• Kevin’s been keeping up with both the online blogs and SModcast regularly, so we hope that you’re making stops at Silent Bob Speaks, Myspace, and Quick Stop Entertainment part of your regular web travels. We’re going to stick with posting stuff from these sites that we feel might be newsworthy, but leave the more day-to-day type stuff for you to discover at those sites on your own. That being said, while the big news from Kevin’s last week of blogging surrounded the current, well, state of “Red State”, there were a few other snippets we figured we’d pull out for the news archives as well. Keep in mind, this stuff comes from last week, as Kevin has been blogging usually over the weekends, summarizing the previous week in one shot.

  Here’s a few random passages from here, and our interpretation of possible hints that lie within:

  “I spend most of day buried in my office, writing the second draft of “Zack and Miri Make a Porno.” Even with the new stuff, I wind up taking the page count down to 110.” [NA: Sounds like we're getting close to a good running time! Won't be long til the scripts final now.]

  “I wake up and do a radio tour for the book and “Reaper”, doing about ten or fifteen radio stations around the country.” [NA: If anyone has any audio captures of these interviews, let us know.]

  “…I finally get to see “Spider-Man 3? - a movie in which many people cry, sing, and dance.” [NA: Sounds about right to us - nice assessment.]

  “…I head home, talking to Carla about “Zack and Miri” casting en route.” [NA: We can't wait until some of this casting is finally revealed. They're doing a fantastic job keeping it under wraps!]

  “…I shower and head to lunch with Dawn Ostroff, head of the CW, at Ca Del Sole.” [NA: More Reaper on the way, or perhaps another directing stint for another show?]

  As always, the full story is available free, 24/7 via MySpace and Silent Bob Speaks! We’ll pick through the next blog entry with more observations, of course. Until then…

• Once again, and possibly for the last time ever, View Askew fans lined the streets of Westwood, CA over the weekend for the final event at Stash West - Kevin’s book signing. We’ve got a couple photos above for you from the event. Got a report or a story on your day? Let us know.

  Want more in-depth coverage of the event and the festivities afterwards? Our pal Will at Radio Askew has you covered. For the first time in Radio Askew’s 54 episodes, Kevin Smith himself is a guest, a major guest on this on-location episode, live from Stash Westwood. The show, taped live and uncut at 1 AM in the morning, captures the party atmosphere at the store and features 38 minutes of Will and Kevin discussing a variety of topics. The loglines, direct from Radio Askew themselves:

  | LIVE show from the West Coast Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash!
  | Kevin Smith and Bryan Johnson in the hizzy!
  | Kevin talks SModcast.
  | SModcast, mixed at Skywalker Ranch?
  | Kevin tells us why he does the VA Poker Games.
  | Kevin Smith almost chose Dexter over signing books.
  | Kevin’s top 4 TV shows on air right now.
  | Another retelling of what happened with BSG.
  | Where’s Mewes’ iPhone?
  | How did Kevin get his iPhone?
  | Will comes off as a homophobe (way to go Will)
  | Brief Poker Tournament recap.
  | About ‘My Boring-Ass Life’
  | Kevin on his Letterman Experience
  | Kevin vs. Radio Askew?
  | Kevin a Master of All Media?
  | Will incorrectly credits Malcolm Ingrim with Ethan Suplee’s alternative Mallrats title.
  | Will owes Kevin a handy.
  | RUN MING!

  
  Kevin does indeed confirm that pre-production on Zack and Miri happens in November, and filming in January. With cold, snowy temps in Pittsburgh, could THAT be our shooting locale? We’d sure love it as it’s just a 3 hour drive into set for us if that’s the case. Also, we second the nomination for “Dexter” as one of last year’s best shows — The first season was indeed fantastic. Check out season 2, airing now on Showtime. But there’s so much more.

  Visit the official Radio Askew site to check out this episode and all of Will’s great work over the years. Like SModcast, it’s a free MP3 podcast that’s done purely for the joy of it, as a gift to all the fans out there. Kudos to Will on the ultimate “get” - A live Kevin Smith exclusive interview!

• As part of the weeklong blog entry we’ll summarize for you next, the biggest news was the fate of “Red State” — Last we’d heard, the script was in the hands of the brothers Weinstein, who get the first look at anything Kevin does. The script is completely unconventional compared to Kevin’s other work, from what we hear, and all who’ve laid eyes on it have been shocked by its bleakness, claiming it to be totally different from anything he’s written before. That being said, on the last Friday in September, the answer regarding the film’s funding came in:
  When we land in La Guardia, I get phone call from Weinstein Company exec Michael Cole who tells me about a meeting he and Harvey took with our potential Zack’s agent. He also drops the bomb, which doesn’t really explode so much as lay there, as Scott and I were pretty much expecting it…

  Harvey and Bob are passing on “Red State.”

  It’s the first time Harvey and Bob have passed on anything I’ve wanted to do, but if they were gonna pass on anything, this’d be the one to do it on. The only explanation Michael gives me is “Harvey thought it was more of a Bob flick and then Bob didn’t get it. They’d rather just concentrate on ‘Zack and Miri’ at the moment, which we’re all pumped about.”

  Naturally, this makes me wanna make “Red State” even more than I did just prior to that phone call. I get excited thinking about having to raise financing for our hot potato of a flick. This represents a turning point of sorts for Scott and I, inasmuch as everything (with the exception of “Mallrats”) has been made with the Weinsteins. It might be nice to see if we can get something done without them. Whether it’ll be nice or not, however, it’s what’s in the cards, as they don’t feel the flick is very commercial. And, in truth, on the surface, it may not be - unless we get the buzz I think we’ll get off the festival circuit. Regardless, it’s not something we’ll have to think about ’til after we’re done with “Zack and Miri Make a Porno.”

  Other sites such as The Movie Blog and /film have picked up on the story as well, offering up their own thoughts. What do we think? Kevin’s determined to do it, and he’s got a LOT of friends and exposure out there. With the Weinstein’s passing, and Kevin’s penchant for doing flicks on the cheap like no one else, we’re betting that the crew finds a way to do this on a really small budget with a new distributor. We’ll keep you posted with news on “Red State”, though it seems the main focus will remain on “Zack and Miri Make A Porno” for now. With a possible biz strike hitting at the end of June 2008, if “Red State” does happen, it will likely do so immediately after Z&M, we’re figuring on a late winter or early Spring lensing. So, expect Kevin and Scott to continue their search for a way to make the movie happen.

• The final segment of the marathon IGN interview with Kevin is now available, bringing with it more interesting tidbits — In fact, of all the interviews Kevin has been giving lately, this one’s by far had the most “meat” in it, especially as far as new projects are concerned. So, if ya missed it, you best go back and check out parts one and two. For those of you up to date, here’s some interesting segments from the latest edition, with a few of our comments afterwards:
  IGN TV: And you’re doing another Q&A for DVD right?

  Smith: Yeah, we shot it on my birthday in Red Bank [New Jersey]. It comes out I think the first quarter of 08. Those are fun, and also there’s a never-ending font of material for that s***. I remember when we wrapped the last one, Evening Harder, there was instantly six new stories that I started doing at Q&As that just grew out of stuff that happened since we recorded the second one. So I feel like we had enough material to go off of. And I feel like they’re kind of a god-send, because once you do the DVD, you never have to tell those stories again. I haven’t told that Superman story in I can’t tell you how long. Probably since that DVD. Now if people ask I say, you know what, there’s a half hour version of that story on the DVD, you can totally check it out. It’s really nice for putting s*** to bed and forces you to come up with new s*** to talk about.

  IGN TV: Have you cast the new actress [for Miri]?

  Smith: Not yet. We have our Zack and Miri but nothing is locked yet. And lord knows if the Rosario situation taught me anything it’s to keep my f***ing fool mouth shut until I see a signed contract. So there are two people. One who is in, but our deal with him is not closed, and the Miri I’m going to go to I’m pretty sure she wants to do it.

  IGN TV: I see this as another area where you can get into trouble. You talk so much about the process and what has happened along the way. Then you go to this actress and she knows that she’s second choice, in a way. Not that that doesn’t happen all the time in this town, but was there a way that you had to spin it?

  Smith: I mean no, because she wasn’t even second choice. She would be first choice because in my mind Rosario was just doing it. She was like “Hey man, whatever you’re doing I want to do.” And said “Right on.” So there was almost no choice, it was just written with Rosario in mind. So then when Rosario took the other job, I was just like “Oh s***, no I have to go to a choice.” So this actress winds up being the first choice.

  IGN TV: How about Ranger Danger and the Danger Rangers? You still planning on doing that?

  Smith: Yeah, I think I’m going to be ready to do that one man. Once I’m done with Zack and Miri and Red State that’s the one I would like to do next. Especially after Reaper I feel way more comfortable shooting something that is a little more action-oriented.

  IGN TV: So what’s next for you? The very next thing that I don’t know about.

  Smith: Well, Zack and Miri hopefully. Mid-January we start, I think January 15th we’re looking at for a start date. So there’s that, and if there’s no strike, or if we can fit it in pre-strike we’ll go right into Red State, if I can get the f***ing money for it.

  
  So there ya have it. From the sound of it, while Zack and Miri are in talks for the roles, nothing’s signed yet — So KEVIN knows, but we don’t. Bummer eh? Still, with a proposed mid-January start date, that sounds like we’ll be getting some big news soon, on actors, budget, shooting locations, and more. We’re stoked. As for “Red State”, it sounds like it’ll happen, but probably under different circumstances and distribution than the last flicks. It’s just a matter of the right folks getting the script (are you listening, Lion’s Gate?). Finally, with “Ranger Danger” still on his mind, it’s a good bet this will come at some point in the future, though we doubt this is the fabled View Askewniverse X film (10th film) that Kevin has mentioned in the past. We have a feeling THAT movie is something we haven’t heard a peep about it.

  Want more? Read the full interview for details on Kevin’s comics career, the “Red State” role he offered to Bruce Willis, and more. Yeah, we TOLD ya, it’s worth reading! So what’s stopping ya?

• Kevin posted a couple of new blog entries over the last day covering a variety of topics including Red State, Zack and Miri, and the upcoming release of Kevin’s new book “My Boring-Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith”. Check out some choice bits here and as always, check out the blogs (Silent Bob Speaks or MySpace) for the full posts…
  
  It’s another barely-leave-the-house kinda day, as I spend the morning checking email, IMing and blogging. My brother calls to talk about “Red State” (I forwarded him a copy as well), and we wind up chatting and bullshitting for three hours. He’s a good guy, my brother.

  
  After that, I spend a majority of the day working on the “Heroes” script in my bedroom office while Harley has another play-date and Jen runs errands.

  
  …

  
  Wake up to the following email, from Brian Lynch, who I’d sent the “Red State” script the night before.

  
  

  
  That was bold. And a great read. Seeing the movie would be a completely different matter, as I think I would watch most of it through my fingers. It would scare the living shit out of me. What a tense, shocking and insanely downbeat time at the movies that would be.
  

  
  

  
  And remember, it’s only about 2 weeks until the release of “My Boring-Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith”. Reserve your signed copy from the Stash now!

• Kevin’s taking advantage of his expansive DVD collection this week as the latest blog entry goes over some of the classics that he and Jen are taking in, along with online poker woes, and yeah, more about “Red State”, the flick that’s got a lot of attention over the past few days. Take a look at a coupls passages here:
  The GPS device was a gift from Mewes last Christmas, which sat in my office for eight months before I finally mustered the courage to investigate it further. Having become a big fan of the Nev-R-Lost GPS system in most Hertz rental cars, I figured it was finally time to plug in the Mewes-gifted version to see if I could program it. As it turns out, all the programming I had to do was turn the unit on. Now, I live and die by this machine, which allows the user to choose from different accents and genders for the vocal prompts (I chose the British woman’s voice). Even when I know exactly where I’m going and how to get there, I still employ the unit - if for no other reason than to hear it say “Recalculating” when I deviate from the suggested path. Indeed, I’ve stopped listening to the satellite radio or the iPod in the car, as I find the polite-but-firm GPS commands so soothing.

  
  …

  
  Based on Scott’s notes, I take the script from 96 pages to 89 pages. It’s easily the shortest feature script I’ve ever written, since there’s not nearly as much dialogue in “Red State” as in my other flicks, and it’s the dialogue that usually gets my page count up around the 120 average. But that 89 pages is somewhat deceptive, as there are long stretches of descriptive text that will skew the page-a-minute ratio. In other words, the flick won’t be 89 minutes; it’ll probably be closer to two hours.

  Gotta love it, as the GPS thing is totally relatable. It’s details like those that continue to make this blog such a gem. Just as well as the big news comes along, those little anecdotes about the day to day will never get old. Surf over to Silent Bob Speaks or the Myspace Real Kevin Smith page for the latest (and all) blog entries from the beginning.

• With a completed script, the hype’s building for “Red State”, with some fans now salivating for this one even moreso than “Zack and Miri”, quite the flip from comments we’ve been hearing as well as our recent poll here at News Askew. Seems that the promise of new territory and a very risky subject and plot have us all looking for more info. /film took the time to gather up ALL the post-scripting questions from the boards, answered by Kevin himself, and shares it up today at their site . If some of it sounds familar, we’ve ran a few tidbits before, though this presents a nice compliation and a few other posts that you may not have seen just yet. We’ve got a few highlights dead ahead:
  “I have a hard time classifying it as a “horror flick” because, while it shares some of the genre conventions, it’s just not what most would consider a horror flick. Horrific, yes, but not a horror flick in terms of the general definition. Let’s put it this way: if “Rosemary’s Baby” can be classified as a horror flick, then “Red State” can be as well.”

  
  ““Requiem for a Dream” is a pretty bleak (but insanely well-made) flick. This is more bleak than that.”

  No View Askew regulars are in mind for any parts in the film at this time. Kudos to the folks at /film for putting this together. We’ll of course keep up with the latest news on the film right here at News Askew.

• As promised, Kevin’s blog updates on his day-to-day continue at the usual spots online. We won’t be doing a daily alert to each posting (we urge you to visit the official sites for that), but we will be clipping any tidbits relating directly to the news aspect of upcoming projects, or other items of interest. Sort of a blog Cliff’s Notes, if you will. Thursday’s blog featured the most extensive report of the week, where Kevin relates the Battlestar Galactica saga (and shares some jealousy-inducing photos). We also hear a bit more about “Red State”. Here’s some Galactica tidbits for ya:
  A few months back I got a call from Endeavor (where I’m repped) saying the folks at “Galactica” were asking if I’d wanted to direct an episode. I asked for some time to think about it, because while I love that show, I honestly felt there was nothing I could bring to it. When I directed the “Reaper” pilot, we were creating the world/tone/look from the ground-up. “Galactica” has been on the air for a few years now, has a genius staff of writers who’ve created a brilliant mythology and many hours of compelling television, and sports a distinctive look that’s never deviated from. In truth, I’m more a writer than a director, but I wouldn’t be writing my “Galactica” episode (nor would I want to; I’m not a good enough writer to tackle a “Galactica” script, to be honest); and in terms of directing… well, when a show’s been up and running as long as “Galactica”, and the look is established and distinctive, it’s not like a visiting director jumps aboard and says “I’m gonna change everything for my episode…” - particularly for a show that’s gonna be in it’s final season.

  
  I mean, does anyone remember when Quentin directed an episode of “E.R.”? When all was said and done, even with a genius like Quentin at the helm, that episode looked like every other episode of “E.R.”. The same can be said of his recent stint directing “C.S.I.” (Quentin, apparently, only directs shows with initials as titles). And that’s not me criticizing Quentin - not in the least; that’s me saying that, when a successful television show is up-and-running (not in the pilot stage), nobody is allowed to come in and alter the status quo.

  
  Kevin goes on to explain what happened from that point, including a reprinted e-mail from David Eick (one of the geniuses behind the show). In short, due to the uncertainly and their thinking Kevin would be a tough get due to the “Heroes” gig, the position for the episode was filled while Kevin was contemplating the gig. There’s so much more, and it’s a much better read, so be sure and check out the full entry.

And a taste of the “Red State” stuff:

…I check email, where I find a few more thoughts from Dan Etheridge on “Red State”…


I have to say, I haven’t really been able stop thinking about the script since yesterday. That’s surely one sign. Malcolm and I were IM’ing this morning, debating points about it.


He made one good point, in that he’s read the other movie you’re shooting (apparently a tonal opposite of RED STATE). He said making that movie first might make the subversive nature of RED STATE more possible. True, I think.


Anyway, you sure did write a helluva provocative script.

The script for “Red State” will be officially submitted this week. Everyone who’s read it so far has had a very strong reaction, and that’s a great sign. This one sounds bleak and so different than anything View Askew has done before — It’s going to be tough resisting reading this or spoilers before we see the film, as we’re already intrigued beyond belief.

For the latest, complete, unabridged posts from Kevin Smith, subscribe yourself to his Myspace blog or visit the “My Boring-Ass Life” blogsite.

• You asked for, and the man has delivered. With a new entry today, Kevin promises to resume a more regular blog schedule, where he’ll once again detail his day-to-day, even if he feels it’s not that interesting to the general public (for the record, we’re enthralled by it all, just as the rest of you are). You can visit the official blog site as well as Kevin’s Myspace for the complete entry. Here’s a taste of what you’ll see in today’s trimphant return, which features “Red State” details, poker, and flicks:
  Finished “Red State” around 1-ish. Totally different than anything I’ve written before. Very fucked up. Shortest script I’ve ever written, too, as well as the least dialogue-driven (not to say there’s not a lot of dialogue in it still; just not nearly as much as I’m used to writing). It’s a weird, relentlessly bleak and extremely unsettling affair, that “Red State” script. If you didn’t know I wrote it, and you read it, and I told you afterwards that I’d written it, you’d be like “Bullshit.”

  
  After letting said story stew in my head for nearly a year, the actual writing of “Red State” didn’t take very long at all. Granted, I’d done about twenty pages of an outline that I worked off of, but from the moment I started the actual screenplay (from “INT AIRPORT - DAY”) to the moment I finished what I’d consider the first draft (”The End”), it was a five day affair.

  
  When I’d gotten to page 87, I sent it to Scott, Malcolm and Bryan to read. All came back thumbs up. Mosier had excellent notes and suggestions, as per usual, so I went back, stripped stuff out, wrote new stuff, and wound up with 84 pages. 11 pages later, I was done. Like I said: shortest script (in terms of page count) I’ve ever written.

  
  Mos was out when I finished writing, so the first person I sent the end pages to was Malcolm. Malcolm IM’s me back, quite simply, “I dare you.” That made me chuckle.

  
  The blog’s been a fascinating read since it first started a couple years ago, so we say WELCOME BACK to what looks to be some daily, at least more regular posts. Fascinating stuff that the dude can manage to pull all nighters watching 90’s flicks and playing online poker. Ah, the life of Hollywood, eh? We’ll of course remind you of anything interesting that shows up in the blogs as they continue, though we of course encourage you to make Kevin’s blog pages a part of your daily web travels.

  
  A few other “Red State” bits from the board as well. Regarding fears over the budget and subject matter:

  “We’re kind of anticipating… reluctance, shall we say, from the money people. This flick wouldn’t necessarily occur to some as “audience-friendly” on the page. It’s one thing to hand them a script full of funny stuff with proven characters that a niche audience has enjoyed previously; it’s another thing to hand them this.

  
  Which is not to say that I fully expect them to show me the door. I just wouldn’t be shocked if Harvey and Bob were like “We can’t go for the ride with you on this one, Kevin.” In that instance, Scott and I would just explore other financing avenues that’ve historically shown interest in what we do (Lionsgate, indie investors, etc).”

  
  And on the excitement level over making the picture:

  “A bit. Because it’s outside of our wheelhouse, there’s a touch more excitement, due to the fact that we’re heading into unchartered (for us) waters on this one.”

  
  Kevin and Scott plan to bounce some further script tweaks off of each other before the pass it on to Harvey and Bob. Once again, expect more psychological horror than gore, but from the sound of it, this one’s gonna be way intense. Man we’re stoked. Two totally different but COOL films scheduled for 2008 from View Askew. Keep with us for the latest!
  

• You heard it here first, folks — Kevin scoops us tonight with the news that he’s finished his first draft of “Red State”, his first foray into the horror genre. The exciting news here is that it sounds so DIFFERENT than anything we’ve seen in the 14 years of the View Askewniverse, in tone, dialogue, and running time. Like that leaked script page of “Zack and Miri”, this blurb from Kevin will be remembered as that first post that really sent our minds spinning about the possibilities. Here’s Kevin:
  It is written.

  
  Finished “Red State” today.

  
  Shortest flick (in terms of page count) that I ever wrote. Least amount of dialogue, too (not to say there’s no dialogue; just that there’s about half as much as I normally write).

  
  Unlike any other script I’ve ever authored, to say the least. Very fucked up. If I’d never said anything about it in the press and put it out under a pseudonym, I doubt anyone would ever connect me with it.

  
  Can’t wait to shoot it.

  
  Kevin’s kept the plot details of this one fairly secretive so far — We know that there’s a very small cast set for this one, though no credible rumors regarding the roles at this stage of the game. We know it’s horror but not in the traditional sense. Due to the a small cast, we’re not expecting to see a mass murder bloodbath type picture here, but something likely more psychological. Kevin compared it to “The Shining” in a recent interview.

  
  Stick with us for the latest news on “Red State” and everything else in the Askewniverse. This is the first time we can recall that Kevin’s had TWO scripts written and ready for shooting at once. We’re anxiously awaiting for these two post-Clerks II follow ups.