Not a simple task, by any means, especially due to the fact that there's going to be a LOT of webboard discussion & other pages that talk about this event, and certainly some that go into greater detail than we do here. After I thought about it for a while, I figured we'd just tell it like a story, taking everything that we can possibly remember from our 2 days in Red Bank in order, as well as throwing in some thoughts on the flicks (especially Flies & Better Place). Of course, we'll need lots of photos, ALL of which were provided by the fine folks whose names you see at the top of the page. By the way, if we forgot anyone or you'd like a photo that we used removed, please let us know!

So, without further delay, here's News Askew's VulgarThon '98 Wrap-Up. Finally. We hope you enjoy it.

-Brad & Chris

Sure, we thought knowing Vincent and chatting with him in the past would bias us somewhat when we watched the film but, trust us, this film blew us away. It is a GREAT film, and by all means an AMAZING achievement in the fact that it's Vincent's first effort (written, directed and edited by him as well). You know when a director pulls a Rodriguez and handles the editing chores himself that you're seeing EXACTLY what was planned for you to see. And it shows.

We're not going to give much of the plot away (Vinnie would KILL us!), but the story centers around an unusual friendship between two high school teens, Ryan [Eion Bailey] (a strong, self-chosen outcast) and Barret [Robert DiPatri] , a new kid in town/school who instantly becomes a target for the school bullies. The script is very good, and the performances that Vincent was able to get out of his actors gave the movie a very realistic look and feel. And the guy knows how to edit a scene and move or angle the camera to keep you involved in a scene. While the film's basically a drama, there are a few violent moments that are quite shocking (and sometimes graphic), which add to the film's intensity. We can't say enough about this film, and hope to see it again soon!

Vinnie reveals that quite a few scenes of the film were shot on locations where they didn't exactly have permission to do so, but we notice a familiar site right from the start: The interior and exterior of Vincent's own home, which was used quite a bit (We remember the place from our "Big Helium Dog" set visit last summer. Read about it!).

As we said, the Q&A was spectacular, and we're sure you'll see some of it on the VulgarThon wrap-up video. We know that Vincent likes to keep a tight lip about his film, so talking in more detail about the topics during the session may give too much away, so we'll leave it at that.

Now, THIS is where the bomb gets dropped: Kevin says that, although the critics may come down hard on them, "...the film after "Dogma" will be a Clerks Sequel". Applause breaks out amongst the crowd after a moment of shock and confusion. So many questions! So little time. Kevin asks us to keep the news to ourselves, but it of course leaks out little by little. Still no REAL confirmation from Kevin himself as to whether this is fact or just a joke.

We were treated to the famous "monkey story" an anecdote that we'd heard during the "Chasing Amy" Q&A at Rutgers (Read the summary here!). Also, we begin having some problems with the PA system. Kevin gets frustrated and starts doing his best to raise his voice loud enough for us to hear, without a microphone. Jay slips out during this, and soon returns triumphantly with a megaphone blaring some horrible attention-getting sound, eliciting laughter and cheers from the crowd. Kevin continues for a while using the megaphone. It's a classic moment.

Next, we heard a LONG, drawn out tale of the plans for Mallrats 2: "Die Hard in a Mall". Bluntman & Chronic were going to make a huge, drawn out appearance in a Batman-esque sequence where Brodie sent the "Blunt signal" in to the sky after he and T.S.'s significant others got abducted and taken to the mall. After Kevin ripped Jay from a roomful of beautiful females hanging all over him (much to Jay's displeasure), they were going to suit up as B&C, just to head out the front door and next door to Brodie's apartment. Eventually, the tables were going to be turned when the guys got kidnapped and the girls had to come to their rescue. Alright, it's funnier when you hear it in person. Kevin added a disclaimer to the effect of how ridiculous the whole thing was (and periodically said "The Fucking BLUNT SIGNAL?!?!" throughout the remainder of the "Mallrats" Q&A.

The studio and Kevin himself thought for sure they had a winner on their hands with Rats. They eagerly awaited its release...And, well, you know the rest. Needless to say, all hopes for a sequel went right out the window, which (thankfully) led to the next View Askew project: "Chasing Amy". Everything happens for a reason.

The FIRST question pops up is about a soundtrack for the film, which is greeted by shouts of "SUMMARIES!!", the first we'd heard all day, surprisingly. We can't hear very well from the back of the theatre, but Kevin mentions that we'd just given him a soundtrack and gives our site a plug. That was nice to hear.

Here's a new one on us...It turns out that "Chasing Amy" was originally conceptualized as a PG-13 "Clueless"-like movie, except with a lesbian. Boy, are we glad they changed THAT. I mean, sure Clueless has it's amusing moments, but come on.

A neat little exchange occurs between Kevin and Bob Hawk (who's standing on the sidelines), about what makes a "great movie". Bob calls "Chasing Amy" a "very good movie" and "Pulp Fiction" a "great movie". Obviously, this sparks some great discussion and comebacks from Kevin and Scott, but it's all in good fun. This leads the Q&A in a different direction that we've seen in the past, with Kevin discussing some other directors and his opinions on what's said about him in the press.

Finally, a hilarious incident during the Q&A involved a question about the Entertainment Weekly blurb which linked Kevin to Guin Turner, and suggested that the "Chasing Amy" "boy meets lesbian" story was lifted from this relationship. The second this question was asked, without missing a beat, Kevin passed the microphone to Scott! Apparently, SCOTT was the guilty party involved in this little fiasco. He modestly claimed smugly that nothing came out of his attempts and got the mic back to Kevin, fairly quickly, we might add. Another classic moment.

Kevin's said that the "Chasing Amy" Q&A in theater 2 was his favorite, while the "Mallrats" Q&A in theater 1 was another good one. It was a solid way to put an end to the festival.

Kim talks to us for a few minutes and tells us how much that she appreciates the News Askew website, since it saves Kevin so much time. She says that she often reads it over his shoulder and finds it very enjoyable, and that Kevin has us bookmarked in his favorites. It's hearing stuff like that that makes all of this worthwhile! What a great way to end the day...