competition slot), but for now, I'm just elated to see "Southland" get that much-deserved competition position.

    indieWIRE has the full lineup of flicks.

    On the situation, Kevin elaborates:

      [Clerks II is] Not in the competition. But that's cool, because we didn't try to get into the competition. Too much... competition to get into the... competition.

      Next week, they make another announcement about the rest of the fest - all the films OUTSIDE of the competition.

      But for today... FUCKING HUZZAH FOR "SOUTHLAND TALES"!!!!!! WAY TO GO, RICHARD!!

      T'was never a lock, y'know? T'was always a gamble. We were hoping that, having been there with "Clerks" in '94 and "Dogma" in '99, they might be inclined to include us. But it was a tough year. I mean, even Aronofsky's "The Fountain" didn't get it.

      We'll know by either tomorrow [Friday] or early next week.

      Cannes can be fickle. Last year, they declined programing "Brokeback Mountain". A few years back, they declined programing "Lost in Translation". You just never know. But we've still got our fingers crossed for a midnight screening.

    We'll keep you posted.

    • Spike Picks Up Clerks II TV Rights...
  • Yes, we know it's not even in THEATERS yet, but in the fast-moving business of Hollywood these days, folks line up to claim their rights to films all the way up to the final frontier - Network television broadcast rights. Spike TV seems to like the idea of owning those rights for Clerks II, as they've picked up the film along with a bunch of other Weinstein Company flicks as part of a package deal. Thanks to Variety and Superhero Hype.
    • View Askew NewsBites™
  • The video podcast "DL.TV" featured nice mentions of the Clerks 2 video blog in a recent episode. During their March 1st episode, Patrick Norton, (formerly of "The Screensavers" on Tech TV), declares that he is a huge Kevin Smith fan and subscribed to the train wreck podcast. There's also a screen shot of the Clerks 2 website on the LCD behind him. The podcast can be seen on itunes or downloaded from their web site. Look for episode 39.

  • And finally today, this shot was taken in Denton, Texas last weekend - Do we smell law suit? Have a good weekend, folks!

    • Tuesday, April 18, 2006

    "Piss Ice"!

    "Piss Ice"
  • What happens when Jason Mewes steps in to guest-direct a scene in Clerks 2? You're about to find out, dear readers. Watch as our own Mewes dictates his bidding to a crowd inside the Mooby's shop -- Part of Zak & Joey's brilliant ongoing "Train Wreck" online documentary series, available exclusively at Clerks2.com. Yes, you'll even get to see the ACTUAL SCENE ITSELF! Who gives you more free online entertainment than us every day, eh? Stop over and check out the latest fun-filled installment.
    • View Askew NewsBites™
  • Via the Myspace blog, here's a very nice photo of the new Clerks trade paperback, titled "Tales From The Clerks", due in stores this August. The book collects all the View Askew comics in one tidy volume, along with a BRAND NEW story titled "Where's The Beef?!?" which fills in the gaps between the Quick Stop & Mooby's for Dante & Randal. Expect the book out in early August to tie into the Clerks 2 theatrical release.

  • The quippy webmaster over at "I Watch Stuff" has some NICE stuff to say about the Clerks 2 trailer.

  • Pop culture news site Zap2It reports that the extras on the "My Name Is Earl" Season one DVD box set will certainly be NOT family-friendly, due to behind-the-scenes antics and that "Earl meets Family Guy" episode we reported on previously. From Ethan Suplee:
      "The X-rated blooper reel should be fun," he adds. "Jason and I are pushing for an entire disc of bloopers because I always feel like they don't put enough in. We mess up at least once on every take. A lot of teabag moments too. A lot of dry humping going on in that bonus thing. At the wrap party I was terrified and had to get my kids out of there before the gag reel aired, and that was only 13 minutes long. Just the language alone is awful."

    • Friday, April 14, 2006

    Clerks 2 Trailer: IN THEATERS TODAY!
  • Clerks 2 gets major theatrical screentime today, as it's tied to the start of Scary Movie 4 which moves into 3,600+ theaters today. Go see Scary Movie 4, and you'll see our trailer. Early reaction has fans and audiences loving the trailer, and shocked at what it gets away with tied to a PG-13 movie. No online copy is available just yet, so you'll hafta buy a ticket to see it today OR watch Access Hollywood tonight. Kevin says:

      "This is the trailer that's running in front of "Scary Movie 4" (out tomorrow, in theaters). It's got some spoiler-stuff in it, and I'm not a fan of all the music, but it's the studio's "commercial" sell on the flick. Let me know what you think."

    ACCESS HOLLYWOOD airs
    At 7:30 PM on WNBC, Ch 4 in NY, repeating at 4:00 AM
    At 7:30 PM on WNBC, Ch 4 in LA

    Check your local listings for station and time. We'll get a capture up as soon as possible.

    As someone lucky enough to have seen the film, I can say that Kevin's online trailer presents a spoiler-free look at the film's events, while the theatrical definitely does contain some major spoilerage (including a plot point from the film's opening moments that's been carefully kept under wraps until now). So, if you want to go in cold, you might want to TRY and skip the trailer, though if you're like us, curiosity will get the best of you.

    If you see the trailer, we'd love to hear what you and your audience thought. Talk back and let us know!


    • Wednesday, April 12, 2006

    View Askew NewsBites™
  • Viva la France! Check out these photos that Kevin passed on today (via a poster at the View Askew Board), showing a VERY classy French video store window. We hope any of our French fans who are in the area give their patronage to this place.

  • An early Clerks II teaser trailer (featuring only Clerks 1 scenes) is currently 6th on the list of top previews at major film website "Coming Soon". Keep spreading the word, folks!

  • Stan Lee still wants a shot in front of the camera again with Kevin. Check out this excerpt from a recent Newsarama interview with the man:
      NRAMA: While you didn't get to play JJJ, Stan, you're now a big-screen veteran, having appeared in several Marvel film adaptations and Kevin Smith's immortal Mallrats. Anything coming up on the silver screen in the future?

      SL: Well, I've got a cameo in X-Men 3, but it's not exactly the kinda role that'll qualify me for an Oscar nomination. Of course, I'm still hoping Kevin Smith will do a sequel to Mallrats and that he'll let me play myself again—or anyone else, for that matter. I'm easy to please.

  • Kevin is mentioned in Monday's Podcast over at CinemaBlend. In it, they chat about Jersey Girl, Clerks 2, and the direction of his career. You can skip 20 minutes in to get right to the Kev stuff.

  • The Quick Stop and View Askew inaction figures make an appearance in a web comic over at the "Wrestling Fan" website.

  • The Fine folks at joblo.com have Mallrats in their weekly Ten Spot colum. This week they are counting down the best rabbit appearences in film. Jay and Bob beating the hell out of the Easter bunny clocked in at #7:
      When Jay and Silent Bob mistakenly hold the Easter Bunny responsible for Brodie's (Jason Lee) ass kicking they set course through the mall to confront the hairy bastard. What starts out as a unfair beat-down quickly turns into a royal rumble as all the horrified kids in line decide to stand up for their chocolate delivering hero and attack.

    You can check out a shot of this and other moments HERE.

  • And finally today -- Since we're in the Holiday spirit and all -- And it's sort of a fun Mallrats tangent to the story above -- We suggest you give a watch to "The Easter Bunny Hates You". Some laugh-out-loud good stuff in that clip. Enjoy, and Happy Easter!

    • Sunday, April 9, 2006

    Kev's Latest Blog Activity...
  • Kevin's MySpace blog continues to be the popular spot for catching updates from the guy lately. Here's a summary of the past few days' activity:
    • Kev celebrated the addition of his 10,000th friend.

    • The continution of the brilliant "Me and My Shadow" has been delayed until Monday.

    • Kevin asks you hit YouTube to watch the Clerks 2 trailer a few more times. His words:

      "I need a favor: There was a glitch with the "Clerks II" trailer at YouTube. We were about to hit 100,000 views, and now, that version got locked for some reason. We uploaded a new version, but it's only sporting a paltry 2000 viewes. Gotta get that number (and the comments) up, to keep the clip somewhere near the front page. I know you can peep the trailer on this very MySpace page, but can you do me a solid and click on the link below and leave a message, please? You'd really be making my day."

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeAgPiCi94o&search=clerks%20II

    We'll keep you posted on Kevin's latest blog entries here, though you can always join his MySpace page as well. Also, at presstime the YouTube service seems to have been down all weekend. No idea on uptime for that again.
    • View Askew NewsBites™
  • Happy Belated birthday wishes to the lovely and charming Jennifer Smith, from News Askew and via this touching post from Kevin.

  • For those viewers who have yet to see Lexicon of Love (I & II), The-N.com is offering Degrassi On Demand, allowing you to watch the episodes online. Simply use the free On Demand player and enjoy!

  • The new episode of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" features Ben Affleck, and it's been a while since we've seen the guy. They mention he starts his behind the camera duties next month for "Gone, Baby Gone". The shows airs almost nightly between HBO and HBO2. Check your listings.

  • From one of those "movie a day" desk calendars, their "Sunday List" featured the category "Shopping Frenzy" and this flatterng Mallrats write-up:
      Mallrats (1985) Kevin Smith's simply told follow-up to Clerks is not nearly as heinous as other critics would have you believe. A couple of slacker buds (Jeremy London, Jason Lee) head to the mall to score some food-court cookies and reclaim the girlfriends who just dumped them.

  • Tickets for the Newport Beach Film Festival showing of "Drop Dead Sexy" (starring Jason Lee) are now on sale. The film will show at 5 PM on April 22. Here's a capsule description:
      Frank Muzzy and his gravedigger sidekick Eddie are looking for one lucky break so they can escape a small town Texas life. Spider hires Frank and Eddie to run contraband cigarettes into Mexico. Little do they know that Spider has rigged Eddie's truck with a nasty surprise. To repay their $250,000 debt, Frank and Eddie dig up the recently deceased former stripper Crystal Harkness for her diamond necklace. Frank wants to ransom Crystal's body to her husband, Eddie has other ideas.

    An in an interesting "coincidence", Jason's "Almost Famous" co-star, appears in the movie Amateurs which is showing after Drop Dead Sexy. 7pm and 7:30pm shows.

  • 411mania is a pulp-culture news site that regularly hosts a weekly 'Fact or Fiction' article which provides statements and its writers have to explain their position as to why the statement is 'fact' or 'fiction'. This week, a Clerks II statement was brought up:
      5. Clerks 2 shouldn't be in colour

      Ruther

      FICTION: I really hate people that don't like change. The only reason the original movie was done in B&W was budget reasons. Using colour film would have meant have to rent lights and renting lights was not possible. B&W film meant they could use the lights in the Quickstop and not much else. So it was practical not stylistic and if anyone thinks that Clerks 2 needs to be in boring B&W you need to get a fucking life. Just don't ask JT how to get a life because he's as clueless as they get :)

      JT

      FICTION: While budget may come into it, the fact is Kevin Smith and the whole crew have evolved, not only in this movie but in their careers as well. The B & W was one of the reasons (along with how awesome it was) that it became a cult classic, but it wasn't a major reason. Like dipshit said, everybody knew that it was for budget reasons; now that Smith has the finances (and the backing) to bring it back to life in full color, I say it's all good.

    You can read the full article HERE.


    • Friday, April 7, 2006

    Clerks II - Distributed By MGM???
  • MGM recently listed Clerks II in a March press release regarding their upcoming releases, sparking quite a bit of debate considering the fact that we'd assumed it's have The Weinstein Company banner in front -- Especially given the fact that we're wondering if MGM would even be willing to fly with the unrated release. We were WAITING to see what the controversy would be with this one! Could this be it!?!?! Kevin's got more:

    Clerks II - Distributed By MGM???
      The interesting wrinkle in all of this has been MGM.

      Weinstein Co. made a deal with MGM to distribute some of their titles through the studio, recently acquired by Sony. Problem is, MGM being an MPAA signatory, that would require all of the Weinstein Co. flicks to be "R" rated at their hardest. For months now, we've been talking about (with Harvey Weinstein's blessing, naturally) going out with "Clerks II" unrated.

      So even though "Clerks II" was one of the titles MGM announced it was distributing with the Weinstein deal, the uncertainty of our rating has left the issue up in the air, as far as Scott and I were concerned.

      Nevertheless, we've now been instructed to include an MGM logo on the exclusive online trailer... even though we don't know whether or not MGM will ultimately distribute it.

      Ah, the ever-changing movie biz...

      It's not like we don't want to be distributed by MGM; Lord knows they'll be able to get us into a bunch of theaters as well as secure a big pay cable fee for the flick when the times comes, which makes the Weinstein Company very happy (remember, folks: called it's show BUSINESS). There's also a bit of perverse joy in seeing the Lion that roared in front of Dorothy and the Tin Man do the same in front of our dirty little flick. However, if it means we've gotta cut the guts out of our movie to secure an "R", the whole thing is a lot less appetizing for me - regardless of how much more money there is to make.

      So what it all comes down to is the MPAA screening of the flick, come mid-May. If, in a perfect world, they hand "Clerks II" an "R" rating, with zero cuts necessary, all's well that ends well. But if the MPAA slaps us with an NC-17... well, things could get dicey.

    • Clerks II Logo DECIPHERED!
  • We'd like to congratulate John (The Kiwi) and his pals over at the View Askew Board on doing the legwork to determine exactly which fast food chain letters made up that distinctive new "Clerks II" logo. It took around 24 hours, but here's the final list:

    C from Carls Jr, L from McDonalds Large Fries, E from Burger King's Whopper, R from Burger King, K from KFC and S from Popeyes.

    The logo you see above was made by John himself, from the letters from the actual company logos (not a copy!). Nice detective work, all.


    • Tuesday, April 4, 2006

    Clerks 2 Trailer Gathering Acclaim!
  • If things seem to be loading a bit slow here, we're suffering just some slight lag from all of you enjoying the Clerks 2 Trailer, now available everywhere! We can't even stop playing and replaying this one, and it's truly amazing how many scenes of the film that get touched on here. Remember, this one's been edited together special for you, the fans on the internet, and will play much differently than the more mainstream version that appears later this month with Scary Movie 4. Consider it a bonus trailer! Kevin also checked in with a brief post to share more kudos:

    Haven't seen the trailer yet? Get moving to the Clerks 2 site! Or hey, go watch it again, and SPREAD THE WORD!


    • Sunday, April 2, 2006

    Download The Clerks 2 Trailer NOW!!!

  • Here it is, in all its glory! Plenty of mirror sites so things are working nice and fast. Click any of the stills above to watch the full trailer!

    Some great gags here, but the beauty is that the way it's cut together, none of the gags are ruined for you, and there's NO plot giveaways here, either. Truly an excellent trailer, and one you can watch safely without ruining anything about this excellent flick. Get watching!

    • Clerks 2 Online Exclusive Trailer: TONIGHT!

    New ONLINE-ONLY
    "CLERKS II" TRAILER
    Debuts Tonight!
  • It's a big night, folks -- Kevin has revealed that he will debut his internet-only trailer for Clerks II online, TONIGHT! Get ready to share your opinions and see some fun, uncut clips from the new film. This trailer represents the way that Kevin would like to sell the film to the fans -- It's going to be more "inside" than the more mass-audience friendly piece which is tied up with Scary Movie 4 later this month. Once it's available tonight, expect some massive slowdowns on the servers for a while here (happens every time), but please check here, View Askew, and the official Clerks 2 site for mirrors. Also, if anyone grabs a copy and wants to help out with hosting it up as well, let us know and we'll post your mirror link here as well (should take the strain off our servers for a while and let more folks see it).

    Get ready, folks -- More finished footage from Clerks II is mere hours away from gracing your desktop! See ya back here real soon!

    • New Clippage: "Wall Rats"!

    "Wall-Rats"
  • Ah, the joy of being a background extra. We're no strangers to the task, lucky enough to have walk-by scenes in both Dogma and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back. So, in this latest edition of "Train Wreck", you'll meet two NEW background extras, who got camera time just for showing up and lurking around the Mooby's set! Dang! That coulda been US walking by those doors outside! Watch it all go down with QuickTime video or your Ipod at the official Clerks 2 website.

    • Thursday, March 30, 2006

    Jeff & Trevor's "Dating Game"!

    "Jeff and Trevor’s Dating Game"
  • Watch the amusement as Jeff & Trevor ask the lovely ladies of the "Clerks 2" set which of them they'd rather spend the rest of their lives with! Just more fun moments from the Mooby's set of Clerks 2, and the newest part of our expanding "Train Wreck" video diary series from Zak & Joey. Available as always, free of charge for your ipod or Quicktime-enabled computer, exclusively at the official Clerks 2 website.
    • Be A "Clerks 2" Friend - Win Free Stuff!
  • Okay, so we haven't convinced you to sign into MySpace yet? Kevin's just sweetened the pot. Log into your MySpace account, and add the "Clerks 2" user as a friend. Each week, we're going to pick 8 random friends and send them FREE CLERKS 2 SWAG! Simply add C2, put it in your top 8 friends list, and sit back and wait for prizes. Simple as that! Here's Kevin with the full deets:
      Announcing the "Clerks II" MySpace "Top 8" Contest!

      Just because they serve you doesn't mean they don't like to be in your Top 8.

      Each week, starting now and running until the release of "Clerks II" on August 18, we will go into our friends list and pick out fellow MySpacers at random. Those who have the "Clerks II" MySpace Page in their Top 8 will win an honest to goodness prize shipped directly from the View Askew offices in Red Bank, NJ! You don't have to buy shit! You just have to Top 8 the "Clerks II" page!

      Prizes will range from hats, t-shirts and other "Clerks" and View Askew-related apparel to just-released cool swag, making the winners the first people to own them. Why? Because we're total whores, and we want you folks out there spreading the word about "Clerks II", via the vast MySpace network!

      In order to win, you must be in the "Clerks II" MySpace Friends List (so Friend Request us if you haven't already; don't sweat rejection - we accept everybody) and you must have the "Clerks II" MySpace Page IN YOUR TOP 8. Three winners will be picked weekly. No purchase necessary. Limit one prize per MySpace profile.

      MySpacers with custom coded friends listings are also eligible for prizes provided that the "Clerks II" Page is listed in the first 10 friends listings.

      So what the fuck are you waiting for? Edit your Top 8 now and finally earn off all this Top 8 bullshit!

      "Clerks II" MySpace Page.

    Spread the word! No friend request will be refused! Clerks 2 - Back in Business, AUGUST 18th EVERYWHERE!
    • "Me & My Shadow" Continues...
  • Kevin's lovingly-detailed account of his life and times (so far) with Jason Mewes, "Me & My Shadow", continues this week at the "Silent Bob Speaks" and "MySpace" blog sites. Looks like Kevin's now posting a full version of the text at both places for these stories, so be sure to make stopping by these sites part of your daily surfing routine (as well as your stop right here at News Askew, of course). Let's take a look at just a few select passages from the latest entries, Part 2 and Part 3:
      "The great irony of the “Clerks” theatrical release is that very little attention was given to Jay and Silent Bob in the profile pieces or reviews. Aside from identifying me as the director who also played a small role in the film, the arrival of the two characters - characters I’d not only forever be most closely identified by, but who’d go on to feature prominently in all my subsequent flicks, right up to the who’d've-thunk-it lengths of the pair actually headlining their own movie seven years later - went largely unheralded. To wit, the only notice Jason Mewes received for his performance in “Clerks” while the flick was still in theaters came from a small review in People magazine, in which the author wrote “You want to find the rock he crawled out from under and make sure there’s no more like him under it.”"

      ...

      "Harvey gave us a lift back to the east coast on the Miramax jet. Over the course of the five hour and change flight, the three of us smoked (Harvey’s jet was dubbed “The Flying Ash Tray”) and chit-chatted, with Harvey getting to know Jason better than he’d had time to in the past. When Jason uncharacteristically told Harvey he was really happy with his involvement in the AIDS benefit, due largely to the fact that his Mother was HIV positive herself, the conversation got very serious, with Harvey insisting that he’d get Jason’s Mom to the best doctors in New York City a promise he’d later make good on multiple times over.

      “We’re not gonna let your Mother die,” the chairman of Miramax told Mewes."

    The story is truly a detailed, incredible tale that not only shows every side of Mewes since Kevin has known him, but also humanizes the story and, amazingly, shows just how much Kevin can remember all of his past experiences with Jay. Truly a friendship that was meant to last. Read it all from the beginning. You'll be glad that you did. And if you know someone in your life who's got problems with drugs, it might not be a bad idea to share this tale with them, as well.

    See our newsbites below for more Mewes news!


    • Sunday, March 26, 2006

    The Latest From Kevin...
  • Many of you wrote us in regards to an article that appeared on gossip website "The Superficial" regarding a story Kevin told at one of last week's Q&As. As you know, Kevin lets loose at Q&As with honesty and revealing stories, but stories that are most appreciated as a whole, not as a 3 sentence press newsbite. Kevin responded to the story at the Myspace blog, so we'll let him take it from here:
      Mewes, Nicole Richie, and me and my big mouth

      At the UPenn gig the other night, I told a fifteen minute story that detailed Jason Mewes' amazing journey from severe heroin abuse to sobriety, giving the man props for coming up on his third anniversary of being completely clean (April 6th) - a stellar accomplishment that should serve as inspiration for anyone looking to kick any monkey of their back. It's an anecdote filled with tons of love and pride for my boy, which culminates with a convesation Mewes and I had two and a half years ago about what he noticed the big differences were between life on drugs and now off.

      And in the age of internet gossip, that heroic tale of a guy who was able to beat his demons has been reduced to this...

      Kevin Smith tells really filthy secrets

      It's not like I haven't told this story at other college gigs over the last few years, but for some reason, it's now news. I got an email from someone at the NY Daily News regarding not just this bit, but another story that came from a question that night regarding my enmity for Reese Witherspoon (which is pretty well-covered in the book "Silent Bob Speaks") that they want to run on Monday. This was my response...

      "It's one thing to tell that tale out of school at a college Q&A (in the context of a far larger, longer story about Mewes' hard journey from heroin abuse to three-years of total sobriety), and a completely different thing to just pull the stuff about bathroom sex and run it in a gossip column. So unless you're gonna run the whole, unedited transcript of me talking about how amazing it was for Mewes to get clean (a fifteen minute oral story), I'd rather you not include just that bathroom sex snippet, which makes it all seem like unsavory locker-room chit-chat."

      Naturally, I'm not expecting they'll keep the context. Sadly, it's not news that Jay - with nearly both feet in the grave at the lowest point in his life - was able single-handedly pull himself out of the self-made Hell of drug addiction and work his way back to the land of the living, clean and sober; what's news is that he had sex in a bathroom stall with one half of the "Simple Life" dorks.

      *sigh*

    There's lots more good stuff from Kevin in his recent blog posts -- Visit the page for details on the Clerks 2 trailer (changed to a more official-looking trailer, and running before every print of Scary Movie 4 in April), new pics of Harley, Jen, and friends, and his thoughts on last week's Q&As. Don't miss it.

    • Clerks 2 Trailers: An Update!
  • Seems we'll see a very polished trailer attached to Scary Movie 4 prints next month, but Kevin promises some more down-home style trailers for us internet folk. Here's the update:
      The "Clerks II" teaser I showed at WizardWorld L.A.? That version's no longer going at the head of "Scary Movie 4". Weinstein Co. tested another teaser that test much higher, so that's the one you'll see on April 14th. I'm torn, because it's a little too "trailer-y" for my tastes, but since it's going at the head of a mainstream flick, I guess that makes the most sense. Meanwhile, we'll keep doing teaser and trailers that're more my speed over at the "Clerks II" website.

      I watched the final version of the "Clerks II" trailer last night - the one that's going up in front of "Scary Movie 4". And while it's a little main-streamy for my tastes, it's makes sense for the placement: "SM4" will have a killer opening weekend, so that's a lot of eyes on April 14th, the lion's share of whom have never heard of our flick yet. Weinstein Co.'s theory is give the mainstream audience a mainstream version of the trailer. Meanwhile, over at the "Clerks II" website, I'll throw up a trailer that's more in line with the way I'd personally sell the flick (i.e. - under-sell) to run April 14th. This way Harvey and Bob are happy and I'm happy.


    • Thursday, March 23, 2006

    A "Wonderful" Clerks 2 Slideshow!

    "The Wonderful World Of Clerks II"
  • Zak and Joey have assembled another brilliant slideshow of Clerks 2 images, to another brilliant, classic tune. Dare we say this is the best batch of shots from the film YET? No credit's given for the stills, though we wouldn't be surprised if some of them come from the skillful camera of Scott Mosier. Watch all the cast and crew (including some of those cameos) in brilliantly captured moments expressing just what a "Wonderful World" the set of Clerks 2 really was. Enjoy this batch, courtesy of the Clerks 2 website.

    • Wednesday, March 22, 2006

    East Coast Mini-Tour Commences!
  • Kevin's back in the motherland area this week, for a couple appearances followed by a stop in the Red Bank Secret Stash on Friday (not an official appearance there, so we're guessing it will be a catch-as-you-can affair).

    Tonight, he's wowing the students at the University of Pennsylvania. This was a student-only lottery event, so we're hoping some lucky readers were able to make it in. If you were there, let us know!

    Tomorrow, there's The College of New Jersey, in Packer Hall at 8 PM. Tickets are $10 and remain on sale at the Student Center Box Office. Two tickets per TCNJ ID, only (so not open to the public, unless you make some friends fast!).

    Don't forget to catch Kevin LIVE when you can for your chance to hear the latest and greatest stories, jokes, and, perhaps coolest of all, possibly sneak a peek at Clerks II footage before the rest of the world! Speaking of which, might we remind you that Vulgarthon Day TWO tickets...just a handful...are left? BUY NOW BEFORE THEY ARE HISTORY!

    • MySpace Invasion Continues...
  • Kevin's discovered the joy of the MySpace community, and is continuing to reward the members of his ever-growing friends list with fun, EXCLUSIVE blog entries. He's got a hilarious clip out there that we've never seen before featuring a SPANISH JAY & SILENT BOB as well as a promise to post an EXCLUSIVE clip for MySpace members only if the Clerks II friendship Army reaches 10,000. So if you haven't joined yet, what's stopping ya?

    You can find a slew of Clerks 2 accounts out there too, most of which you'll see on Kev's friends homepage. Add and read them for some never before seen details on the characters in the film, perhaps even a plot clue or two!

    We'd also like to give a big thanks to Karla for pointing out the following other Askewish celebs who have accounts out there: Jason Mewes, Amy Noble, Andy Milonakis, and Brian Lynch. And don't forget, News Askew is represented, too!


    • Monday, March 20, 2006

    Ride, Sally, Ride!

    "Mustang Sally"
  • The Clerks 2 video blog comes alive again today, with a new installment featuring the lovely Rosario Dawson. In this episode, watch her drive the heck out of a Mustang, until the sucker breaks down and has to be literally PUSHED back into the Mooby's parking lot! Rosario and producer Scott Mosier chat us up about their thoughts on the matter. Watch early on for some bonus Mewes antics as well. Free of charge and available for immediate enjoyment at the Clerks 2 website, right now!
    • View Askew NewsBites™
  • Missed Kevin's appearance at Wizard World in LA this past weekend? Never fear. There's an outstanding write-up on the Q&A panel over at Pulp Fiction Online. Here's some selections from the piece:
      • Ben Affleck & Jason Lee in Clerks II: They will not be playing the characters they have played in previous movies. Kevin then mentioned that Affleck went from not even wanting to be in the film to getting a brief cameo to wanting a line to say.

      • Acting projects: Kevin touched on his experiences with acting in Southland Tales and Catch & Release. For Southland Tales he told the tale of sitting in a make-up chair for 6 hours getting fitted with prosthetics to change the appearance of his face.

      • Reese Witherspoon winning the Best Actress Oscar: (For those of you that have not read about Kevin’s past dealings with Ms. Witherspoon, check out this link) His response was that he thought she definitely deserved it, stating that it’s never been her acting talent he doesn’t like, but rather the person herself.

      • Ain’t-It-Cool-News talkback forums: While he had some fun responding to some criticism leveled at him on that forum, it’s not something he sees himself doing again anytime soon.

    The editor also notes that Kevin's panel had greater attendance then all the other panels he attended over the entire convention COMBINED!

  • Check out Kevin Smith's turn as the voice of the moose in "Doogal" when it hits video and DVD on May 16th, 2006.

    • Sunday, March 19, 2006

    What Happens On "Saturday"?

    "Saturday"
  • Why work a Saturday in the film world, turning your week into a 6-day marathon of 12+ hour days? You've got Jason Lee, of course. Lee was kind enough to film his "Clerks 2" cameo while working on "My Name Is Earl", thus could only make it into town on a Saturday. So, a 6th shooting day was scheduled that week, and this latest episode of "Train Wreck" covers just that. You'll see new interviews with Smith, Mosier, and Lee, including some new information on Jason's character and the scene in which he appears. Pay close attention, it's one of the bigger hints we've seen in the series so far. As always, check out the Quicktimes free of charge for your PC or Ipod at the Clerks 2 website.
    • Crew Askew Hits MySpace!
  • By now, you've probably heard of the net community "Myspace", which simply allows users to create their own personal webspace, free of charge -- Sort of a directory listing of yourself, with areas for a bio, photos, favorite stuff, and the like. A popular feature is the ability to have a network of friends. You can add anyone else from the site as your "friend", thus linking you together and then creating a never-ending chain of people who have friends in common. A neat experiment, and, due to the free nature of their basic service, quite popular.

    Recently, we learned of some View Askew personas that carry accounts at this popular service. Malcolm Ingram, director of the new "Small Town, Gay Bar" and several other View Askew Productions, invites you to check out his space. We hear Brian Lynch may also have an account, though we can't seem to locate it at this time.

    Most recently, inspired by Brian and Malcolm, Kevin himself has joined the community. Visit his page, just getting underway, HERE.

    Oh, and if you're really into adding us all, you can find Brad's account, which has been there a while but sort of forgotten, HERE. See you in Myspace!

    • View Askew NewsBites™
  • We've always heard this is going to be a feature available on the eventual Clerks II DVD, but it seems now that the "Back to the Well" documentary has its own feature page on the IMDB. Could there be bigger things in store for this one? We'll keep you posted.

  • In Sunday's edition of the Boston Globe, director Jason Reitman, son of Ivan, cites "Clerks" as his inspiration to start making films. He is the director of the forthcoming "Smoke Signals". Here's the text:
      The need to make those comedies came about for Reitman around age 14 when he had a pure cinematic experience by first watching Kevin Smith's ''Clerks," then Richard Linklater's ''Slacker," and later Wes Anderson's ''Bottle Rocket," three independent comedies that helped usher in the independent cinema renaissance.

      ''That changed my life," Reitman said. ''Up till then, I thought what a comedy was was the kind of films my dad made. But when I saw ''Clerks" it was like . . . it was like getting hit by a hammer.

      ''It was just so different," he added. ''Here's this completely independent, different movie by people in Jersey who I had never heard of. . . . My goals in life became really specific at that point. That's the kind of filmmaker I wanted to be, and it seemed like in doing that I could be a filmmaker on my own terms, and I'd have to deal a little less with all this daddy's boy [garbage]."

    And it all comes full circle, with Kevin now a continued inspiration to new filmmakers, as others were to him when he began. Very cool indeed.

  • More of the "Southland Tales" mystery is about to unfold, as Graphitti Designs and View Askew are presenting BOOK TWO in the comic prequel that leads up to the film. Previews has the pre-order info on this issue:
      SOUTHLAND TALES BOOK 2: FINGERPRINTS GN
      by Richard Kelly & Brett Weldele

      Graphitti Designs and View Askew in conjunction with Darko Entertainment are proud to present the second monthly book in the three-issue series. Southland Tales Book II: Fingerprints sets the tone and portrays the days events prior to where the movie picks up. Each full-color book immerses readers into a complex and entertaining storyline that one would expect coming from the mind of Richard Kelly. Brett’s painted art captures the attitude and complexity of Richard’s story in a brilliant fashion.

      SC, 7x10, 96pgs, FC..........$12.95

  • And finally today, those fun folks from our own News Askew Forums are showing their love for the boards by holding up their banner at View Askew landmarks -- This time, Stash Westwood gets the "NAF The World" treatment.

    • Thursday, March 16, 2006

    Kevin Does KROQ!
  • Kevin appeared on the hugely popular LA radio station KROQ this morning to promote his Wizard World in Los Angeles. We've got the audio for ya right HERE thanks to the ever-vigilant Will Wilkins (don't forget to listen to his regular podcast, Radio Askew!). Of particular interest, Kevin mentioned that his panel will take place on Saturday from 3:30 to 5:30, and he WILL sign Sunday -- HOWEVER, you MUST get your ticket from the Saturday panel to get into the Sunday signing (call it a 2-for-1 deal). The con's got a HUGE list of special guests, as always, and kicks off TOMORROW (the 17th). Kick off your St. Patrick's day with a 3 day ticket and spend the weekend to see Kevin live, and then up close and personal on Sunday.

    • Tuesday, March 14, 2006

    Is "Tony" The First Day Victim?

    "Tony"
  • Check out the antics of 1st Assistant Director Tony Steinberg in this new selection of footage from the Mooby's set of Clerks 2. The camera loves Tony, and Tony loves the camera, as he goes about his day to day duties performing his important role of keeping the action in order for Mr. Smith. This is the latest in our continuing series of "Train Wreck" shorts, brilliantly filmed and edited by our own Zak Knutson and Joey Figueroa. Watch the latest and all that came before, EXCLUSIVELY at Clerks2.com!
    • Vulgarthon: NEW Surprise Flick For Day Two!
  • On the fence about buying Day Two Vulgarthon tix? Well how about this...A program change! Seems that a super top secret film WILL be shown on Day ONE, but on day two, a DIFFERENT top secret flick will screen on the second day, and it'll be one that one see theaters for months! Feel free to make your predictions! Tickets are still available for Red Bank, Day Two, featuring great films, guests, and of course, that super secret film that will be DIFFERENT than the film we see on Day One. Get your tickets now for the historic Vulgarthon's return to Red Bank! It's gonna sell out. Trust us.
    • IGN Presents: "A Brief History Of Clerks"!
  • Our resident editing genius, Mattt Potter (the dude who puts together those brilliant compliations that play round-the-clock in The Stash), has put together an excellent new bit of business to catch newcomers up to the world of Clerks. Perfect timing, and something to pass on to everyone you know, especially if they haven't seen the original Clerks for some reason. This should catch everyone up on the world of Dante and Randal, as well as some of the Askewniverse at large (movie tie-ins, the websites, comics, and the like)...as well as refresh your memories before you step into the theater to view Clerks 2 (August 18, all over the place). Here's what IGN has to say:

      "A Brief History Of Clerks"
      If Kevin Smith didn't exist, then geeks the world over would have to create him - probably involving some hetero Weird Science-esque alchemy involving copies of Star Wars, a few dozen comic books, New Jersey tap water, a roll of film, and a box of Choc-o-diles.

      Considering the technology was lost after creating Kelly LeBrock in the mid-80's, it's a good thing that Kevin Smith does exist - much like Santa Claus and that urban legend about Wendy's chili.

      Since his breakthrough debut with a little black & white indie named Clerks, Smith has continued to expand his interconnected View Askewniverse into a lucrative merchandising empire via flicks like Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, and on TV with the killed-too-soon Clerks animated series. Oh, and he also did Jersey Girl - a small, heartfelt film that's actually quite good if you give it a chance… It's got George Carlin, for cripes sake.

      The long-awaited sequel to Smith's debut flick, Clerks II, arrives in theaters August 18th (check out the video blogs at www.clerks2.com, and Kevin and the fine folks at View Askew decided to send over an exclusive Clerks II primer.

      Basically, it's a brief overview of the Clerks universe, meant to get both newbies and fans alike up to snuff before the sequel hits screens this August.

      Also, don't forget about our next bit of A/V sweetness - the one where Kevin decided to participate in an video Q&A session with all-comers. This is the first in a series, so by all means continue to send in your questions by clicking here.

      (Before we hit the video, a special thanks to View Askew's Mattt Potter…)

    You can download this beauty in both Quicktime and Windows Media formats (small and large sizes). The IGN site has the hookup! The actual article page also collects a bunch of previous IGN stories on Kevin and the Askewniverse, so be sure and scroll down to see more good stuff that you might have missed in the past. And give this video a watch -- We're betting you'll learn a new thing or two about View Askew history.


    • Thursday, March 9, 2006

    Kevin On MGM/Clerks II Rumors...
  • After a report earlier today that MGM would be the official distributor of Clerks II, Kevin checked in to speak to this rumor, making it clear that the rating issue is going to determine the outcome of this. With his belief that the unrated tag will hit, it seems unlikely that MGM will actually have their name tacked onto this one. But hey, we'll see. Here's Kevin:
      And just as it becomes clear, it gets mucky again...

      "Clerks II" may not be one of the Weinstein Co. flicks that wind up in one of the MGM slots, because MGM is a signatory of the MPAA - which means that "Clerks II" going through MGM would require an R rating, and that's not gonna happen. So unless the flick's somehow allowed to go out unrated through MGM, it's not likely that we'll occupy one of the aforementioned slots after all.

    • Mooby's, We Hardly Knew Ye.
  • Yes, folks, it seems that before it's even seen national release, the ultimate artifact of Clerks 2 has been put to rest. The beautiful Mooby's set, designed by Ratface, Scott Purcell, and Co, has fallen victim to the evil bulldozer of progress. Ken has a full report and photos via his blog :

      Since I live just a few blocks from the set of Clerks II (opening August 18th, 2006), I thought I would share this. This is (was) the filming set of the fast food joint, Mooby's, where a majority of the film takes place. In the film, Mooby's is set in New Jersey, but was actually filmed in Buena Park, California. Near Knott's Berry Farm.

      This was originally a Burger King which I occasionally visited. It wasn't a very good Burger King - kind of run down and the food was so-so. After it closed down, it wasn't much of a surprise that it would be demolished. Little did I know that it would be the future set of Clerks II before it's demise. I was lucky enough to see the transformation into Mooby's take place prior to the October 2005 filming, which was pretty cool.

      I drove by the location everyday on my way to pick up my son from preschool. Always checking for signs of the impending demolition. On Friday March 3, 2006, there was a bull dozer in the now defunct Mooby's parking lot - not good. Monday 6, 2006, it was gone.

      Sunday March 5, 2006. Aware of what was about to happen, I took some pictures of the dilapidated building.

      It's kind of sad to see it that it's gone now.

    The cast and crew of course knew that this short-lived landmark wouldn't last long after filming, though we're kinda sad we never got to visit the thing before it bit the dust. Watch the memories unfold onscreen on August 18, 2006 -- Scenes from a joint that no longer exists! Hey, at least we'll ALWAYS have Quick Stop. Right?!?!?

    • View Askew NewsBites™
  • The long-awaited DVD release of "Evening 2" comes even closer, with this news from Kevin:
      I shot the menus for "Evening Harder" yesterday.

      Those who recall the "Evening With" menus will remember me coming out, waiting impatiently for the viewer to choose "Play" or whatever. We're doing that again, though with British and Canadian flavors (i.e. - you'll see me with hockey stick and gloves in/on hand; on roller blades, no less).

  • How about some Rosario Dawson hotness, guys (and, dare we say...gals)? Gotta love these three new pics and blurb from Esquire on Clerks 2's leading lady:
      When I ask Rosario about her childhood, she starts at the beginning--right at conception.

      "I was conceived on Avenue X in Brooklyn with a prison condom that broke," she says (a prison condom being a condom they give you when you leave prison, just to clarify). "My mom was ready to get an abortion. She was at the clinic, had an appointment. And then she says she felt me move, and she fell in love with me right then. But I was just a speck, so it wasn't me moving. It was probably gas."

      Okay, but what about after that? What about her life growing up?

      Also not so ordinary. Dawson--a mix of Puerto Rican, Native American, Cuban, African-American, and Irish--grew up in a squat on the Lower East Side. When the family moved in, there was no electricity, no water, a hole in the floor, and a crack house across the street. Her mom was sixteen when Rosario was born and kept her in line with an interesting discipline technique: licking. "She'd lick me right across my cheek like a cougar. And it was just so humiliating."

      You can find the full Rosario article in the April 2006 issue of Esquire.

  • Cracked magazine has piece on Howard Stern's 25 Funniest Moments which mentions one of Kevin's earlier appearances on the radio program:
      12. The Girl who 'Lights up a Room': Of the dozens (hundreds?) of evaluations that have been conducted over the years be it for Playboy, or the Intern Beauty Pageants this one from 1997 stands out. Judges Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes and AJ Benza had to hand down the bad news to an aspiring actress who thought she lit up a room. Not only did she not light up a room, Howard recommended that she go light up a cigarette.

  • Jay & Bob got a brief mention on The Today Show yesterday, during a Matt Lauer interview with William Donohue of the Catholic League. During a debate on "The Davinci Code", Donohue alluded to homosexuals getting "into a huff about those movies about the Jay & Bob guys" and that not being a big deal, but when Catolics protest, it IS a big deal. Seems he hasn't forgotten us yet!

  • New life for the famous "Flying Car" video! First aired on "The Tonight Show", the audio has now been taken to the tune of Japanimation by some genius editors out there. Pretty fun, creative stuff -- Especially the longer it goes. Perhaps not as instantly hilarious as that Clerks Wazzup from a few years back, but still real good stuff. A job well done goes to Aqua Sky Productions. Enjoy!

    • Wednesday, March 8, 2006

    Kevin's "House Party" In Austin, Texas!
  • Reports are starting to come in on Kevin's appearance in Austin, Texas to introduce the film "House Party" at the awesome Alamo Draft House (a place we absolutely MUST visit if we ever get down there). Kevin reportedly did 45 minutes of Q&A before the flick aired, and also screened the Clerks 2 TRAILER for the audience. Topics covered included intelligent questions asked about Green Hornet, The Six Million Dollar Man, Clerks 2, Ranger Danger, and "poopy trim". Apparently, he took on all questions until the audience was satisfied. John Pierson was also there to screen a few minutes of a film as well. One fan even spotted Kevin graciously signing autographs in the parking lot at 3 AM following the film. We're hoping to have more photos and additional details for you soon. Stay tuned! All fans who have seen the trailer so far have told us they've been excited and that the flick looks fantastic.

    • Monday, March 6, 2006

    "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang"!

    "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang"
  • The latest entry in our excellent "Train Wreck" online webisode series, titled "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" takes another look at the fun side of movie making...What happens during that downtime between scenes for actors and crew? In this case, it's actor Trevor Fehrman filming his own evidence for a bet that he made with Jay Mewes -- Just how many kisses can he get from females on the set? Stars Rosario Dawson and Wanda Sykes make hilarious appearances, along with some confused, and, sometimes, willing, crewmembers. Check out the fun at the official Clerks 2 website!

    • Sunday, March 5, 2006

    Anniversary Congrats To Kevin, Jen & Ming!
  • Kevin posted a poignant blog entry this weekend, to discuss two big anniversaries in the View Askew world this weekend. First off, the first date with his wife, Jen (eight years ago). Kevin and Jen attended the Independent Spirit Awards again this weekend to commemorate, where Kevin gave a memorable speech (details in a bit). Photo courtesty Michael Dequina.

    Also, of particular interest to readers like YOU, the anniversary of the creation of our first website, www.viewaskew.com, by Ming Chen. Here's Kevin with the full report (via his Boring-Ass Life blog):

      Today, I’ll be presenting at the Independent Spirit Awards (broadcast live on IFC at 2pm PST). The last time I was at the Spirit Awards, I not only won Best Screenplay for “Chasing Amy”, but also, the heart (and vag) of a one Jennifer Schwalbach. Yes, that Spirit Awards ceremony eight years ago represented my first date with Jen. And what a date it was…

      I mean, Jesus - she gave up the pussy later that night.

      But, mind you, this wasn’t just any ol’ pussy. This was the pussy that changed my life: the pussy that turned me into a married man and Father (and not necessarily in that chronological order, either). This was the pussy that aided and abetted in me falling in love with Jen (although, I could argue that I’d kinda done that when I interviewed with her a month prior).

      Shockingly, this’ll be the first time we’ve attended the Spirit Awards since that fateful afternoon. You’d imagine that, based on sentimentality alone, Schwalbach and I would’ve made Spirit Awards attendance an annual thing. And yet, oddly, neither of us have stepped foot in that tent on the beach in Santa Monica in eight years. So today’s being treated as something of an anniversary date (even though, technically, the date of that Spirit Awards/First Fuck in ‘98 was March 21st). M’lady and I are getting gussied up (which, for me, means putting on a jacket instead of a shooter), and we’re gonna trip the lights fantastic, waltzing down memory lane, this time hand-in-hand.

      And then, post ceremony, we’re gonna bone our brains out - just like we did eight years ago.

      Today marks another anniversary in the Askewniverse as well. Peep this…

        Date: Mon, 4 Mar 1996 14:46:16 -0500
        From: Kevin
        To: ming@umcc.umcc.umich.eduM
        Subject: Let’s go!

        Ming -

        Call anytime you’d like (908-842-6933).
        I’d love to hear what you’ve thought about thus far. As for me, I’ve been checking out some other web pages (Film Zone, the Unofficial Kevin Smith home page - which is by some guy who isn’t me, but is named Kevin Smith - and of course yours) and I’m starting to get some ideas:
        1) I’d like to have sub-sections about each flick we’ve done so far, with hot-links to other pages already existing.
        a) a ‘Clerks’ section, which we can update periodically with any pertinent info - i.e., the animated series, the failed sitcom, reception around the world, blah, blah, blah. I’ve got a slew of pix that have never seen print we can put up there, as well as updates of what the cast may be doing or where they can be seen.
        b) a ‘Mallrats’ section, with all the same trimmings, including the graphics from the opening of the film (the cool comic book covers). There’s a slew of footage that didn’t make it into the flick, so we can include them as quick time movies if you want (people would love that - it’d be the only place to see the lost footage, as the geniuses at MCA are only issuing a standard letterboxed version of the flick on laser disc, without any cool extras).
        c) a ‘Chasing Amy’ section - the film we’re toiling on now. We could talk about the production (pre and post) include some cast impressions of the flick as it unfolds, show people how it develops (marketing, trailers before they’re in the theatre, etc.). We’ll have video dailies of the movie while we’re cutting it (on the AVID system) so we can put up scenes that people can take a look at months before the flick gets into theatres! We can list festival info as well.
        2) I’d like to have a Team Askew section, that talks about the movers and shakers here at View Askew, what they’re doing, which ones are going to be making movies of their own. By being the brains behind this potential Web-site, that makes you a member of the Team, as far as I’m concerned, so of course there must be a Ming section.
        3) A section where we people can order stuff (signed posters, hats, shirts, etc).
        4) A section about the smaller budgeted films we’re producing.
        5) A section that we can update weekly that’s all gossip about the industry - not necessarily about what we’re doing, but what the studios are doing. We’re tapped into the system, so we find stuff out long before it sees print (for example, we knew about this George Clooney as Batman thing long before it was reported). I think people would dig that sort of thing. I know I would.
        6) And most importantly - once a week, I’d like to do a chat-room thing, where I can get on and answer questions live and stuff like that. We can post chat sessions with people from the casts of the flick, as well as just famous people we know. And we could do it every week. Whether five hundred people show up or only five, I think it’d be neat.

        What do you think. I’m sure there’s a shit load more we can and will do. I’d love to hear what you’re planning as well. Call me and let’s go! I’m tres’, tres’ excited - my nipples are hard. Let me know where to send the graphics I have, and if you act now, I’ll send you the original, no studio music, 105 minute cut of ‘Clerks’ that has stuff on it that wasn’t even on the laser disc!

        Also, I love the way the ‘Clerks’ page starts. Can we start our page with a moving graphic of the clown from our logo, ‘Vulgar’? Maybe I can get Walter to draw new art for it - Vulgar at a terminal or something?

        Yours,
        Kevin

      Ladies and gentlemen, in that document, emailed ten years ago today, lay the origins of www.viewaskew.com. A few months later, Ming and I took the site live, and it changed both of our lives forever (and, happily, I would stop using terms like “tres’, tres’”).

      Ming Chen is, oftentimes, the unsung hero of the Askewniverse. Had I never been directed to his “Clerks” shrine site a decade back, you probably wouldn’t be reading this now. www.viewaskew.com became the stage from which we grew our audience and met so many of the folks who’ve kept me employed for the last ten years. Without Ming, I wouldn’t have been as in-touch with the folks that watch our flicks as I am; and keeping in touch with those folks has made all the difference in not just my career, but my life as well. www.viewaskew.com has shaped and defined my life and career in such a way, that Ming has become about as i