- Austin, Texas continues to be a film lover’s mecca with Fantastic Fest, now happening this weekend, where “Zack And Miri Make a Porno” has won over more fans with an early screening presented by Kevin Smith himself. What we love to see, and continue to see, is the outpouring of love for this film. While this is by far the most early reviews we’ve ever seen for a film, it’s also easily the most praised of Kevin’s work. Fans are not only liking this one, but practically ever review we’re getting is using quotes like “one of Kevin Smith’s career best”, “more heartfelt than any View Askew production since Chasing Amy”, and “Zack and Miri is funny. Very funny.” People are LOVING the movie, predicting major box office this Fall, and showering “Zack And Miri” (and its writer-director) with praise. It’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen in over 10+ years running this site, and it’s certainly a reason for celebration. Everywhere the movie goes, people go wild.
Due to the schedule, Kevin only had time for a brief Q&A after the screening, we’re told, so we’re going to focus this story on the reviews from the fest itself. In some instances, we were sent some exclusives, which we’ll run in full, in others, where reviews are available on other websites, we’ll pick some select quotes, with links to the full review. As always, we’ll warn where spoilers are coming, for those of you (like us) who are trying to remain as fresh as possible when walking into the theater next month.It’s important to note, by the way, we’re not being selective and picking out the “good” ones. They are all good. A few come from notoriously tough to please reviewers at Austin-based “Aint It Cool News” as well, so these aren’t softballs. We’ve yet to see a negative from anyone, anywhere. So here we go, in no particular order:
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EXCLUSIVE: “Zack & Miri Early Review”, George Efta (NO SPOILERS)
I can’t give a number/star rating on this film (IE-3 out of 4 stars, ect) because I missed 25% of it…because the audience’s reaction was so strong, their laughter, applause, cheers and gasps drowned out the dialogue.
Suffice to say, I really enjoyed the film. It’s anywhere between a 8 and 10 out of 10 right now and when I’m able to re-watch it when it’s released on Oct. 31st, I’m sure I’ll enjoy it even more.
The dialogue is spot on all throughout with great performances from everyone. The stand-out for me is Elizabeth Banks (Miri). She was wonderful and didn’t miss a beat in her layered performance. She plays everything from drunk, to nervous, to angry, to jealous to frustrated to embarrassed to happy to sad and everything in-between. Her chemistry with Seth (Zack) was great from their first scene and their relationship is both real and very touching.
Seth is back in another great role/performance. There is one scene that stands out in this flick…an excited monologue in the coffee house where he works as he explains his plans for the movie he and his friends are going to shoot…wonderful, funny, emotional stuff.
The supporting cast are all wonderful and interesting. Craig Robinson (as has been said before) is the heart of the film, with my favorite line, my favorite supporting character story (he and his wife, as well as his responsibilities as “producer”) and a very strong performance. Ricky Mabe has the least to do, but gets in a few laughs with his partner in the film (both the film and the film within the film) Traci Lords. Jason Mewes (Jay as he’s know to Smith’s legions) is wonderful here with more to do, more to say and a different way of saying it than any other flick he’s done.
The visuals are also on display here with some beautiful locations, lighting and costumes, as well as great set designs. The camera moves here, but not in a over active way: we get crane shots, some slow motions, some POV footage…the flick looks great. Smith and Co. have done a great job of capturing the feel of the film in a visual way which really complements the script.
Speaking of the script…the story is a lot of fun. The “let’s put on a show” mentality mixed with a group of people who’ve found something to elevate themselves mixed with a very sweet love story is tough not to love. There are a few twists and turns story wise (and a LOT of visual surprises I won’t spoil here) and when the credits roled, I felt pretty good (if a little frustrated that I missed so much because of so much laughter).
Anything negative to say? Not really…the film is very much a snow-ball type story where things start off nice and easy and build wonderfully as it goes on. There is a pre-credits tag to the film that is both a lot of laughs and a little more insight into what’s happened to the characters when the story ends…
So, lots of jokes and lots of small characters (Justin Long is very funny as a one scene character) and core of supporting players to move the story of Zack and Miri along…definitely give the film a which when you can (heck give it two watches) and be sure to tell your friends about it. Compared along this years comedies, “Zack and Miri” is near the head of the pack, if not in the lead with more surprises, more laughs and real, relatable characters at the center. One of Smith’s best films and one of the best of the year.
“Quint watches Zack and Miri Make A Porno!!!” – Aint It Cool News (VERY MINOR SPOILERS)
“…He [Robinson] is funny as hell in this movie and helps make it one of Kevin Smith’s career best. It has the heart, it has the raw talent of some of the best comedians working today and it takes the comedy and the world seriously. I love the cartoony slapstick comedy stuff Smith puts out just as much as the next View Askewniverse fanboy, but when you get a movie with some true heart and well-realized characters along with your tit and shit jokes everybody leaves happy.”
“Zack And Miri Make A Porno – The Geekscape Review” (SOME SPOILERS)
“In the age of free internet porn, this concept seems a bit ludicrous but Smith actually manages to make it credible. They only want to make enough money to pay off their bills and figure they can sell to their old classmates thinking that anyone would pay to see someone they went to school with naked. The world of porn is pretty ripe for comedy (it’s basically one step removed from being comedy anyways) and Smith definitely takes advantage of this and creates some hilarious bits out of it.”
“The Beef takes in [...] ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO at Fantastic Fest!!!” (NO SPOILERS)
“…Without question Kevin Smith’s most accomplished film to date. Without question. Take the hilarity of your favorite Kevin Smith film, mix it with the sensitivities he displayed in JERSEY GIRL, and throw in a shitload of language and nudity to ensure that it never plays on TNT. The film is all of this, and more. Kevin Smith really has made the ultimate date movie.”
While we’ve only seen a few of the professional critics review this one so far, the important part are the viewing public. So if what we see above is any indication of how the movie will be received next month, we’ve got a feeling that Kevin, the cast, the crew, and the Weinstein Co. are all going to have a very happy Fall 2008.
Fantastic Fest: Interviews & Coverage…
- You’ve just finished reading the praise for “Zack And Miri” at Fantastic Fest, now let’s take a look at some video coverage of the actual event, shall we?
First up, Fantastic Fest’s official blogsite runs video of a fun anecdone that Kevin presented prior the movie at the fest. Watch Kevin enter the screening, listen to some fan reaction and see the press line.There’s also a video of a few moment from the Q&A with Kevin and Scott from after the show. THIS HAS SPOILERS! Kevin discusses the NC-17 scenes and the Mewes performance.
Want more video? Yep, they also took video of the Air Sex competition that took place after the film.
Wetwired have posted a page that’s a running blog of the event. It features some photos from before and after the show, some brief thoughts on the film and the event, and a few minor spoilers.
And finally, a few Flickr pages featuring pics from the fest, and of course of Kevin on the scene, can be viewed at the official Fantastic Fest Flickr page as well as the FF Opening Night Party page. Enjoy multimedia!
View Askew NewsBites™
- Slate runs an excellent piece on the rise of the R-rated “Red Band” trailers and uses the recent “Zack And Miri Make a Porno” redband MPAA trailer that graced the web a few weeks ago as their opening example:
As you’d expect, the trailer for Kevin Smith’s Zack and Miri Make a Porno explains the movie’s premise: Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) become adult-movie stars when they can’t pay the rent. What you might not anticipate is the trailer’s extreme lewdness: Justin Long name-checking a gay porn film called Glen and Garry Suck Ross’ Meaty Cock or Rogen’s declaring that he’d be happy to watch “a tape of Rosie O’Donnell getting fucking stupid.” Vivid descriptions of male genitalia and Rosie O’Donnell in flagrante delicto—these are the glories of the red-band trailer.
It’s quite a good article, very well-written with tons of great examples from today and the past. Worth your valuable clicking time. - Actor/comedian Dane Cook brings up Kevin when naming his top 5 flicks to Rotten Tomatoes. From his selection of “The Dark Knight”:
“…It’s one of the greatest crime dramas out there. And when Kevin Smith lovingly compared it to Godfather II, it was before I had seen the movie and I thought, “Okay, this is jumping the shark. Kevin Smith, if I see him, I want to punch in the mouth. Because he has taken the hype machine and he’s cranked it up to 11 via Spinal Tap.” And I was unhappy with [his] statement.Now that I’ve sat through the movie, I want to French kiss Kevin Smith. He f–king nailed it. And this movie, The Dark Knight, it deserves the money its making. It’s epic, it’s classic, Heath Ledger would be amazing whether it was a posthumous performance, whatever. He’s awesome in it. I. Love. This. Movie. “
- Canadians may want to keep an eye on the Documentary Channel, which has been airing Malcolm Ingram’s View Askew production “Small Town, Gay Bar” over the weekend. Check your local listings.
- For those of you who watched the Backyard FX episode filmed in Leonardo outside Quick Stop which we mentioned last week, you can now watch the Part Two conclusion which just came online. Good stuff, and totally free.
New Pics From A “Porno”!
- A bunch of new quality stills from “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” have surfaced, courtesy of The Weinstein Co. It looks like a lot of these are production stills, meaning they’re not actually shots from the film, rather, these were taken for the purpose of being stills to help with the promotion of the film.
You can also see the stills with some commentary over at /Film and JoBlo. Click above for a closer high-resolution look at all these pretty pictures, which feature some of the best looks at the cast members we’ve seen so far. Every pic we see makes the wait ’til October 31st seem even tougher.
Cinema Verdict: A 9/10 For “Zack And Miri”!
- Cinema Verdict checks in with a very detailed review of “Zack And Miri Make a Porno”, and the flick sure passes all their tests with some flying colors. As per usual with a long form review, we warn you that there may be spoilers for some, though as far as reviews go this one seems to leave most of the specific gags out, which is a good thing. Here’s a few choice snippets from the final verdict (the rest all borders on low spoiler stuff so we’re keeeping away from reposting it):
Suck it, old school Kevin Smith fans: Zack and Miri is his best film to date.Charmingly sweet, Zack and Miri Make a Porno balances a heartwarming love story with full-on Kevin Smith-style dick and fart jokes. Honestly, it’s the best of both worlds, and audiences and critics alike are going to eat it up with a big, fat spoon.
Not that you’re not already convinced, but with every good review it’s looking like this one’s the breakout hit of the Fall.
View Askew NewsBites
- More Affleck on the way! Comingsoon.net reports that View Askew Icon Ben Affleck is not only about to direct his second feature film, but take on writing and starring duties as well. The film is called “The Town” and takes place in Charleston, Mass. Affleck would play a career thief who becomes smitten by the manager of a bank. The Movie Blog has some talkback and commentary as well.
- A long international wait for “Porno”? A Capetown, South Africa newspaper re-runs a “Zack And Miri” article that we’ve seen before (so nothing new, but still a few very minor spoilers). However, the news here is the release date for that part of the world: May 8, 2009! Yikes. That’s a while to wait. Fans in South Africa, take note. We’re not sure what other international dates are planned right now, but we will of course keep you informed as they are announced. For now, those of us in North America can’t wait til October 31st.
- “Clerks” star Marilyn Ghigliotti’s been quite active with appearances lately, so if you wanna catch her in person, hear a new interview, or check out her recent film, listen up: Marilyn stars in “Dead and Gone”, which will be screening this Saturday at MikomiCon at California State University, Northridge.
Next, on Tuesday morning, September 23rd, she’ll be interviewed from 9-11 AM EST on the Strange Dave Show.
Finally, don’t forget her in-person appearance at the Burbank Hollywood Collectors Show, on October 4th and 5th. She’s great with the fans and she loves meeting you folks, so be sure and stop by and say hello.
More Press For A “Porno”…
- While things have slowed down slightly from the barrage we saw winding down last week, the press continues to give “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” a great deal of coverage online and in print, especially considering the film is still a month and a half away from theatrical release. In fact, we can’t recall a larger amount of press hitting so far in advance for a past flick, though Kevin and the crew have been VERY low key up to this point. So, we suppose it’s turning into a sort of opening of the floodgates now that audiences have started catching premieres and screenings. Let’s take a peek at a few more stories and another review floating around the web today. The first article, from Salon.com, is particularly GOOD but we warn you, Kevin goes into detail on a few key moments in the film which were reasons that the film was first stuck with the NC-17. So consider them spoilers to a couple outrageous bits. It’s a very good article though with Kevin speaking at great length about the ratings process for the movie. Here we go:
Salon.com – “Mr. Smith makes a “Porno”" (Contains Spoilers)“…[They kicked back trailers] for tiny things, too. We had to argue [for] this one shot in the trailer: Craig Robinson’s sitting on the bed when he’s doing the “titty audition” scene — it sounds embarrassing to say that, but that’s what it is. And behind him there’s a poster on the wall for a small theatrical production called “Girl Parts for Boys.” It’s a drawing of two kids in diapers, just holding out their diapers and looking down. You don’t see anything. But they flagged that. They said, You can’t show that in a green-band [approved-for-all-audiences] trailer.
And we were like, What are you talking about? It’s not even dirty. It’s not even a subliminal dirty reference. We were like, How stringent does it get? “
The Onion AV Club – “The MPAA Hates Kevin Smith”
“…The MPAA, the film ratings organization that keeps us safe from dangerous movie guns pointed directly at our innocent eyes, recently banned the following poster for Kevin Smith’s upcoming movie, Zack & Miri Make A Porno. Their reason? Suggestively placed backs of heads.”
“…This was the funniest movie of the year in my opinion. Before the summer I was really looking forward to “Step Brothers,” “Pineapple Express” and “Tropic Thunder,” as the hype I heard surrounding each of the films was nothing but positive, and each lived up to their hype. I knew “ZAMMAP” was coming out in late October but had heard practically nothing on it until only recently, with positive reviews coming out about it. So I was pumped going in, expecting a great Kevin Smith film, and that’s exactly what I got.”
Associated Press – “Elizabeth Banks flits from first lady to `Porno’” (Contains Spoilers)
“…”I thought, how ironic. A porn princess and the first lady in one year,” Smith said. “It’s also just fun to mark the irony in the fact that two weeks prior to getting down and dirty in our movie, she’s probably not being down and dirty in the other movie.”"
View Askew NewsBites
- We’ve been keeping an eye on the Count Basie website, and it looks like tickets to Kevin’s upcomning Q&A have just about totally sold out (they may be gone by the time you’re reading this). If you have been holding off on getting your seats, now is the time to log in or call the Count Basie to secure your seats. This WILL sell out, just like last time. Kevin takes the stage at 7 PM on Friday, November 7th, hot on the heels of the release of “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”.
- And speaking of the Basie, here’s a couple stills from LAST year’s Basie bash for Kevin’s 37th birthday — These fresh shots come to us as we prepare to screen “Threevening”, out on DVD on October 21st. More details on that release soon, as we’re hoping for a possible Stash event/signing or at least your chance to grab a signed copy directly from us. Stay tuned.
- As its Fall release approaches, DC comics are ramping up the promotions for Kevin’s return to comics with “Batman: Cacophony”. Take a peek at the ad and editorial that appeared in the back of some new DC comics this week. Some folks found it amusing that they showed a picture of the first two scripts. The scan also reveals a few of the other villains Kevin has appearing in the 3-part series, so read if you’re curious, but be careful if you want to save them for surprises. As always, we’re sure Kevin has something very special planned for us in November. Can’t wait.
- Comedian Joshua Sankey’s latest newsletter confirms that his scene in “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” was one of the casualties of the editing process when Kevin was cutting scenes for time. Hopefully, we’ll see his work on the eventual DVD (the gang always saves ALL this stuff).
- FirstShowing picks up on the current status of “Red State”. While the article contains no new information, it’s a nice summary of the events we’ve reported over the past few months regarding the project. As of today, as far as we know, additional funding is still needed to get the project off the ground. The last quote was around $5 million, quite low as far as budgets go these days.
- Seems a group of atheists in Cincinatti have chosen Buddy Christ as their meetup logo. Interesting.
Official Zack and Miri US Poster Is Here!
- Kevin’s released the official USA one-sheet theatrical poster for “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” and it’s a very pleasant surprise. We think posters like this almost force passers-by to stop and read them, so it’s an immediate attention-grabber. Plus, it’s funny and actually TRUE, not just a marketing gimmick.
This one’s sure gonna look great on the wall hanging amongst its fellow View Askew posters from films past. Kudos to the gang on a job well done, and yet another unique and compelling promotional item from the flick.
Kevin In South Carolina (USC) – September 17th!
- Kevin Smith does his famous Q&A thing at the University of South Carolina next Wednesday, September 17, 2008. The event’s been in the books for a while, but the BIG news is that they have just made the event PUBLIC, meaning a limited supply of tickets (500, to be exact), are now available for purchase by ANYONE.
Tickets for university students, faculty and staff are a mere $5 with a valid USC ID and available at the Russell House Information Desk. Tickets for the public are $15 per person plus service charges and are available at the Carolina Coliseum, all Capitol Tickets outlets, online at www.capitoltickets.com or via phone at 803-251-2222. Yes, you read that right. FIVE or FIFTEEN BUCKS. That’s IT!!!!Basically USC students can ONLY get them at the student union and the general public can ONLY get them at the locations mentioned above. As the number released is VERY limited, you should buy your tix immediately, as we know they will sell out. There’s no way they’ll last at that price or amount. Have a blast at the show, the first time we can remember Kevin visiting the state in a while, if ever.