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:] 3:30 AM - We're Almost There!!!
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It's now 12:20 AM as I type this -- Which translates to 3:20 AM our time back east (we still haven't adjusted to the whole
west coast time thing...probably will just in time to come home tomorrow). The combination of Chasing Amy screening around
fifteen minutes late, setting up, and the fact that the Q&A itself ran for over an hour and a half has us now running
over an hour late. It was bound to happen. No fault of anyone in charge, really - There's been little to no downtime during
the entire day. It's just taking this long to make its way through the program.
The numbers have thinned down a bit -- Seems we're at around 75% capacity now. I overheard some folks who were hitting
the road just because they were too darn tired to stay awake.
The super-extended cut of Jersey Girl did indeed contain every shot, inserted back in. Aside from a few music cues that
came and went due to extended dialogue, it was seamless. A true highlight is the opening 40 minutes of the film featuring
Jen and Ben working together. Despite the teasing from crtics, the couple work together quite well and the relationship
that's built on screen helps to hammer home the points made later in the film. It's very touching, and those opening
moments have actually become among my favorites of entire thing.
Following Jersey Girl, Kevin treats the audience to a short blooper reel, featuring the usual ad-libbing, cracking up
repeatedly (Jason Lee, of course) and yes, even some Affleck nudity. Can't help but imagine that some of the females in
attendance feel they got their $75 worth there alone.
"Oh, What a Lovely Tea Party" is now screening. Jen Schwalbach (now blonde!) and Malcolm Ingram, the filmmakers, stepped
out to briefly kick off the film. This is the first time we're seeing this footage anywhere. So far, the film is
chronologically going through the Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back shoot, starting with the E! News Daily footage, which was
the first shot for the film, interestingly enough. Spliced in throughout are bits of interviews with what looks to be
every cast member from the film. There's no narration; the on-the-set chatter and inteviewees are our guides.
Just want to send
quick shout-out thanks to the following folks who were overly kind to
us this visit: Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier, Marilyn, Smalls, Mike, Scott,
and the countless numbers of fine people who stopped to introduce
themselves to us (including a nice chunk of folks who travelled all the
way over from the UK -- some true fans there). Thanks to everyone for
reading, and for your continued support.
Once we're back east, we'll revisit this page, update the pics we have better versions of, and of course be adding in some
fan stories, other photos, and much more. Vulgarthon West will go down in the books with a lot of milestones -- And you
know we'll be back for another one next year (which Kevin suggested might contain FOUR films rather than 5, just to make
the day a bit shorter).
If we even get this one posted, this will most certainly be the last update for the day. We thank you for sticking with
us throughout this very exciting, but tiring, Monday. Keep your eyes on News Askew all this week. We'll have more.
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:] 9:15 PM - Chasing Amy Cast Reunites!
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Alright, let's say this to start -- We're finally back writing updates after a HUGE deal here...The entire Chasing Amy cast
just reuinted just around 7 feet from me, and yet, still with the expensive, but unpowerful mini pocket digital, we've had
to do some level enhancing to all these photos. So consider this huge batch untouched, as we're in a hurry to get them up
for you to get your first looks at everyone.
The reunion Q&A
was full of questions....Some good...Some bad...And even one fan
proposing to his girlfriend, in the audience.
Not a lot of NEW information, given this was filmed for the DVD...Some great stories, humorous comments from Affleck, very
few words from Lee (who, coincidentally, got the largest amount of applause for those in attendance, though Affleck had the
most autograph chasers).
Given the fact that Jersey Girl is now screeing a 2:25 cut that we've yet to see, we're going to leave it at that for now.
We can tell you this about this cut so far -- In the theatrical cut, Jen dies around 10 minutes in. In this one, she dies
40 minutes in. Factor in a totally different ending, still yet to be seen, and this is easily the longest JG cut that anyone
will ever lay eyes upon.
Sorry that we can't say more at this point, and we apologize if the pics aren't the best (someone get us new cameras for
Christmas!)....We hope you enjoy. Talk to you again soon. The marathon continues!
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:] 4:45 PM - NOW YOU KNOW Q&A And Break Time
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First major news of the day -- The actor who played Biscuit in "Now You Know", Trevor Fehrman, will play a MAJOR role in
Clerks 2. We believe he'll be a third Clerk, sort of an addition to Randal and Dante. He stole a great deal of the show
in "Now You Know", so it's a very cool casting. We expect more Clerks 2 news later in Kevin's post-Jersey Girl Q&A,
though Kevin has also been filling in the gaps with Q&A all day long as well.
We're back from lunch
now and Chasing Amy has already started screening (lunch started late
due to the need to show us the Evening 2 trailers BEFORE lunch). Due to
Amy's cast coming in for the Q&A, things need to be on a VERY tight
and accurate schedule. Still not a lot of paparazzi outside, just
fellow attendees. Kevin and Malcolm are outside the front of the
theater, getting some air and making some phone calls. So much for
having a problem getting to anyone due to the numbers here, Kevin has
been QUITE accessible all day long, taking photos, signing, etc. Jeff
Anderson and his crew just walked past us in the lobby. Celebs are
EVERYWHERE at this thing, and it's never been easier to get up close
and personal with them. Hopefully everyone in attendance is having as
easy a time as we are.
Oh, and NOW we've got an event - The nutty "Melrose" Larry Green has showed up outside of the theater with a Vulgarthon
sign, yelling his usual nonsense about Howard Stern, etc. We ignore the guy, but he's getting the attention he craves
from others, it seems.
No new photos at this point, due to the lunch break (Scott took us to our first In And Out Burger for a visit, awesome
burgers and even BETTER fries. Good stuff). We expect to have lots of news and photos for you (hopefully) after the
Chasing Amy Q&A, which is just around an hour away from now.
Oh, and the Evening 2 footage -- Most of it was the trailer we already released online, though we saw the first footage
from the London Q&A -- A gentleman doing his best "Jay" impression (those there will probably know what we're referring
to) and Kevin discussion the use of the word "fanny" with a female audience member.
More news later! Stick with us!
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:] 3:00 PM - Two Gone, Three To Go!
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We've got 2 films down now and are currently enjoying the second Q&A of the day -- This one's being videotaped for the
"Now You Know" DVD and features Anderson, the DP, and Trevor (who played Biscuit in the film). As Kevin has mentioned
so far today, the event is going incredibly smoothly, with big props to Smalls for his fantastic organization of the
event. The dude is running around looking stressed, but has been doing a bang-up job. Of all the View Askew events
that we've attended, this one's running the smoothest so far.
Some other various notes on the day -- It's a highly attended affair. The place sold out, and every seat in view is
filled. Most folks are staying seated throughout the films, with sightly less during the Q&A. The Acrlight snack bars
are fully staffed and running very efficienty (I spoke with a nice girl from France who got me a big overpriced soda).
The bathrooms are a big improvement over our East Coast facilities, where I recall urinating next to the likes of Jason
Lee in a closet-sized room with little room to breathe. This is nicer.
Oh, and there's even a BABY in attendance. Yep, someone brought their kid. And a very well-behaved one at that. The
youngest to ever attend a Vulgarthon? I'd say so.
Kevin's just given us word that JM Kenny is in the house with a brand new 7-minute trailer of Evening 2, that we'll
watch after lunch, prior to Chasing Amy. Following Amy, the event of the day is going to take place -- Around 6 PM or so,
we'll celebrate Amy's 10 anniversary with a Q&A featuring Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Joey Lauren Adams, and Dwight Ewell.
Two down, three to go. We hope everyone's enjoying the coverage here. See you again soon.
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:] 12:00 PM - Ahead Of Schedule...
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Yes, believe it or not we're running a bit AHEAD of
schedule today! Following Big Helium Dog, which I swear was a slightly
different cut than screened before (correct me if I'm wrong, Brian?),
Lynch brought his entire cast onstage for a Q&A. Questions came
fast and curious, but Lynch is the king of the snappy comeback, and
kept the session light and fun. He asked ahead of time NOT to address
the flick coming to DVD, so no news on that, though we expect that's
probably what most of you want to hear. Sorry, no dice today.
Of the most interesting things we've heard, Lynch actually scripted a
part 2 AND 3 of Big Heium Dog, and even filmed a prequel short. BHD 2
was actually written as BHD 3, so all jokes refer back to a film no
one's ever seen. Lynch joked that was even more humorous since no one
had seen the first one, either.
Since we were running ahead, Kevin and Lynch took to the stage solo to
address a few more questions about the film -- Lynch reveals that he's
quite busy these days, rewriting mostly kid scripts (Robots), and doing
new work for Disney (a "Pooh" film), and even his first script to
hopefully make the screen in a few years, a CGI vehicle for Fox. And of
course, don't forget his animated pilot that Fox has also picked up
production on. He's come a long way. Here's hoping that he does find
the time to do a final edit on BHD for DVD. Jason Lee just called Kev's
cell phone and said a hello to the crowd via the cell against the mic.
Fun stuff.
Today's schedule, by the way: Big Helium Dog, Now You Know, Chasing
Amy, Jersey Girl, and Tea Party. In that order. Jersey Girl is the
longest cut to ever screen, and the Chasing Amy Q&A will feature
the entire cast! Can't wait for that one.
We're working with power and battery issues here, but we'll stay on the
air as long as we can today. Also, please be sure and surf below, as
we're adding new pics into previous posts as time permits. Lots of good
stuff added to the earlier update, folks. Enjoy! Wish you could all be
here with us. See you again soon for more. Back to watching "Now You
Know" for us, which Jeff Anderson himself just introduced!
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:] 9:30 AM - Lining Them Up And Packing Them In...
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The
inside of the Arclight has been deocrated with posters from the flicks,
we've definitely taken over the place. Here's a few photos of what's on
display today.       The
line outside the lobby and snaking around the street is growing
anxious, as a bunch of us are milling around just inside the glass
doors, visible in the lobby yet that barrier between keeps them from
getting into the show. It's a great opportunity to catch up with Kevin,
Mewes, and Bryan Johnson. Taking a walk down the line, Brian Lynch,
whose "Big Helium Dog" will open the Thon, is hanging out with a small
group. I take a moment to grab a photo of the dude, scan the line, and
move back to the front, where doors are about to open and the fun's
about to begin. Doors
opened right on schedule, with Kevin and Jay manning the post and
greeting each and every fan wearing a t-shirt ticket. Every attendee is
getting a yellow bracelet slapped on, which will serve as their
readmission ticket throughout the day. The line's long, 850 people DO
take a while to get through, but moving along at a nice clip. At its
greatest length, it spanned around the entire perimiter of the Arclight
and next door, around the back parking garage, and back up towards the
street. Kevin
and Jay started in tandem, yet after a while Jay took to greeting the
fans, and letting others smack on the bracelets for a while, as he took
a cigarette break. However, after a while, Jay was back in full swing,
but Kevin's line was getting all the attention, prompting a "What The
Fuck?!!? OVER HERE!!!" from Jay. Everyone loved it. It's
just after 10 AM now, the line's almost through, and we're about to get
started. Enjoy the photos, and we'll be back later with more!
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:] 8:00 AM - Vulgarthon Is Imminent...
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It's about an hour before doors open here at the Arclight Dome, and we're inside the dome with the crew watching the setup
happen. Man, what a cool theater this is. There's not a bad seat in the house, just as they say. We've set up shop just
behind the railing in the right center of the main level.
A line of a couple hundred has already formed around the outside of the theater. We chatted with a few of the folks at the
front of the line -- Apparently, the crown of first went to a group who came at 11 PM last evening. The main group there
apparently hit the local bars, then camped out right around 3 AM. Some folks are huddled in blankets and shivering, after
the rain that fell for a couple hours late last night, but most look energetic and ready for day of View Askew magic.
As we speak, they're running tests on the various copies of "Big Helium Dog", finding the best looking version, adjusting
color, etc. It's a beautiful operation they've got going here. A crew of around 20 strong is setting up cables, lighting,
and sound. 5 director's chairs have been set up along center stage, where Q&A's will take place.
Kevin and Jay have arrived, and we just said a quick hello and given a handshake to Kevin, who's stopped into the Dome to
make sure that setup is going smoothly. There's a long day ahead, but we're all excited and can't wait to get those doors
open. It won't be long now...
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:] 5:30 PM - Sunday
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We always like taking a day out to play tourist when we're in town, so today we brought the cheese to new high levels.
First up, we decided to seek out some famous film and TV houses in the area for photos. We learned that it's quite a
surreal experience -- Sort of like the first time we saw the tattoo parlor and the neighborhood that surrounded the Quick
Stop and RST video. Film only shows you what they want you to see...So when you see the surrounding stuff, it's a very
different experience.
Case in point: Our first stop. The house from "Nightmare on Elm Street". First off, the street it's on is NOT called Elm
Street (okay, that's asking a lot, I guess) -- And the place has busted out windows and neighbors REALLY on top of one
another. Looking at the place in person, we weren't totally sure we had the address right, but looking at the photo...Yep.
This is the place where Nancy lived. And it realy does look pretty much the same. Definitely the best of the bunch.
From there, we drove under a mile to get to 2 houses used onscreen in "Halloween". These are a little less obvious, but
having the address helps -- One was featured more than the other. Again, a very tightly-packed rural neighborhood...Very
close to downtown Hollywood, but quiet and very little traffic passing by...Oh, except for that Star Tours bus in front of
us on the street that's obviously looking at the same place. We consider following the bus to see where they end up next,
but stick to our own schedule.
Two more places on Sycamore we decide to do the drive-by on are apartment complexes. The first is within walking distance
of Mann's Chinese, and is the exterior of the apartments used on "Alias". Easy to find, just around the corner off
Hollywood Avenue. And finally, further down Sycamore, the exterior of Betty's apartment in Mullholland Drive.
Finding famous movie houses sure works up an appetite, and since we're still feeling east coast time effects, we hit the
Hamburger Hamlet on Hollywood for a spot of lunch. Pretty freakin' good burgers. An interesting choice for an Easter
dinner, but hey, it's open. AND they validate parking (though we later end up missing the return time by 20 minutes AND
get charged the FULL SEVEN BUCKS by the attendant). Fantastic.
Alright, now let's talk about one of the worst ways to spend 12 bucks in Hollywood - The Hollywood Entertainment Museum.
Yes, this place touts that you'll get to see sets from Star Trek, the Cheers bar, and more. You assume you're going to
get a LOT more -- What you end up with is a very poorly run tour with very little to see. A girl who obviously knows very
little about movies (her big line was "Everyone remember...?" filling in the blank with the most obvious things. Such as
"Everyone remember the X-Files?" or "Everyone remember Star Trek?" We just stood there dumbfounded.
So, we made the best of it and took shots of what was in there. The three "highlights" of this 30 minute tour are, in
order, Star Trek's Next Generation transporter and "bridge" (you can sit in the captain's chair...oooh...Which I suppose
some Trekkies would die to do)...Fox Mulder's X-Files office, complete with the "I Want To Believe" poster and the pencils
in the ceiling, which was admittedly neat to see, and finally the actual bar set used on the Cheers TV show. Yes, this is
where it's gone to die. Not only that, but you can actually RENT THE PLACE OUT and have a party there. It's certainly not
the fanciest place, it's basically a spartan setup, but the idea of having a party with a fully working Cheers bar set
(yes, the taps WORK)...Would be a good story to tell. Wonder what that costs.
And yeah, I couldn't resist sitting in the Norm seat. No one really could. So there ya have it. Been there, done that.
Completing the tourism trifecta, we thought it'd be neat to take a ride up the famous Mullholland Drive. Wow, what a
fantastic idea. It's sunny and in the 70's today, and traffic's light due to the holiday, so to be the best decision of
the day. Mulholland's one of the most scenic drives you can take in the city, and the views are breathtaking. There's
stops all over the place which allow you to overlook the city. Best views of LA you can get. It's gotta cost a fortune
to live anywhere around here. Remarkable. If you've got an hour or so to take this drive on a clear day, do it.
And so ends our day of Los Angeles tourism. With Vulgarthon tomorrow, we're calling it an early night to catch up with
this update, check out HBO's Sunday night lineup, pick up some Chinese takeout, and rest up for the BIG DAY!
If you're looking to spot us tomorrow, we'll be somewhere up front on an aisle, writing updates. Think I'm wearing my
"I Vote For Happy Hour" t-shirt. Say hi. We love you all.
Everyone be safe tomorrow, have a nice drive into the Arclight, get a good night's sleep, and we'll see you soon. Again,
if you're missing the fun, watch this page for the big announcements and lots more, all day and all night. Yahoooo!
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:] 8:00 PM - Meeting With Marliyn!
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Marilyn Ghigilotti is one of the fine folks we've chatted with over the years since starting News Askew, but never had the
pleasure of meeting in person. So we're happy that she's asked if we'd like to hang out and grab a bite to eat tonight.
And since we don't know our way around this area that well, it's even cooler that she's offered to pick us up at get us
somewhere! We wind up a mile or so up the road in a small restaraunt/shopping district here in the Valley for a spot of
pizza. The best opportunities to meet View Askew celebs always seems to be the quiet moments like this, when you can just
shoot the breeze about stuff. Marilyn's a total sweetheart; it's a pleasure to finally meet her in person and the perfect
way to cap off the night after a long day of traveling and running around the city. Thanks, Marilyn!
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:] 6:30 PM - Arriving @ The Glendale Hilton...
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We're now headed across town, as Priceline's hooked us up with a hotel all the way in Glendale. It's the first time we've
headed to this part of the city, so we catch a couple neat sites along the highway...The ABC Building and Disney Animation
Studios sure do put out a nice presentation. Check-in goes perfect, and it's a nice place they got set up for us here.
There's a nifty view of the mountains from our 10th floor window.
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:] 5:00 PM - Our First Walk Into Stash West!
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Next stop -- Our initial visit to Jay & Silent Bob's Secret Stash West!
Yep, we've seen the photos, now it was finally time for your two
webmasters to take our Stash knowledge bi-coastal. After some simple
directions from Scott Kramer, we take a ride through town, which proves
only a few miles but takes over a half an hour (traffic in LA moves
SLOWWWW)....We arrive at the Stash in Westwood. It's a
beautiful-looking store. You've seen the photos, and we've taken a
bunch more of our own here, but they just can't do it justice. You
really need to see this place. Tons of unique props are everywhere the
eye can see. Flat screen TVs run a custom clip reel of highlights from
all of View Askew's DVDs, rapid fire. Big ass Jay & Bobs run across
the top of the place. And props like a full wall of clothes from Jay
& Bob, Affleck's wings and Daredevil suit, and a gigantic case just
packed with more props than you'll ever see in one spot are just a few
of the eye-catching items. The
organizaton here is second to none. They've got 2 staffers working in
the back of the place at a table, where a bag containing your t-shirt,
free comics, a View Askew almanac, and a Vulgarthon guide await every
guest who checks in. It's a smooth operation, with no waiting though a
steady stream of fans have been oogling the store as they pick up their
tickets. We get to spend a few moments with Graphitti Design's Bob
Chapman, just the friendliest guy who takes a lot of pride in the
store. He tells us that he's overjoyed and loving the crowds that are
coming in and brining the store to life this weekend, whether it's just
to stop in or to hang out for a couple hours with fellow fans, checking
the museum of props out. Bob shows us the exlusive Kevin Smith inaction
figures, and explains they're selling fast in in very short supply
(just 1,000 were made, folks). When asked about the Chasing Amy line,
he reveals for the first time a new concept they're trying for this run
-- A playscene diner for Jay & Bob, since that's the only scene in
the film for which they appear. Following Chasing Amy, a Clerks 2 set
is in the planning phases, with hopes to revisit ALL the earlier waves
with previously unreleased characters. Bob's the man.
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:] 2:20 PM - Mmmm...Pink's...
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Mike and Scott are both timely and easy to get a hold of. The roads of Los Angeles are quickly coming back into memory,
so finding Pinks proves to be a simple prospect. The line's around the building, as always -- It's absolutely amazing how
popular this place continues to be -- A true Hollywood staple. After about 50 people in front of us and an hour of waiting,
we're served up some delicious looking grub -- Chili dogs with a variety of toppings for all! Mmmm, they're so terrible
for you, but just so damn good! Waiting in line went fast, as the four of us took some time to get caught up and chat about
the latest happenings in our lives. Mike's even good enough to pick up the tab -- Mike, we thank you. The only thing
better than a Pinks dog is a Pinks dog that you don't even have to pay for.
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:] 2:00 PM - The Bob Hope Airport...
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We've arrived in Burbank about 5 minutes ahead of schedule. Since we haven't checked any luggage, we're able to make a
beeline for the rental company. I've done some zen preparation to allow myself to stay calm and cool on the LA streets,
as I've volunteered for driving duty all weekend long since Chris handled the airport leg. As we did with our last visit
to Cali for the Jersey Girl test screening almost 2 years ago, our first order of business is a fuel-up (of the food type)
at the place that makes some of the best chili dogs on the planet -- The famous
"Pink's". We're meeting a couple of big
fans at the joint -- "Mysterio" Mike, of Ain't It Cool News fame, and
Scott Kramer, of
"Chasing Kevin" fame. Both will be attending
the thon and wanted to touch base with us since it's such a rare time that we're in town.
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:] 1:00 PM - Seattle To Burbank...
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Note: We're on WEST COAST time now... It's
a beautiful time of the year for a flight down the western coast...One
we got out of the Seattle area, clear skies gave way to snow covered
mountaintops in Oregon, offset by lush green trees and then, bright
urban areas. This flight so far has been a lot more bearable that the
long stretch from D.C. to Seattle, which we both agree was the longest
single stretch either of us had even taken on a flight before.
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:] 9:00 AM - Waiting For Takeoff...
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Our trip into Dulles went smooth, and we're running
right on schedule. The budget flights we picked up are actually taking
us out to the west coast via Alaskan Air. Unfortunately, instead of a
straight shot across the country, our first leg is taking us all the
way up to Seattle. The second leg will then shoot us down the coast to
Burbank ("don't fly into LAX", everyone tells us). Alaskan Air's got a
crazy boarding process ("now boarding all rows!") instead of anything
orderly, and the flight's pretty packed. Thankfully, we've got some
flicks pre-loaded to the laptop for entertainment purposes during this
6 hour stretch, and the crew's been passing by regularly with drinks
and, a big surprise, an actual breakfast (a rarity with airline travel
these days). A pretty decent egg mcmuffin, fruit cup, and a muffin of
some sort. Kudos to Alaskan Air for feeding us.
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:] 2:20 AM - West Coast Here We Come!
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It's early...REALLY early here in Central Pennsylvania as we gather up the supplies and head for the
Dulles airport -- Yep, it's Vulgarthon West time, and we're on our way to Dulles airport to begin the journey. We've
got a cool weekend planned, meeting up with friends old and new, seeing some new spots in the greater LA area, and we'll
probably even manage to get some cheesy tourist type stuff in there as well (we can never resist). We'll be documenting
this one from start to finish (those of you unfamiliar with our trip reports can visit our
ON LOCATION section), so next week, expect a HUGE wrapup.
We're also going to be announcing a new feature to this year's event...ASSUMING that all goes well technically and
our equipment hookups are cooperating, we'll be coming to you live from the Vulgarthon on Monday with updates AS THEY
HAPPEN. So watch News Askew all day on Monday for breaking news, exclusive photos, and lots more. Again, this will
happen only if technology agrees with us, and our internet hookup works at the Arclight. If all goes well, it should be
an exciting day for those of you not able to attend the big show.
Until then, wish us well on the flight, and we'll speak to you again soon. We'll be monitoring e-mails and keeping
the site up to date as much as possible, though it's naturally a bit tougher on the road.
For those of you attending Vulgarthon on Monday: Check the site first! We'll try and let you know how to spot us if
you'd like to come up and say hello. Either look for the dudes in the front snapping photos and lugging around a
laptop all day, or just ask around. We'd love to meet you all. Even for just a handshake or a hello. And hey,
if anyone catches wind of a big fan get-together happening over the weekend, drop an email our way. See you all
in just a few short days...
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