“I’ve always been a sucker for “daddy stories” and I think Affleck delivered a solid performance of a single dad trying his best to raise his daughter. It is Kevin Smith’s most sincere movie to date. George Carlin played Affleck’s dad and did a great job in the performance, weighing sincerity with exasperation at the actions of his son throughout the movie. He was great in the film, as should be expected. “

SModcast 55: Naked Butz -


In which our heroes get corny, analyze the father of American obesity, and get a shot of maturity.

• A few more words about George Carlin, and a link to the Newsweek story.

• Incredibly high praise for “The Dark Knight” and “Wall-E”. Both must-see in the theater.

• Another fantastic test screening of “Zack & Miri Make a Porno”, this time in New Mexico: “We tested again in Albuquerque, New Mexico last week (where I did, in fact, make a left turn I knew I shouldn’t have made), and scored almost exactly the same as we did in the Kansas City test screening the month before - which is to say really, really well. A poster and a theatrical trailer should be making their way to theaters soon.”

• Four panels in San Diego confirmed for next month at the con, including one which should debut a clip or two from the new film (in other words, line up REALLY early).

• Crazy 4 Cult II - The coolest art show in the land, coming back on August 22nd. Kevin and Scott will host the event, featuring movie-inspired art for sale.

• On the east coast - Another poker tourny on Saturday July 12th, and of course the big appearance in Red Bank on November 7th. GET YOUR TICKETS NOW BEFORE IT SELLS OUT.

• Smodcast - Back tonight/tomorrow. We’ll have the linkage.

• Finally - If you have not yet ordered our favorite ever piece of Askew swag, get your Monroeville Zombies hockey jersey today. Now in stock!

You’ll of course want to view the entire blog over at Myspace or the official blog.

Seth Rogen (Really) Makes a Porno


Kevin Smith’s upcoming comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno, with Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogen, may actually be a porno. No, seriously. The MPAA is trying to slap it with an NC-17 rating, meaning you’d have a tough time seeing it down at the megaplex.

So what’s in this thing that makes it so, like, porny? We asked Seth, and here’s what he said…

“It’s like a romantic comedy,” Rogen told us this week, at the press day for The Pineapple Express, which opens in August. “It’s a romantic relationship movie—with a lot of porn and balls.”

Wait, whose balls? “My balls are not in it,” he clarified.

Still, Smith is fighting for an R rating, as he did when Clerks first got slapped with an NC-17—simply for dirty language. “You can disembowel someone in a youth hostel in Romania, but you can’t show people having sex,” Rogen said. “I think it’s weird.”

If Zack and Miri does get an NC-17, Rogen thinks his hit flicks Knocked Up and Superbad should have, too.

“This is not anything outside of what we’ve done before,” he told us. “The word porno is in the title, and that kind of freaks people out.”

Well, that and the balls, maybe.

Doesn’t look like any new quotes, just more from the MTV Interview. We haven’t heard any definite confirmation from Kevin other than a hint that this may indeed be happening. The MPAA rating process remains one of the most secretive and elusive in ths biz, so we imagine we’ll hear the results of this once the dust has settled. We’ll keep watch for ya.

I just attended Horror Hound Weekend in Pittsburgh last weekend. Jason Mewes and Brian O’ Halloran were in attendance. Two of my buddies and I went Friday evening. Brian was one of the first people we met. He’s just an awesome guy. He’s so laid back and friendly. He even took three pictures with us. One with me and then one with each of my friends. Jason was there but stepped out for a moment. We chatted a bit with Brian and made our way through the convention room.


After meeting several celebrities such as Doug Bradley (Pinhead), and Danielle Harris (Halloween 4, 5, and Rob Zombie’s remake) we headed back to Brian and Jason’s table. We knew Jason was back because of the huge crowd gathered around the table. When we finally met him, he was just as nice and cool as Brian. We talked about the Zack and Miri wrap-up party I attended at the Pittsburgh Improv a couple of months ago. I didn’t get to meet him then because he had to leave early. I’m just glad I got a second chance to meet him.


The general consensus from everyone that attended is that Brian and Jason were a great addition to the con. Apparently, one attendee brought the DVD covers of every movie Jason has done.


And apparently Brian did some mad karaoke at the hotel during the weekend.

Like we always say, when you have a chance to meet these guys, take it — They’re great with the fans, always. Thanks to our scooper for filling us in on his time in western PA, home of “Dogma” and “Zack & Miri Make a Porno”.

The good news - they launched their first full episode a few months ago. It was profiled in ‘Viral on Veoh,’ and the show got one million hits. YouTube chose it as a ‘Featured Video’ and it became the #1 YouTube video in 19 countries, including the US. Congrats, guys. The second full episode premieres this Monday, 6/30 @ 9 pm EST at www.oceans711.com.

Q: Any word on when the Zack and Miri teaser will be back up?

KS: No word yet. I don’t know if it’s been submitted yet. We’ve been too busy dealing with the MPAA on other matters.

MTV added fuel to the rumor fire today when they posted a new interview with Seth Rogen, where he drops the bomb that the rating truly is up in the air right now. A tidbit:

“The MPAA is gunning for us, I think,” sighed Rogen, discussing the current difficulties he and director Kevin Smith are encountering during the rating process of their highly anticipated October comedy “Zack and Miri Make a Porno.” “It’s a really filthy movie. I hear they are having some problems getting an R rating from an NC-17 rating, which is never good.”

You can read the full interview and even watch a video of the clip over at the MTV site.

Read what other blog sites on the web have to say on the matter (and read some good user comments on the MPAA) at our friendly movie sites:

JoBlo

FirstShowing.net

Digital Spy

The Moving Picture

Kevin has not said a word to confirm or deny this, and we’re expecting he and Scott will follow suit for the film and keep mum on this, at least until things have been worked out. Given the subject matter, we’re not surprised that the MPAA has taken a closer look at the film, though we’re confident that the film will make it through unscathed. Remember, Kevin and Scott fought this battle a long time ago with “Clerks”, and did well with it. Here’s hoping that the movie can continue on without any cuts, or, with a few very minor trims that don’t take anything away from the director’s intentions.

Also, keep in mind we can’t officially confirm this is even happening, just report the news we’re hearing — Until Kevin speaks on the topic, we’ll patiently wait to hear about Z&M’s rating. We’ll keep you informed, of course.

Q: Who is the one person you’d love to work with that you have not yet had a chance to?

Bill Murray.

Q: Are you planning to have a New Jersey or La birthday party in August?

We were toying with the notion of doing another prom but opted against.

Q: I know Red State is a way’s off, but my question is about casting. You wrote Zack for Seth, did you write any of the roles in “Red State” for a particular actor or actress, and if not, have you started thinking about who you would like to try and get?

I did write two key roles with actors in mind, but I doubt I’ll be allowed to cast one and the other is too pie-in-the-sky.

Q: Is there any foward motion on “Red State”?

The script is out to some indie financiers now. Fingers crossed.

Would you consider shooting it like Chasing Amy on a low low budget?

I’ll shoot it as cheaply as I can, but while not being an insanely expensive affair, it’ll require some cash: between five and eight million, we’re thinking.

Q: Would Scott go for that?

Depending on when we shoot it, Scott might only Exec Produce the flick (in this instance, take it all the way to the point of going on location). He didn’t want to spend another two months on a set this year, but he knows that, if the money happens, I’ve gotta go as soon as possible. So he’ll do what he always does on every flick up to that point when we actually head off to wherever we’re gonna shoot it. If we don’t wind up shooting it ’til next year, then he’ll be involved the way he always is.

Q: When can we expect the first Money Shot to go up?

I believe Zak and Joey (and Ken) are taking the “Money Shots” public first or second week in July.

Q: You are quite open with your life with the board and MBAL but where do you think you would draw the line? For example would you ever do a reality show or something along those lines?

I have been asked about doing a reality show (”Mr. and Mrs. Smith”). That was a quick and easy pass. Cameras in my house is where I draw the line, I guess. And not so much cameras in the house as cameras on my life. And not because I’d feel like my privacy would be invaded, but more because a) I’d hate to have to keep my gut sucked in for that long a stretch, b) it wouldn’t be real because we’d be aware of the cameras and would modify our behavior accordingly, and c) it’d be insanely boring.

Q: Will you have a signing/poker game after the November Count Basie Q&A?

Definitely a poker game. Maybe a signing.

Q: Any word on when the Zack and Miri teaser will be back up?

No word yet. I don’t know if it’s been submitted yet. We’ve been too busy dealing with the MPAA on other matters.

Q: Any updates with the Clerks II inaction figures?

I’m hearing Christmas. I’ve seen all the sculpts (including Kinky Kelly and Emma now) and most of the paints, and man - they’re pretty fucking sweet. Worth the wait, I’d say.

[UPDATE FROM BOB CHAPMAN!]

Bob Chapman, Graphitti Designs wrote:

We will not have KINKY KELLY or EMMA for San Diego. I have yet to get the painted prototypes back from the person painting them. I will contact her again today (she’s pregnant and was scheduled to deliver June 21st?), and do what I can to get these figures from her pre-child. I’m doing my damnest to get these to China so we have them for Christmas sales. The other five CLERKS II figures will be prototyped immediately after we get these first two out of the system. I’m sorry, but working with a whole new crew of people has been a challenge.

In response, Kevin wrote:

Wait - so we’ll have Kinky Kelly and Emma for Christmas, but not the others?

In response to Kevin, Bob wrote:

We HOPE to have the KINKY KELLY and EMMA for Christmas. Until I get the prototypes to China, the clock can’t begin. I’m doing everything I can so China has everything they need before we leave for San Diego.

There ya’ have it: best case scenario, you’ll have Kinky Kelly and Emma by Christmas.

So there ya have it. We’ve been waiting a long time to see those Clerks II inaction figures as well, but were unaware of the staffing changes. We know Bob and co. take a lot of care to produce the most perfect designs they can come up with, so we’ll continue to wait patiently.

As for “Red State”, everyone collectively cross your fingers for some good news regarding funding soon — It’d be fantastic to have news of other View Askew flick, one as different as this, going in front of cameras in 2008. After all the hype about the script, and the change in tone and genre, we’re very much hoping Kevin and Scott can get this one made.

Thanks to Kevin for answering these excellent questions, and we’ll of course keep you informed of other big breaking news as it arrives. We sure can’t wait to start seeing those “Money Shots” webisodes online next month.

CS: Is your character in the Kevin Smith movie better at making a porno than he is in “Knocked Up” making a porn site?


Rogen: Yes! I think he is. It’s way easier to make a porno than a porn web page. I’ll tell you that. Me and you could make a porno in 10 minutes on my iPhone. A web page would probably take one of you guys 10 minutes, for me it would take a while.


CS: Kevin Smith has a very different aesthetic from the Judd Apatow movies, so what was your experience like on that film?


Rogen: He let us improvise to the best that his shooting style will allow. He shoots very specifically because he edits the movies also. Shot for shot, the whole is planned out in his head beforehand so to some degree that limits the amount of improv you have can. You see how we shoot here. They put the cameras on us and we go. With Kevin, it’s much more specifically shot. It’s like, “Well this shot is only good for three words so you can improvise all you want, but only three words are going to be in this shot.” I was proud of him. He let us do a lot of stuff that I never thought he’d let people do. I’ve seen the movie and there is a lot of the improv that we’ve done in the movie and I think it feels maybe more naturalistic than maybe some of his other movies do. That being said, it’s not quite the same universe as what we do here.

Extra improv, eh? We’re intrigued. This one will surely make for an interesting commentary track on the eventual DVD release — Smith, Rogen & Co. on the same track? Damn, now we’re already looking forward to the DVD!

The MPAA called and said we had to take it down.

Here’s why: Weinstein Co. (like most studios) is a signatory of the MPAA. As such, there are protocols involving trailers that we failed to follow.

As with features, all trailers get rated get rated by the MPAA. The majority of them are for general audiences (Green Band trailers), but trailers packed with adult content (like our teaser) earns you what’s called a Red Band trailer.

Well, we didn’t go through this process - simply because, we felt, that since the teaser didn’t contain any footage from the actual flick, it wasn’t technically a trailer.

Boy, was I wrong.

Turns out all promotional material for any film financed/distributed by a signatory of the MPAA has to be signed-off on by the MPAA - including internet-only materials. I never realized this, as it’d never been a problem in the past: we’ve been doing ‘net-only teasers since “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” and nobody ever raised a red flag before (not even on the last flick, for which we also put up two ‘net-only teasers in advance of the rated trailer). But I guess since the teaser was so, shall we say, racy… a rating was in order.

We’re now officially submitting the teaser to the MPAA for rating. If they approve it, we’ll put it back up.

So there ya have it, folks — We’ll keep you posted on this unfortunate situation, but do thank Kevin for taking the time to explain what happened. We’re guessing this may have an impact on future web postings of promotional content for auteurs all over the US, so we hope they’re all taking note. Stay tuned.

We’re also quite impressed with the marketing approach so far. Just some little tastes here and there, very little given up by Kevin and the cast and crew — Heck, the least amount of spoilers we’ve seen revealed or pushed out there since we started the site (those couple test screening reviews aside, but we skipped ‘em, hope you did, too). We’re looking forward to watching this one play out as Kevin, Scott, Harvey, and the gang want it to — And nope, we’ve yet to read a page of the script (except for the EW piece) or see a single frame of film. And unless we hit a test screening before then, we’ll be enjoying it for the first time with the rest of you on opening day. It’s great having this job, but it’s also continually fun being the fans, and enjoying the reveal of a View Askew flick the natural way.

Check out the new poll topic on the right naviation of News Askew — We’re wondering what the new teaser did for your anticipation. Fire away.