The word “drama” isn’t one normally associated with the comedic Smith, but it’s certainly something he can add to his repertoire considering his expert handling of the dramatic moments in “Jersey Girl.” It’s important to note, however, that it’s not 100 percent drama; the film is as hilarious and upbeat as fans have come to expect from Smith, only this time the jokes are propelled by words as opposed to, say, a monkey. Think of it as a more anchored “Chasing Amy,” without Jay and Silent Bob and, instead of being about the love you’ll never have (a man and a lesbian), it’s about the love everyone can have—a father and his child.

UNO DRIFTWOOD - "'Jersey Girl' opens to rave reviews"

Are you intimidated by the fact that the Green Hornet movie is in your hands?

Absolutely. This is by far bigger and more expensive than any movie I’ve ever done. That’s definitely a little scary. Harvey Weinstein was great in kind of pushing me into that role. I didn’t want the job at first, thought it was way too much responsibility; just too much on my shoulders. Weinstein talked me into writing an outline for what my Hornet movie would be like, took one look at it and said this is exactly what we’re looking for. You’re doing the Green Hornet movie.

So Jason Lee is all set to play the next Fletch, right?

If I have my say, absolutely. Miramax is looking in another direction than that of Lee for the Fletch role but I’m hoping that “Green Hornet” does really well so then I can just say it’s Lee or nobody.

[FULL STORY]

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KANSAS CITY STAR - "Puppies & Potty Mouths"

...“God willing, this will be Ben's comeback picture. He's certainly done a good job of deflating the whole ‘Gigli' thing — like going on Leno and reading the film's bad reviews out loud,” he said.

“I'll always want to work with him. After five movies together he really knows how to deliver the dialogue I write. He's one of the funniest people I've ever met and he's really smart. I cast him as my proxy … wishful thinking! If only I was that smart, funny and good looking.”

And if “Jersey Girl” tanks?

“I've gotten to this place where if they don't like this one, they'll like the next one. I'm pretty Zen about it.”

[FULL STORY]

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FILM FEVER - Interview

So, no referencing the last five films in Green Hornet?

"No, I think there will be no Jay and Silent Bob in the next movie," he said. "I'm going to put (Jason) Mewes (who plays Jay in Smith's previous four films) in for sure. I told him this before I went out on the press tour. I told him, 'Dude, I am putting you in the Green Hornet.' He was like, 'Í knew it, and you want me to play the Hornet.' I know the lure of the familiar is calling him. April 6th will mark his one-year of being off of drugs. He has not drank at all and has been really clean, which is surely one of the signs of the apocalypse."

...

"I just write Ben, and that's it," Smith said. "In Jersey Girl and the other four Smith films he has been in. Throw him in a movie running around trying to save the world and jumping off of buildings. That's Ben jamming into a script not written for him.

"But me, I write for Ben. I write for his voice and write what goes on in real life. He is a really charming, warm, funny guy. You would like to hang out with him; he plays it really well because that is who he really is."

[FULL STORY]

I saw Jersey Girl on Friday and during that entire day I wore this shirt that I have pictured below that I made, I stood at the end of the ticket line for about 15 minutes as people read my shirt. I didnlt move or say a thing.. I just stood still while people looked at the shirt and oddly questioned what the hell I was doing...I could hear a few mumbled comments such as..."37 times?" and "Is it really a big enough deal to make a shirt about?" I was gettin' the biggest kick out of it...

After the movie was over, I pretty much spent the rest of the day just goin' around to public places and solicitating the movie...I went to this diner called "Panera Bread", I went to my town's local library, I went to the mall, I even got some peoples attention by yelling "Go See Jersey Girl" out the window of the car. Not sure if this "rampage" of mine got anyone to go see the movie...but it was still fun.

Anyways, its 6:09 p.m. in my hometown of Davenport, IA and Im gonna catch the 8 p.m. showing of Jersey Girl at the theater tonight wearing the shirt again. Hopefully it'll get some people to go see it...

MARCH 26, 2004

HOUSTON CHRONICLE (B+) - "Director grows up with 'Jersey Girl'"

"...Though it brims with Smith touches, including inside jokes and cameos by members of his stock company of actors (but not Jay and Silent Bob), at times it's easy to forget this is from the same smart-mouth provocateur who made Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. But despite a bit of sloppiness and a couple of hokey scenes, Jersey Girl is funny enough, smart enough and touching enough to make you forget -- or at least forgive -- the unfortunate Gigli.

Scratch that: It's a winner in its own right. Affleck does some of his best work, and though Smith doesn't handle the material with complete confidence, it's a heartfelt tale that should speak to a mainstream audience, despite being the most personal movie he's ever made.

[FULL REVIEW]

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ARIZONA REPUBLIC (*** 1/2) - "No dope, just heart in 'Jersey Girl'"

"...Because Smith plays Silent Bob, that character probably was even tougher to eliminate. But the director has gained enough maturity to realize that an easygoing romantic comedy doesn't need - and probably would be derailed by - a marijuana-peddling Greek chorus.

Instead of his usual outrageous dialogue, painful-looking pratfalls and obsession with sexuality, Smith fills Jersey Girl with sweet, tender moments drawn from his experiences as a first-time dad. Jersey Girl isn't Smith's best movie, but it is his most heartfelt.

[FULL REVIEW]

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WHAT'S GOIN ON - "Kevin Smith's first PG-13 flick finally hits theaters, and well worth the wait"

"...It will be interesting to see Smith’s regular fans’ reaction to “Jersey Girl.” Smith has “grown up” with this Valentine to both his wife and to the state where he was born and raised. But if they keep an open mind they’ll find a truly enjoyable film with Smith’s style and wit coming through a slightly toned-down medium (sans Jay and Silent Bob)."

[FULL REVIEW]

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U-PRESS TELEGRAM - "'Jersey Girl' gets you with one look"

"...It's one look, though, that will get you. Now you've seen this look - little girl gazing adoringly at her father after the old man comes through in the clutch - many, many (many) times before in movies, but what makes it distinctive here is that it truly comes from the heart and it arrives after a good 90 minutes of deeply felt, nicely observed family dynamics. While Hollywood's family-values flicks usually feel about as genuine as a three-dollar bill, "Jersey Girl" is the real deal, unfiltered, coming from a man who truly believes. "

[FULL REVIEW]

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WINNIPEG SUN - "'One sweet Jersey Girl - Romantic comedy flick Affleck's best in years"

"...It may be manipulative and contrived but Jersey Girl spins enough charm and sweetness to make it a delightful though instantly forgettable family comedy. This is a major departure for filmmaker Kevin Smith who built his reputation and cult following by being irreverent and vulgar. "

[FULL REVIEW]

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PHILADELPHIA INTELLIGENCER

"...Those willing to forgive Smith's over-enthusiastic response to family life, however, will experience a few moments of pure joy. Star watchers wondering how Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez connect on screen after their disastrous "Gigli" have little to sink their teeth into."

[FULL REVIEW]

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ORLANDO SENTINEL

"...Smith has said that Jersey Girl isn't his ''funniest or most original film to date.'' It's probably fair to say that Jersey Girl isn't the slightest bit hip, either. Instead, the new film is sweet, with just enough wacky Kevin Smith moments to keep it going.

Ironically, the film's best performance is given by Lopez, who is funny, soulful and, unlike anyone else in this film, totally believable. When she's sharing the spotlight with Affleck, she makes him a better actor. But, then, we're not supposed to notice that sort of thing, are we?

[FULL REVIEW]

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THE WASHINGTON TIMES - "''Jersey Girl' sweet enough"

"...Largely, he succeeds, as does "Jersey Girl," a romantic comedy that's shot through with contrivances and cushy manipulations but nonetheless has its heart in the right place. "

[FULL REVIEW]

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WOAI.COM (***) - "Bennifer's Last Hurrah: “Jersey Girl”"

"...“Jersey Girl” is a good father/daughter movie if you don't mind the raunchy talk by adult characters in front of the 6-year-old "Jersey Girl." Thankfully, she doesn't repeat anything she hears."

[FULL REVIEW]

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THE MOVIEDUDE

"...Contrary to what some fans may say, I don't think Smith has sold out. Every one of his films has been a reflection of himself. Clerks reflected his job at the time, Mallrats, his love of Comics, Chasing Amy his relationship insecurities, Dogma, his spirituality, and Jay and Silent Bob, well, that was a thankyou to us, his fans. By reflecting his changes as he grows, this film is among the truest to himself.

Smith has grown as a director. In many ways the character that he created in Ollie Trinke is a parallel to himself. Both have morphed form an overachieving workaholic into family men who make time for Gertie and Harley, their respective daughters. Smith's growth may outpace some of his younger fan's but they will catch up with him eventually. And this film should broaden his base. After all, This is the 1st of his films that I will actively try to get my folks to see. You see, I would not want to see either of my parents laughing at some of the jokes in his prior films. I just don't wish to ackowledge that they would have any basis of reference for some of his punchlines. "

[FULL REVIEW]

ASBURY PARK PRESS - "Jersey guy Kevin Smith grows up -- sort of"

"...But not to worry, underlying this serious story is Smith's humor and comic in-jokes that true fans will get. There are even cameos by his wife and his daughter, Harley. And Jerseyans will appreciate the underlying subtleties of the story, like making the commute back and forth to New York, driving on the Parkway, going to the diner and more.

Smith says that despite the controversy, uncertainty and possible perception that he has sold out, he's still the same guy he always was.

"My job never really changed from movie to movie. My job's always been, write the script, rehearse the actors and make sure the actors give as good an on-camera performance as the one I heard in my head when I was writing it, or better. So it didn't matter what the budget was, my job stays the same."

[FULL STORY]

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E! ONLINE - "Jersey Girl" Beating "Gigli" Rap"

...Those bracing for yet another Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez bomb can rest assured: Jersey Girl does not rhyme with Gigli.

Critics who buried Bennifer's unpronounceable hit-man comedy are, by comparison, only kicking dirt on their new easy-to-say romantic comedy. And box-office pundits who wrote off Gigli as a financial disaster are expecting greater, if not quite fabulous, things of Jersey Girl.

"It should definitely be a nice, solid debut," BoxOfficeMojo.com's Brandon Gray says of Jersey Girl, opening on about 1,600 screens Friday.

[FULL STORY]

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THE BOSTON GLOBE - "Has Kevin Smith grown up?"

..."There was a girl I spoke to at a college round table in Miami," Smith continues. "She was hard-core into my movies, and I definitely picked up that she ain't quite there with this one. And finally I just said, `You didn't like it, did you?' And she said, `No, I really didn't.' She was 18, something like that. And I said, `Look, I'm not trying to put you down, but in 10 years you'll like it a lot more."

[FULL STORY]

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HENDERSONVILLE NEWS-TIMES (Jon Rich) - "'Silent Bob' speaks"

While teenage boys may not find what they are looking for in Jersey Girl, Affleck fans will not be disappointed. The co-writer and co-star of Good Will Hunting took a significant pay cut from his usual blockbuster fee for a fifth big-screen collaboration with Smith.

"He just knows how to deliver the dialogue I write in such a way that I'm enthralled by it," said the man who brought a script by Affleck and friend Matt Damon to Miramax management and received a producing credit on that Oscar-winning film. "As much as I like it when I write it, and believe me I'm of fan of my own stuff, I like it much better when it comes out of his mouth. He's a great dude, a good friend and just a great guy to know. I like being around him and I like the performances he turns in. It certainly doesn't hurt that the dude got famous and I was able to hitch my wagon to his star."

[FULL STORY]

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WHAT'S GOIN ON - "Silent Bob speaks: One-on-one with Kevin Smith"

"...Yes fans, he knows he’s late on Daredevil:Target and Spiderman/Black Cat. But his issues will be forthcoming, though he cannot cite a date. In the meantime, he is still a fan of the new titles, as well as the incarnations of his own former titles, wishing their current authors well.

“I penned them after somebody else; I didn't invent them. I was just another writer on the title for a long time. It's probably no more weird than how Frank Miller felt like when I took over Daredevil, or what Ann Nocenti felt like when I was writing on Daredevil after she had for so long. It’s always interesting to see what somebody does after you're gone, and you’re always more interested in what they did with the character. The reason, at least that I wrote on the book in the first place, was because I loved the characters and I loved the way people handled them. So I'm probably still curious and interested in how other people have handled them since me. The nice thing in Green Arrow is that once in a while, you see a character you created pop up. That's cool.”

[FULL STORY]

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THE BOSTON GLOBE - "Has Kevin Smith grown up?"

..."There was a girl I spoke to at a college round table in Miami," Smith continues. "She was hard-core into my movies, and I definitely picked up that she ain't quite there with this one. And finally I just said, `You didn't like it, did you?' And she said, `No, I really didn't.' She was 18, something like that. And I said, `Look, I'm not trying to put you down, but in 10 years you'll like it a lot more."

[FULL STORY]

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SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE - "Indie director goes more mainstream with new Ben Affleck film"

..."Smith admits that compared to his other pictures, "Jersey Girl," is "about as edgy as a . . . spoon." He anticipates getting "slapped around a bit" by critics and fans for making a sweet, sentimental film.

"It doesn't represent a shift where now I'm only going to make movies about hearts and flowers and puppies," he says.

[FULL STORY]

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IGN FILMFORCE - "Kevin Smith's Musical Side"

"...In addition to the use of popular tunes to set the mood and tone of the film and characters, Smith also re-enlisted the services of composer James Venable, whom he last worked with on both Jay and Silent Bob and The Clerks animated series. "I'd worked with him and when we were heading into Jersey Girl after Jay and Bob he was like 'What are you doing next?' And I said 'I'm doin' this kind of dramatic, comedic piece that's kind of a leap away, it's the opposite tract from Jay and Bob, really.' Jim does really great kind of techno. You know, the Jay and Bob score, I think, is fantastic. He did the Powerpuff Girls music, the music in Samurai Jack, and he did the Clerks cartoon for us," Smith says. "He hadn't really done stuff that didn't involve computers and synthesizers really. So he was just like 'I would love to have a shot at doing something that uses real instruments, something more organic.' So I was like 'Yeah, absolutely, do it up!' So we brought him onboard and I thought he did a really good job, especially for a dude that doesn't normally do that kind of thing, who's not known for it, at least. I mean he can do it, it's just not what he gets hired for usually."

[FULL STORY]

How important do you think it is to cultivate this fan base?

In our case, up to this point, it's been extremely important. I mean, "Jay and Silent Bob [Strike Back]" is completely influenced by that. It's an entire movie made based on that fan base that was created over the Internet. Not just the Internet - I think the fan base goes even beyond that. But at this point in our career, it's extremely important. Even with this movie where one could contend that it's not necessary, that we're going for a different audience, but there's still a fan base that's important. It's something that you want to carry over. We're not making this movie to disregard them. You want them to come along [even] if it's not their favorite. They all have their favorites. Some people swear by "Chasing Amy." You can go through all the fans and there are still people who swear by each individual movie. There are still people who think "Clerks" is the best thing we ever did. Some people say "Jay and Bob." There's always somebody to vote one of the movies number one. So I hope fans will come, even if it's not their favorite of the six, there will be elements. So far, the response on the website from the fans that have seen it has been pretty favorable.

MARCH 25, 2004

ROGER EBERT, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES (*** 1/2)

...And it's in a scene like this that Kevin Smith shows why he's such a good comedy writer. There is a bedrock of truth in the scene, which is based on embarrassment and shyness and Maya's disconcerting ability to say exactly what she's thinking, and when Ollie tries to explain why he has remained celibate (except for his relationship with countless porno titles), she patiently explains about sex: "It's the same thing only you're saving the $2 rental fee."

Inarguable logic, but he demurs, finally breaking down and agreeing to a lunch date. And thus does love reenter Ollie's life. For Maya may be bold about sex, but she is serious about love, and soon like Gertie is saying "Hey, you're the lady from the video store" at a moment when it would be much, much better had she not walked into the room.

Liv Tyler is a very particular talent who has sometimes been misused by directors more in love with her beauty than with her appropriateness for their story. Here she is perfectly cast, as the naive and sincere Maya, whose boldness is not a seduction technique but an act of generosity, almost of mercy. It takes a special tone for a woman to convince us she wants to sleep with a man out of the goodness of her heart, but Tyler finds it, and it brings a sweetness to the relationship.

[FULL REVIEW]

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ZAP2IT - (***)

...Affleck's character shows a surprising range of emotion -- joy, grief, horror and love -- but he's rarely had a chance to show extreme tenderness, and he does that with newcomer actress Raquel Castro, who looks like the child that Ben and Jen may have had if they stayed together. This is perhaps Affleck's best role as far as showing a range of emotion and some real acting.

He's a publicist who goes off the deep end while taking care of his child, and there's cameo appearances by his old sidekick Matt Damon as well as Jason Lee (who's another Smith discovery), and a voice cameo by Mirmax's chief Harvey Weinstein, who's the boss of an ad agency. Then, there's a surprising A-list celeb cameo that would spoil the shock if told, so we're staying mum.

How can a movie be feel-good and gooey when the lead is accidentally checking out "Bi Bi Guys" from a woman he's attracted to, and then she asks to interview him about his masturbation habits for a school paper? When she discovers he's not had sex in seven years, she feels sorry for him and offers a sexual encounter that ends up being interrupted by his daughter.

It's funny enough and subversive enough to satisfy the ever-aging Smith fan, and it's a fine diversion into new territory for a writer/director who wants to stretch his talents a bit.

[FULL REVIEW]

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SCREENIT.COM - (Parental Reviews) ...Beyond Smith's decently structured story and well-written dialogue (some of which is terrific, although that won't come as a surprise to the filmmaker's fans), it's the performances that really make the film so engaging. All of which caught me off guard since Affleck ("Paycheck," "Daredevil") is in the lead role.

While the actor is popular among the masses, he's never been known for possessing award-caliber acting abilities (although there have been hints of strong points in certain films). And when he starts off shaky here, I had that sinking "Oh no, here we go again" feeling. Shock of all shocks, however, and following a rough crying scene, he actually manages to subdue some of his normal mannerisms and actually deliver a good and, more importantly, sympathetic performance.

...

With a heartwarming ending (that includes one of the aforementioned symbolic music numbers that's a perfect fit in my opinion) and enough entertaining and decent modifications to the familiar plot, Smith has delivered an enjoyable offering that seems to signal a telling transformation in his filmmaking career.

While I didn't expect to like "Jersey Girl" -- and there will be those who don't -- it only gets better as it progresses and by the time the ending rolled around, it worked for me.

[FULL REVIEW]

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INDIANAPOLIS STAR (***) - "'Jersey' is a warm ode to single parenthood"

...Ultimately, "Jersey Girl" becomes a warm-hearted comedy about life's priorities.

Still, the point about parental responsibility is worth raising -- and Smith and company raise it with good humor and affection. Affleck is believable at both the callous and loving ends of his portrayal, and Tyler offers appealing comic relief as the insightful Maya. Newcomer Castro is a charming heart-tugger as Gertie.

Having Carlin play Affleck's father is inspired casting. Though he seldom acts, the stand-up comic successfully creates an ingratiating character, and gives the film some much-needed edge and spunk.

[FULL REVIEW]

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FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL (***) - "Jersey Girl: A little girl's gentle sweetness"

The first PG-13 film of Kevin Smith's gleefully profane career is a leap in a very new, much more mature direction. This from the man who brought us the low-budget dirtiness of Clerks and the sexual adventurousness of Chasing Amy. Jersey Girl reflects Smith's more grown-up sensibility -- he's married with a kid now -- and also his evolution as a filmmaker.

...

Smith, too, shows a new, and entirely welcome, side of himself with Jersey Girl. The filmmaker who once claimed he'd never be capable of making a serious movie that spanned actual seasons has made the first widely appealing film of his career. He has done so without abandoning his trademark sense of humor. The Jay and Silent Bob fans may weep, but for pretty much everyone else, there's cause to rejoice.

[FULL REVIEW]

MARCH 25, 2004



• We can't believe we're even typing this up, as it's been a LONG road, but yes, TOMORROW, the nation will see Kevin Smith's SIXTH film, and his first PG-13, as JERSEY GIRL hits screens NATIONWIDE in North America. As you've seen from this site, public awareness is very high on this one, so it's the PERFECT chance for you to tell your friends, co-workers, neighbors, and families to check this one out. Trust us, this is one you can recommend to anyone. The movie relates to all ages, young and old. So take a minute tomorrow and send an e-mail, an instant message, a voice mail, or just a good 'ol fashioned phone call -- Tell them: "See Jersey Girl this weekend!" You can make a difference. Spread the word, far and wide. Let's all go check out JERSEY GIRL on Friday or Saturday!

• Here's the latest, hot off the press reviews of Jersey Girl, opening in your nearby theater TOMORROW!
  SUN SENTINEL (***) - "Jersey Girl: A little girl's gentle sweetness"

  Those who worship at the altar of Jay and Silent Bob are likely to find the gentle sweetness of Jersey Girl more than a little nauseating. But anyone who has long admired Smith's undeniable knack for dialogue, and just wished he would cut it out with the fanboy comic-book nonsense already, should be pleasantly surprised by the many strengths of his latest offering.

  Perhaps most surprisingly, this could be the film that saves Ben Affleck's nosediving career. That is, if anyone is willing to see a movie tainted by the lingering horror of Bennifer. While Jennifer Lopez does appear in Jersey Girl, her role is both brief and painless. Smith wasn't lying when he stressed in multiple recent interviews that this movie is a far cry from "Gigli 2: Bennifer Strikes Back." The central love story of Jersey Girl is between Affleck's character and his daughter.

  ...

  Smith, too, shows a new, and entirely welcome, side of himself with Jersey Girl. The filmmaker who once claimed he'd never be capable of making a serious movie that spanned actual seasons has made the first widely appealing film of his career. He has done so without abandoning his trademark sense of humor. The Jay and Silent Bob fans may weep, but for pretty much everyone else, there's cause to rejoice.

  [FULL STORY]

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  MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE (***) - "Kevin Smith trades cynicism for sweetness in 'Jersey Girl'"

  Kevin Smith refuses to include the standard director's label -- "A Kevin Smith Film" -- in the opening credits of his movies. He believes that a movie is the work of an entire film crew and that it would be pompous to take all the credit.

  That attitude is commendable, but it wouldn't have been a bad idea to put his name on top of "Jersey Girl." In fact, the movie is so out of keeping with his other work that he might even have considered sticking in a reminder every 15 minutes or so: "Hey, folks, this is a Kevin Smith film. Really."

  The guy who gave us the irreverent "Dogma," the druggie comedy "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and the cheeky "Clerks" turns over a completely new leaf with "Jersey Girl," a heart-on-its-sleeve, tear-in-the-eye comic drama that -- and who thought we ever would say this about a Kevin Smith film? -- is downright sweet.

  [FULL STORY]

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  MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE (***) - "Kevin Smith trades cynicism for sweetness in 'Jersey Girl'"

  Kevin Smith refuses to include the standard director's label -- "A Kevin Smith Film" -- in the opening credits of his movies. He believes that a movie is the work of an entire film crew and that it would be pompous to take all the credit.

  That attitude is commendable, but it wouldn't have been a bad idea to put his name on top of "Jersey Girl." In fact, the movie is so out of keeping with his other work that he might even have considered sticking in a reminder every 15 minutes or so: "Hey, folks, this is a Kevin Smith film. Really."

  The guy who gave us the irreverent "Dogma," the druggie comedy "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and the cheeky "Clerks" turns over a completely new leaf with "Jersey Girl," a heart-on-its-sleeve, tear-in-the-eye comic drama that -- and who thought we ever would say this about a Kevin Smith film? -- is downright sweet.

  [FULL STORY]

• Here we are at day FOUR, with the most articles yet! As always, watch for spoilers. We've clipped out some of the choice sections of each piece, and you'll find a link to the entire article at the end. Enjoy. These have to end soon...Or DO THEY!?!??!
  SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS NEWS - "'Jersey Girl' dodging bad press from 'Gigli'"

  ...During production in the fall of 2002, everyone assumed that "Jersey Girl" would be a Ben-Jen (or "Bennifer") movie. That was fine with Smith back then.

  "When we were in production, we were happy to have them assume that," he said. "They were both huge, and that doesn't hurt. But also, and chiefly, I didn't want anyone to know that she dies. It was going to be a great sucker punch, a real great gut punch for the audience."

  Even in a post-"Gigli" world, when Lopez's presence in the movie has been minimized in promotional materials, Smith would still prefer that no one know her fate in the movie. But the Internet has other ideas.

  "It would have been nice as a great surprise," he said. "It's very tough to keep anything secret and surprise an audience in the age of the Internet.

  "Unfortunately, in the Information Age, people are all too happy to know everything about a movie before they even get in there. Then it really leaves just the mystery of the execution to be revealed. Then it's just people watching something on a technical basis."

  [FULL STORY]

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  MOVIES.COM - "Riding to the Airport With Kevin Smith" (Interview)

  Q: What's the most enjoyable thing about making films?

  A: I love writing. And I love editing — that's my second favorite part of the job, because those are the two moments where like it's all on my shoulders, and I'm the only one who could f--k it up, really. That's before you let other people into the mix. The third thing is just talking — man, I love doing Q&A. Obviously, I love to get up on stage and answer questions. Kind of hurl the message into the void and see who responds.

  [FULL STORY]

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  ASSOCIATED PRESS - "Carlin lives out his dream of being an actor"

  ...“Jersey Girl,” however, was a more serious project for both Carlin and Smith, the story of a small New Jersey family, death, parenthood and responsibility all wrapped up in jokes — although less dirty this time.

  “It’s a major departure in a lot of ways for me. This has confrontation and sweetness and caring and just working guy stuff,” he said.

  Smith said he knew Carlin could be a serious actor.

  “He’s got this wonderful gravitas to him. He’s been around,” the director said at the South by Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas. “He’s a very frank, very honest person but just has this wonderful face that belies a well-lived life.”

  [FULL STORY]

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  MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE - "Fatherhood -- and being a son -- brings out the softy in cynic Kevin Smith"

  ...With a price tag of $35 million, "Jersey Girl" is Smith's biggest-budget film to date. But he said that the number is deceptive: The working budget was a more modest $21 million after deducting the $14 million that went to Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, who plays the soon-to-be-dead wife.

  "We struck this deal pre-'Gigli,' " he joked of the Affleck-Lopez bomb. "I think they should cut me a refund check."

  Although the movie marks a departure from Smith's earlier movies, it doesn't signal a major change in course. Rather, it's a one-time deal motivated by his observations about parenthood and children. Or, at least, a once-in-a-long-time deal.

  "This movie says everything I have to say on the subject," he said. "My daughter's only 4. Maybe when she becomes a teenager, I'll have a lot more to say."

  [FULL STORY]

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  VANCOUVER GLOBE AND MAIL - "Kevin Smith, uncensored"

  ...Smith shrugs off suggestions that Jersey Girl represents any kind of maturation. "They said I grew up with Chasing Amy. You can't grow up twice."

  His only conscious change in direction was an effort to produce a good-looking film. After years of reading reviews criticizing his visual shortcomings, he hired Vilmos Zsigmond, the star cinematographer of such films as McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Close Encounter of the Third Kind and The Deer Hunter.

  "Even Affleck said, "I can't believe I look good in one of your movies. What a switch. For a change I don't look like I've just been hit with a shovel."

  [FULL STORY]

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  SEATTLE PI - "A moment with Kevin Smith, Film Director"

  Q: It was recently announced that your next film is a big budget action movie based on comic book hero the Green Hornet.

  A: It should be fun. I've been a longtime comic book reader and I've written for DC and Marvel Comics. This a chance to put one up on the big screen. To some degree, it's also a little scary because it's well out of my realm of experience.

  Q: You've had complete control over your previous films. What kind of compromises do you face making such a high profile project?

  A: I'm going in knowing that I'm making a mainstream film. Clearly I wasn't hired because I'm a fantastic visual stylist. I was hired to flesh it out, make it interesting dialogue-wise and character-wise. So that's what I bring to the table. I just want to make a really good comic book movie.

  [FULL STORY]

  ---

  REDANDBLACK.COM - "Kevin Smith talks to the lil' people about his movie"

  ..."Jersey Girl" marks Affleck's fifth collaboration with Smith, after appearing in four of the five films in Smith's "Jersey Trilogy" series.

  "He's unaware of the sort of dual nature of (his life)," Affleck said in the film's production notes. "On the one hand his job is fun and glamorous and sexy, and on the other hand totally irrelevant to anything substantial in the real world. So, it takes this really significant relationship with his child to make him reevaluate his life."

  Left with a newborn daughter and without a job, Ollie is forced to move back in with his father Bart, played by comedian George Carlin.

  "This is the most he's ever been in a movie outside of a phone booth," Smith said, referring to Carlin's role as Rufus in "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure."

  [FULL STORY]

  ---

  And as always, if anyone has the PRINT versions of any of these, send them to Kevin to add to the collection, please. We thank you.

• It's been a few weeks trying to keep up with what has to go down in history as one of the biggest film press blitzes EVER, so sure, we forgive you if you were reading the site 'til the wee hours and missed some of the television appearances that have been going on these days. So, here's some chances for you to check these videos out without even leaving the comfort of your PC. You lazy bums!

  First off, a cut together segment of all of Kev's stuff as it aired this week on the CBS sitcom, "Yes, Dear".

  This one's not hosted by us, so who knows how long it will last, but a user captured Kev's appearance last nite on PBS's Tavis Smiley show.

  Finally, it's not online anywhere yet, but we've got a capture here for ya. It's Affleck as he appeared on The Screen Savers yesterday! The file is available in Windows Media format only, and hosted right here at News Askew, so if it comes down a little slow, it just means we've been getting hammered with hits lately.

• Last minute word: Kevin is apparently showing up tonight on "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" on MSNBC. This airs at 8:00 EST. We just learned of this one, sorry for the late notice, hopefully some of you can still catch it (or a rerun later tonight).

• School up! The old Green Hornet series is currently airing weekdays on the "Action" channel, run by Starz networks. You can find it on satellite and digital cable packages.

• We ran this one before but wanted to remind you again: Kevin will be interviewed this Sunday on the Adventure Club with Josh, which airs on 102.1 The Edge in Dallas. The interview takes place at 8:30 PM CST, and you can listen online NATIONWIDE at www.kdge.com!

• Ben Affleck will be on Local Orlando TV tomorrow, as he recently did a sattelite interview with Orlando TV personality WB Guy, promoting Jersey Girl. Check it out on WB 18 in Orlando tomorrow morning on the Daily Buzz 6-8 am. Kevin will be intereviewed today, though we're not sure when that is set to air.

• Don't forget, that short Making-Of special for Jersey Girl airs on Bravo this weekend! While many cable companies don't carry IFC and Sundance, chances are ya got the big B, so tune it in. Check your local listings for the airtimes.

  MARCH 24, 2004
  
  

• Today's edition of the popular online comic "Penny Arcade" references the recent statements that Kevin made regarding Jersey Girl and the critics, and the creators had an editorial to add as well, with some very poignant remarks about some of the backlash we've heard here and there:
  ...Apparently Kevin Smith has sold out though, claims the chorus, for producing a film which does not refer to oral sex. The movie may be bad for any number of reasons, I honestly don't know - like many other people I have not seen it. I don't know that I ever need to. However, I'm not sure what selling out has to do with anything. I have a feeling that Kevin Smith pretty much does whatever the fuck Kevin Smith wants to do. Maybe you haven't seen Jay And Silent Fucking Bob Strike Back, where he and his friends just kind of fucked around while the cameras rolled. Oh yeah, he's a part of the fucking machine.

  I have a feeling he's getting older and that he would like to make a different kind of movie than he has typically done. Yet it falls upon people who don't know the man to determine his secret heart via their infallible methods of detection and find him wanting.

  Well said. You can view the entire editorial HERE and view the work above or HERE. We like it.

• You gotta love it when you sit down and read a review and nod your head, agreeing and understanding exactly the point reviews are trying to make. That's what it's like reading positive reviews of Jersey Girl. You think, "They GET it. They understand the vibe Kevin was going for with this film." And sure, while the purists can find little flubs here and there that don't make sense as far as plot decisions, as a piece this film succeeds, due to the swift writing and outstanding performances throughout. Here's two more folks that GET it:
  FILMJERK.COM

  ...For those that have written Affleck off after his “Gigli” debacle last summer (a film that isn’t that bad, but it made excellent copy), I beg you to see “Jersey Girl” and tell me that this misunderstood actor isn’t excellent. Ollie is a thorny role, balancing volatile selfish needs with sitcomy new dad material (there is the requisite dirty diaper scene), and Affleck completely inhabits his character from the get go. You believe him in this painful situation, and in this, his fifth collaboration with Smith, the actor is as loose and appealing as ever. As a vengeful angel in Smith’s brilliant “Dogma,” Affleck really opened up as an actor, and performed at a career best. “Jersey Girl” represents another stellar collaboration with Smith; the two perfectly in tune the entire run of the show.

  Supporting turns by young Raquel Castro (who has got Lopez’s mannerisms down pat), a cantankerous and delightful George Carlin, and a lovable Liv Tyler add to the experience. Reteaming for the first time since 1998’s “Armageddon,” Tyler and Affleck make a serene on-screen couple, and their flirtatious interplay in “Jersey Girl” does wonders to erase memories of the unappetizing animal crackers sequence in the Michael Bay blockbuster asteroid film. All is forgiven, you two.

  Normally when a director veers off course this severely (I mean, come on, this film is PG-13 for heavens sake!), it’s a train wreck. But Smith is a fantastic filmmaker, and even without The Cocknocker, he’s a talent that could pretty much cover any genre without getting in over his head. If the solid “Jersey Girl” is any indication, his future looks very bright.

  [FULL REVIEW]

  ---

  THE ONION

  ...Though Smith loses many of his past efforts' familiar trappings—Jay and Silent Bob are now confined to the production-company logo—Jersey Girl plays to Smith's strengths like no film since Clerks. It's never better than when the plot gets discarded and the cast (which also includes Liv Tyler as a fetching video-store clerk) simply hangs out, trades dialogue, and prepares for an age-inappropriate school performance from Sweeney Todd. When the plot gets picked up, it moves to the beat of just about every other fatherhood comedy of the last 20 years. But even when Smith pulls out the clichés, they're clearly clichés he believes. Jersey Girl's sincerity and low-key charm steer it through the awkward patches, although it's hard not to wince when a conflicted Affleck tucks his daughter into bed to the accompaniment of Bruce Springsteen's "My City Of Ruins." Smith has been caught in a shitstorm he didn't create, and it's a shame he has to fight so vigorously for a film that, judged on its own merits, easily ranks among his best. —Keith Phipps

  [FULL REVIEW]

• This just in: Kevin is scheduled to appear on on Dennis Miller's CNBC show on Thursday, and its being taped TONIGHT at 8pm PST at NBC studios in Burbank!!!

  The company that books tickets is called Standing Room Only, and you MAY sitll be able to get tix via their website! You can also call at (888) 271-4078. At presstime, we dunno if any tix are left, but we wanted to let you fans know as soon as we did. Get there and send us some reports!

• We're back, with more of those Jersey Girl articles from around the country. Some are interviews, some just pieces on the film, but all may contain spoilers about JG, so we warn ya. Check out today's offerings with snippets and full links straight ahead:
  IGM FILMFORCE - "IGN Interviews Kevin Smith"

  ...IGN: So, another Jersey film, eh? You're gettin' to be almost as bad as Woody Allen (and Ed Burns) [laughs].

  SMITH: I know, I know [smiles]. At least I know that this is it for a little while. Green Hornet won't be set in Jersey...or will it? Yeah, it was nice though to make a Jersey film that's not like tied-into the other Jersey films. You know, all those were kind of interconnected. And this one's set in Jersey, but not the same world of New Jersey. So this was the one that I actually felt was kind of the nod to the hometown, 'cause I grew up in that town, Highlands. Oddly enough, when we made Clerks through Jay and Bob we rarely referenced the town I actually grew up in. We referenced Leonardo, which is where the Quick Stop is and Red Bank, which is where I lived after Clerks got sold. But I never really gave my props to my hometown. So Jersey Girl, for me, was kind of about doin' that – it's not the sole reason to do it, but it was one of the benefits to doin' that movie, was bein' able to give a shout-out to the town I grew up in, kind of show it off.

  [FULL STORY]

  ---

  TIME ONLINE - "Ben and Ben"

  "Ben Affleck flashes his forgive-me smile and says, “I’m not really a whoremonger.” This plangent one-liner is from his new movie “Jersey Girl,” but the gaga-for-gossip public would not have been surprised if it had come from Affleck’s recent chats with Jay Leno and Larry King, or from a “Saturday Night Live” skit the other week when he guest-hosted. And no, Jennifer Lopez didn’t pop in, the way Affleck’s ex-ex-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow did the last time he hosted “SNL.” ...

  [FULL STORY]

  ---

  BOSTON HERALD - "After Bennifer: Ben Affleck picks up the pieces of his life, much like his `Jersey Girl' character"

  ..."Though Affleck can pen letters, he and Damon have yet to script films since winning the Oscar for ``Good Will Hunting.'' He does favor writer-directors such as Smith, however, and praises this departure from Smith's usual gross-out teen comedies. Affleck also thinks ``Jersey Girl'' contains his best performance yet.

  ``It's really a sweet movie,'' he said. ``I realize that if there's a Frank Capra working movies today, it's actually Kevin Smith. Who would've thought?''

  Is he worried that Smith's loyal following will be turned off by this departure into sweetness and light?

  ``It's interesting because I was reading some reactions where people were saying, `Well, I don't think that this is as angry as Kevin's other movies.' I don't know if Kevin's other movies are angry. If you look at `Dogma' or `Chasing Amy,' they're actually sort of really sweet movies, and `Jay and Silent Bob' is extremely hilarious because people say (expletive) a lot. This is sort of the same thing without saying the F word. It even includes the frank discussion of sexuality.''

  [FULL STORY]

  ---

  DETROIT FREE PRESS - "'Jersey Girl' has director on edge"

  ..."When people see Ben and Liv together, they'll forget all that other stuff. She was my favorite character in the script, and she really did her justice. The thing I'm proudest of maybe is that fact that you take these two actors, who had like zero chemistry in 'Armageddon' and you really believe they're made for each other in this."

  Affleck says he can only hope people judge the movie on what it is -- meaning sincere. "No matter what he says, it has a lot of Kevin Smith stuff in it. You'll know it's the same guy who made 'Chasing Amy,' " he says.

  Smith, whose next movie is an $80-million action-adventure based on radio and TV crime-fighter "The Green Hornet," recalls that he first tried to go straight with "Chasing Amy," a film that starred Affleck as a guy who fell in love with a lesbian.

  "But then I got nervous and stuck the Jay and Silent Bob characters in there for insurance. And I've always regretted that, you know. Yet it brought the fans, and I'm always worried about that because they pay the rent.

  "Every time we have one of these test screenings, and Harvey packs the audience with all these Kevin Smith fans to see how they react, I'm like, 'Dude, don't do that.'

  "This is it, my entire audience. If you let them in free, you ruin the whole first weekend opening gross. It's like I know them, every one one of them."

  [FULL STORY]

  ---

  ASSOCIATE DPRESS - "First sweetheart: Indie director steps out of character with 'Jersey Girl'"

  ..."It comes at a really good time for him," Smith says. "People certainly teed off on him with 'Gigli,' and 'Paycheck' didn't help matters."

  Smith says Affleck relished the opportunity to play a dad.

  "I think he's a frustrated family man, and it fit him well. He's really great with kids," Smith says.

  Castro, now 9, said in a phone call from New York, "I think Ben would make a good dad, because he's like a big kid. He's funny."

  [FULL STORY]

  ---

  CHICAGO TRIBUNE - "`Silent Bob' takes a risk"

  .... You regularly keep in touch with your fan base via your Web site (www.viewaskew.com).

  A. When I first found out about the Internet I was like, "Wait a minute -- you can get instant reaction about your films?" Being able to get instant feedback from people who are actually buying tickets, that to me was like, "I want to be in on that." We opened up our Web site, put up a message board and started interacting with the fans. Let me tell you, these people keep you honest.

  Q. They must have some interesting things to say about "Jersey Girl."

  A. People who are big fans of "Jay and Silent Bob," I don't know if they can dig on this movie at all. Once I started writing it, I knew I was going to lose a certain percentage of fans. Those people, I'm sure, are going to turn around and say, "Oh, he's sold out," as if not selling out means you make the same movie every time. But I'm curious as a filmmaker to see if I can make something that stands by itself, that doesn't have a safety net.

  Q. You could make the argument that you're broadening your audience.

  A. I probably would have had a better chance of that happening had "Gigli" not happened [laughs]. Right now I'm in this world of, "Well, will people care about this movie on its own?" I'm pretty confident that word of mouth will get out there that the movie is what it is -- it's about a guy and his relationship with his daughter and his relationship with his father much more than it is about his relationship with the character that Jennifer plays.

  [FULL STORY]

• A small addendum to the Jay & Bob resurgence story yesterday -- The answer Kevin gave regarding the duo was in response to a question about "Jay & Silent Bob in Space", which Kevin mentioned as a wacky possiblity some time ago, and one journalist remembered. Chances are, plans will change, though it'd be great to see the duo back onscreen one day in any form.

  Also, in that same interview, Kevin expressed an interest in resurrecting "Moon Knight" as a future project. Kevin says, "Nobody is expecting anything from it, so that would be great." Thanks to Inside Atlanta.

• Check the front page of Moviefone.com for a blurb called "From Mallrat to Mr. Mom", where you can see their new Take 5 blurb in which Kevin picks 5 inspirational films that have had a major impact on his career (which seem more like a couple films that have influenced Jersey Girl, as the list has some surprising new entries: "Nothing In Common", "You can Count on Me", "Batman", and the indie influences "Slacker" and "Trust"). A great piece worth checking out. Plus, they've also got the obligatory clips as well as shows and showtimes at YOUR local theater. Book early!

• Sorry we didn't hear of this sooner, but apparently Affleck apepared on TechTV's The Screensavers today. If you miss it, they will have video of the appearance on their site soon, and we'll let ya know.

• The Arizona Republic gives the Jersey Girl official website a mention today:
  "'Jersey Girl' - jerseygirl-movie.com

  There's plenty of Ben Affleck-Jennifer Lopez stuff on the site for this comic look at fatherhood. The highlight, however, is the city of Highlands on the Jersey shore, hometown of director Kevin Smith (Chasing Amy, Dogma). See the manhole cover at Bay and Miller. Marvel at the blue "Gateway to Sandy Hook" sign. Enjoy the picturesque Sand Dollar Gift Shop, not far from the aforementioned manhole cover. If you've never had the desire to visit Highlands, your instincts will be borne out by this site. There's also a link to Smith's diary, but know that the language is a bit salty. Jersey Girl opens on Friday."

  MARCH 22, 2004
  
  

• Kevin's asking for a favor from ya'll: A simple one, really. If ya get a paper, and it happens to have a Jersey Girl article in it, could you send it his way? We're doing our best to highlight as many articles here at the site, but we're likely gonna miss some just due to sheer numbers. On top of that, Kevin would like to have the actual article as well as the sections they were located in (should make more a nice bit of press to look back upon). Here's Kevin's request:
  Today and all week long, there will be "Jersey Girl" press in newspapers 'round the country (and Lay-the-Podium-Down-Land). I always see the stories online and in fax form, but for the View Askew archives, we like to get our hands on hard copies (the actual articles and sections of the newspapers they appeared in). So if you come across any pieces about "JG" or me in your local papers, today or all week long, drop 'em in an envelope and send them to...

  View Askew West
  c/o Kevin
  PO Box 93339
  Los Angeles, CA
  90093

  In exchange, we'll send you back a l'il something-something (though not a personalized poster; I've learned my lesson on that one).

• Here's nice new story which not only covers Jersey Girl, but gives us a lot more insight into Kev's plans for Green Hornet as well, including his thoughts on the old TV program, and directing the action sequences for the film. Read on:
  Kevin Smith on Jersey Girl & The Green Hornet

  Source: Fred Topel

  Don't think Kevin Smith has gone soft just because he made a sensitive family drama without Jay and Silent Bob. Jersey Girl is about a man adjusting to fatherhood, but only Kevin Smith would deal with this man walking in on his daughter and a friend showing each other their private parts. But, to be clear, he staged the scene with utmost concern for the well being of the child actors.

  "You tell them that it's a normal thing, that all kids do it," Smith said. "And thankfully, you've got their parents going, 'Do it, do it.' That really helps. But it was weird because you have to go through all sorts of caution measures. Like both of them are wearing underwear under underwear under underwear, so they're fully protected. There's no chance of a naughty bit getting hit by the air or anything like that, but it's tricky. It's tricky because remember, Bryan Singer got in trouble on 'Apt Pupil' when they did the shower scene. There were people complaining afterwards, who were in the cast, that they had to disrobe and jump in the shower and sh*t like that. So you don't want to do that. You don't want to have people crying foul after you wrap and sh*t like, 'You f***ing prostituted my child.' So you're very careful and there's a ton of people standing around, child safety monitors. You go through more effort than you would do if you were actually throwing a kid off a roof in a stunt."

  Smith based the film on his own feelings about becoming a father and realizing that work had to play second to his family. However, at least one character in the film is a total invention. "I've been to many videostores, [there's] nobody like Liv Tyler working at a video store. They all look like me and there's no romance to be had. No, unfortunately Liv Tyler is a very fictional character."

  Tyler plays a video store clerk who romances single father Ben Affleck. At first, Smith was hesitant to use another video store. "It was weird when I was writing the script, I felt like can I do this? Can I put her in a videostore? Because of Randall. Then I said, 'You know what? I haven't really done a video store in a while so I think I can go back to it.' That to me is indicative of the real world. People go to video stores all the time. It's an element that I felt okay jumping back into. But there was a point when I was writing it where I was like, 'Ooh, I could make it RST Video.' Then I was like, 'No, can't do it. Can't reference back to the other ones.' I wanted this one to stand by itself. Part of the challenge of making 'Jersey Girl' that I had set up for myself was to make a movie that stood on its own. 'Clerks' was the only movie we made up until now that had to stand by itself. There was nothing that came before it to lean on. But 'Mallrats,' 'Amy,' 'Dogma,' 'Jay and Bob' we could always lean back on the previous movies including 'Clerks'. So I wanted to do one where there's no safety net, no Jay and Bob and it doesn't tie back into that world. It just stands by itself.

  Smith has spent much of his press tour for Jersey Girl responding to the Ben and J-Lo backlash, but he assures fans that he only cut Lopez scenes in the interest of storytelling, just like he cut other actors' scenes. "Some of [her scenes] were longer than they were [in the current cut]. Some of them are exactly the same length they are in the montage. But with the exception of lifting out the wedding scene itself, or the wedding shot, it's only 12 seconds, nothing was cut because of that. It was just cut because the movie was chunky and it took a while to ramp up and get going. So, when you edit a movie, you just pull sh*t out. There's as much stuff from Liv and Raquel and George as there is from Ben and Jen."

  When it was announced that Smith would direct a movie version of The Green Hornet, some fans wondered why that character? He was never one of the characters commonly referenced in Smith's films or talks. But Smith does recall an affinity for the character.

  "I did collect it back when I was a hardcore collector in the late '80s, early '90s. And I was a big fan of the show when I was a kid because they would sometimes run it back to back with 'Batman' which I always watched when I was a kid. But they didn't have a lot of episodes. They only had one year worth of episodes, where 'Batman' I think had two and a half years. So you didn't see a lot of 'Green Hornet'. You didn't see as much 'Green Hornet' as you did 'Batman'. But yeah, I always kind of dug him. I remember liking it so much more as a kid. I re-watched all those shows recently and with the exception of those guys in the mask and Bruce Lee kicking ass, the rest of it is kind of boring. It's always them after mobsters and racketeers. They didn't have very colorful villains like the 'Batman' stable. But I was always kind of a fan."

  Smith will create a new villain to oppose the Green Hornet in his film. "Having him go after gyp artists doesn't really make for a big action movie. If you listen to the old radio shows, that's what he's always doing is going after mobsters, racketeers and gyp artists. There was one radio show I listened to where he's going after an insurance scam racket, and it's like why do you have to put on a mask to do that? There's nothing really from the run of the comics that I read that I was real fond of. It's just something I've got to create, come up with for the purpose of the movie."

  Though big action scenes will be expected of the film, that is the one aspect that Smith likes the least. "For me, even on the few action sequences we've had in, say, 'Dogma' or 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back' are always the most painful for me to shoot because it's boring. It's really boring. You work your whole day and get two seconds of usable film, two seconds of actual movie time. I'm used to getting like seven pages of dialogue done in a day. So it's just a matter of rewiring the brain and just being like all right, we'll work many long hours to get a few seconds of film, but we'll make it a really interesting, really fun looking film."

  Coming Soon has the piece up at their site as well.

• Yes, they've arrived, and word is that they're beauties, too! New Jersey Girl T-Shirts from Graphitti Designs, expertly screenprinted in 100% heavyweight cotton t-shirts.

  The logo tee comes in standard sizes as well as a sexy little baby doll version for all you lovely ladies out there, and then, a personal favorite, Ollie's "music pimp" shirt, which we both MUST HAVE (Graphitti, are you listening?).

  Ollie's Music Pimp T-Shirt

  When he wasn't sporting suits and spinning press, Ollie Trinke was wearing this - the t-shirt that spelled out his profession in the frankest manner possible. Even 7 years after his departure from the music PR biz he still wears this shirt because it looks great.

  Ollie's 'Music Pimp' t-shirt is an exact replica of the one worn by Ben Affleck in the movie 'Jersey Girl' from it's bold blue color to it's worn logo (that's called vintage, folks). The vintaged logo is screenprinted on a 100% blue cotton heavyweight t-shirt and comes in sizes Medium to XXL.

  Jersey Girl Baby Doll T-Shirt The 'Jersey Girl' T-Shirt features our alternate 'Jersey Girl' logo which was used during the shooting of the film on our special ID badges, special cast and crew shirts, on the backs of the cast and crew chairs and it is the logo which currently resides on Kevin's travel bag. The logo was designed by the legendary Scott Purcell (the man behind the 'Mooby' and 'Nails Cigarettes' logos) and features an inside reference (the Exit 37)

  The green and white logo is screenprinted on a 100% white cotton heavyweight t-shirt and comes in a nicely fitted Baby Doll size which is specially cut to fit the fine female form.

  Jersey Girl Standard T-Shirt

  The 'Jersey Girl' T-Shirt features our alternate 'Jersey Girl' logo which was used during the shooting of the film on our special ID badges, special cast and crew shirts, on the backs of the cast and crew chairs and it is the logo which currently resides on Kevin's travel bag. The logo was designed by the legendary Scott Purcell (the man behind the 'Mooby' and 'Nails Cigarettes' logos) and features an inside reference (the Exit 37)

  The green and white logo is screenprinted on a 100% black cotton heavyweight t-shirts and comes in sizes Medium to XXL. Baby doll sizes also available (see above)

  So, whatcha waiting for? Get them all HERE!

• Antony continues his Jersey Girl interview series with Ben Affleck: Part Two over at Movie Poop Shoot today. There's some perfect questions here that cover some of the best scenes in the film, but as always, we warn you're they're spoilery. Here's a few of them:
  AT: In the first section of the movie, Ollie and Gertrude Steiney, (Affleck and Lopez, respectively) fall in love, get married, and have a baby. In watching a rough cut with Mr. Smith in November of 2002, that section of the film was much longer than it is now. Some editing of JERSEY GIRL took place very late in the movie’s post-production process that either shortened or cut completely a lot of those scenes. How do you feel about the final cut of JERSEY GIRL?

  BA: I think this is the best version of the movie. I think it was a mistake to fatten what was always, structurally, a prologue. The inciting incident in the movie is really the wife’s death. You have three full acts in the movie that happen after that. To have anything longer than a ten or twelve-minute prologue is awkward. There was pressure at one point to make [the death] the midpoint of the movie, because there was this idea like ‘Let’s jump on this bandwagon of The Ben And Jen Show!’ I also think [cutting those scenes] has allowed them to market the movie more honestly. Otherwise you’d have seen me and Jen on the poster, and I’m glad that didn’t happen because that’s bait-and-switch marketing anyway. And I don’t know if Kevin would admit this, but Kevin’s more willing to be ruthless with his own material now. It’s the first time that I’ve worked with him on a movie and haven’t sat there and said, ‘You still should have cut those four lines.’ It was not pulling teeth to get Kevin to take his own stuff out. He’s able to see it with a more mature eye. It’s really uncommon with writer-directors to be able to get them to part with [material]. Every time I’ve worked with a writer-director, I’ve always thought they’ve included things they shouldn’t have put in the movie.

  AT: You’ve got some really intense emotional scenes in this movie. To be honest, you spend a lot more time crying in JERSEY GIRL then I would have ever imagined. There’s one scene in a hospital that I was struck by a real sense of honesty in your performance, a reaction to tragedy. I myself have stood in that emergency room, and I myself have gotten that kind of news, and I know that your reaction is exactly what happens. I know it’s difficult to talk about where you go as an actor when you’re preparing to do a scene like that, but can you shed a little light on your technique in that moment?

  BA: It’s just being able to realistically imagine getting that news about somebody that you really care about. You have to make it real to yourself to make it work. It was a combination of a couple of things. I haven’t had to be in that particular situation, thank God and knock wood, but eventually most of us are. I’ve been around it and seen it. I had some memory of what it looked like from the outside. A moment like that, when you read the script, always stands out. You think about the fact that, ‘Okay, this is going to be a big deal. How am I going to do this?’ For me, I just put it in my subconscious and work on it over time. You get there on the day, and it’s scary because either it just happens, or it doesn’t. You can’t fake it. It was a brave and new thing for one of Kevin’s movies, too, so all of us were wary and respectful of it…When something is well-written, it’s easier to play than trying to imbue some asinine wooden scene with some resonance. With JERSEY GIRL, there are so many cues that the writer gives you as an actor to tell you where the character is. You can fall into it. It’s refreshing. Every day I felt like I was coming to work and contributing something, not being part of some giant story juggernaut that sort of rolls over everything with effects. The time was time taken, and the attention was spent, and there was patience that said, ‘We have to get this right.’ It was a great opportunity for me, and it’s the kind of thing I want to continue to do.

  AT: You speak a monologue during the movie, standing over the crib of your daughter. That speech is rather epic in length. How long did it take you to shoot that?

  BA: We took all day. That was another one of those highlighted scenes. Kevin sent me forty pages of the story, and like any first draft, half of that stuff’s not in the final draft. [The crib] monologue was there [in the end] word for word. I got to that in my reading, and that was the moment where I thought, ‘This movie’s going to work. You haven’t seen anything like this. It’s a really interesting idea, this guy talking to his own daughter who isn’t even able to understand, but he’s giving himself over to her.’ In a weird way, the conservatism of this movie is kind of radical to me. There’s the suggestion that we live in a society that is very professionally oriented, and that everyone takes for family for granted, that these goals that we have in our profession are not what we should be pursuing. Playing it kind of reminded me that, particularly being an actor with a bunch of stuff swirling around me, there’s a tendency to want to be able, at some time, to say, ‘Forget it. I give this up. I want to just have this simpler life that’s about something more intimate.’

  Hit the 'Shoot to read the whole shebang!

• The press continues, and we've got it all here for ya. We'll kick it off with a fantastic piece from USA Today (including the revelation that Kev may have just given up smoking!), and just keep rollin' on from there. We'll run reviews separately, the stuff that follows will just involve interviews or press pieces on the movie and/or the cast. Let's get the party started:
  USA TODAY - "Kevin Smith shares the 'Jersey Girl' love"

  ...He says of Jersey Girl, "If somebody put a gun to my head and said, 'Make one kind of movie for the rest of your life,' it would be more of this. This is what comes natural to me. You scrape away the sex and fart jokes and the cynicism of the other movies, and you find a romantic underneath."

  The timing couldn't be better for Smith to play to a more mature crowd, given the outbreak of conservatism that has gripped the country after Janet Jackson's breast-baring Super Bowl stunt. "Thank God I wasn't promoting Dogma right about now," he says. "I'd be up a creek."

  He didn't have to struggle too hard to sanitize his script. "You take Jay and Silent Bob out of any flick, and 75% of it is going to go clean immediately." But Smith retains his knack for shock humor: Affleck's character refers to the long-running Broadway musical Cats as "the second-worst thing to happen to New York." Yes, it's a World Trade Center joke.

  "It's very subtle," he says, smiling somewhat sheepishly. "I don't know if anybody picks up on it." The line pre-9/11 was "the worst thing." Afterward, "I tailored it back. Then I thought, 'Is that kind of tacky? No, it's in keeping with what I said in the past.' "

  [FULL STORY]

  ---

  MIAMI HERALD - "One from the Heart"

  Q: The most surprising thing about Jersey Girl is that it reveals what a softie you are. Who knew?

  A: I'm a sap for movies like this. I didn't really grow up watching hardcore indie stuff. That came later in life. I grew up watching movies like this, because my Mom was into them. I'm a huge fan of Terms of Endearment.

  Q: It's also a very straightforward and earnest movie. Even though it's often very funny, there's no cynicism or irony in it whatsoever.

  A: It doesn't reinvent the wheel. It's chock-full of clichés, and it had the potential to become one big cliché. It's how you handle those conventions that makes all the difference. School of Rock is a great example. I don't know that I would have necessarily dug that movie in someone else's hands. But [director] Richard Linklater did something with it that I thought was real interesting and cool. It's nice to see a dude whose work I've always admired do something in a very familiar genre but bring his particular flavor to it.

  Q: You've described Jersey Girl as your most personal film. But isn't comedy, by its very nature, extremely personal? The particular things we laugh at are very revealing of our personalities and who we are.

  A: I'd agree with that. Some of the comedy that I've done -- and I'm certainly not disowning it by any stretch of the imagination -- is stuff that I find funny and can observe, but I'm not really a part of it. I'm not a stoner and have never been a stoner. I love sex and I love talking about it with my friends, but I'm not like obsessed with sex. The characters in my movies are, because it's much funnier to play that out on the page.

  But if someone held a gun to my head and said I could only write one kind of script for the rest of my life, it would be more like this one, because this is closer to who I am and the stuff I really enjoy. I'm the dude who loves movies about grief and where people die. That stuff is actually easier for me to write than the comedy.

  [FULL STORY]

  ---

  CHICAGO SUN-TIMES - "Jersey boy Kevin Smith gets personal, but not too serious"

  ..."At any given moment, people could be like, 'Hey, the emperor has no f-----' clothes!' and suddenly you're out on your ass," Smith said. "So I try not to treat it very seriously, and it's not a cure for f-----' cancer by any stretch of the imagination. You just hope to connect with an audience. You hope to move them, you hope to make 'em laugh. You hope that the movie means something to them."

  If it doesn't, if they deem it crap and bluntly tell him so (as a number of bitter souls have), he's hurt. Fame and wealth have brought lots of things, but thicker skin isn't one of them.

  "If it's good criticism, like, well-thought out, I don't take it personally," he said. "But I do tend to take the s--- that's like, 'You're a hack and this s--- blows!' very personally. And I don't know why. 'Cause that's not really criticism. It's somebody trying to get under your skin. And that's the stuff you should be able to blow off easily, but unfortunately that's not the case. It's the stuff you wind up dwelling on. It finds the chinks in your armor.

  "I don't know about other people, but I know I sit there going, 'I suck, I blow, I'm a hack,' in the wee small hours of the morning, or in the dark. And so when somebody nails it on the head and nails your insecurities on the head, it really draws blood."

  With his most heartfelt work to date debuting shortly on hundreds of screens across America, Smith is doubtless due for another round of pummeling. Alas, all he'll have to blunt the blows are a loving family, fans galore, piles of cash, a Tinseltown casa and global fame.

  [FULL STORY]

  ---

  THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS - "Jersey Guy"

  ...But Jay and Silent Bob fans shouldn't feel abandoned. The comedy tag team, which features Jason Mewes as the motor-mouthed Jay and Smith as his silent partner Bob, should strike back again soon.

  "I told Mewes if he would get and stay clean, I would think about going back into Jay and Silent Bob country," Smith says. "On April 6, he will have been clean and sober for a year, off booze and drugs. So hopefully, Mewes can stay on point and yeah, we'll think about heading in that direction again."

  [FULL STORY]

  ---

  TV GUIDE - "Meet J.Lo's 'Daughter'"

  ..."I'm hoping that, after this movie, people will realize who I am," she giddily says, "because I like signing autographs. I want to be able to go to the mall and McDonald's and everything, but I want to sign autographs because it looks pretty cool."

  The fourth-grader has been diligently practicing, just in case adoring fans start asking for her John Hancock. "I can write in cursive," she declares proudly. "I learned how when I was in third grade. [My signature] is not like people usually do it. I do it nice and you can understand it. But I want to learn how to [sign my name] fast, like Ben does."

  [FULL STORY]

  ---

  THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS - "Jersey Guy"

  ...But Jay and Silent Bob fans shouldn't feel abandoned. The comedy tag team, which features Jason Mewes as the motor-mouthed Jay and Smith as his silent partner Bob, should strike back again soon.

  "I told Mewes if he would get and stay clean, I would think about going back into Jay and Silent Bob country," Smith says. "On April 6, he will have been clean and sober for a year, off booze and drugs. So hopefully, Mewes can stay on point and yeah, we'll think about heading in that direction again."

  [FULL STORY]

  ---

  HOLLYWOOD REPORTER - "Publicist to the Stars Poised for Stardom"

  "I wanted to make Tony Angellotti the most famous publicist in the world -- short of having him hit someone with a car, a la Lizzie Grubman," Smith said Wednesday while riding next to his soon-to-be famous spokesman. "I wanted to do it a bit more peacefully. And he kind of balked at the idea of hitting someone with a car, but that's how publicists get famous. You have to hit people."

  The filmmaker spared a few lives by inserting the Angellotti company -- Tony's Studio City-based entertainment marketing and PR firm -- into his upcoming Miramax Films release. The scene finds Ben Affleck (news)'s character in the middle of the Angellotti company's glamorous (and very movielike) Manhattan offices for a job interview.

  "We put an Angellotti office onscreen as if it were sculpted from God's own bathroom," Smith joked. "But did we spell it right or wrong?" he asked as he turned to Tony in the car, "Oh yeah, we did. Good."

  [FULL STORY]

• BOX OFFICE PROPHETS had some great stuff to say about "Jersey Girl", and we couldn't be happier to have read it:
  ...The most impressive performance is Affleck. In a role that is not showy (there’s no blowing up of asteroids, Japanese World War II-era Zeroes, retarded kid or bad accent for him to hide behind), Affleck is the rock the movie is built on. Dealing with a pretty involved character arc, Affleck’s work in Jersey Girl is that of an actor, not a movie star. Summoning believable tears, rage, frustration and clear feelings of love, longing and doing it all within a realistic relationship with the young girl playing his daughter, Affleck never lets Castro overshadow him, nor does he pull her along with him. The character’s maturation is interesting to watch, particularly with an actor like Affleck, so convincing at being self-involved and mean in previous movies.

  Always at his best working with an actor who challenges him and makes him react (Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting, Gwyneth Paltrow in Bounce, Joey Lauren Adams in Chasing Amy), Affleck is lucky to have Castro, Carlin and Tyler, who are all capable of that. Much of the credit for the performance must also lie with Smith, who certainly wrote the character with his own voice, but wrote with the actor in mind. This is Affleck’s fifth movie with Kevin Smith, and it’s clear that Smith knows how to direct his muse.

  Ultimately, this is Kevin Smith’s movie. Working with an Academy Award-winning cinematographer, Vilmos Zsigmond (Close Encounters of the Third Kind), lends Jersey Girl a look never before seen in Smith’s work: classy. That’s not a knock on Smith so much as it’s a compliment to Zsigmond. But it’s Smith’s script and direction that make the movie work. There are clear moments of corniness that show Smith’s relative unfamiliarity with material like this, but for the most part his willingness to focus on the task at hand makes the film more cohesive than the majority of his previous efforts. Even the music used throughout the film works extremely well. This is not to say that much of Smith’s trademark humor and edge aren’t present; they certainly are, but he’s found a worthwhile balance. It’s as though Smith has gone through a very public film school over the past ten years, and if Jersey Girl is the first film out of the gate, post-graduation, we have a great deal to look forward to.

  Read the FULL REVIEW HERE!

  

• We ran the story yesterday, but thought you might also like to see the front page of the Philadelphia Inquirer, which was all Kevin and Jersey Girl! Click for a better look. It's a nice spread, for sure.

• IGN's DVD site is running a poll about Jersey Girl, asking if the Gigli fallout will affect the movie. One of the four choices specifically mentions Kevin saying "No, because Kevin Smith is behind it", and that's ahead at presstime! Dang right! Surf over to IGN and place YOUR vote!

  MARCH 21, 2004
  
  

• With this being the last weekend before Jersey Girl hits theaters (yes, it's finally here!), lots of newspapers, magazines, and websites have stories running on the film. We're going to try and organize this as best we can, by presenting you with links to all of the pieces, and a snippet from each. So, feel free to just skim through here, read the highlights, or click the link to view the full story. As always, these articles DO contain spoilers for happenings and cameos in the film, so read at your own risk:
  PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER - "Mr. Tenderness"

  ...As he reflects on life since he hit the Clerks jackpot 10 years ago, Smith can't avoid being superstitious. "I've had a great decade, but I keep wondering, 'Where's the bill?' I keep expecting to wake up at the counter of Quick Stop," the convenience store featured in Clerks.

  Write it off as the garden-variety stage fright all filmmakers experience before their movie debuts, worrying that it will flop and they'll never work again.

  There are two reasons Smith needn't sweat. First, Jersey Girl is a freakin' fine movie, as Carlin's character might say, with a key modification in language.

  And second, Smith is already in preproduction on The Green Hornet, based on the character created by Fran Striker and George Trendle for a 1936 radio serial. Smith is both writing and directing the movie, his first foray into mega-budget territory.

  His only worry should be to cast someone as offbeat and spot-on as Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man.

  [FULL STORY]

  ---

  THE NEW YORK TIMES

  ...CURTIS You say in the press notes, "This isn't my funniest or most original film to date." That's got to be a first for movie press notes.

  SMITH It's true — in many ways, people have seen a movie like this before. But there's nothing saying you can't work with clichés and make them your own. There's only three basic story structures in the world: man versus man, man versus nature, man versus himself. That's already a very small pool. I've always historically made relationship pictures. That's what I do. This is a relationship picture about fatherhood, the relationship one has with one's father and the relationship one has as a father. So I sat down and thought about it, and it's not that original. It's not a movie like, "Hey, man, everything you know about family movies we're going to reinvent." I'm not the guy that reinvents the wheel. I'm just the guy that adds another spoke, and hopefully it's a very strong spoke.

  CURTIS A lot of people think of you as somebody running away from the conventions of genre films. But you don't see yourself as that.

  SMITH Not at all. When I look at "Clerks," I don't think of it as, "This runs away from the genre conventions." I look at it as, "Well, we didn't have any money."

  CURTIS You've said that you and Harvey Weinstein bonded over a shared passion for vulgarity. True?

  SMITH Very much so. I was very attracted to him the moment I met him, and he was cursing. He's free. He's free with his language, and I kind of dug that. That, and he was smoking. He's cursing, he's smoking, he's a big guy and he's eating potato skins. I'm like, "I like this man."

  CURTIS What did he say when you showed him "Jersey Girl"?

  SMITH He cried. And he said, "I could watch 10 more minutes of that movie" — which for Harvey is high praise, because he's known for wanting to cut movies up. Without Harvey, I probably wouldn't be in this business at all.

  [FULL STORY]

  ---

  MSNBC/Newsweek - "Chasing Kevin"

  ...In the March 29 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, March 22), Smith tells Ansen that in five of his films, Affleck has played his "way better-looking proxy." "He's a guy whose acting I really adore," says Smith. "But he was at this point where he was being cast in role after role as man with a gun, you know? Man in tights jumping off buildings. Man almost single- handedly beating the Japanese in World War II...I'm sure he doesn't want to hear this, but Ben is always best when he's playing himself, essentially. In real life, he's very charming-a funny guy, erudite, good to be around."

  In this installment of "Review & Rebuttal," an occasional feature in which Newsweek's critics tell artists what they think of their work and the artists get to talk back, Ansen tells Smith that "Jersey Girl" felt "cliched" and slipped into sentimentality. Smith admits the movie represents a departure for him. "Because I've made movies that pushed the edge of the envelope in the past, I get penalized when I make one that doesn't," he says. "Some people are, like, 'Well, it's not your riskiest movie.' What am I, a stuntman? I got in the movies to tell the stories that I wanted to tell. So, maybe this time around I lose some of the critics who have liked my edgier stuff."

  Ansen tells Smith that while the film has some funny moments, he had a hard time believing that, following his wife's death, Affleck's character would go for seven years without having sex. Smith, who has been married five years, disagrees. "Once I got married I realized that I never wanted to f--- anyone else for the rest of my life," he says. "Even if my wife died. It's not just physical, though that's fantastic. Psychologically, I am tied to her. When you're really committed to somebody, forget it, man. It's impossible to think about f---ing somebody else."

  [FULL STORY]

  ---

  TRENTON TIMES - "Still a Jersey Guy at Heart"

  ...With a budget of $35 million, "Jersey Girl" may be modest by industry standards, but it's huge by Smith's. "The Green Hornet" will be even bigger, a film with a built-in fan base from the comic-book hero that inspired it.

  "He's a precursor to `Batman' in that he's a millionaire vigilante with a sidekick. It's my chance to make a comic book come to life under the best circumstances," adds Smith, who also took a shot at rewriting a new "Superman" screenplay for Warner Bros.

  "With `Green Hornet,' I won't have to answer to five or six different cooks, but I'll have to answer to the fan base."

  For all of his success, Smith doesn't seem to have changed. His conversation is still laced with pungent vocabulary and biting humor. He's loyal to actors who have worked for him when he was nobody. (This is his fifth collaboration with Affleck.) And he's willing to discuss just about anything - or anyone - if you ask.

  The sentimental side of Smith is what may surprise his diehard fans when they see "Jersey Girl." It's the side of him that included dozens of "thank yous" in the film's credits to people connected with the movie, which he's dedicated to his late father.

  [FULL STORY]

  ---

  MSNBC - "Raquel Castro is the Real Jersey Girl"

  Smith was inspired to write the story back in 2000 when he watched his wife put their baby to bed one night.

  “I was really kind of moved by it — kind of swept up by the feeling of like what if my wife had died and left me with a kid? How on earth would I have possibly done this alone because we worked as such a really good team?”

  He wrote 50 pages in two hours, did another quick burst the following year, and finished it in early 2002.

  “All told, it was probably a total of a three week write with all the combination of time,” he said.

  [FULL STORY]

  ---

  SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - "SMITH BREAKS HIS SILENCE WITH 'GIRL'"

  "I relish the opportunity to be the comeback vehicle because then that mother -- will be indebted to me much more than he is now," Smith said with a grin. "It's nice to keep that iron grasp on him. Both of our careers were kind of launched to the next level because of 'Chasing Amy.' ''

  "Jersey Girl" has the heartfelt quality of "Amy," Smith's 1997 film about a comic-book artist in love with a lesbian, but this one doesn't coin any new names for three-ways. The sweet-natured "Jersey" is missing the smutty humor that has characterized Smith's work since he endeared himself to mini-market loiterers with 1994's "Clerks." Stoner jesters Jay and Silent Bob aren't even in the new movie.

  "I was at that point in my life where I had had a kid, so the edges got a little, I hate to say duller, but that's probably all right in the context," Smith said.

  He wrote "Jersey Girl" after he and his wife, Jennifer, had their daughter, Harley, now 4. A sort of Valentine to fatherhood, "Jersey Girl" follows the Affleck character's relationships with his daughter (Raquel Castro) and his father (George Carlin), and is dedicated to Smith's own father, Donald, who died last year. "Once I became a dad, I realized what a great father my old man was," Smith said.

  The film also showcases Affleck's paternal side, his director says.

  "There's a real sweetness to the dude that a lot of people don't see. He's always scooping up other people's kids. ... I barely even wanted to pick up mine when she was little, much less other people's kids, because you don't want to be the guy who drops the kid.''

  [FULL STORY]

• This weekend's Ebert & Roeper at the Movies is playing in syndication. The pair review "Jersey Girl" and come up with a split decision. Ebert (normally the more accurate of the two, in our opinion) gives the film a thumbs-up! We'll let you know when his print review becomes available. Also, TV ads for the film are starting to include critical praise from various outlets.

  MARCH 17, 2004
  
  

  

  

• Kevin did a sit-down interview with Jay Leno on last night's "Tonight Show" to promote Jersey Girl, and we've got the full video for you right here. Sadly, Kevin had a relatively short segment that flew by, but they managed to cover quite a bit of material and give "Jersey Girl" an excellent plug, with a small clip from the film. Let's home that Kevin made good friends with prior guest Angelina Jolie, and will pass our numbers on to her as soon as humanly possible.

  Jersey Girl TV Spot #1 (Quicktime)

  Jersey Girl TV Spot #2 (Quicktime)

• If you've turned on a television lately, chances are you've seen an ad for Jersey Girl. They're showing a couple good gags from the film but, luckily, the same few scenes, so there's a LOT of the film left to discover in theaters. Prime programming has been airing ads, including The Tonight Show, and, one of the most watched programs in the country now, American Idol. Viewer awareness is definitely at an all-time high for a View Askew film.

• We were surprised but very pleased to see that Kevin dropped some early plans for the Jersey Girl DVD today. As you might know, a DVD takes quite a bit of time to produce, so in order to make an aggressive street date (in this case, October 2004), materials will need to get started on very soon. Here's what we know so far:
  • Will hit shelves sometime in October 2004.
  • Will include a commentary with Kevin, Affleck, maybe more.
  • All deleted and alternate scenes will be included.
  • Best of all, will include a 2+ hour director's cut of the film!

• Jersey Girl made its first festival appearace at the SXSW festival in Texas this week, and Yahoo has the story:

  Director Kevin Smith answers audience questions after a screening of his new film "Jersey Girl" at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, Sunday, March 14, 2004.(AP Photo/Jack Plunkett)

  'Jersey Girl' Screens at Film Festival

  By CHRISTY LEMIRE, AP Entertainment Writer

  AUSTIN, Texas - Bennifer's last hurrah took place at the South by Southwest film festival, where "Jersey Girl," starring Ben Affleck (news) and (very briefly) Jennifer Lopez (news), was shown before a wildly enthusiastic crowd.

  Director-writer Kevin Smith (news) told the sold-out audience afterward that he's still happy to have the former off-screen couple play an on-screen couple in his film, despite the disastrous "Gigli," their previous cinematic pairing.

  "I've always been a fan of `Out of Sight,'" Smith said Sunday night, referring to the Steven Soderbergh (news) film in which Lopez co-starred with George Clooney (news).

  But the real reason he chose her? "Affleck asked me," he deadpanned.

  Smith said his wife suggested casting Lopez as Affleck's wife: "I said, 'Really? He's making a movie with her right now. It's called "Gigli." Should be a huge hit.'"

  Notoriously, it wasn't — and neither was their extremely public relationship. Affleck and Lopez — "Bennifer," as they became known — were supposed to have married in a lavish ceremony last September, but abruptly called it off and blamed the media for its constant scrutiny.

  Smith similarly canceled their wedding plans in the movie. He cut the scene in which they walk down the aisle, limiting her already brief screen time. Lopez's character dies during childbirth within the first few minutes, forcing Affleck's character, a high-powered music publicist, to re-examine his life as he raises their daughter on his own.

  "I think we got better work out of him because it was her," Smith said of Affleck, who has several emotional scenes.

  The director acknowledged that "Jersey Girl" is vastly different from the movies on which he's built his loyal fan base, including "Clerks" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," with their stoned characters and obscure comic book references.

  "That's me on a soft day — kinda warm and gooey," Smith said after the closing credits stopped rolling. "It came from being married. It came from having a kid."

  "The next movie I'm thinking about making is about a puppy," he added.

  The South by Southwest film festival, now in its 11th year, runs through Saturday.

  "Jersey Girl," co-starring Liv Tyler (news) and George Carlin (news), opens nationwide March 26.

• Kevin will be doing his famous Q&A thang at the University of Maryland on FRIDAY NIGHT, April 2nd. We're considering coming in for this one, so just let us know where all the big keg parties are happening after the fact. No more details or ticket prices at this point, but we'll keep ya posted. We do believe this one's gonna be open to both students AND the public. If you work with the folks there, drop us a line with some details and some info for us so we can set something up with ya.

• Just like we warned ya, there's a TON more appearances coming up, as well as some changes (this is the first that we saw the Raquel Castro date change for the Tonight Show, take note). This list just came across the desk today, so consider it up to date...
  3/17 - George Carlin - The Tonight Show
  3/23 - George Carlin - Craig Kilborn
  3/23 - Jason Biggs - Jimmy Kimmel Live
  3/23 - Kevin Smith - Tavis Smiley Show
  3/24 - Kevin Smith - Craig Kilborn
  3/24 - Ben Affleck - Ellen DeGeneres
  3/28 - Kevin Smith - Sunday Morning Shootout
  3/29 - Raquel Castro - Tonight Show
  4/7 - George Carlin - Tavis Smiley Show
  We'll keep you posted as we learn of more appearances and any schedule changes. As always, check your local listings, the internet, or your Tivos to locate these shows, as some of them air on various networks and at different times.

• Despite his crazy schedule promoting Jersey Girl, rest assured, Kevin WILL be in attendance at Wizard World in LA this weekend, Saturday and Sunday. No exclusive inaction figures this time, but chances are you'll be able to pick up the classic rare ones at the View Askew booth. Bring some bucks!

  

• Here's something we thought was really great but missed mentioning. As part of that fake SF Chronicle site with the Jersey Girl review last week, the creator also included a long list of want ads alongside the review. They blended in so well, we didn't notice until after we ran the piece. But we've got them now, and thought you'd enjoy the very creative work of the mysterious author. Click away!

• TV Guide online has a small new story on Liv Tyler and working with Ben in Jersey Girl. Here's a snip:
  Tyler admits she got a case of the butterflies when it came time for her and Affleck to disrobe for their Jersey Girl shower sequence. "It is always nerve-wracking doing any kind of love scene or make-out scene," Tyler admits. "But I feel really comfortable with Ben. You just try and let go and have fun with it."
  
• As we reported yesterday, Larry King praised Jersey Girl quite a bit during his chat with Ben Affleck on his program last night. Here's a photo from the show, featuring Ben and the award he asked for earlier this week:
  Talk show host Larry King, left, displays the Razzie Award won by actor Ben Affleck, right, for his film's "Daredevil" and "Gigli," following Affleck's comment about winning the award but never receiving the actual award, during a taping of "Larry King Live," Tuesday, March 16, 2004, in Los Angeles. Affleck discussed a wide range of topics from baseball to his new comedy film "Jersey Girl." (AP Photo/CNN, Rose M. Prouser)
• USA Today talked to Affleck about Jersey Girl and the usual amount of other topics, including his recent hilarious SNL appearance (that Gigli/Frondi sketch was a true gem). Here's a taste:
  Though it is a bittersweet experience to have Jersey Girl's early scenes reflect his relationship with Lopez, Affleck welcomes its arrival. "I'm really proud and pleased of Kevin and his work. It is done on a high professional level. Gigli was such a disaster of a movie. What created it was an excess of publicity for me and Jen. There was a rising tide of animosity against us that crested on that movie. It was hard for people to distinguish between our relationship and the movie."

  With Jersey Girl, "we can end that chapter on a positive note with fond memories."

• The BBC World show "Talking Movies" is featuring Kevin and JG this week, with a good interview. If you can't see the BBC World channel, hop over HERE where you will find a transcript of the interview and a streaming video also (if they manage to sort out a problem that means it's not available at the moment.)

  Note that after a week the transcript should move into the archive section, but the media will disappear to be replaced by the next program. So watch now!

• You can find a few more photos of the celebrity arrivals at the Jersey Girl Hard Rock Cafe post-party over at Iwon.com.

• More Kevin interview questions, this time with MIT, can be found HERE. Some interesting comments, including:
  On possibly abandoning his fan base:

  “It’s not [about] how many people are going to watch it; it’s [about] the audience that you are accustomed to, and then suddenly turning around and being like, ‘Here’s something that’s really pussy soft.’ Thankfully the fan base is what it is and there are people who are fans of ‘Chasing Amy.’ They’re not all Jay and Bob guys. But you know the 13 and 14-year-old Jay and Bob guys you’re going to lose ... the hardcore younger ones are probably going to feel like I turned my back on them, and they are the most vocal ones on the Internet. They are the ones who are like, ‘You fucking sell-out’.”

  On the prospect of getting an Oscar:

  “Never. Never happen. Can’t do it. Don’t think I have it in me. I’ve seen the people who win Oscars, and Ben [Affleck] excluded, and Matt [Damon], it’s not company that I can see myself ever keeping. Or that anyone sees me in the same context of. So I don’t think that that will ever happen. I don’t think that I’ll ever even get to go to the Oscars. I would just be happy to present. Presenting would be [like] a win [for me]... but they’d need a 10-second delay.”

  MARCH 16, 2004
  
  

• Don't forget, Jersey Girl week continues on The Tonight Show this week, with a guest appearance (NOT a Roadside Attraction) from Kevin Smith himself. Watch him shamelessly pimp the new flick, and share some couch time with Jay. You'll find that on NBC.

  Before that, though, catch Ben Affleck tonight on Larry King Live at 9:00 PM. That's on CNN, which comes with all your basic cable packages, so yep, you have it.

  Tonight, on Starz, at 8:30 PM , their "On The Set" feature on "Jersey Girl" begins to air.

  Coming up later this week, Sunday March 21st, at 11:15 AM - Bravo will feature a 15-minute segment titled "The Making of Jersey Girl" followed by Ben Affleck's "Inside The Actors Studio" with Ben Affleck (11:30 AM).

  We'll try and remind you of as many of these events as we can, though we suggest you watch the countdown ticker in the sidebar there, as it should always indicate the TV appearances that are happening in the near future. Schedules change a lot and appearances get announced at the last minute at times, so we WILL do our best to make sure you don't miss all of this coverage over the next couple of weeks. Thanks for sticking with us.

• You knew it was building up to this -- Antony Teofilo's big interview with Jersey Girl star Ben Affleck is now available over at Movie Poop Shoot. Antony covers all kinds of topics, from Push, Nevada, to Daredevil, to working with Damon. It's a nice little piece, and recommended!

• It sounds like Aint It Cool's own Harry Knowles dug Jersey Girl from this small mention of the film at his site today :
  "Between this film ("Hellboy") -- watching Kevin Smith's JERSEY GIRL and LOVE ME IF YOU DARE... well... I've had a great 24 hours of film. I'll get into it when I get the time ..."

  Well, he said it was great. That's gotta count for something.

  We'll keep watch for his review.

• The Village Voice's Michael Musto chimes in on Jersey Girl today. Here's what his column had to say (spoilers ahead):
  Jersey Girl definitely has gossip value, seeing as BEN AFFLECK's character learns to live again after his relationship with JENNIFER LOPEZ ends sadly. And trendwise, it's of interest because it's the second recent flick (Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen being the other) about a move from NYC to New Jersey, though in this one, the Garden State provides revivification, not spiritual death. Otherwise, it's pretty synthetic stuff, with lots of characters walking in at just the wrong moment and people rejecting life in the fast lane the way no one within a mile of this project would ever imagine doing. Still, anything that climaxes with a six-year-old doing a musical number from Sweeney Todd deserves some respect.

  At the premiere, director KEVIN SMITH said he's desperate to change the film's title to The Passion of the Jersey Christ. When he also cracked that they would hold the screening until J.Lo got there, Affleck squirmed, then laughed and said, "Thanks. Friends like these, folks!" Most fascinatingly of all, Affleck groveled before HARVEY WEINSTEIN, who in turn compared the Smith-Affleck team to SCORSESE and DE NIRO. But the mogul also helpfully described his boys' complex relationship. ("Say the lines the way I wrote them." "Of course, I won the Oscar for Good Will Hunting.") And then I grabbed the gift bag and headed back home to Rahway. Kidding. M.M.

• In E! Online's "Clip of the Day", Affleck dishes on Jersey Girl and Jennifer. You can access the clip from their front page.

• Entertainment Tonight has another column today with Affleck discussing his desire to go "back to basics" with Jersey Girl:
  "It's really a far cry from 'Armageddon,'" he says. "There's no giant rock hurtling toward the earth, no sticking animal crackers down [Liv's] pants. This was a more developed story in terms of my relationship with her character. We've known each other for a long, long time, so it was very easy and comforting. There was no awkwardness."
  
• And finally in the JG newsbites today, another great review from 2 local San Francisco papers. Click the scan above to give it a look.

  MARCH 15, 2004
  
  

• Dateline Alabama caught an early look at "Jersey Girl", and liked what they saw! Here's their full review. As always, watch out for spoilers, as this review does go through the plot in a fair amount of detail:
  'Jersey Girl' shows growth in characters, director

  A surprise to many viewers, 'Jersey Girl' delivers a coming-of-age story, sure to restore your faith in Ben Affleck and become a valid addition to any DVD collection.

  Growing up isn't easy to do. While it's been rough for Kevin Smith, he's finally made it to a point where serious meets light-heartedness and crudeness becomes the rough edges of everyday life.

  "Jersey Girl" could be considered the coming-of-age film of Smith's career, going back to his "Chasing Amy" roots where serious and dramatic topics can still entertain audiences, and offer chances for laughs. While life lessons can turn a crowd quickly, Smith is still able to impart to his audiences something they take home with them without feeling force fed.

  The eternal love story takes yet another twist in "Jersey Girl." Ollie Trinke (Ben Affleck) thought his job was the most important thing in life. Being the youngest "flack" to ever head a department in his public relations firm, Trinke is the pinnacle of spin doctoring and proud of it. Even a workaholic has to take a break, and when that happens he falls in love.

  Enter Gertrude Steiney (Jennifer Lopez), the love of Ollie's life and who he spends the night hours within New York City, one of Ollie's two categories of life.

  Happiness appears to abound for the New York power couple until it seems Ollie's career could interfere with the picturesque family life Gertrude wants, and, since she wants it, Ollie wants it, too. Differences are worked out until things take another step toward the worse when Gertrude dies giving birth to the couple's daughter, Gertie (Raquel Castro).

  Ollie soon learns that life is hard when he loses his dream job because of one explosive dealing with the press, Ollie trashes his client and learns that home, the New Jersey category of life, is where the heart is. After moving back home to his widowed father's house, Pops (George Carlin) helps Ollie realize there is more to life and helps him find it right there in New Jersey.

  Raising a child as a single parent is one thing, but falling back in love after seven years of mourning is another. When Ollie meets a quick-witted and invasive grad student working part time at the video store, perspective changes once again for him. Falling for Maya (Liv Tyler) while trying to get back into the PR business is when all Ollie has learned is put to the test.

  Although the whole Benifer thing was overblown and overplayed, the ambiguously together-as-one duo does play a picturesque and overly sweet, perfect couple. Jennifer Lopez gives a Meg Ryan-like performance in her short-lived role in this picture. Only around long enough to fall in love and have a baby, J-Lo dies within the first 15 minutes of the movie, which, had the scene not been so dramatic, would have drawn cheers from the audience.

  Ben Affleck gives a performance that makes up for such films as "Dare Devil" and "Pearl Harbor." While he may be considered to be too much of a hunk to play the role of a loving and caring father, he does give merit to a role that could have easily become a long-running stereotype. While many worried about another spin-off of "Gigli," this film certainly knows how to avoid the pitfalls of expectations and audience intelligence.

  Liv Tyler does well too in her role sans pointed elf ears. Her beauty on screen is captivating and the personality of her character makes it hard for all the guys in the audience not to fall in love with her. Playing the ideal woman cannot be easy, and so a lot of praise must go her way for this film.

  George Carlin plays a significantly sized role in this film, which, by far, overshadows any of his previous appearances on the silver screen. Supplying most of the comic relief, Carlin still manages to play his character with such authenticity and conviction that he makes audiences believe he really is a grandfather. This role was created for Carlin to play. Bypassing his typically short, often crude, cameos, he was able to prove his worth as an actor, rather than an iconic comedian appearing on screen for the sake of the film having his name in the credits.

  Raquel Castro played a perfect character, giving a performance rivaling any other one could expect from a child star. Her delivery and understanding of the material transfers well, and Castro comes off as a child we'd all want, but wouldn't want to raise by ourselves.

  Of course, not to discredit all of Smith's previous film classics, Jason Lee and Matt Damon make quick cameo appearances as PR executives at one of Ollie's many interviews. Just seeing Lee in a role where you know his subtle meanness and toothy evil grin will appear make that minute or so of the film worth the ticket price. Will Smith has a cameo, imparting the idealistic wisdom that other dramatic Smith films have, although usually delivered by Silent Bob.

  Jason Biggs plays a befuddled and quaking assistant living in Ollie's shadow. While Biggs rarely has more expression than a museum portrait, this role could be a springboard for Biggs and might help people forget what he did to that in that "you know, that one movie he's in, with Nadia."

  Playing supporting roles, but ones that help extend the comic relief of Carlin and prolong the senses and feelings of a New Jersey borough, Stephen Root and Mike Starr play Greenie and Block, Gertie's two uncles who Ollie says "aren't your real uncles. They barely qualify as your peers."

  Kevin Smith fans might be disappointed to learn that Jay and Silent Bob are, as it seems, officially retired as promised. But it almost would have been a sin to include them in this film, making it too corny and pushed to have them just for continuity's sake. The film was better off with Smith behind the camera doing what he does best -- writing and directing.

  The cast really comes together to deliver a surprising performance as a whole. Carlin especially will surprise you with his grandfatherly delivery and job as an on-screen surrogate parent. The cohesion of the actors and their performances make "Jersey Girl" a top runner for being one of Smith's best films to date. While it will be hard to oust the others, seeing this film twice, or more, certainly wouldn't hurt making that decision.

  Smith's latest film is a tale of growing up, but not necessarily from the point of view of a 6-year-old Jersey girl. With sort of a "when life hands you lemons ..." motif, Smith still manages to entertain by having his characters develop fully within the story without pushing a fairy tale ending down your throat. All of the characters come full circle and are better for the experiences they had throughout the film, and so does the audience. If you examine his previous films, "Jersey Girl" isn't typical Kevin Smith fair. This is more reminiscent of the life-lessons-learned quality that earned "Chasing Amy" so much acclaim.

  When this film does hit DVD, it will join the rest of its family on my shelf, right next to "Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back," "Dogma," "Chasing Amy," "Mallrats" and "Clerks." It just shows once again how life has its ups and downs and how sometimes growing up is a back and forth process.

  
• The latest issue of Creative Screenwriting features a brand new, in-depth interview with Kevin (as well as a classic photo that dates back 10 years or so). We've now got the scans of that article for ya right here, so click away and enjoy. In it, Kevin talks about budgets, musical numbers, the inspiration for the new flick, the screenwriting process, and a lot more.
• We hate even giving this ink, but in today's column, gossiper Cindy Adams has displayed the best in ignorant journalism, by deciding to put down "Jersey Girl" without even seeing a frame of the film. It's like one of us criticizing a new CD before we've even heard a note. Shame on you, Ms. Adams. Next time you decide to so publicly bash something, how about seeing it first? Then feel free to weigh in. If you've got a moment, and you've seen the film, why not send an intelligent (read: no swearing or threatening, please) to Adams or the Post and let them know what YOU thought of it.

• You'll find a handful of brand new clips from Jersey Girl online at Cinemovies. It's a french site, but never fear, the clips ARE in English. These are some really fun scenes from around the center of the movie, which we'd consider spoilers only if you want a few of the jokes ruined. As always, we recommend waiting to see the entire flick, but if you can't make it, there ya go.

• A new article in The Advocate meets up with directors Kevin Smith & Guin Turner to discuss the decade since their "Clerks" and "Go Fish" features (respectively) appeared. We'll have some scans of this for you shortly, but in the meantime, you can read some outtakes from the piece HERE.

• This is sort of public knowledge now, but we figured we'd share the piece with ya anyway. Jersey Girl cameo spoilers ahead, don't read if you don't wanna know the surprise. This comes to us from the Sun-Times:
  Guess he really isn't up for moonlighting anymore. That's why Bruce Willis didn't even return director Kevin Smith's phone calls when it came to making a cameo in "Jersey Girl."

  Smith needed an A-list star to play himself -- and part of the plot includes a publicist played by Ben Affleck saying something about him that isn't very nice.

  Smith first went to Willis figuring that he's a Jersey guy at heart still. "Originally, I wrote the role for Bruce Willis, and offered it to him, but there was only one problem. I never heard back from Bruce Willis.

  "So, I said to Ben, 'Why don't you try to contact Willis.' Ben was like, 'I can because I know him because we [starred together in] 'Armageddon.' "

  But even Ben couldn't get through. "Bruce didn't call him back either," Smith marvels. Finally, one month shy of filming, Smith offered the role to Will Smith.

  "It worked because Will was the Fresh Prince and rapping. ...And he was in 'Bad Boy,' but I always knew him as DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince," Smith said.

• Keep your eyes on MTV News, which runs at 10 to the hour, ever hour. They're occasionally airing Kevin's segment regarding "Jersey Girl" and "Green Hornet".

  MARCH 12, 2004
  
  

  
  News Askew's Exclusive Jersey Girl Premiere Coverage!

• One of the coolest benefits that this job offers is the occasional chance to step into the celebrity world for a few hours, and experience events that many fans only dream about. This week, I was lucky enough to attend the World Premiere of Jersey Girl in New York City. Naturally, I had such a good time that all the fun took the front seat over the reporter role, but I still managed to write up a fun journal of the day, which will hopefully give you a closer look at what it's like to cross that boundary and step inside the glitz and glamour for a day. Thanks to Ming, Debbie and Lou So, without further delay, we're proud to present:
  
• We've got some reports from last night's Jacob Burns screening of "Jersey Girl", which featured the Janet Maslin Q&A. Sounds like the Q&A went great, the movie was very well-received, and that Kevin even came BACK following dinner to chat with fans, take pictures, and sign autographs. How's THAT for dedication? Thanks to Marc Sirkin for the photos above of Kev in action.

  We've also got a couple of reports from the event to share with you, first, a report from Tina (minor spoilers):

  Wow. All I could do when I spoke to Kevin last night at the Jacob Burns Film Center screening was "Thank you." I said it over and over and over. I loved this movie. I expected something good, but I didn't expect this. For me this movie was just beautiful. Ben's performance throughout the film just proves to me how great he can be given the right script.

  I laughed and I cried. I did a lot of both. I cried a lot. A lot more than I expected I would. At the point of the movie that I thought I'd be most jaded about, given my feelings toward J-Lo, I bawled like a baby. Ollie's reaction to his wife's death was so moving, that I couldn't help but cry. I wasn't the only one in the darkened theater either. I cried when Ollie starts to talk to baby Gertie.

  But I laughed a lot. I still can't get the image of Jason Lee's head out of my mind. I died laughing during that scene. Ah, how I love the combination of Smith, Lee, Affleck and Damon.

  What really made this movie for me, was the arguement between Ollie and Gertie over moving to NYC. Ugly things were shouted to hurt the other. When Ollie uttered his words "I hate you too you little...." I flashed back to when I was 7 and hearing words similar coming from my father. Yes, sadly, I can relate to the incident in the movie all to well.

  Kevin has grown up. This movie is not for those fans who only love the stoner dialogue and dick & fart jokes. This movie is for those fans who appreciated "Chasing Amy" and want to see a "grown up" movie.

  Standing outside in the cold at 11:30 last night (well it wasn't that cold, but Jen was so cold she went in the truck). Being able to talk to him and tell him how much I like the movie. Of course, I couldn't get out all I wanted to say, because I was just so damn happy to be standing next to my idol. The man that has inspired me for years, who one day, I hope to be able to show a piece of my writing and say "see, you helped me do that" and get that patented Kev smile.

  Kevin, as always, was witty during the Q&A session. I had the privelege to speak to Jen outside as well. I tell everyone the reason why I am such a fan of Kevin and Jen is because they are so down to earth and kind to their fans.

  I'm telling everyone I know to go see Jersey Girl when it opens. I know I will be going back.

  Now, Rob has his say:
  So, last night was "the big one", many of us have waiting almost 2 years to catch a glimpse of our little "Jersey Girl", and my experience was worth the wait!

  Jersey Girl and it's creator encompass everything that celebrity and a night at the movies should be!

  I once again had the pleasure and privilege to meet Kevin Smith after the screening. If every actor/director/writer in Hollywood was like Mr. Smith, the world would be a better place (not to mention we'd have a SHITLOAD more dick and fart jokes to go around)

  We were politely asked to "hang around" the film center for a while because Kevin had dinner plans with Janet Maslin (NY Times Critic) and "Maz was buyin' "

  Ok, so maybe the guy doesn't eat as fast as he thinks he does, or maybe he just eats a lot MORE food, at a much faster rate, but in any event, a faithful crowd of 37 (I kid you not) waited for around an hour and a half for Kevin's return.

  Amidst the picture taking, the autographing signing, and the general conversation that Mr. Smith's fans have come to know and love from him, (hell, he even brought his own black marker!) stood Mrs. Jennifer Schwalbach-Smith.

  As she braved the cold New Jersey night, well past 1am, I couldn't help but be in awe of the dedication and support that they clearly show one another. Mrs. Smith was as always, happy to talk about her man and his movie, with such care and excitement. This is genuine love, not some pre-fabricated media marriage or "power couple". It is EXACTLY that same love that carries Jersey Girl, and will hopefully carry it on it's way to all the success it deserves.

  I began this story with the intention of offering a "review" of Jersey Girl, but ya know what? There will be TONS of reviews, and it's a safe bet that if your reading this, your probably headed to the theater no matter what. Yes, I saw Jersey Girl last night and YES it was fantastic, but it was the bond between a husband and wife that really affected me. A bond between a father and his family AND a bond between a FILMMAKER and his FANS.

  Thank you Kevin, Jen, Janet Maslin and the wonderful members of the Jacob Burns Film Center, you have made a View Askew fan's dreams come true.

  Kevin is the coolest guy in the world with a 90210 ringtone on his cell phone!

  Finally, we're told that Kevin answered that he definitely plans to use Affleck in as many of his future flicks as possible, even in "Green Hornet", though, of course, not in the title role. So we can look forward to seeing Ben back in another View Askew production sometime next year.

• Catch a preview of Kevin's 20 Questions with Playboy at their site NOW. Playboy always manages to get some new material in these things, and the quote Kevin reveals from Lopez at the end of this one proves very interesting. Enjoy, and of course buy the issue or, if you're underage or timid or married or something, we'll do our best to have these available here as well. The April 2004 issue should be on stands very soon.

• Today on MTV.COM, Kevin confirms that FLETCH WON will come next after Green Hornet, just that it's been pushed back a year or so due to the incredible opportunity with Miramax and this project. Still no news on casting, other that what we've already heard, but Kevin jokes that a famous MTV personality may be ready for the role.

• The March/April issue of CREATIVE SCREENWRITING features a new interview with Kevin. We haven't seen the interview, so we don't have any text, links or clips just yet.

• Century Theaters is currently hosting a poll asking which Kevin Smith film is your favorite. At presstime, MALLRATS has the lead!

  MARCH 11, 2004
  
  

• This link won't last for long, as it's a fake review for "Jersey Girl" that was posted on a site to make it look as if it's coming from the actual San Francisco Chronicle newspaper (which it's not, it was just filled into their template). Anyway, we love the review and agree with what it's saying, it's quite well-written, so we figured you'd want to read it. We're also posting a screenshot of what it looked like in case it disappears:
  Jersey Girl: Drama/Comedy. Starring Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Raquel Castro. Directed by Kevin Smith. (PG-13. 103 minutes. Opens March 26th, nationwide.)

  While this particular film would appear to have fairly little in common, thematically, with earlier films by director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Hercules and Xena), the currents that run (not silent, but deep) beneath should be more than obvious to any maturing fan of the auteur’s work.

  Smith's signature style, which many believe came to its fruition in Dogma, is the subtle, yet ofttimes brash manner in which he has captured the male/male and male/female dynamic. In his earlier films, he completely obliterates the staid conventions of stunted and faux interactions between friends, lovers, and competitors, and offers the viewer a raw portal into the way real people interact in real life situations. Granted, not many of us have to oversee a much-pined over ex-girlfriend hauled away mentally shaken after having sex with a cadaver, but Smith attempts, admirably I might add, to show you how you probably would react. Moving forward to Jersey Girl, Smith has turned his piercing gaze and penchant for sharp, insightful dialogue onto the father/daughter dynamic, with uncannily accurate and invariably joyous results.

  Although many of the negatives associated with this movie revolved solely around casting (in case you currently inhabit a charming studio flat underneath a sedimentary or limestone rock, this movie features Wonder Twins "Bennifer"), immediately branding this movie "Gigli 2: Fail Harder" would serve as both a disservice to the cast, as well as to the 47 people who actually saw the ill-fated first cinematic outing of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. This cast shines from the opening bell (shortly after the Pixar-inspired animation featuring Greek chorusesque Jay and Silent Bob from previous Smith films) to emotion-soaked finish.

  Oft-maligned yet charmingly, and oddly veteran Ben Affleck (Paycheck, Changing Lanes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)) opts to do more than just show up on the set, churning out what can only be described as Kevin Smith inspired acting gold. It's hard to put one's finger on it, and define it as a tangbile thing, but Affleck shines when under Smith's tutelage in such a way as to forget such painfully maladroit performances as "Reindeer Games" and "Pearl Harbor." Perhaps its the deceptively intelligent dialogue, perhaps its the trust he's shown, perhaps its pixie dust secreted away in one of Smith's frequently worn custom baseball jerseys, but when Affleck acts for Smith, he is transformed into a completely different person.

  Always lovely, almost to the point of distraction, Liv Tyler (The Lord of the Rings, Aerosmith: The Reckoning) turns in one of the most disarmingly earnest performances of her young career. Although most viewers will recognize her most clearly as the Elven cardboard stand-up "Arwen" from the LOTR trilogy, Tyler definitely shows a more human side in this outing. Her delivery of verbal barbs, cockney rhymes, and most of all, incredibly gut-wrenching brave lies keeps your eyes and ears glued to her whenever she graces the screen. Her acting was effortless and her demeanor charming throughout, defying viewers not to fall in love with her goofily sultry charms.

  Vanimle sila tiri, Liv…Amin naa lle nai.

  The real find in this cinematic haystack is newcomer Raquel Castro (Third Watch, 2nd grade). She has an innate ability to communicate more with a glance than a dumpster full of semaphores. Most child actors come to the plate with that doe-eyed precociousness that makes you want to pinch their cheeks until acidic regurgitation ensues; and while Raquel does indeed have both aforementioned arrows in her quiver, she only uses them when necessary, and never in lieu of more accomplished and appropriate skills. When she rages, she rages, when she loves, she loves, and when she whines, she whines…she is exactly what a girl at that age, in that situation would be. When she smiles, you smile, until your cheeks hurt, and you feel good for having done it.

  Any discussion of the cast would be remiss if it failed to include acerbic comedy legend turned cuddly yet bristly, George Carlin. Cast as Affleck's character's father, Carlin ably shows previously untapped reserves of pathos, yearning, and tough love, as he helps his wayward son realize that its time become who he is, not who he used to be. Unless previously overlooked, this might be Smith's first foray into the father/son dynamic, and, true to form, he doesn’t fail to squarely nail it. As much as this movie seems to serve as a love letter to Smith's daughter, I think it clearly tacks a "P.S." 'I love and miss you, Dad.' to Smith's recently passed away father. Both messages are delivered clearly, and poignantly.

  Rounding out the cast is American Pie's amiable Jason Biggs, NewsRadio's irascible Stephen Root, Ed's curmudgeonly Mike Starr, and the previously hinted at Jennifer Lopez. While the former performers are all admirable in supporting roles (please stop trying to suss out whether Root and Star are meant to be a kinder, more gentler Jay and Silent Bob), Jennifer Lopez steps up to the plate and delivers a fantastic, yet sadly aphoristic performance. Lopez (Anaconda, In Living Color) has little time to shine, but shine she surely does, most often as playful foil to career-obsessed Affleck. Its not the intent of this article to reveal why Lopez' role is truncated in this film, regardless of what you may have read about 'cutting room floor' and the break up of the once tabloid-friendly couple, but suffice it to say that the chemistry between these two stars could have easily filled an entire movie; and perhaps should have, had their first outing been helmed by a superior director.

  My prediction, about this film, is that if it is able to avoid the bulk of the pre-hype Bennifer fallout spin, it has a very good chance of not only breaking, but obliterating the 30 million glass ceiling Mr. Smith's movies seem to have run up against.

  Advisory: This film contains partial nudity, bear baiting, sex jokes and drug references.

  View it while ya can HERE! We can't help but agree with whomever wrote this one though, whomever it is: Jersey Girl is a great film full of wonderful performances. We're sure you'll agree.

• Affleck's on the cover of the March 10th Rolling Stone magazine, and inside you'll find a new interview by columnist Jancee Dunn with the man who would be Ollie. Here's an excerpt from that issue, as posted on their site. This is another wondefully written piece, and highly recommended reading:
  A Hollywood Ending

  Now that the Ben and J. Lo show is over, what comes next?

  By Jancee Dunn

  What was your tipping point when it came to Ben Affleck, the moment you threw your hands up and said, "Enough"? Was it when he and Jennifer Lopez canceled their wedding? When he bought her a Bentley? When she fried up chicken cutlets for him on TV? When his career became secondary to their celebrity? Maybe it was the precise moment that he put his hand on her bikini-ed butt in the "Jenny From the Block" video. Until that point, the nation feasted on the details -- his strip-club visit, the six-carat rock that he gave her. The Latina bombshell -- with her fur coats and high heels, her ex-husbands and her appetites -- and the handsome, square-jawed movie star! She's Bronx, he's Boston!

  Then indigestion set in.

  "Our relationship was written about so much that it just alienated people," says Affleck, who claims that he is as sick of the spectacle as you are. "I feel like a guy who is almost at the finish line. Then I'll sort of disappear for a good long time, and not be . . . this person."

  The pair's year-and-a-half romance ebbed in January, and now Affleck is in the awkward position of having to talk about Jersey Girl, a film that actually documents their falling in love. Affleck plays a music publicist whose wife, Lopez, dies in childbirth soon after the film begins.

  Jersey Girl is no Gigli fiasco -- it focuses much more on his relationship with his young daughter and his later love interest, played by Liv Tyler, than it does on Lopez, whose face has been banished from the ads and posters. "This is my favorite thing that I've done," says Affleck, lounging in his office at his L.A. production company, which is staffed with swinging young employees who sift through tapes for the Project Greenlight cable series that he co-produces for Bravo. Affleck recently asked Jersey Girl director Kevin Smith, his longtime pal, if he was angry at him for suggesting that Smith cast Lopez as his wife. "It was more a way of saying, 'Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen.' I felt badly that the tabloid craziness would overshadow what is a really personal work."

  Affleck, unlike most other actors, is tall in person (six feet three). He wears jeans, work boots and a gas-station jacket. Usually gregarious, he is incredibly closed off on this particular day. He won't make eye contact, and there are uncharacteristically long silences before he speaks.

  "You caught me at the tail end of a life spent entertaining the press, and I'm a little bit weary of it, having been betrayed hundreds of times," he says. "But don't worry. I'll warm up." He looks at the floor.

  OK, then. Who gets the ring? "That's a ballsy way to start," Affleck says with a brittle laugh. "There was no ring. It was a fraud perpetrated on the American public." He won't reveal the reason why the two split. "I haven't had conversations with my close friends about this relationship."

  Smith has his own theory on the breakup. "I totally blame the media," he says. "It's tough to live your life under a fucking microscope, and now turn that microscope into a high-powered, shooting-into-space telescope that's constantly focused on you like a laser. I think that really played a big, big fucking part."

  Affleck says that he still talks to his ex and allows that the split was mutual. "I think any relationship that ends, by definition, ends mutually," he says. He clears his throat. "Sensible people are able to recognize that. I mean, relationships are mysterious and hard to fathom, but when it doesn't work, it doesn't work, and you just have to accept it gracefully."

  He tosses a baseball in the air, faster and faster. "I'm not that interested in assigning blame, because I think it's illusory, anyway," he says, although he does agree with his ex-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow's recent comment that he makes life hard for himself. "She's probably right about that," he says. "I trust her opinion about most things. Not all, but most. I think I probably do get in my own way."

  That said, he maintains that he is an easy person to live with. "I'm a very pleasant, low-maintenance guy," he says. "I'm not picky about things, like the house has to be this way or that way. I don't have some particular way I like to eat, or 'We have to go to this restaurant.'" He lights a cigarette and takes a vigorous drag. "But really living with somebody is about more than who does the dishes and if they pick up after themselves. And in some ways I'm probably not the easiest guy in the world." He is restless, for instance. "I have lots of interests, lots of energy, but there's definitely a negative side to that as well."

  He and Lopez first lived together in Philadelphia during the filming of Jersey Girl, then afterward in Los Angeles in Lopez's house. Now that he has moved out, he is staying with friends while he searches for a place to rent. He was interested in one house, but someone else had put an offer on it first. "It was Nelly," he says ruefully. "Me and Nelly, vying to rent a house. Nelly got it, by the way."

  Affleck is self-effacing, without actorish false humility, and will beat you to any punch line about himself, making jokes about his save-the-world film roles and calling Gigli a "bomberoonie, the Ishtar of our time." The phone rings in his office.

  "I can't pick up," he bellows at his assistant. "The light isn't flashing."

  "It is, too," she hollers back.

  "Quit talking about the light flashing," yells another employee.

  "You see the respect I get around here?" he says, punching the phone buttons.

  In person, Affleck is deeply likable. Quick-witted, with a ribald sense of humor, he's an excellent mimic, endlessly entertaining with a stream of constant "bits." An equal-opportunity flirt who loves bantering back and forth, he's the sort of guy who leaves a party and everyone else trails out five minutes later.

  "He's not completely obsessed with himself, like other people in his profession," says his pal Chris Moore. "He can talk about who should be the next president, or why he thinks it's OK that the Red Sox didn't get A-Rod. And he's just been a real loyal friend. He's always found time to be there when I needed to talk to him."

  Affleck is fully aware of the schadenfreude directed toward him and studiously avoids reading magazines or watching any TV shows in which he might be featured. "Otherwise I'll just get bent out of shape," he says. "I'm not even going to jump up and down and send letters to the lawyers anymore. I tried suing. It doesn't work."

  Affleck is used to sniping -- a minibacklash occurred after Good Will Hunting, with gay rumors and whispers that he and Matt Damon didn't write the script (in Matt and Ben, an off-Broadway play about the pair, the script falls from the sky). Some fans have been upset with Affleck's subsequent roles in big-budget popcorn flicks such as Armageddon and Pearl Harbor, preferring that he stay on the Chasing Amy path as a John Cusack for Generation Y -- a smart, sensitive everyguy.

  But it was his union with Lopez that really rankled, particularly when her glittering lifestyle drew him in, and he traded his scruffy jeans and Red Sox caps for slicked-back hair and velour tracksuits (although who among you has not had a wardrobe tweaked by a new love?).

  Affleck says he doesn't know why their union caused such a hostile reaction. "Hopefully I can get far enough away from it in time to be able to get a better sense of it," he says, although he suspects the hostility "had something to do with race and class. That pushed a button. This is a country that flew into a gigantic uproar about Janet Jackson's breast. There's still a heavy-duty puritan influence going on, and we still hold ourselves to a pretty chaste ideal, which includes, buried within it, the tradition of people being with people like them. We were thought of as two different kinds of people, not just racially but culturally." Perhaps that's why the tabloids have gone easier on Lopez dating singer Marc Anthony. Affleck lights another of his menthol Marlboro Lights. "Basically, it just came down to, 'Wow, I never thought those two would get together.'"

• We've gotten a few reports in from Paulsboro regarding last night's Jersey Girl premiere that was set up exclusively for the residents of that town, as a thanks for their kindness while the crew filmed in and around the area. Kevin was on hand for a Q&A session after the film, which itself continues to get rave reviews from all who see it. Joe has the first report:
  While filming Jersey Girl, Kevin Smith promised the residents of Paulsboro, New Jersey that he'd return to their small town for an advanced screening of the movie they helped make possible. The promise came true on March 10.

  Event goers were welcomed with a Hollywood spot light and news crews from CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, and many newspapers. Each entered Paulsboro High School on a red carpet, as a lot of residents served as extras in the movie.

  During the film, residents applauded as they saw the sights and people of their town on the big screen. Even the auditorium where the screening was held made it's way to the movie!

  After showing the beautiful movie he created, Kevin himself took the stage to welcome and thank the town for the support they gave him during his time filming there. A question and answer period was held, followed by a party. Cast members were unable to attend due to work commitments, but Walt Flanagan and Bryan Johnson were spotted in the crowd.

  All proceeds of the screening benefited the Boys and Girls Club of Paulsboro. The mayor speculated, that after sales from party tickets were complete, that probably $20,000 was earned for the organization!

  A major highlight of the night came during the Q&A. The chief of the Paulsboro Fire Department thanked Kevin and the cast of Jersey Girl for signing a fire helmet which will be auctioned off on eBay to raise money for the department. The chief said that the monies earned "will help save a life in some way because it will help purchase a Jaws-of-Life or a Thermal Imaging Camera." Without hesitation, Kevin told the chief that he would match whatever price the helmet sells for.

  During the Q&A, Kevin said that a cameo in the movie (who you will have to see for yourself) "totally replaced Affleck as the nicest guy in the business." Sorry Kevin, but after constant interaction with your fans, helping raise $20,000 for a Boys and Girls Club, and promising funds for life-saving firefighing equipment, you are the nicest and greatest guy in the business!

  Next, we have this one from Cheryl:
  First of all, it was a surreal experience viewing the movie from the auditorium where some of it was filmed. Watching on screen the Paulsboro High auditorium while you're sitting in the same seats that are on the screen is mind-blowing. Secondly, several people spoke to us as if they knew us. I had no idea why until Mom mentioned that my picture was on the front page of the newspaper with the interview the reporter did on Mom a few days ago. This really blew me away because I hate having my picture taken. I made an exception at Stash Bash 2 and allowed myself to be photographed with Kevin and Jason (for the first time in 30 years). I e-mailed the picture to the reporter so that she would recognize me. I had no idea she was going to put it in the paper. So here's photophobic me on the front page of the Jersey newspaper. The Universe works in strange and perverted ways.

  What can I say about the movie? Well, here's what I wrote for the New York Times:

  A New Classic Is Born

  Reviewer: cherpup (a combination of cheryl and nastypup)

  Not since watching E.T. have I experienced such a wide range of emotion from a movie. Writer/Director Kevin Smith created what will certainly become a classic. There was richness and depth of emotion that we haven't seen from him in the past. The cast worked well as an ensemble and this was Ben Affleck's best performance yet. You will want to see this movie more than once.

  After the movie, I got to thank Kevin for contacting Mayor Burzichelli and having tickets sent so that Mom could return to her birthplace (Paulsboro) and see the movie. I wanted everyone in the audience to know how good and sincere Kevin really is and I'm glad I got the chance to tell them. Here's another example of the stellar human being Kevin is. Kevin and the other cast members signed a fire helmet to be auctioned on ebay. The Fire Chief said that the money would go to purchase life-saving equipment and elaborated that Kevin's movie would actually save lives. Kevin was genuinely touched by that statement and, without hesitation, he said, "Whatever you make on ebay, I'll match." The crowd cheered loudly and I had tears in my eyes.

  As I pulled up in front of Mom's house, I looked at my clock and thermostat in my car. The time was 12:57 AM and the temperature was 37 degrees. I took it as a good omen ;-)

  If you have already seen "Jersey Girl," please click on the link below and rate and/or write a review for the New York Times. Lets help Kevin as much as we can.

  NY Times Jersey Girl Ratings/Reviews

  And now, a few more stories from the press.
  NJ.COM - "Paulsboro ready for premiere"

  NJ.COM - "Something right out of the movies: Paulsboro shines at 'Jersey Girl' premiere"

  Courier Post Online - "Jersey Girl' dazzles Paulsboro"

  WPVI Television in Philadelphia also covered the story briefly HERE.

• Live in the Detroit area? Have we got some great news for YOU! You can see Jersey Girl early, and you might even be able to see it for FREE (though we still hope you'll pay for a ticket come the 26th as well, and tell all your friends, too). Here's details:
  Make a date with film critic Tom Long and a 'Jersey Girl'

  Can Ben Affleck find the meaning of life in New Jersey? Register for the Reel Talk screening of "Jersey Girl" on March 18 and find out. Reel Talk, a monthly preview screening and movie discussion program hosted by Detroit News Film Critic Tom Long, takes place at 7 p.m. at the Star Southfield, 25333 W. 12 Mile in Southfield. Registration is $30 for a year and is nonrefundable. Members must be 18 or older. All proceeds go to Michigan K.I.D.S., a nonprofit organization that provides newspapers and reading materials to schools. Seating is limited for "Jersey Girl" so register soon by visiting www.startheatres.com or www.detnews.com/movies or calling (313) 222-1457 or (313) 222-1458.

  Win tickets to see 'Jersey Girl' on March 23

  Want to see an advance screening of "Jersey Girl" on March 23 at a select metro Detroit theater?

  It's probably your last chance to see Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez on the same screen. This romantic comedy is rated PG-13.

  To enter to win one of 50 passes for two, send a postcard with your names, postal address and daytime phone to "Jersey Girl" c/o Allied Advertising, 40900 Woodward, Suite 300, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304. Winners at random from entries received by 2 p.m. Monday.

• Entertainment Tonight have posted their report on the Jersey Girl premiere, and, if you look at the left sidebar, you'll see you can even watch two video clips from the festivities. Enjoy!
  
• Judging from the sound of this clipping Affleck might lose a few New York fans after Dateline NBC airs this Friday. We're sure it was all in good fun, though.

• USA Today covers the Jersey Girl premiere with a story HERE. It features a nice new photo of Ben and Raquel that we haven't seen so far.

• Local Pleasantville paper The Journal News has a piece on Kevin and Jersey Girl today to tout tonight's Jacob Burns screening. This is a nice quote from the piece:
  For me, this movie doesn't play much differently, or isn't too far removed from, our third movie, 'Chasing Amy,'" Smith said in an interview Saturday.

  "That movie was also a mixture of comedy and drama about relationships. Instead of a lesbian, this time around we're dealing with a seven-year-old girl."

• The full story about Joey Lauren Adams' new film (the one we ran the still for last week) is now available through AP news over at Yahoo. Adams told AP that funding has almost been secured for the film, titled "Lovin' up a Storm". Kevin gets a brief mention in the article for writing and casting her in "Chasing Amy", which also references her Golden Globe nomination for that very performance.

  MARCH 8, 2004
  
  

• Kevin's back in Hollywood (on the Boulevard, no less) for the latest edition of Roadside Attractions. The clip, which aired on The Tonight Show back in February, is now available online in both Windows Media and Quicktime formats. More classic stuff, featuring a GREAT Gigli joke, a visit to the Frederick's of Hollywood Lingerie Museum with a hilarious coda, and yes, not even Janet Jackson is safe when Kev visits the Hollwyood Entertainment Museum:
  Kevin in Hollywood - 12 MB QuickTime

  Kevin in Hollywood - 12 MB Windows Media

  And, as an added bonus, Ming's ALSO placed the recent Liv Tyler Tonight Show interview online as well. This one's only in Quicktime format, but you can enjoy it HERE, and be sure to thank Ming for all of his encoding expertise!

• It would appear that the GENERAL PUBLIC can indeed order tickets to Kevin's Eastern Carolina University appearance, after all! Simply call the ticket office at 1-800-ECU ARTS (1-800-328-4788). It'll cost you a mere $20 plus $2 handling fee. $22 for a guaranteed night of fun. Get these tickets now before they sell out. Now that we've got the news out that non-students can get tix, we imagine they're gonna fly off the shelves faster than those tickle me elmos did a few years back. The Q&A will be at 7 PM April 5th at ECU's Wright Auditorium.

• A few additions to the list of Jersey Girl-related appearances for ya, so this list should now be complete at presstime:
  BEN AFFLECK

  Hosting Saturday Night Live on Saturday, March 13th. 11:35 PM NBC

  The Tonight Show, NBC, March 15th

  The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Syndicated, March 24th

  GEORGE CARLIN

  The View - Wednesday, March 10th

  The Daily Show With John Stewart, Comedy Central - Wednesday, March 10th

  NEWLY ADDED - Real Time with Bill Maher, Friday, March 12th, HBO (re-runs all week long)

  Last Call with Carson Daly - Late Wednesday Night/Thursday Morning, March 17th/18th

  LIV TYLER (ALL NEW)

  Conan O'Brien - March 9th 12:35 PM (technically its March 10th)

  NBC Today Show - the week of March 22nd, 7:00am (exact date unknown)

  ABC Regis and Kelly - the week of March 29th 9:00am, ABC (exact date unknown)

• Have you seen Jersey Girl? Did ya dig it like ya know ya should? Go and give us a positive rating over at the New York Times' review site starting tomorrow morning!

• Just a rehash of other stories already printed here, but more nice Jersey Girl press on Yahoo! Minor spoilers.

  MARCH 5, 2004
  
  

• This is one of those articles where we advise you to go grab a sandwich or something first, as it's a biggun'. So sit back and enjoy this new lengthy piece from The Hollywood Reporter. Kevin talks about Jersey Girl quite a bit, and then even drops a bunch of Green Arrow hints (and a plug for the Staash!). A must read. Straight ahead, in its entirety (spoilers ABOUND!):
  Ben's 'Jersey' girl is Raquel not Jen

  By Martin A. Grove

  Smith story: When a film crashes and burns big time as "Gigli" did, the fallout can impact in a big way on its stars, especially if they're re-teamed in a new project. In the case of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, they are but they aren't.

  While Affleck stars in Miramax's "Jersey Girl," written and directed by Kevin Smith ("Clerks," "Chasing Amy"), Lopez only has a cameo role as Affleck's wife and dies 15 minutes into the movie. Affleck's real co-star is Raquel Castro, the adorable 9-year-old who plays his daughter and looks so much like Lopez that you'd swear they were mother and daughter.

  "Jersey," opening wide Mar. 26, is produced by Scott Mosier (who's partnered with Smith on six films to date) and executive produced by Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein and Jonathan Gordon. Also starring are Liv Tyler, George Carlin, Stephen Root, Mike Starr and Jason Biggs.

  Having had an early look at "Jersey" Thursday afternoon, I was pleasantly surprised because like many people I thought it would be something along the lines of "Gigli 2." But that's just not the case. This is a sweet father-daughter story that Smith tells so believably well that even I wound up enjoying it -- and, in all honesty, this isn't the kind of film I generally like. Although Lopez's role in the movie is very abbreviated and she disappears quickly, she does have a few scenes with Affleck where they have exactly the sort of good romantic chemistry that somehow didn't materialize in "Gigli."

  Affleck plays Ollie, a former superstar New York publicist whose career died after his wife Gertrude died giving birth to their daughter Gertie. Ollie moves back home to New Jersey with the infant Gertie (Castro) to live with his widowed father (Carlin). The film's adult female lead is actually Tyler, who plays Maya, a video store clerk (what else with Smith writing and directing?) who meets Ollie when he brings Gertie to rent a tape. While Gertie's busy considering videos, Ollie ducks into the adult section to grab something for himself. When he checks out, Maya's interest is aroused and romance takes its course.

  Along the way, Ollie tries hard to resurrect the PR career that blew up in his face seven years earlier when he badly mishandled a press conference where then-TV star Will Smith was late in arriving. Desperately trying to get back in action now, Ollie meets with the heads of one PR firm, who Smith has played by Matt Damon and Jason Lee (who's worked with Smith in films like "Chasing Amy," "Dogma" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"). After determining that Ollie is, indeed, the legendary PR guy who told off that jam packed press conference and then had some choice words to say about Smith, they make it instantly clear that there's no way in hell they'd ever hire him.

  Smith gives us another great insider moment when Ollie's pitching for a job at a top of the line New York PR firm called "Angellotti" -- presumably after Hollywood Oscar marketing and publicity maestro Tony Angellotti. While he's there, who turns up and somehow winds up also sitting in the waiting room next to Ollie? None other than Will Smith, of course. Ollie, of course, recognizes Smith, who by then is a movie superstar (so why is he cooling his heels in the waiting room other than because the story needs him to do so?).

  Smith, who has no idea who Ollie is or how their lives once intersected, gives Ollie some random words of advice that finally set him on the right track in his life.

  When I spoke recently to Smith about "Jersey" he told me that despite all the media fuss about Ben & Jen that stemmed from "Gigli," he's still happy he cast Lopez in "Jersey." "She's great in the movie," he explained.

  "Without her, I don't think we would have gotten the same committed, wonderful performance that we got out of Ben. I'd have gotten something great out of him, but I really got what I feel is something magical out of him because he was so in love with Jen while we were shooting the movie. And that comes across in their limited time together on screen. But it really comes across when she prepares to die and she's out of the movie. You feel a sense of lose from this for the rest of the film. I think that's largely because he was really into Jen while we were shooting.

  "Also, I was glad to cast Jen because we also cast Raquel Castro, primarily because she looks like Jennifer Lopez. When she first came in the room, I was shocked by how close to Jennifer she looked. She looked like a mini Jennifer. And then, thankfully, her performance was also way up there. But the reason we started looking at her more closely was because she bore a resemblance to Jennifer."

  Lopez, Smith added, "was really crucial to this movie. And even though stuff happened with 'Gigli' it doesn't matter to me because without Jen I don't think the movie would be as good as it is on all those fronts. Then, of course, there's always the question of, 'That's great for the making of the movie, but what about the marketing of the movie? How does that affect selling the movie?' Thank God, that's not my job. That's the job of Miramax.

  But the fact that 'Gigli' did kind of bomb, gives us the opportunity for us to be the come-back picture (for Affleck). I'm always for the underdog story. And it forces the marketing to be a bit more honest. I think if 'Gigli' had been a big hit, you probably would have seen a poster that had Ben and Jen on it. And that's not really the movie because Jennifer dies in the first 15 minutes. Because 'Gigli' died (at the boxoffice) we got marketing that I really believe in that sells the movie honestly. It's a story about a guy and his kid and a story about a guy and his father."

  Looking back at how he came to write the film's screenplay, Smith told me, "I was working on the 'Clerks' cartoon (the short lived ABC-TV animated series spin-off from Smith's career launching Sundance and Cannes Film Festival award winning feature) at the time back in 2000. It was fun, but a lot of gag writing and there was not a lot of substance to it. So I was kind of hoping to do something at the same time that might have a little more weight to it so I could exercise the other part of the brain. We were out in California. We were stationed, if you will, out there for a few months with the show. I came home and my wife was putting our six month old to bed. I was really kind of moved by it -- kind of swept up by the feeling of like what if my wife had died and left me with a kid? How on earth would I have possibly done this alone because we worked as such a really good team?

  "I figured it's not uncommon for most new fathers to think that way and I just kind of responded to it by starting to write the script. I did 50 pages in two hours. I checked it out and I liked what I had. Then I put it in a drawer and sat on it for a year and a half. There was a moment where I was like, 'Do I want to do this movie next or do I want to do the 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back' movie?' I decided to do that instead."

  Fate, as often is the case, stepped in to sort things out. "The Fourth of July 2001, before 'Jay and Bob' came out, I was at Affleck's for a barbecue," said Smith, who's collaborated with Affleck on five films, including "Jersey." "He was harassing me about doing what he called 'Chasing Amy.' He was like, 'I want to do something where we rehearse it a lot and we do a lot of dialogue and it's all about the story. And I'm not going to be marketing the movie while we're making the movie. He was just coming off the 'Pearl Harbor' press junket at the time.

  "He tends to romanticize that 'Chasing Amy' period, I think, because that was the last moment before he was Ben Affleck Movie Star. He wanted to do something more intimate and something that was more about the performance than the special effects. I said, 'Well, I started writing this thing a year and a half ago. It's 50 pages long. Do you want to check it out?' He said yes. So I dropped it off to him and he read it and immediately called me back and was like, 'This is it! This is what we've gotta do. Finish this.

  This is the thing that we should do next.' So I finished it and it became 'Jersey Girl.'"

  How long did it take to write? "That was July when he read it," he replied.

  "I wrote a little bit more between that and the release of 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back' and (doing) all the press and whatnot. Then September 11 happened and I got real busy with doing benefits and things like that back east. So by the time I wrapped it all up, I moved out to California in January 2002. In the first two weeks I got there I finished the script. All told, it was probably a total of a three week write with all the combination of time."

  After that, it turned into a movie quickly. "He was on board. I wanted to do it. I gave it to Miramax. They loved the script. So we started moving forward from there," Smith explained.

  Asked about casting "Jersey's" other key roles, Smith said, "I'd written the role of (Ollie's) dad for George Carlin. I didn't know how Miramax was going to take to it. I thought they might want me to cast somebody more well known, but frankly they were just like, 'Yeah, Carlin's great.' I had Liv Tyler in mind while I was writing because I was a big fan of the movie she did 'Inventing the Abbotts.' So we started to bang down her door. We were trying to figure out who would play the older Gertrude and my wife when she read the script said, 'I just watched 'The Wedding Planner' and Jennifer Lopez was really great in it.' And I said, 'Yeah, but Ben just shot as movie called 'Gigli' with her. A couple weeks ago they'd just wrapped. So I was like, 'I don't know if he's going to want to do another movie with her again so soon.'

  "And then, ironically enough, he called me a week later and said, 'Hey, I was thinking maybe for Gertrude this actress I just worked with -- Jennifer Lopez -- in 'Gigli." And I was like, 'Really? You'd want to do a movie with her (again) so soon?' And he's like, 'Yeah. I mean it's only a cameo really in your movie, but I talked to her about the movie while we were on the 'Gigli' set and she really dug it.' So we asked Jennifer if she wanted in and she did."

  In production, Smith said, "We were based in Philly and shot in Jersey and also shot in Manhattan. It was a pretty stress free, problem free shoot. The City of Philadelphia was wonderful. The people in Philly were great. The crew base was magnificent. And while we were shooting, Ben & Jen mania hadn't even kicked in yet. So those two were together, but we weren't hounded. There was no paparazzi, no press until we got to New York City for the last two days of the shoot. And then suddenly the paparazzi came out in full force and you started to get the impression that people were really fascinated by this relationship for whatever reason. So up until that point, we were relatively non-harassed. But once we got to Manhattan, literally a hundred paparazzi showed up in Central Park while we were shooting a very quick shot of Ben & Jen in a (horse drawn) carriage. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before."

  Although "Jersey" doesn't hit theaters until Mar. 26, Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein is clearly so enthusiastic about the film that in February he handed Smith "The Green Hornet" to write and direct. Miramax has high hopes that Smith can turn the classic comic book, whose roots are in a radio serial that began in 1936, into a movie franchise.

  "He seemed to like our movie enough to give me 'The Green Hornet,' which is kind of cool," Smith observed. "I can't wait to do it. I'm a huge comic book nut. I did a lot of comic book writing for Marvel and D.C. and I've been a reader forever. So the chance to make a comic book movie is a big opportunity for me and it's one I kind of relish. But it's also a little frightening because it's a bigger movie than I've ever done before. And it also has special effects and you've got to be very visually interesting. So I had a bit of trepidation going into it, but I just realized it's no different than the other movies inasmuch as you surround yourself with people who are excellent at their jobs, a great support team, and everyone has equipped themselves as well as they can and you come up with the final picture.

  "My goal for the movie is to just make whoever plays Britt Reid, the secret identity of the Green Hornet, as compelling a character as he is when he's in costume. So often with these comic book movies, it's great when they're in the suit but when they're not in the suit you just don't even care. Or the villain is far more interesting than the hero. I just want to make one where the hero is the most interesting guy in the movie and you care about him when he's out of costume, as well. There's a reason why the movies were called 'Batman' and not 'Joker.' And there's a reason why this one will be called 'Green Hornet' because the Green Hornet better be the most compelling character."

  What Smith particularly likes about working with "Green Hornet," he pointed out, is that, "Unlike say 'The Hulk' or 'Spider-Man' or 'Superman' or 'Batman,' it's not like it's a character or property that people know the ins and outs of and know every aspect of the character's history and every story ever told about him. 'The Green Hornet' is kind of known by what he looks like and it's known that he hangs out with Kato, his sidekick and chauffer who does kung fu. And some people know that he's got a car called the Black Beauty. Other than that, that's it. There's not a lot that people know about the character. There's not a lot of history that you've got to make sure you stick biblically close to. There's a lot more wiggle room with 'The Green Hornet' than there is with something like 'Spider-Man.' So that's kind of good for me. It helps that it's a known property, but at the same time it really helps creatively that you can kind of go in a bunch of different directions with it so long as you (handle) the key aspects of the character correctly."

  When we spoke Smith was about 50 pages into writing "Green Hornet." Asked when he thought he'd have a draft done, he said, "Once I get off the 'Jersey Girl' press tour, I'm going to devote myself to it entirely. We're hoping to be shooting by the end of the summer or the (early) fall. Somewhere in there."

  Is he going back to read volume after volume of "Green Hornet" comic books? "Not so much," he replied. "With 'Green Hornet' I've been listening to all the old radio shows and I've watched the one season of the TV show they did (in 1966 which starred Van Williams as the Hornet and introduced Bruce Lee as Kato). In terms of the comic stuff, I was very familiar with it from when I was a collector -- the more recent comic stuff, not the old 1940s or 1950s comics. But I also looked at other comic books for inspiration. You read a bunch of stuff that gets you pumped up."

  Smith's connections to the world of comic books go beyond moviemaking. "We have a comic book store in Redbank, New Jersey called 'Jay and Silent Bob's Silent Stash.' We've had it since '97 and it's been very successful. It's a comic book store and we sell a lot of memorabilia and merchandise from our movies. We put up a lot of props from all the movies we've worked on. Now we're going to open up a version (of this store in L.A.) in Westwood. We're aiming for June 1 (to open) right now."

  Martin Grove is seen Mondays at 9:30 a.m., PT on CNN FN's "The Biz" and is heard weekdays at 1:55 p.m. on KNX 1070 AM in Los Angeles.

• Looks like Ben's going to be a busy guy next week when he's in town for the big New York City Jersey Girl premiere (see you in NYC for that, by the way, if any of you are lucky enough to be attending). He'll be the host of NBC's < ahref="http://www.snlonline.tv/">"Saturday Night Live" on Saturday, March 13th. A great opportunity to plug Jersey Girl in the monologue, and a fun chance for you all to see Affleck's comedic talents. Special guests, usually friend's of Affleck's, tend to sometimes show up during the show...Might we possibly see Kevin or other Jersey Girl stars as well as Ben himself? We'll all find out LIVE, a week from this Saturday. Affleck also hosted the show back in February of 2000.

• We've been getting lots of requests for info on the East Carolina appearance in April, and we've finally got some more details for ya. The Q&A will be at 7 PM April 5th at ECU's Wright Auditorium. Tickets go on sale this Monday, alas, FOR STUDENTS ONLY. They're available for the bargain price of $7.00. So, if you're not friends with an ECU student, it's time to meet one. At this point, it's not certain if tix will be available to the general public, but that COULD happen if students don't buy 'em all up first. If you want to ask them any questions, their ticket office number is 328-4788.

• A complete transcript from Kevin's recent Q&A in Philadelphia has been made avaiable. Phew, must have taken a long time to transcribe that sucker. Here's a snippet:
  The next fella wanted to know if Jersey Girl represented Smith's new career direction.

  "Totally. I'm only gonna make soft pictures now. That's it. Next time I'm gonna make a movie about a puppy. [Big laughs.] Nah, this was sort of a one-off for me. I just really wanted to see if I could pull off something like this. After making five movies that were interconnected, where each one references back to the other movies for kind of an easy laugh and whatnot, and that Jay & Bob were always there as my kind of safety net, I wanted to see if I could make a movie without a safety net. One that stood on its own, because it occured to me that with the exception of Clerks, which was the first one, every movie kind of leaned a little bit on the ones that had gone before it. So I wanted to see if I could make something that just kinda...stood by itself. Every once in a while you gotta try a little growth spurt. So that's fine. I've grown enough. And then we're gonna regress after this picture and make a comic book movie."

  The whole thing's a great read. Recommended. Of course, it'll be tomorrow before you finish reading this update now! Thanks to Hollywood Bitch Slap for the transcription.

• And finally today, it amazes us but the Glocester County Times again managed to write ANOTHER article on Jersey Girl! Hey, we're not complaining about the press, but wow, it's almost a daily thing these days. This one covers the location saga from the start of filming, where JG was almost set to shoot in Canada before it's well-received move to Paulsboro, NJ and Philly:
  'Girl' of his dreams

  "Jersey Girl" almost found itself north of the border.

  Not the New Jersey-New York border. The U.S.-Canada border.

  With it would go Paulsboro's shot at celluloid immortality. J.Lo and Ben Affleck would be strolling the streets of Toronto, not a small Cape Cod on Thompson Street.

  All over $1 million that Miramax pictures wanted to trim from the film's $35 million budget.

  Filmmaker Kevin Smith's reaction to the news?

  "It's called 'Jersey Girl,' dude," Smith recalled saying Thursday as he discussed the making of the film and how his 10-year movie career has skyrocketed.

  Smith protested: "We got to shoot in Jersey."

  Miramax wanted its cuts.

  Affleck "spearheaded" a compromise.

  "He had the most juice," Smith, sitting in Philadelphia's Four Seasons Hotel, said of the star. Affleck was set to make $10 million for his role as a work-driven Manhattan publicist suddenly finding himself being both father and single parent when his wife dies giving birth to their daughter.

  He agreed to surrender $500,000 in salary. Miramax matched the reduction.

  Smith's "valentine" to his wife, Jennifer, would be made where he wanted it to be made. With Paulsboro subbing in most places for Highlands, the Jersey shore town where the movie is set.

  The romantic comedy -- whose PG-13 rating is a first for Smith -- will debut nationally March 26.

  The bearded and bespectacled Smith -- wearing a Green Hornet baseball jersey to promote his next film project -- called it a "sweet movie. A date movie."

  Miramax Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein has twice moved the release date -- from November to March 19 to sidestep "The Matrix Revolutions" and from March 19 to March 26 to hopefully capture Easter audiences, Smith offered.

  Both moves have placed a distance between the release of the Affleck-Jennifer Lopez screen dud "Gigli" and their overly publicized decision to cancel a wedding three days before the nuptials, Smith said.

  A wedding scene involving Affleck's and Lopez's characters that had made the movie's final cut was trimmed once their real-life marriage plans were canceled, Smith said.

  She was in a wedding dress. He wore a tux. The crowd threw rice. Maybe "12 seconds in length," the filmmaker stressed.

  "We did not need it," he asserted, thumping a cigarette on a table.

  To leave it in would have detracted from the movie.

  "Why leave it in if it would pull anyone out" from the film's intent? Smith asked, not expecting an answer.

  In many ways, the film reflects on the changes in Smith's life.

  He went from determined, workaholic filmmaker to husband and father.

  "Suddenly you realize what's important. It's family."

  In a director's statement for the film, he observed, he would come home to watch his wife put their daughter, Harley, to bed.

  "And what was I? The guy who came home at the end of the day. A tourist."

  It struck him one evening what would happen if he had to deal with the loss of his wife and be left to raise their daughter. The first 50 pages of the script was done in two hours.

  Yeah, Smith had to improvise a bit on the child's role.

  "When I wrote the script, all (the baby) did was look up," Smith told an audience following a Wednesday night screening in Philadelphia. "It did not make for a great movie."

  The Red Bank native relied on his own experiences - especially his relationship with his father, Donald.

  "Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, we would go to see a movie," Smith recalled. Dad worked the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift at a post office sectional center in Monmouth County.

  "He was really fulfilled with his family."

  Smith noted his parents -- mom is still living, dad died in July -- stressed "simple lessons."

  Somehow, they could save all year to take their three children -- Kevin is the youngest -- to vacations in the Bahamas, Virgin Islands and almost every state in the nation.

  "I can't make a buck last," he mused.

  Harley, approaching 6, is very much a "Jersey Girl," Smith said.

  She was born in Red Bank, in the same hospital where Smith was delivered.

  He recalled being in California with his wife when she "started to pop."

  A person that pregnant is not going to be allowed on a commercial airliner, Smith noted.

  Weinstein loaned the Miramax jet to "get us home."

  A day later, Harley was born.

  MARCH 4, 2004
  
  

• We've got a couple more Jersey Girl reviews to share with you today. We'll likely keep running advanced reviews here and there up until the release, and then let the excellent Rotten Tomatoes site, which records both critical and fan reviews alike, take over with the overwhelming amount that are sure to start popping up. In the meantime, first, Robert checks in from last nite's Philly screening with a non-spoiler review as well as details on the Q&A that Kevin held after the show:
  Mercy Hump In Philly!

  Well, thanks to Kevin's posting his itinerary, Mrs. Mabel and I thought we'd have a go at trying to get into last night's Philly screening. You know, see if anyone had come alone and could walk us in. We got lucky (after a last minute scramble to a nearby comic store that was rumored to have tix, but disappointed) and found a couple of generous folks who were happy to help us out.

  JG turns out to be a sweet, modest, tender piece of work. Talk about "One From The Heart". It's still recognizably Kevin, while doing things you've never seen in a Kevin Smith film before. There's solid laughs that made the audience roar, wonderful acting (Affleck and Tyler make a believable and incandescent couple), and the razor sharp writing that KS fans treasure.

  When it's over, it lingers with you like a pleasant evening with good friends. I think it'll do well.

  There was a Q&A after the screening and one guy (who'd been quite vocal about this topic during the screening) wanted to know why there were so many shots of people pulling their pants down (?). "You don't pull your pants down, dude?" Kevin asked. "I mean, even in the shower?" The guy also faulted the music, finding it corny, but had no suggestions. Kevin politely suggested that the fellow, er, conclude what he had to say, much in the manner of Julianne Moore's character in "Magnolia".

  There was also frank and candid talk about Mewes and how his personal problems made it difficult for Kevin to face making another film with him, which was partly why he started on the path that led to JG. He said Jay's 1 year of sobriety date will be April 6, "so I said I'd throw him a party and get him a rum cake." It's really something to hear him talk about how he tried to deal with all this, rejecting the tough love approach at first, trying it out of desperation, things getting worse, until finally the clouds broke. But at no time no you ever get the impression that he would have abandoned him. That just wasn't an option. This is the kind of guy you want to have in your corner.

  Other topics included Kevin's late father, the Peter Biskind book, Carlin ("His dream role is to play a priest that strangles six kids"), and the uncanny resemblance that Raquel Castro bears to Jennifer Lopez. The Ollie Trinkes that ran the event started to try and wind it up, but Kevin kept soliciting questions, even when they were blinking the lights off and on. I swear, the hardest working man in show business.

  And yes, I got to see myself on the big screen, something I don't get to do everyday. Thank you, Kevin.

  And I may have to look into this Atkins thing. I'm here to tell you, the guy looks great.

  In addition, a Los Angeles screening was held last night and Bikkit.com was there to give their report. They score the film 8/10 stars and have lots of nice things to say about it.

• This is just a great little story that some of you might even see unfold over at the WWWBoard, regarding how Kevin stepped in to help one fan get tickets to the upcoming Paulsboro screening:
  A promise kept to this Jersey girl

  PAULSBORO -- Jersey girl Geraldine Melvin is returning to her roots to see her hometown silver screen debut.

  After leaving the borough 60 years ago upon moving to Philadelphia, Melvin, 87, a 1933 Paulsboro High School graduate, is making the trek Wednesday to see the local advance screening of director Kevin Smith's "Jersey Girl." The film, which stars Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, George Carlin and Raquel Castro and features Jennifer Lopez, was partially filmed in the borough and Philadelphia, during 2002.

  "I just wonder whether there's some people that I went to school with who are still living down there," Melvin, who was born Geraldine Aberman, wondered aloud. "I'm sort of anticipating perhaps meeting Kevin Smith."

  Her daughter-in-law Cheryl Faye Schwartz of Bensalem, Pa., credits Smith himself, with reuniting Melvin with her residence of yesteryear.

  Schwartz met Smith last year at a party in Red Bank and mentioned that it would be nice for her mother-in-law -- who enjoyed Smith's jab at Catholicism in "Dogma" -- to return for the Paulsboro "Jersey Girl" showing. Concerned that tickets would not be available because neither of the women currently live in Paulsboro, Schwartz reconnected with Smith via the Internet last week. And, the movie-maker didn't disappoint.

  "He said, 'Let me see what I can do,' " Schwartz said. "The next day I had an e-mail from the mayor ... Here's the Paulsboro resident who got the tickets for us."

  Mayor John Burzichelli said he was happy to help.

  "She's coming to her alma mater," Burzichelli said of Melvin, noting that the gesture shows Smith is a "real guy." "It was typical Kevin Smith. He thought enough about their circumstances."

  Smith has become well-known for his tongue-in-cheek humor, which tends to appeal to younger audiences through colorful characters Jay and Silent Bob. Still, Melvin said she's never too old for a good laugh.

  "I might be a senior citizen in age, but I keep forgetting how old I am," Melvin said. "I think the way young people think. I like young people much better than old people."

  For the former piano teacher and mother of two, next week's showing will reacquaint her with the place where her fond, early memories -- many from her former Delaware Street residence -- still thrive.

  "It's just a totally, totally different town now," Melvin said of the Paulsboro she knew and loved. "As Cheryl was mentioning these various sites to me, I felt as though I was looking down from another planet. I remember when there were no paved streets. I remember a little wooden church about a block from where I lived."

  If you go

  Writer/director Kevin Smith will present a special local screening of "Jersey Girl" Wednesday at Paulsboro High School at 7 p.m.

  We wish both Geraldine and Cheryl a wonderful time at the movies!

• POSSIBLE NEW APPEARANCE: We haven't had this confirmed yet, but according to the comic shop "Third World" in Houston, TX, off Hwy 59 and Kirby, Kevin is set to appear there from 4:30-5:30 on March 15th. We do believe Kevin will be in the Texas area sometime around then, so it could very well be happening. Stay tuned, as we'll have positive or negative confirmation on this soon.

• Kevin made a surprise appearance on WFLD FOX 32 in Chicago on today's 12 o'clock news, in a piece about the upcoming DVD release of the Star Wars trilogy. In it, concerns were expressed over the fact that the 1997 Special Edition versions were being released and not the original versions. Kevin appeared in a small interview with none other to give his thoughts on the first trilogy's release. Our scooper didn't remember the exact words, but Kev basically said that he was glad that any versions of the Star Wars films were coming to DVD, although he would eventually like to see the original versions released as well.

• This piece ran in the Boston Globe today, and is basically a summary of stuff you've heard before, but you've got some great new quotes from Kevin thrown in for good measure, especially about Jersey Girl potentially being a big hit for Affleck:
  Ben jilts 'Jersey' director, too

  DIRECTOR'S CUT - Seems J.Lo isn't the only one who's been betrayed by Ben Affleck. Director Kevin Smith, in Boston yesterday to promote "Jersey Girl," said the Cambridge actor's a real sweetheart, "but he goes out and cheats on me, doing movies with other people." Best known for his 1994 comedy "Clerks," Smith is a big fan of the whole Affleck clan, having cast Ben in "Mall Rats," "Dogma," and now "Jersey Girl," and Ben and Casey Affleck in "Chasing Amy." "Their mom, Chris, also has exquisite taste," Smith said. "She's the one who told Ben that he should see `Clerks.' Actually, I hold his mom in much higher regard." Of "Jersey Girl," which hits theaters March 26, Smith said he's hoping it'll be Affleck's comeback film after the disaster that was "Gigli." "I helped put him on the map, and maybe this one will save his bacon," he said. "That [expletive] is going to owe me big time if this is a hit." The movie, which Smith describes as "about a dude and his kid," does not include a Ben-and-Jen wedding scene, although the scene was shot. "We decided we could tell the story without it, so we cut it," Smith said. Finally, we just had to ask about those persistent rumors that Ben wears a toupee. Any truth to that? "I came in one day and said, `Dude, I just read on the Internet you're wearing a rug,' " Smith said. "No, man, that fantastic head of hair is his."

• Newcomer and Jersey Girl star Raquel Castro is featured on the cover of this month's Latina Style magazine. Sorry for the pic quality, they were taken with one of those little webcams, apparently. Anyway, here's the text of the story:
  At nine years old, Raquel Castro can finally say that her dream has come true. After all, she has wanted to be an actress for over half of her life.

  When Castro was four years old she saw the movie “Selena” and was amazed at the performance of break-out star Jennifer Lopez.

  “I saw the movie, and I said, ‘I want to sing and dance,’” says Castro. “Then one day my mom snuck in my room when I was dancing, and she said, ‘She would be a good actress.”

  The charming toddler began auditioning with against and landed a part in a Robitussin commercial. This year she will debut in her first feature film, “Jersey Girl,” which also star Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler.

  In a coincidence only possible in Hollywood, Lopez also has a role in the film. Castro could not believe her luck at having the chance to work with the woman who had inspired her to perform in the first place. “The first time I met her I couldn’t talk,” Castro says. “I got so nervous. That was the best day of my life.”

  It can be hard enough for adults to balance a demanding job with personal responsibilities . How does a nine-year-old manage? “I know lot of kids who act,” Castro explains. “I’m good at school and at acting. First I do my homework, then I look over my scripts.”

  When the cameras are off, Castro is a normal girl who enjoys karate, playing piano, singing, ice skating, horse-back riding, and reading. In the future she would like to be in a scary movie or one with actor-singer Hillary Duff, but for now she might be headed to Broadway; the young actress recently auditioned for an upcoming production.

  Already wise for her years, Castro offers sage advice to others pursuing a career on the big screen: “If you want to do a movie, never be scared. You have to have faith in yourself. Do your best, and it’s going to be good.”

  We hope Raquel sees a lot of success come from her excellent Jersey Girl performance, and wish her luck with all her future projects.

  MARCH 3, 2004
  
  

• Another review at AICN gives some nice props to "Jersey Girl", which is always something that we like to see. If you don't want to know the general plot of the film, you may want to skip reading the entire review, only because it does give away a lot of the film's plot points. The article also goes on to confirm that Kevin has a small, new Jay & Bob cartoon planned for the anniversary DVD later this year. That puppy's just getting better all the time!

  Anyway, if you just want a taste of the AICN review, here's a non-spoiler snippet:

  I realize that on paper the idea of Kevin Smith doing a "family film" doesn't sit well with many devoted fans of his. But Smith's script shows remarkable maturity between the edgy jokes. And while I still crack up when I see Affleck crying like a little girl (as he does a couple times here), he also gets to rage a little in JERSEY GIRL and is thoroughly convincing, particularly in a scene where [SPOILER REMOVED]. Perhaps now is as good a time as any to put aside the Bennifer jokes that were never funny, forget the broken relationship, admit that GIGLI was not the worst movie of 2003, and accept JERSEY GIRL for exactly what it is: a fantastic story of loss, family, new love, and sacrifice that should probably perform very well with critics and audiences if they'd just leave the baggage in the crapper where it belongs. JERSEY GIRL is set to open March 19.
  Amen to that! So, you're here, we know YOU'RE gonna go see it -- But tell your friends! Your family! Strangers! This is one to see.

• Well, Jersey Girl screenings are popping up all over the place. Tonight's Philly show and Q&A with Kevin is over, and rave reviews are already starting to come in. Here's one from an attendee at yesterday's screening in Dallas, Texas:
  A free advance screening was held tonight in Dallas, TX at the Angelika theater. Such screenings are always overbooked, but the crowed that lined up literally out the door was insane. I'm not sure how many were turned away.

  Wonderful film. Kevin's strong writing and dialogue saved what could have been a formulaic disaster in anyone else's hands. It's much like School Of Rock, where cliches and the voice of a cult hero are mixed in a surprisingly entertaining and accessible way.

• As expected, it looks like Austin Film Society members and SXSW badge holders are getting first crack at what's sure to be a popular ticket: The premiere of Jersey Girl on Sunday, March 14th. The big news here, though, is that whatever tix are left WILL be sold to the public starting MARCH 8TH. So, if you're not a film society member or festival badge holder, mark that date on your calendar and get yourself a ticket, if, by some miracle, there's any still around. Here's complete details:
  We are excited to announce a special screening of Kevin Smith's JERSEY GIRL, starring Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler. We are presenting this screening with SXSW Film and offering discounted tickets and an advance ticket purchase window to AFS members.

  JERSEY GIRL
  8:30 p.m.
  Paramount Theatre
  Followed by Q&A with Kevin Smith. Ticket prices: $30 ($25 for AFS members) for orchestra seats, which include a post-party at the Coppertank Brewing Company, 504 Trinity Street. $20 ($15 for AFS members) for mezzanine seats and $15 ($10 for AFS members) for balcony seats.

  Tickets will go on sale to AFS members on Thursday, March 4, 2004.

  Tickets can only be purchased via the Paramount Box Office, in person, showing your membership card. Each member can buy up to 4 tickets. Standard box office hours are noon-5:30 p.m. As of March 8, any remaining tickets will go on sale to the public. (AFS members will still receive a discount after March 8.)

  A note about the logistics on the night of the event. SXSW badgeholders will have access to the event on a first-come, first served basis. To gain entry to the event, you will be waiting in line with them. There is no need to show up early, since your ticket, which you purchased in advance, guarantees your seat. Doors will open at 8 p.m.

  JERSEY GIRL is about newlywed and young father Ollie's perfect life being upended by tragedy, landing him in the new role of single father. Forced to move back in with his father he struggles to find his legs in this new life that has sprung up around him. With the help of a beautiful young woman and his daughter he begins to realize that sometimes you have to forget about what you thought you were and just accept who you are.

  Additional and updated information can be found online at http://www.austinfilm.org/premieres/jerseygirl.asp

  Proceeds benefit the artistic and educational programs of the Austin Film Society.

  You know, it's a bad sign when you read that and think..."Mmmmm...Coppertank Brewing Company...mmmm...beer..."

• More Jersey Girl in the Post's Page Six today! Warning though, SPOILERS AHEAD for the end of the film! Skip to the next newsbite now if you'd rather not know (we warned ya!):
  BEN Affleck can sing? Playing a dad widowed after the death of Jennifer Lopez's character, the actor reveals surprising vocal talent in "Jersey Girl," Post movie critic Lou Lumenick reports. Affleck warbles a number in a grade-school production of "Sweeney Todd," along with Liv Tyler as his new girlfriend. "That's really them singing," insists director Kevin Smith, whose flick opens March 26. "Considering her lineage, it wasn't surprising that Liv [daughter of rocker Steven Tyler] has great pipes. But Affleck's the shocker. If they ever revive 'Starlight Express,' he should strap on some skates and take to the stage."

  MARCH 1, 2004
  
  

• Tickets were sold to the Pauslboro, NJ public over the weekend, and, as this article shows ya, residents are all very excited to finally get their first look at the film that made their little town famous a while back:
  Many making a date with this 'Girl'

  PAULSBORO -- Gary Stevenson, fire chief of the Paulsboro Fire Company, visited the Hill Studio Box Office Saturday afternoon to buy his tickets to the special sneak preview of the movie Jersey Girl on March 10 at Paulsboro High School.

  When asked who would accompany him to the highly anticipated occasion, Stevenson replied coolly, "Well, Jennifer."

  As in Lopez.

  But while stars of the movie J-Lo and Ben Affleck may not make it to the premiere --and surely Stevenson will bring his wife --the Paulsboro red carpet is expected to be rolled out for Director/Producer Kevin Smith.

  Paulsboro residents lined up Saturday morning to purchase tickets at the Hill Studio Box Office window, which hasn't been open for ticket sales since 1973, according to owner and borough Mayor John Burzichelli.

  "We decided to open ticket sales up to Paulsboro residents, only, to start," Burzichelli said, adding that about 400 tickets had been sold by noon Saturday. "If there is anything left after today we'll open the box office Monday for everyone."

  Paulsboro Printers designed official tickets that were sold Saturday, complete with the movie title and raised borough seal.

  Tom Richardson, a 28-year-old IT Specialist and volunteer coach at Paulsboro High School, bought his two tickets and is excited to bring his girlfriend to Paulsboro for the special night.

  "She's from Voorhees, so she always hears everything about Paulsboro," Richardson said. "It will be neat to try to see my cousin's house on Thompson Street, where they filmed."

  While the movie was being filmed throughout Paulsboro, the cast signed a white leather fire helmet for the Paulsboro Fire Department.

  Chief Stevenson said the helmet, with special messages inked by the stars, will be on display the night of the screening and soon after will be auctioned on eBay to raise money for lifesaving equipment for the firefighters.

  "I had aspirations to go to Hollywood or New York for movies," said Judy MacKenzie, chair of the event. "I ended up staying here for my family and couldn't go to the movies, but the movies came to me. This is all very surreal."

  MacKenzie also said there is talk of a press tour with celebrities and national media personalities making its way through the borough before the premiere, which is March 9 in New York City, but nothing has been confirmed.

  A few tickets might still be available to the general public for this exclusive showing, we'll have details on that as soon as we're sure.

• Just a little more info for you to add to the calendars, folks. On March 12th, along with the Dateline segment with Kevin and Ben (Affleck, that is), the Today Show and Access Hollywood will also be running excerpts from that appearance on their repsective programs. Catch a first look then, followed by the whole thing that night, on your local NBC station. We're still looking for exact confirmation on what Kevin's March 7th Comedy Central gig is going to involve. Stay tuned for that.

• TV spots for Jersey Girl have started to air! One was spotted on the E! network with footage new and old, along with the March 26th opening date. We'll likely start seeing these on a LOT more channels, and hope to have online versions for you really soon as well.

• Another Livejournal regarding Kevin's 102.9 radio appearance in Dallas is available for your reading pleasure HERE, along with a new photo of Kevin in the studio.

• The always enjoyable Stephen Root, who's so excellent in his small role in Jersey Girl, will be appearing on the Bob and Tom radio show this Thursday. It's syndicated in a lot of markets.
  FEBRUARY 29, 2004
  
  
• That Ben/Jen wedding cut scene story is making the rounds today. We'll have a few more news stories for you later tonight on that and a lot more, but for now, how about heading over to Access Hollywood to read the story, and vote in the poll. Of course, you're ALL going to go see "Jersey Girl", right? So let the people KNOW that! It only takes a sec.

  Entertainment Weekly has the story as well, and we'll also have a scan with Page Six's take on it later on this evening. 'Til then...Go vote!

• A director's statement is something that's sometimes sent out to film critics and the like when a new film's coming out to explain a bit about themselves and their film. Here's what's making the rounds from Kevin to those about to check out "Jersey Girl". We thought you folks might be interested in seeing what one of these looks like (the usual opening spoiler is ahead, gosh we can't wait 'til we don't hafta say that anymore):
  After nearly ten years of telling stories about surly register jockeys, youthful mall denizens, flip-flopping lesbians and the sexually insecure men who love them, fallen angels and other contemporaries of "The Christ" (as we've come to know Him, courtesy of Mad Max Riggs), and amiable stoners who run afoul of the internet, I felt like it was time to really let my hair down. Hence Jersey Girl.

  I've never fallen for a gay woman, I've never faced down a rubber Poop Monster, and while I have worked in convenience stores, if I ever dreamed of lipping off to the customers, I would have spent an inordinate amount of time at the mall, as an ex-convenience store employee. But while fiction is always far more entertaining than real life, you need a seed of truth to kick off any good story. For Jersey Girl, it was the reverse: I needed a small point of fiction to tell a much more personal story. Which is why, to this day, my wife still won't believe I wrote the film as a valentine for her - because I kill her proxy off in the first fifteen minutes. Regardless, she is my muse on the flick.

  I was working on the ill-fated, ABC-shit-canned Clerks cartoon back in 2000. Needless to say, while it was a gas to write as I exercised my funny bone, that most important of muscles - the heart - was feeling flabby. Granted, it could've been all the Twinkies I was putting away at that pre-Atkins stage of my life; but I like to think I was just eager to write something a little more emotional. So one night, when I got home from a long day of gag-writing, I watched my wife put our then-two-month-old to bed. The pair of them were incredible: Jen, who so naturally took to motherhood, and Harley, who was so pure and perfect. And what was I? The guy who came home at the end of the day. A tourist. I always thought it was a miracle that I had a career in film at all. But the real miracle was playing out in front of my eyes. And from that moment forward, I decided my professional life would have to take a backseat, while I became more present in my personal life.

  As my wife turned out the lights in the baby's room, I was struck by this grim thought: that choice wouldn't be mine to make if Harley had made it through delivery but Jen hadn't. How would I deal with the loss of one love of my life while raising the other alone? That night, after Jen went to sleep, I sat down and wrote for two hours. The result was the first fifty pages of what would two years later become the movie you're about to see.

  This isn't my funniest or most original film to date. It's not the most controversial or clever either (indeed, some would have me believe I've never made any film that can be described by any of those terms). But it is my most personal. It's not only spun from a six year love affair with my wife and child, but also the thirty three year long love affair I was lucky to share with my own, recently-deceased Dad. It's a movie about fathers, made by one dad who's still learning the ropes as a tribute to his Dad, who made fatherhood an art form. It's about how the only way I could ever fully appreciate what a great Father I had was by becoming one myself.

  But most of all, it's about… 103 minutes long.

  And if THAT doesn't have you sold on seeing the film, dear fans, well, we dunno what will. See ya'll in the theaters in a few weeks.

• A lot's been going on in that big 'ol state of Texas as a result of Kevin's recent visit. Let's rundown some of the news we've got from there to kick things off today.

  First off, a surprise Jersey Girl screening was held in Austin this morning by Miramax, here's one report on the event from someone who really dug the show:

  Miramax held an advance screening of Jersey Girl at the Regal Metropolitan theatre in Austin TX this morning (Sat. Feb 28). There was a good turnout and audience response was very positive. I'm assuming this was the final cut (though it was introduced as a 'used print') and as has been reported, it did not include an Affleck/Lopez wedding scene. The movie definitely didn't disappoint - My own personal opinion is that it's Kevin's best movie to date. The story, dialogue, acting, and visual presentation are all first rate. I'll refrain from any spoilers but I think the casual movie watcher will enjoy the flick as much as die-hard fans.
  Great stuff there! Here's some more Texas goodness - Traffic reporter Amy Austin from the morning mix show on 102.9 FM in Dallas has placed a journal up with her thoughts and several photos from Kevin's recent appearance there. Read all about it at her Livejournal site.
  While there, Kevin ALSO conducted a taped interview for The Adventure Club with Josh on The Edge in Dallas. Here's a couple photos from that very session. The interview will air on March 28th, streaming at KDGE.COM. The shows runs from 7:00 - 10:00 PM Central. Yee-haw!

• The very widely-read Aint It Cool News website logged a very positve article/review of Jersey Girl today, which is always a good sign as they're a bunch of tough critics over there. Harry's always been a big View Askew fan, and it's great to see that audiences are writing into the site with praise for the film. Here's that review, though we will warn you there are minor spoilers ahead:
  I caught a screening of "Jersey Girl" earlier tonight in Baltimore. I had a lot of reservations going in, based on the less positive reviews on your site and its lackluster to say the least trailer, but I really really loved it. While I will need to rewatch 'Chasing Amy' and 'Dogma' before I call this his best film, it is by far the most developed and believable characters Smith has ever written.

  As I'm sure you all know, the plot consists of Affleck, as Ollie Trinke, attempting to raise his daughter (the amazingly charismatic Raquel Castro) with some help from his father (George Carlin in a pretty endearing performance), after his wife (J.Lo) dies during childbirth in the first 15 minutes. While certain moments fall flat, what really makes the movie work is the relationship between Affleck and Castro. This is actually a believable father-daughter relationship, not simply the kind we usually see in movies. Not only are we shown the unique bond that these two have, but also included is a scene where the two yell incredibly hurtful things at one another, that anyone who has ever had a bitter fight with a parent will recognize. Surprising, even shocking for a Smith film, there were a few moments where myself and several audience members were moved to tears, most notably one of Carlin's last lines in the movie. All of this leads up to a closing scene that one can only describe as beautiful.

  Still, I don't want to undersell all the funny stuff in this movie, as it is for the most part, a comedy. Well, obviously it is a more family-friendly kind of funny, but it's still a relatively strong PG-13, with much conversations involving sex and masturbation.

  There is a pretty funny subplot involving Ollie's criticisms of Will Smith that lost him his job, that leads up to a scene that could have been a disaster, but ends up being the best written scene in the movie.

  Now, I must say, I hate J. Lo as much as the next guy, but the talk about her opening scenes with Affleck being awful is pure, unadulterated bullshit. This is actually one of the only two movies she didn't piss me off in (the other being the underrated and forgotten 'U-Turn'). Her scenes with Affleck come off as genuine and sort of charming in a way.

  Liv Tyler plays a video-store clerk who Affleck starts to fall for, and it is hard to remember a more adorable character than Liv plays in this movie. For an actress whose soft-spoken line readings always annoyed me, here she gives a really sweet performance and is downright lovable as the kind of girl we all dream about.

  I honestly don't know why this was pushed till March, while the often painful-to-watch "Cold Mountain" got the big Miramax oscar push. While this wouldn't have really had much of a shot for a Best Picture nom, Raquel Castro would've been a leading contender for Best Supporting Actress, and possibly even Affleck for Best Actor, in what is definitely the best performance of his career (not saying much for Mr. Reindeer Games I know, but still).

  I know many will say this is Smith selling out, but in my opinion, this is really just him maturing as a filmmaker, similiar to how I felt "Big Fish" was for Tim Burton.

  While it's not a perfect movie, it's a bonafide crowd please that doesn't pander to its audience, is consistently entertaining, and one of the better portrayals of a father-daughter relationship to ever hit the screen.

  You can also read the piece over at AICN, and throw your 2 cents in those dreaded talkbacks, of course.

• Due to popular demand, a LIMITED NUMBER of tickets for the Paulsboro March 10th special advance screening of "Jersey Girl" will go on sale Monday at 2:00 p.m. at Hill Studio, 35 West Broad Street in Paulsboro. Sales will continue until 6:30 p.m., unless they are sold-out before that time. Orchestra seats are $50.00, mezzanine are $35.00, and balcony are $25.00. Sales will be limited to two tickets per person. Payment must be made by check or money order only, to “Boys & Girls Club of Paulsboro.” Yep, it's a benefit, for a great cause.

  Kevin Smith himself will introduce the film in a venue where a major scene from the movie takes place – the Paulsboro High School Auditorium, 622 North Delaware Street. Call Hill Studio at 856-423-8910 for more information. Don't miss this chance to see the flick weeks early as well as catch Kev in person.

  
• Datavision's not the only place getting the word out there about Jersey Girl. Yep, the Panasonic Astrovision in Times Square is also periodically running the spot for the film. The Astrovision, FYI, is a whopping 37 feet (37!) wide and 30 feet high. The 60 second Commercial of Kevin and Jersey Girl will run twice every hour for the sixteen hours a day that the Astrovision runs. The commercial will run until April 16th. Check out some photos of the Astrovision in action, and you can also...
  CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE COMMERCIAL IN WINDOWS MEDIA FORMAT!

• Radio appearance alert! According to mancow.com, Kevin will be a guest on the nationally syndicated Mancow radio show. Q101.com says it'll happen on Tuesday. That's all we got for ya so far.
  
• Here's that clipping from a reject "Page Six" that again covers the wedding scene's omission from Jersey Girl. Nothing new here, just thought some of ya might want to see it.

• And finally today, on a humorous note, looks like Jersey Girl ranked high enough to merit its own parody song in David Poland's column this week (second one down). Sing along, won't you...

  FEBRUARY 26, 2004
  
  

• You wanna see Jersey Girl before the rest of the country? Here's one of your big chances! Tickets for the screening at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, NY. The screening will happen on March 11th, with Janet Maslin doing some Q&A with Kevin following the show. The screening is OPEN TO YOU! All you gotta do is register FREE with the site, then tickets cost $21.00 each, among the lowest we've seen for the advanced screenings along, PLUS you get one of Kevin's famous Q&A sessions as well.

  If you're in the northeast, this is a can't-miss event for you. Get your tickets at the website NOW before they're gone. These are going to sell out REALLY, REALLY FAST -- Don't say we didn't warn you.

• Sure, you might not be in an area where you can hop into a car and drive to see Kevin in person, but we're pretty darn sure that you're within earshot of a TV set right now -- So here's a list of the current places on your dial that you can catch Kevin in the coming weeks:
  March:
  7 - Comedy Central
  13 - MADtv
  22 - Yes, Dear
  16 - Guest on the Tonight Show
  That's it for now -- Though we expect to add more to this list very soon. Watch the site or the countdown ticker for upcoming places to see Kevin on the good 'ol idiot box.

• Here's the detailed information on Kevin's upcoming Berkeley appearance, which takes place on March 31st.
  TICKET PRICES

  Student tickets: $15, $10, $7
  UCB Student ID must be presented at the door. No exceptions.
  General tickets: $25, $18, $13
  (seating chart coming soon)

  TICKET PURCHASE INFO

  Tickets can be purchased through the following:

  1. Cal Performances Ticket Office in Zellerbach Hall (UC Berkeley campus)
  2. www.tickets.com
  3. By calling 510-642-9988
  **Student ticket prices are NOT available through www.tickets.com.

  UCB students must purchase the tickets from Zellerbach Hall in order to receive the discount.

  We're told that the top level of Berkeley is almost (if not now completely) sold out already. We urge you to get your seats reserved as soon as you possibly can!

• We've got a ton of articles and details on the now-official Jersey Girl screening happening in Paulsboro, NJ, where many of the film's scenes were lensed. The date is now set for Wednesday, March 10th, just one day after JG's official premeire in New York City. The rub is that, for now, tickets are available ONLY to Paulsboro residents, which makes sense. If there's empty seats after the residents get their shot at tickets, it's possible the public will be able to purchase the remaining seats. We'll keep you posted on that one.

  Kevin is expected to be in attendance, but no other cast/crew appearances have been announced at this time. Here's a few pieces on the screeing from the local Paulsboro newspapers:

  Paulsboro to go Hollywood for special movie screening

  PAULSBORO -- Kyle Lee can see the writing already.

  "I'll probably make a few shirts and hats that say, 'I was in Jersey Girl,' " the 13-year-old said of his role as an extra in the Kevin Smith movie, which opens in theaters nationwide March 26. "It was in our town ... It's an experience I won't forget."

  With the film's release around the corner and a local advance screening March 10 at the Paulsboro High School auditorium -- where a major movie scene takes place -- the community may get to see Lee, his younger brother and parents in action alongside stars Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, George Carlin and Raquel Castro.

  His mother, Jean Lee, said she turned up wherever scenes were shot during the three-month filming in 2002.

  "I was like the movie stalker because it was being shot in Paulsboro," Jean Lee said with a laugh, adding that she wouldn't miss its local debut. "I've had it marked on my calendar."

  Mayor John Burzichelli said he's happy to roll out the red carpet -- literally -- for a yet-to-be-determined list of dignitaries, including writer/director Kevin Smith.

  "I'm gonna find one somewhere," Burzichelli said of the proverbial Hollywood essential. "Remember, we're in show business."

  Burzichelli said BP is covering the estimated $10,000 cost to transform the 689-seat auditorium into a theater, featuring state-of-the-art sound and projection.

  Although she plays a mourner in Jersey Girl, 16-year-old Rosanne Henderson of West Deptford said she's ecstatic about the movie's opening.

  "I like to brag about it to my friends," Henderson said of her scene with Affleck, Jason Biggs and Carlin. "Definitely we're going to get a big group of people and go see it."

  The mayor, who makes a brief appearance in the movie, said he has not decided yet how he will arrive at the upcoming black-tie optional gala.

  And, he remains tight-lipped about the possibility for a star-studded Paulsboro premiere.

  "We're not in a position to confirm who will be in attendance," Burzichelli said. "I don't want someone to buy a ticket thinking there's a guarantee that someone's going to be there."

  Tickets will go on sale Saturday -- for Paulsboro residents only -- from the ticket window of Hill Studio, 35 W. Broad St., from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

  Cost ranges from $25 to $50, with all proceeds benefiting the Paulsboro Boys and Girls Club. Burzichelli said he expects to raise about $22,000 for the self-sustaining youth organization.

  Judy MacKenzie, event chairwoman, said donating to the club was a no-brainer.

  "Jennifer Lopez learned how to dance at a Boys and Girls Club," MacKenzie said of the diva, who has a small part in the film. "That just seemed to be a place that would be appealing to everyone."

  Sam DeSimone, Paulsboro Boys and Girls Club chairman of the board of directors, said the club has not determined how funds will be used, but said they could come in handy for ongoing basement upgrades.

  "We're moving along and we're really proud of the club," DeSimone said.

  IF YOU GO

  Writer/Director Kevin Smith will introduce a special advance screening of Miramax Films’ Jersey Girl March 10 at 7:00 p.m. at the Paulsboro High School Auditorium, 622 North Delaware Street.

  Screening for the PG-13 movie is recommended for adults only.

  Tickets go on sale Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for Paulsboro residents only and cost $25 to $50, for balcony, mezzanine and orchestra sections. Purchases can be made at Hill Studio, 35 West Broad Street in Paulsboro.

  Tickets-buyers must show a license or other verification of their Paulsboro residency and will be limited to two tickets per person. Payment must be made by check or money order only, to “Boys & Girls Club of Paulsboro.”

  We're very happy that the filmmakers are doing this for Paulsboro, as the town seems genuinely excited about seeing the film and doesn't get many opportunities to have a little bit of Hollywood come around. You can also read the story at NJ.com.
  
• Remember a while back when we announced that HUGE ad that was going to run in the windowfront of Datavision in New York City? Well, here's proof we weren't kiddin' around! Click the thumbnails above for wide and closeup shots of the ad, which splits Ben and Rachel off the poster, touts the film logo itself, and even features a couple quickly snapped shots of Kevin himself appearing on a television inside the store, pointing out the window ads. Very cool stuff, and sure to get the film a LOT of public notice in the coming weeks. This has gotta be the biggest marketing blitz for a View Askew film so far! Hopefully that, plus the PG-13 rating for a wider audience attendance, will bring JG into record territory. We'll know in just over a month!

• Today's most popular submission is one that's getting "Jersey Girl" a TON of press on the web today. AP news (and therefore, the widely read Yahoo and CNN) has created an entire story around the comment Kevin made regarding a cut scene from the film:
  Affleck, Lopez Wedding Scene Cut From Film

  NEW YORK - A wedding scene with Ben Affleck (news) and Jennifer Lopez (news) has been scrapped from director Kevin Smith (news)'s upcoming "Jersey Girl," according to Us Weekly magazine.

  "I didn't know if (it was right) to leave it in," Smith is quoted as saying in the March 8 issue. "People might forget they're watching a picture, like, `Wait, didn't these two NOT get married?'"

  Affleck and Lopez were supposed to have married last September, but abruptly postponed their lavish plans "due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding." They have since ended their engagement.

  "Jersey Girl" is set for release March 26.

  That's right, folks -- Get that release date out there for us!

• And the IMDB again takes the Ben/Jen angle with their latest Jersey Girl blurb:
  Lopez Left Out of 'Jersey Girl' Trailer

  Hollywood star Jennifer Lopez's role in new Ben Affleck movie Jersey Girl has been ignored in the trailer - because studio bosses are worried cinema-goers will avoid another film starring the Gigli pair.

  Jersey Girl is being released in America on March 26 and although Lopez makes an appearance, she is absent from the movie's poster campaign and only appears for a split second in the trailer. The Kevin Smith comedy stars Affleck as a publicist married to Lopez, who dies early in the film. But Miramax, the studio releasing Jersey Girl, insists the decision to cut J.Lo out of the marketing campaign is consistent with her tiny role in the movie, and has nothing to do with last year's mega-flop Gigli. Miramax's Amanda Lundberg tells website Pagesix, "She's not the star of the movie and the marketing materials reflect her role in the film."

  
• Blender magazine's movie section runs a small blurb on the film, VERY negative on the trailer's appearance but seemingly positive on Kevin's track record. Minor spoiler warning. Click to enlarge.

  FEBRUARY 23, 2004
  
  

  
• There's an absolutely FANTASTIC Jersey Girl 2-page spread in the latest issue of US Weekly. Spoiler warning for those of you that have still somehow avoided that early plot point, otherwise, just a ton of new photos and candids, as well as some tidbits on scenes that didn't make the final cut. We saw a lot of this stuff in the test screening last year, so expect yet another DVD full of great deleted material to come somewhere down the line. From what we're hearing though, the final cut of the film will play just perfect, and audiences love it. Click the scan above to take a closer look at the photos and text from this story. Lots more to come!

  FEBRUARY 23, 2004
  
  

• Paulsboro, NJ newspapers are getting the fever and starting their press on Jersey Girl's arrival. This weekend's Gloucester County Times ran a HUGE Jersey Girl story, which we've got the full text for just ahead. We don't have any direct scans from the article, but a lot of set location photos were featured. We do have some small thumbnails of a few of 'em here for ya, though. The article DOES contain a few spoilers, nothing MAJOR as far as the plot, but it does reveal a scene towards the end of the film. Some nice mentions of Ratface's work, and a lot of coverage of the Paulsboro people and locations that have made it into the film's final cut. So, read at your own risk, if you like:
  Early look at 'Jersey Girl' shows Paulsboro has big role

  By Jeanette Tallant

  On a quiet, tree-lined street in Paulsboro stands a pale yellow Cape Cod house -- a dwelling that, like many others of little significance, has gone unnoticed for several years.

  Who could have guessed that quaint home would give Paulsboro -- and Gloucester County --its on-screen debut in a major motion picture?

  The movie "doesn't happen without it," said Paulsboro's Mayor John Burzichelli of the house on Thompson Avenue, "and we don't have a street named 'Kevin Smith Way.' "

  The movie he's referring to is Kevin Smith's "Jersey Girl," the second film to feature the now-defunct Hollywood couple Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. "Jersey Girl" was shot in Paulsboro over a three-month period in 2002.

  According to Steve Granados, director of Burzichelli's Hill Theatre Studio in Paulsboro, art director Robert "Ratface" Holtzman knew what type of house he wanted for the film's central set long before the shooting began. He looked all over New Jersey

  and was about to move the shoot to Canada when he came across the Thompson Avenue home.

  The rest, as they say, is cinematic history.

  The people of Paulsboro should be proud to know that this house, along with a few other Paulsboro dwellings, are among the very first images magnified on the big screen in the final cut of "Jersey Girl," which is due in theaters March 19.

  "It was wonderful to see the whole experience and then see it on the screen," Granados said Friday after a Philadelphia preview screening of the movie. "This was so much more dramatic."

  The film is set in small working class town called Highlands, N.J. It opens with a classroom scene shot inside the Loudenslager School, portrayed in the film as a Catholic school.

  In the film, the hometown corner bar is called Clamdiggers, a name the movie crew painted on the side of the small tavern and promised to remove --until the owner decided to display it next to the original name.

  "I think Clamdiggers has a new life in front of it," Burzichelli said of Fiorile's.

  Other than the house on Thompson Avenue, the bar is the most photographed Paulsboro establishment in the movie. It's also where the final scene takes place.

  In real life, a pool table occupies the spot in Fiorile's where Affleck and Lopez's characters once slow danced to the music of Al Green.

  After the filming wrapped, hometown regulars took back their seats at the bar where -- in the movie -- George Carlin and his buddies sit and sip their beer.

  But the folks who frequent Fiorile's said the Hollywood treatment of their favorite watering hole hasn't changed a thing.

  "It's very surprising that they picked it, but it's not surprising in the sense that it's a very, very, nostalgic bar," said Randy Brown, who grew up in Paulsboro. "It's just a place where you stop, you have a drink and a sandwich and go. You'll meet people from Paulsboro here."

  Paulsboro schools are also prominently featured in the movie --images from Loudenslager and Paulsboro High School are combined to make the Catholic elementary school attended by Affleck's movie daughter, who is played by young Raquel Castro.

  Inside Paulsboro High School, the bold red seats and thick red curtain of the school auditorium -- where Affleck, Castro, Carlin and Liv Tyler grace the stage for a family talent show -- also made the final cut, as did Borough Hall.

  In one scene with Affleck pitted against his Highlands neighbors, he stands at the front of a room in Borough Hall and addresses an angry crowd --some of whom are Paulsboro residents. While Affleck speaks, serious-looking men sit behind him listening intently. Many Gloucester County viewers will recognize these non-speaking characters from their real-life roles as Paulsboro officials --Mayor Burzichelli; several Paulsboro councilmen; and Gloucester County Democratic Party Chairman Michael Angelini, the municipal solicitor in Paulsboro.

  So, how's the flick?

  "It's fun," Burzichelli said. "I think people are going to enjoy what they see, and they're going to have a lot of fun picking out people they know."

  Municipal Administrator John Salvatore helped Smith and his crew scout locations for various scenes, including the bar and the schools. He probably has the best eye for what didn't make the movie.

  Scenes shot at the Paulsboro lighthouse were left on the cutting room floor, he said. So was a wedding scene showing Affleck and Lopez on the steps of St. John's Church, which might have become the only time America would see them together in wedding attire.

  In the end, as the screen fades to black and the credits roll, Paulsboro and its residents get their due in a big thank you to the mayor, the borough, and the people of Paulsboro.

  Burzichelli said he hopes to hold a Paulsboro screening of "Jersey Girl" sometime in March, giving the many residents who stood on the sidelines and watched, and those who were lucky enough to get roles as extras, a chance to see --in their hometown --the movie that was made in their hometown.

  The article's also archived at their site. In addition, an editorial appeared in that same paper today:
  Benefits accrue from 'Bennifer'

  The reviews are in. Paulsboro is very much in the much-awaited Kevin Smith-directed movie, "Jersey Girl," which was partially filmed in the borough.

  A totally unbiased preview audience (it included Mayor John Burzichelli and borough Administrator John Salvatore) was totally "thumbs up" concerning the way Paulsboro looks in the Ben Affleck-Jennifer Lopez picture, and how much screen time the borough gets.

  That would be considerably more screen than one scene that remains entirely on the cutting-room floor, our preview spies report. A wedding scene involving the two co-stars, who are no longer star-crossed lovers in real life, was not in the version of "Jersey Girl" screened last week. Wonder whose idea that was?

  Sorry. We forgot for a moment that this is the editorial page, not the celebrity gossip page. But the latest dish is that even though snipping out the wedding scene nixed some views of the steps of St. John's Church, there are still plenty of local landmarks that audiences can see. Included are the Loudenslager School, and some of its inhabitants, and Fiorile's Bar, known in the movie, and perhaps hereafter, as "Clamdiggers."

  A Clamdiggers' sign from the 2002 filming remains on the tavern, which is perhaps poised to take full advantage of the kind of publicity that turned a once-obscure Boston pub called the Bull&Finch into "Cheers."

  It would be great if Paulsboro and its citizens can find other ways to capitalize on the March 19 wide release of "Jersey Girl," even though, in the movie, the borough is a stand-in for a Central Jersey shore town.

  The box-office success of "Jersey Girl" is not assured, but the sneak peeks show us Paulsboro is on screen more than long enough for the borough and its residents to have a boffo opportunity to shine.

  As the guy who will host the Academy Awards next Sunday used to say:

  "You look mahh-velous."

  FEBRUARY 19, 2004
  
  
• This just in: Jersey Girl's being pushed back just one more week, to allow a better opening opportunity for the film as well as carry it through the holiday season. Sure, we realize that this may upset some of you and cause you to lash out, but hear us out on the reasons why. First, the story:
  Miramax to Release Smith's Jersey Girl on March 26

  Miramax Films has announced a March 26, 2004 release date of Jersey Girl, Kevin Smith's latest feature project. Jersey Girl, starring Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler, is produced by Smith and his longtime producing partner Scott Mosier through their View Askew production company. The announcement was made today by Miramax chief operating officer Rick Sands.

  Jersey Girl will open in 1,600 theaters nationwide on March 26, expanding to 2,000 theaters on April 2 and further expanding to 2,500+ theaters on April 9.

  Sands stated, "Based on the feedback from research screenings and positive response from key exhibitors, 'Jersey Girl' is proving to have great word of mouth and promises to have strong play through the Easter holiday. This, coupled with the favorable competitive environment, allowed for the date change from March 19th."

  "I am pleasantly surprised by the audiences' great reactions to 'Jersey Girl'," said Steve Bunnell, senior vice president, head film buyer, Loews Cineplex Theatres, Inc.

  "'Jersey Girl' is a film that can be marketed really well not only to Kevin Smith's fans but to all audiences," said John Lundin, Cinemark USA head film buyer.

  Alright, so why delay a week? Well, first off, the opening strategy for the film is a great one. Jersey Girl's got a lot going for it, and it's one of those films that you just can't throw a 30 second commercial on the air for and give the audience an idea of what they're going to see. 1,600 theaters is still a very wide opening, but the gradual increase in screens means that Miramax is confident that folks will like what they see, and recommend the film to others. This is outstanding.

  With just 1,600 screens the first week, though, it'll be tough to crack that #1 slot against films on many MORE screens, but wouldn't it be cool to do that anyway? So be sure and seek the film out opening weekend. According to our slate, the biggest competition that day is the Scooby Doo sequel, which there just doesn't seem to be a lot of buzz about. On the 19th, we were up against "Dawn of the Dead" and Jim Carrey in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", which admittedly would take some of Jersey Girl's audience away, due to their high release profiles. So, the kiddies may go to see Scooby, but you gotta expect that the date crowd and up will be spending their bucks on Jersey Girl.

  So, trust that the studio has made the right decision financially to release the film when it has. With more screens coming in every week after release, we're expecing 3 very solid, strong weekends of box office for the film, and the biggest success for View Askew Productions yet. We'll see ya on the big screen in a month and a week.

  FEBRUARY 15, 2004
  
  

• The Kenny Gordon Foundation website has set up a page dedicated to the Jersey Girl screening, taking place in New York City, Thursday, March 4th at 6:30pm, to benefit the foundation. Attendees will get to see the film a coool 15 days early, AND attend an exclusive after-party with Kevin and the film's stars. Ticket prices have yet to be announced, though we're sure at any price, they'll go fast. Here's the details:
  The Kenny Gordon Foundation 2004 Fundraiser Screening of "Jersey Girl" and Exclusive After-Party

  Hosted by Ben Affleck, Jon Gordon, Kevin Smith, Liv Tyler & Patrick Whitesell

  Thursday, March 4th at 6:30pm

  We are currently working on our second benefit to follow last December's extremely successful fundraiser which premiered the film "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind", hosted by Jonathan Gordon, Matt Damon, and George Clooney. It was an incredible evening that raised over $225,000 for the KGF.

  Reebok, Sprite, KMX, and the Manhattan Mortgage Company generously sponsored the December 2002 event. If you are interested in becoming a corporate sponsor, click here http://www.kennygordonfoundation.org/sponsorships.html.

  This year's event, which will take place on March 4th, will be a premiere of Kevin Smith's film, "Jersey Girl", starring Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, George Carlin, Jason Biggs, and Jennifer Lopez. Smith will co-host the event along with Gordon, Affleck, Tyler, and Patrick Whitesell. The screening will be followed by an exclusive after-party with the director and stars and feature a raffle and silent auction showcasing one of a kind items and packages. Click here http://www.kennygordonfoundation.org/prize.html to see a list of last year's prizes.

  You'll love Jersey Girl anywhere you see it this year, but if you want to attend the cream of the crop of screenings, this is the one to see. We'll have more details here soon. Note: The coroporate sponsorship links do get you seats into the show, so talk to your companies about making a donation AND get yourself a seat.

  FEBRUARY 12, 2004
  
  

  
  
• JoBlo's got a bunch of new Jersey Girl stills up, so we've added them to our ever-growing collection over at Exit 37. Haven't been there lately? JoBlo's got them all up on this page at his site if you just wanna see what's new. So pick a spot, and go check 'em out!

  FEBRUARY 11, 2004
  
  

• Alright, folks, as you know, we got a movie coming out next month, and thus, it's time for Kevin to put a lot of face time in front of the cameras! So, here's a rundown of what we've currently got as far as press and public appearances, including some of what Kevin has mentioned above, what we've just got in today, AND even a few more possible details on the time and place of the JG benefit screening at SxSW:
  February:

  20 - Tonight Show for Roadside Attractions Appearance

  March:

  4 - Jersey Girl benefit screening for Kenny Gordon Foundation, NYC (open to public)

  9 - Jersey Girl Premiere, New York City

  10 or 11 - Jersey Girl benefit screening, Jacob Burns Film Center, Pleasantville, NY (open to public)

  12 - Ryerson University, Toronto (Q&A Only)

  14 - SxSW Jersey Girl Screening, Austin, Texas (tentative), Probably at the Paramount Theatre on Congress Ave.

  16 - Guest on the Tonight Show

  20/21 - Kevin and Jason will be attending the Los Angeles Wizard Con being held in Long Beach. Kevin will be doing a two hour panel on Saturday the 20th and a signing on Sunday the 21st. This is a preliminary schedule.

  31 - University of California, Berkeley

  April

  5 - East Carolina University, Greenville, NC

  FEBRUARY 10, 2004
  
  

• We've got a bunch of details for you on the just-announced public screening of "Jersey Girl" early next month in Austin, Texas, as part of the South by Southwest festival. The screening is going to be a joint benefit between SXSW and the Austin Film Society. The benefit, which is still in the planning stages, MAY only be open to AFS members or those with SXSW Wristbands (which run you a steep $300 - $700) or SXSW badges (which run a more affordable $60). The seats will fill to AFS members and SXSW writbands first and then, finally, to badge holders.

  Because of this pecking order, we expect very few, if any, seats will remain for the regular public. This is all subject to change, but just what's being told to us right now from a source in the area.

  AFS membership is $20 (minimum) and members will be notified first as details are arranged (theatre, times, etc.) Members will liekly have first claim for tickets. I am assuming they will have first dibs on tix. Also, since it is a benefit, there will be the required donation - which has yet to be determined.

  Want to call and bug some people more about this? You can reach the Austin film society at 512-322-0145 and the SXSW Film Fest line is 512-467-7979. We shall keep you informed, dear readers.

  FEBRUARY 4, 2004
  
  

• We've got another look at Jersey Girl for ya, in this first ever full online clip from the film, called "Let Me Take You Out". In it, Maya (Liv Tyler) won't take no for an answer when she asks Ollie (Ben Affleck) out for lunch. Enjoy it in Windows Media or RealPlayer format via Yahoo Movies. IGN's got it as well, and adds a QuickTime option. Enjoy!

  JANUARY 23, 2004
  
  

• According to the UK Film Distributors Association website, Jersey Girl will see its release there on June 26th. Of course, the day IS subject to change, but it's the first indication of any release date for the UK we've seen so far. Also, Disney-owned Australian site Incinemas.com is now saying that the Australian release for Jersey Girl is now in June (we can only assume on the 26th as well). HOWEVER, Australia's Birch Carroll & Coyle website is reporting an April 29th date for them. Confusing, eh? We'll keep you posted as we learn more. So, looks like you'll only have to wait 3 months more than us here stateside for this one.

  JANUARY 20, 2004
  
  

• This just in, hot off the presses! Nationally syndicated program "Extra" will feature "Jersey Girl" in a segment in TONIGHT'S SHOW. Extra airs syndicated on various networks throughout the country, so check your local listings and tune it in. It's fantastic to see the movie getting the excellent press support so early before the release. Let's hope it keeps up!

  JANUARY 18, 2004
  
  

  
• This is great news -- It looks like Miramax is really going to push Jersey Girl to a large degree -- The good folks at Panasonic have partnered up with Miramax to help promote the film. Part of doing so includes a large window display in a store in Manhattan called Data Vision. It's across the street from the NY Public Library, and apparently gets 10,000 passers-by an hour. Check out the ad above.

  JANUARY 17, 2004
  
  

  

  

  

  DOWNLOAD THE QUICKTIME TRAILER HERE!!!

  DECEMBER 20, 2003
  
  

• The official Miramax Jersey Girl website has revealed the final poster art for the film, due in theaters on Friday, March 19, 2004. The offical tagline: "He wanted it all...but he got more than he bargained for. A new comedy by Kevin Smith." The one sheet features Ben and Raquel, and it's nice to see that Kevin's name is featured in the promotion as well. Here's the synopsis for the film (some spoilers ahead):
  Ollie Trinke (Ben Affleck) is at the top of his game. A Smooth, Manahattan music publicist, Ollie has just married the love of his life (Jennifer Lopez) and has a child on the way. It's a perfect lie that is tragically upended when he suddenly finds himself a single father unqualified for his new role.

  Before long Ollie's big city lifestyle clashes head on with fatherhood. After losing his job, he's forced to move back in with his father (George Carlin) in the New Jersey suburb where he was raised. With the help of a beautiful young friend (Liv Tyler) who opens him up to love again, and the daughter (Raquel Castro) who gives him the courage to keep going, he begins to realize that sometimes, you have to forget about what you thought you were and just accept who you are.

  A dramatic comedy from writer/director, Kevin Smith, JERSEY GIRL reveals the honest, heartfelt and often amusing story about the man who wanted it all but got more than he bargained for.

• And it wouldn't be an update lately without some Affleck news, right? He's in the Paycheck making-of located at the Apple trailer site, and talks about Gigli, Jersey Girl and Paycheck in a new interview. Here's a clip from that (minor spoilers):
  Have you seen Jersey Girl yet?

  I have.

  Are you concerned about the delays?

  The short answer is no. I've seen the movie and it's maybe my favorite movie that I've ever made. I really dig this one, this is great but Jersey Girl is beautiful and really an incredibly wonderful story. What I think will be interesting is the fact that Jen is in about the first 10 or 15 minutes and I think it will go to show really that what it comes down to is that the movie works or it doesn't. Gigli was the Ishtar of our times because it didn’t work and it had a lot of attention. I do nothing small. If it fails, I go down in flame of glory. I’m like the guy who calls in artillery on his own position, like "F*ck it, bring it, send it in, we're over-run.”

  And he also brings up the movie briefly in this New York Daily News article:
  Kevin Smith's romantic family comedy, "Jersey Girl," is their next feature together, and "I'm very pleased with," Affleck says. "I'm not just saying that. If I didn't think it was any good, I'd say I hadn't seen it. Which would also be lying."
  NOVEMBER 25, 2003
  
  
• The great Liz Phair has revealed, in an interview at the Mesmerizing fan site, that she indeed has composed and recorded a new song (while on tour, no less), for the Jersey Girl film and soundtrack! The song, called "You", will be featured in the film. If you've yet to check out Liz's new self-titled CD, do so immediately. It's appeal is infectious. It'll even make a great stocking stuffer. We're very pleased to hear that Liz enjoyed the film so much that she's recorded a tune just for it. Hopefully we'll have a little taste of the tune for ya here soon.

  OCTOBER 19, 2003
  
  

• Finally, it seems like we're starting to get some nice Jersey Girl press NOT associated with a gossip column of some sort. In USA Today, the Jersey Girl herself, Raquel Castro speaks very intelligently about her experiences with the film and those tabloid reports (SPOILERS AHEAD):
  Ben's jitters, 'Jersey Girl': Raquel explains it all

  By Susan Wloszczyna, USA TODAY

  Watch out, Ms. Welch. There's another Raquel out there ready to take the world by storm.

  Raquel Castro may only be 9 and has but one feature to her credit. But as the co-star of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's other film, Jersey Girl, the Long Island fourth-grader has seen her share of off-screen drama.

  "They were saying that because Gigli was a bad movie, they may not bring out Jersey Girl," she says of Ben 'n' Jen's notorious summer flop. "I thought, 'All that work and nothing?'"

  Not to worry. The domestic comedy about a workaholic PR exec (Affleck) who must raise his 6-year-old daughter alone after his wife (Lopez) suddenly dies will open March 19 after being moved from this fall.

  During her audition, Raquel — who is of Puerto Rican descent, just like her movie mom — figured out quickly that she nailed it. "This lady kept staring at me. Kevin Smith (the director/writer) kept staring at me. They thought I looked like J. Lo. I told my parents, 'I think I got the part.'"

  Raquel, who performs songs from Sweeney Todd in the movie and may do a musical version of Interview With the Vampire on Broadway, found the real-life couple to be "very nice. They understand kids. This was Ben's first movie with a kid, and he might not be scared of being a dad now."

  She also stands up for the tabloid-taunted pair. "I don't think they are telling the truth about Jen and Ben. I think they are still going to get married. Ben just got nervous. Sometimes, when it's your first wedding, that happens." Yes, she is only 9.

  OCTOBER 9, 2003
  
  

• As he's been great at lately, Kevin's sqashed yet another crazy rumor in short order. Here's Kevin's reponse to the earlier story regarding Jersey Girl's "new" marketing campaign supposedly centered around him:
  Speaking as a guy who's about as close to this movie and the marketing plans as it gets, I can tell you that there's no truth to that story. Market the movie on me? So fucking ridiculous.

  Trust me: I've seen the marketing concepts on this movie from as early on as when we were still shooting up to just yesterday. EVERY poster is centered around Affleck. Some show Affleck and Jen, some show Affleck and the kid (which would make the most sense), some show Affleck and Liv Tyler. None show me. And as with every flick I've made, this is not billed as "A Film By Kevin Smith" - the hallmark of any marketing campaign built on the director.

  "The Fourth Film by Quentin Tarantino"? THAT'S a director-driven marketing campaign. A standard "Written and Directed by Kevin Smith"? That's hardly what I'd call selling a flick on the director's back.

  Smells like some editor at Us Magazine was desperate for a Ben and Jen story. That this bogus tidbit fit the bill shows a surprising amount of creativity on their part, but further solidifies their reputation in the print community as little more than a glossy version of the Enquirer.

  SEPTEMBER 10, 2003
  
  

• As we'd hoped, the MPAA reconsidered the R rating for Jersey Girl, and gave the film it's much-deserved PG-13 rating today: That's right folks, you read it correctly: A PG-13 KEVIN SMITH MOVIE. Here's Kevin with the news:
  Uh...My name's Kevin, and I'm a PG-13 filmmaker...

  ALL: HI, KEVIN!

  Yes, this morning, we appealed the "R" given to "Jersey Girl" by the MPAA, and the good folks on the appeals committee overturned it. We're now a PG-13 flick, without having to cut out sections of the Ben/Liv diner scene.

  Now all that's left is to wait around 'til March 19th.

  *sigh*

  AUGUST 30, 2003
  
  

• The Hollywood Reporter has announced film ratings assigned by the MPAA this week. "JERSEY GIRL" has received an R rating, however a notation states that Miramax intends to appeal the rating to the CARA Appeals Board. We expect that they'll get through with the PG-13 they're looking for, hopefully with no cuts though a word or two may hafta get redubbed in order to get that rating. Having seen the film, we can say with confidence that Miramax will get the rating changed. We'll keep you informed.

  AUGUST 24, 2003
  
  

• Kevin fills us in on the latest by answering some posts. We've summarized some of the more intriguing and interesting remarks right here for ya:
  • There's no full script for Ranger Danger yet, but Kevin does have some casting ideas, including the lead role. He has also said he has a "big role" in the flick for Jay Mewes if he's able to stay clean.
  • Jersey Girl has locked -- Editing is complete! They're now cutting the negative, and the score was just recorded last week by the great James Venable.
  • He's currently working on the second draft of the "Fletch Won" script. The film will be shot in L.A.
  • The animated Clerks movie is still on the bubble, with the Flash animation tests about to be transferred to film.
  • The Clerks 10th anniversary DVD is currently being worked on.
  AUGUST 12, 2003
  
  
• Kevin's got quite a bit to say in response to the article that the New York Times published yesterday (which also appeared at this site under the spoiler notice). What follows is Kevin's post which repeats the article along with his comments, so yet again, if you are trying to remain spoiler-free, as tough as that may be now, feel free to skip this story.

  Still here? Alright then. We'll let Kevin take it from here. Grab a sandwich and fasten your seat belt:

  Yesterday, the NY Times ran a small article about “Jersey Girl” that wasn’t a “Gigli”-fed attack on the movie or a scathing prognostication on the flick’s box office chances – which, after the last two weekends, was a refreshing change.

  And yet, it still managed to ruin my day.

  Had this article appeared in the Star or the Enquirer, or any number of gossip websites, I wouldn’t bother trying to refute it. But that this appeared in the NY Times just depressed the hell out of me. And worse, that I was attributed with saying something I didn’t say just downright insults and infuriates me.

  What follows is the NY Times article that ran yesterday, along with my comments about things that were said, and things that weren’t but were credited to me regardless.

  The italicized text belongs to the Times.

  ---------

  *After 'Gigli,' Less of J. Lo Is Seen as a Good Thing By LAURA M. HOLSON

  You would be hard pressed to find a Hollywood marketing manual that says killing off one-half of the country's most famous celebrity couple in the first 15 minutes of a movie should be used as a selling point.

  But in the wake of the box office and critical disaster that is "Gigli," the film that brought together Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, Miramax Films is doing just that with the couple's next movie, "Jersey Girl."

  When news reports in recent months revealed that Ms. Lopez's character dies early in "Jersey Girl," publicity executives at Miramax were displeased. But in the last few weeks, they have begun quietly highlighting the fact that Ms. Lopez barely appears in the movie.

  Now, it looks as if Miramax will be promoting the movie the way the director, Kevin Smith, had originally wanted. Mr. Smith, who attained cult status with movies like "Chasing Amy" and "Dogma," had always conceived of "Jersey Girl" as the story of Ollie Trinke (played by Mr. Affleck) raising his young daughter, Gertie. But when Ms. Lopez was cast as the girl's mother, the production quickly turned into the "Ben and Jennifer show," much to Mr. Smith's chagrin. *

  ----------

  Let me clarify here. “Chagrin” is probably too harsh a term. The only aspect of the “Ben and Jennifer Show” I was ever uncomfortable with was in how Miramax might be tempted to sell “Jersey Girl” as a Ben and Jen flick, when Jen’s not in it very long.

  Naturally, for the better part of a year, we tried to keep the fact that her character dies in the first half hour very quiet, as it would spoil the movie for folks and soften the emotional wallop it packs in the film. Early on (before the “Gigli” mess was even a twinkle in every gossip-hound’s eye), Miramax was inclined to promote the movie (upon release) as a Ben and Jen movie – which would’ve meant cutting trailers and tv spots solely from the first half hour of the movie – because everything else in the film after that refers back to Jen’s character’s death. And since I didn’t want to reveal to the world Jen’s character’s early exit from the film - thus spoiling the flick in advance for audiences who liked to be surprised by movies - there wasn’t much I could say or do to offer up alternative ways to market the flick. I just hoped that, by the time the good folks at Miramax got around to serious marketing decisions, they’d show a bit of restraint, and not whore out an actress who, while mega-famous and stellar in the picture, is barely in it.

  Now, in the post-“Gigli” climate, marketing the flick as a Ben and Jen movie is the last thing Miramax wants to do – which is cool by me, as I always felt the movie should be sold as what it is: a father/daughter relationship film. That’s largely what the flick’s about, so why not sell it honestly?

  It’s just a shame that that particular marketing decision was arrived at under the current circumstances. Because now, thanks to the voracious press machine, the news of Jen’s character’s death early in the film has become common knowledge (I went to the “Battle for Shaker Heights” premiere tonight, and every press person that grabbed me began with “Aren’t you happy that Jen’s character dies in your movie now?”). All through production, we went to great pains to keep it a secret, going so far as to shoot fake stills of Ben, Jen, and Raquel (the titular “Jersey Girl”) together. But when we started test screening, and the early internet reviews spoiled the death, the cat was out of the bag. At that point, I had little choice but to cop Jen’s early exit from the flick – which is why in the April 27th Sunday NY Times piece, I talked about her character dying.

  So if there was any “chagrin”, it was over the fact that the movie might have been sold in a bait-and-switch manner. That’s now no longer a threat.

  -------------

  *The publicity nightmare worsened recently as Internet chat groups and tabloids began comparing "Jersey Girl" to the much maligned "Gigli." Rumors surfaced that Miramax had cut Ms. Lopez's part, and even had her face removed from movie posters. *-------------

  This is a factual inaccuracy, because there haven’t been any posters finalized yet. Granted, there was a promotional poster done for ShoWest that pictured Ben, Jen, Liv and Raquel. But being that we were still – even then –easily eight months out from release, that image wasn’t even close to a final release poster. It was a temp mock-up intended to boost awareness for the film with the theater owners and exhibitors who attend ShoWest. Jen’s face has not, in fact, been removed from any posters. I know this because Miramax hasn’t even started focusing on the marketing campaign for “Jersey Girl” yet (I mean, have you seen a trailer yet? I sure haven’t). It’s little inaccuracies like this – that come less from a place of gossip-mongering and more from conjecture and a lack of comprehension of the movie biz – that wind up getting quoted become over and over again by other news outlets who will in turn sight the NY Times as their source. Never mind that it’s not true at all; it’s been in the Times, so it’s gotta have some validity, right?

  But even that’s not as bad as what’s about to follow.

  ---------------

  *Many of the changes had been made well before "Gigli" even showed up in theaters, largely because of the two characters' chemistry — or, in this case, a lack thereof, Mr. Smith said. *

  ---------------

  This is the part of the article with which I take issue the most (and why I’ll never talk to another journalist who doesn’t utilize some form of recording device other than a pen and paper again). I never… NEVER… said, implied, or inferred anything regarding a lack of chemistry between Ben and Jen. Maybe I’m deluded and biased, but I’m the only motherfucker out there in the press who’s been maintaining they have great chemistry since day one.

  From my second “Jersey Girl” diary, that ran over at our sister site, www.moviepoopshoot.com, September 20th, 2002…

  “If you're ever shooting a movie about two people falling in love, I can't urge you strongly enough to cast a pair of people who are actually falling in love. The chemistry between Ben and Jen is so palpable, you could almost bottle it and sell it as an aphrodisiac. Take after take, we watched Ben and Jen (who we couldn't have cast as love-at-first-sighters at a better time in their lives) flirt through a rapid-fire-dialogue dance of movie meet-cute. But this wasn't just art imitating life; somehow in the midst of all that smolder, they managed to provide us with a pair of performances that reminded this little black duck why he's always worshipped at the Altar of Affleck, and is now currently constructing a Lopez Basilica as we speak. Honestly, the performances they gave were nothing short of spellbinding.”

  I took a world of shit for writing that here on our website from the folks that don’t like Jennifer Lopez, but I said it then, and I stand by it now. It was quoted in dozens of articles that ran in print and on the web, not the least of which was Bob Baker’s LA Times article “Say It Ain’t So, Silent Bob” that ran January 12th, 2003.

  And in the aforementioned NY Times article that ran April 27th, 2003, I was quoted on the subject of Ben and Jen’s chemistry again…

  "We got Ben and Jennifer at a perfect time," he says. "They were falling in love in real life and falling in love on film." Shooting their PG-13 love scenes, he adds, was a breeze: "I don't know that they had to act that much. There were times when we'd say `cut' and that didn't seem to matter to them."

  Now why, after spending almost a year talking about how great their chemistry is, would I suddenly pull an about-face and say something to the contrary? The fact of the matter is that I DIDN’T say anything to the author of this current NY Times piece regarding a lack of chemistry between Ben and Jen. I talked with Laura about editing the movie based on test screening reactions, but never went into specifics, and certainly never sighted Ben and Jen’s scenes or an imagined lack of chemistry. As written, this Times piece implies I DID say something to that effect. That pretty much trashes what little faith I had left in the press – especially the holy NY Times – because I’m attributed with saying something I didn’t.

  I’m not calling Laura a liar – not at all. She seemed like a really nice lady when we spoke, and unlike most of the gossip vultures I spoke with tonight in the press line at the premiere, she was kind of rooting for us. But the fact remains that she printed something I didn’t say/imply/infer, and attributed it to me. Call it miscommunication, call in conjecture, but call it factually inaccurate – because that’s what it is.

  ------------

  *Ms. Lopez's part was trimmed after test audiences last spring panned the on-screen relationship between Ms. Lopez and Mr. Affleck. *

  ------------

  While not attributed to me directly, I didn’t say anything like this in my interview either. Just because someone fills out a comment card that says “I hate J.Ho in real life!” doesn’t mean I’m going to alter my movie to satisfy that mental giant. The cuts I make following test screenings are not based on comment cards or scores (and for the record, the movie is scoring extremely well). How I use the test screenings is I listen to the room as the movie’s playing, and if a scene is playing slowly, and I can feel it during the screening, I’ll re-examine it in the editing room. But if you’ve seen some of the comments cards I’ve read in my nearly ten years of test-screening experience, you’d learn pretty quickly to lend them little credence. Putting an unfinished movie up in front of an audience is beneficial; hearing their exact specifics on the movie in a scene-by-scene breakdown is not.

  -------------

  *Miramax, a unit of the Walt Disney Company , resisted the cuts at first. "Harvey was always, `Let's leave as much of Jennifer in because we paid her $4 million for the movie,' " said Mr. Smith, referring to Harvey Weinstein, Miramax's co-founder. The studio's marketing executives were also pushing to take advantage of the couple's star appeal. *

  ----------------

  See? There’s a quote – a direct quote – that I have no problem with. I said that. That’s fine. Put it in print. I obviously have no problem shooting my mouth off while putting my foot in it at the same time (word was Harvey wasn’t pleased with that quote). I mean, I’m the guy who publicly likened my experience working with the ABC network on the “Clerks” cartoon to prison rape. I’ve been told by journalists repeatedly that they dig talking to me because I’m pretty candid. So believe me when I say if I didn’t think there was chemistry between Ben and Jen in “Jersey Girl” during the eighteen minutes of screen time they share, I’d say it in the press, big time – especially now, when bashing them is all the rage, and insures any knuckle-headed pundit ink in even this nation’s most respected newspapers. But as I DON’T feel that way, and I’ve never said anything like that, and have, in fact, always said the exact opposite, why the fuck would you credit me with something I DIDN’T say – like…

  ------

  *Many of the changes had been made well before "Gigli" even showed up in theaters, largely because of the two characters' chemistry — or, in this case, a lack thereof, Mr. Smith said.*

  ------

  “Mr. Smith” never said that, or anything else like it. But now, because it appeared in the NY Times, I was asked by no less than three reporters tonight “I read you’ve said Ben and Jen don’t have chemistry in your movie. What happened?”

  ----------

  *But that changed as Mr. Smith whittled away Ms. Lopez's screen time.*

  ----------

  I know it’s en vogue at the moment to place Jen Lopez in the cross-hairs for all that wrong with the world, so of course the author of this piece is inclined to write that I whittled away Jen’s screen time. However, what she fails to mention is that I whittled away EVERYONE’S screen time. That’s how you cut a movie – you don’t whittle away one character who was barely in the movie to begin with; you get in there and shave EVERYBODY down.

  The irritating thing is that what Laura’s expressed in that passage above isn’t wrong, per se’; it just fails to represent the entire story. It’s selective with the details. And I get why: because unless you’re purporting that Jen’s getting cut out of the movie, the author is left with a rather boring piece about how the movie’s been edited, period. Wow – stop the presses. A movie gets edited? What a scoop.

  ------------

  * "It became what's best for the story," said Jon Gordon, executive vice president of production at Miramax.

  You can almost hear the sigh of relief at Miramax. "In retrospect," Mr. Smith said, "it turned out to not be such a bad thing." Now he can only hope the couple chooses not to get married next March when the movie opens, which would provide distracting fodder for the tabloids.*

  -------------

  The irony in making a distinction between the Times and the tabloids in an article that amounts to little more than a gussied-up gossip piece is pretty precious. Since when is something like this story NY Times-worthy news anyway? What happened to the institution’s reputation as the Paper of Record? Has it gone from “All The News That’s Fit to Print” to “All the News That Fits, We Print”? Or worse, “All Bennifer, All the Time – Just Like Every Other Rag”?

  Look, I like the NY Times. They’ve been really good to us in the past – particularly Janet Maslin, when she was the lead critic there. And I don’t wanna be the guy who’s jumping all over their dick, adding to the cacophony of those who’ve taken unfair pot-shots at them for their recent problem with phony articles. I’m not saying this article is phony; not at all. I spoke to Laura, for roughly forty five minutes. Like I said, she seems like a cool and decent lady. However, it bugs the shit out of me that she wrote that I said something I didn’t. I’m not out in the press attributing to her shit she never said; all I ask is the same consideration in return.

  Regardless, I’ll say it again, for the record, and so nobody can claim I’ve said different: I think Jen and Ben’s chemistry in “Jersey Girl” is fantastic.

  And, honest to God – I’m sorry I had to write this. I’m not looking to get anyone in trouble, and I hate being the guy who’s always bitching about this or that injustice. Believe it or not, I’m not a crybaby in real life. But if you don’t try to correct shit like this right away, fiction becomes fact faster than a “Gigli” box office run. A person should always be held responsible for the things they say, which is why I tend to choose my words pretty carefully. But when someone puts words in your mouth – particularly in a publication as respected and trusted as the NY Times - being circumspect means jack-shit. Suddenly, it doesn’t matter how carefully I choose my words, because somebody can just write that I said something I didn’t.

  I swear, I can’t wait ‘til March - because then our flick can be seen, and I won’t have to say/defend/correct anything anymore. The film can speak for itself.

  AUGUST 11, 2003
  
  

• Howdy folks! How ya been? That's good. Big doings these days with all of this early Jersey Girl press, 'eh? First it was the religious controversies around Dogma, then it was gay activists attacking Jay & Bob, and now we've got the critics vs. Bennifer. And this one's 7 months before the film is scheduled to debut! As many have said though, no press is bad press, and it's certainly got the film's name out there a lot earlier than most studios could hope for. We've got a BIG spoiler-filled story just below this one, so if you want to avoid Jersey Girl spoilers completely, please skip that next story.

• WARNING! This entire article is one big spoiler! Before you proceed, let that be known. However, if you want our opinion, it seems that this spoiler for Jersey Girl is now SO public, that you're going to have trouble avoiding it before the film comes out. It might even make it into the film's trailer, for all we know. So, it's up to you if you'd like to read further. Again, PLEASE skip down to the next headline if you want to avoid this spoiler. Also, please avoid talkbacks for this story as well as we will be permitting spoiler talk within.

  Alright, you're still here. Now, as you know from either reading it here, seeing a test screening, or otherwise, yes, Jennifer Lopez's character dies very early in "Jersey Girl", thus, her part in the film is rather small. Naturally, with all the Gigli press, folks are now turning their eyes towards JG and unfairly comparing the two films. In other words, many critics, without seeing Jersey Girl, are proclaiming that hey, if Gigli wasn't to their liking, Jersey Girl won't be either. Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Right.

  So, that was last week. Now, this week the new buzz is this: "They're changing Jersey Girl to kill of Jennifer Lopez's character because Gigli didn't perform well at the box office! They are reworking the entire plot!" Newsflash, folks. Lopez's Gertrude was ALWAYS set to die early in the film. The film has always been about Affleck raising his daughter as a single parent. None of this has changed as a result of Gigli. Now, that being said, since filming began, very little was known about this twist in the film, and we expected the film was going to be marketed without this "spoiler", to surprise audiences when it happened. That may still be the case, but given that the fact is becoming so well known, the marketing campaign may give this fact away, anyway. We may not know that until the film's trailer is cut (see next story for more on that).

  Alright, having cleared the air on that, let's take a look at the press regarding this today. First off, the IMDB so graciously ran this short piece with the spoiler so sudden that it's already taken tons of fans off guard:

  "The failure of Gigli has enabled director Kevin Smith to rejigger his upcoming Jersey Girl into the kind of movie he had originally conceived -- one that features Ben Affleck as a single father raising a young daughter, the New York Times reported today (Monday). Until unfavorable reviews of Gigli began to roll in, Smith had been prevailed upon to expand the role of the girl's mother, played by Jennifer Lopez, in order to take advantage of the publicity surrounding the Affleck-Lopez romance. Smith told the Times that he began trimming Lopez's scenes after Jersey Girl tested poorly with preview audiences. But, he said, Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein "was always 'Let's leave as much of Jennifer in because we paid her $4 million for the movie.'" Her character now dies in the movie's first 15 minutes, the Times said."

  And here is that very New York Times story to which the IMDB refers:

  After 'Gigli,' Less of J. Lo Is Seen as a Good Thing

  By LAURA M. HOLSON

  You would be hard pressed to find a Hollywood marketing manual that says killing off one-half of the country's most famous celebrity couple in the first 15 minutes of a movie should be used as a selling point.

  But in the wake of the box office and critical disaster that is "Gigli," the film that brought together Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, Miramax Films is doing just that with the couple's next movie, "Jersey Girl."

  When news reports in recent months revealed that Ms. Lopez's character dies early in "Jersey Girl," publicity executives at Miramax were displeased. But in the last few weeks, they have begun quietly highlighting the fact that Ms. Lopez barely appears in the movie.

  Now, it looks as if Miramax will be promoting the movie the way the director, Kevin Smith, had originally wanted. Mr. Smith, who attained cult status with movies like "Chasing Amy" and "Dogma," had always conceived of "Jersey Girl" as the story of Ollie Trinke (played by Mr. Affleck) raising his young daughter, Gertie. But when Ms. Lopez was cast as the girl's mother, the production quickly turned into the "Ben and Jennifer show," much to Mr. Smith's chagrin.

  The publicity nightmare worsened recently as Internet chat groups and tabloids began comparing "Jersey Girl" to the much maligned "Gigli." Rumors surfaced that Miramax had cut Ms. Lopez's part, and even had her face removed from movie posters.

  Many of the changes had been made well before "Gigli" even showed up in theaters, largely because of the two characters' chemistry — or, in this case, a lack thereof, Mr. Smith said. Ms. Lopez's part was trimmed after test audiences last spring panned the on-screen relationship between Ms. Lopez and Mr. Affleck.

  Miramax, a unit of the Walt Disney Company, resisted the cuts at first. "Harvey was always, `Let's leave as much of Jennifer in because we paid her $4 million for the movie,' " said Mr. Smith, referring to Harvey Weinstein, Miramax's co-founder. The studio's marketing executives were also pushing to take advantage of the couple's star appeal.

  But that changed as Mr. Smith whittled away Ms. Lopez's screen time. "It became what's best for the story," said Jon Gordon, executive vice president of production at Miramax.

  You can almost hear the sigh of relief at Miramax. "In retrospect," Mr. Smith said, "it turned out to not be such a bad thing." Now he can only hope the couple chooses not to get married next March when the movie opens, which would provide distracting fodder for the tabloids.

  AUGUST 8, 2003
  
  

• This isn't the official Variety confirmation we were looking for, but FilmJerk is reporting a March 19th, 2004 release date for Jersey Girl. FJ has been very reliable with scoops in the past, so even though we don't call this totally official, we can say with 95% certainty that, at least as of today, that's when the film is scheduled for theaters.

  Why the move? We can't say for sure, as studios have various reasons to move films around, but normally it's a strategy thing to put the film up on a weekend where it will have its best chance for an audience to see it. Less competition for the dramatic date-type movie will certainly be out there in March than around Valentine's Day. We're hoping that this move will help Kevin get the #1 opening weekend that he deserves. And hey, look at the bright side - That's only 7 short months away. Stay tuned for more.

  AUGUST 5, 2003
  
  

• Variety columnst Army Archerd wrote a piece on Gigli and what the future holds for Jersey Girl, though the article DOES contain a major spoiler for JERSEY GIRL (not Gigli), which we've hidden but you CAN swipe if you want to read it. Here ya go:
  Affleck, J-Lo to escape 'Gigli' misfire unscathed

  GOOD MORNING: Ben Affleck talking: "The movie ('Gigli') didn't work. You work just as hard on a good movie as on a bad one. We tried to fix it. But it was like putting a fish's tail and a donkey's head." As for "fireworks" between director Martin Brest and Joe Roth, Affleck laughed, "Listen I've seen more fireworks from Harvey Weinstein in 10 minutes than on this picture. And I've made seven films with Harvey. And I'll make more films with Martin and Revolution. I believe in Martin Brest. As for the reviews and the reviewers, he laughs, "I feel like we were caught in the eye of a storm -- an earthquake that starts out at sea and by the time it reaches the shore it's !!!" As for working together again, he says "It all depends on the story -- always. But," he laughed, "we probably won't be getting many offers." Want to bet! ... Rick Sands, Miramax' chief operating officer, had this to say about "Jersey Girl" which stars Affleck and Lopez. "We are completely supporting the movie -- it is fantastic. We've had several research screenings and it's received critical approval. (It) made the audiences laugh and cry -- in the right places." [SPOLIER START] Lopez dies in childbirth -- early in the film -- and Affleck raises their baby daughter. Liv Tyler becomes the romantic interest, but I'll leave the rest unsaid. [SPOILER END] Miramax picked a March 19 release date for "Jersey Girl" while "Gigli" was in production. Since that time, Affleck has completed "Paycheck," co-starring Uma Thurman as his love interest. It will get a Paramount-DreamWorks release at Christmas. Producer John Davis gives Affleck a rave in this one as well. He plays an electronics expert whose memory is blacked out by his employer. Also out at Christmas will be J-Lo's "Shall We Dance'" costarring Richard Gere. She's also completed "An Unfinished Life" with Robert Redford ... Affleck and Lopez are expected to be on hand Monday for the preem of Miramax's feature "The Battle of Shaker Heights," a product of Project Greenlight launched by Affleck, Matt

  Damon, Chris Moore, HBO and Bob and Harvey Weinstein. On Sunday, HBO will air the final (10th) seg on the docu of the making of "Shaker Heights," the feature. And attendees, including Affleck and Lopez, will be lensed for future use in the Project Greenlight HBO TV series. It looks like there's life ahead for the duo -- on and off screen.

  AUGUST 1, 2003
  
  

• We're going to have to put a stop on this scoop just because it's getting a bit repetitive, but what's basically happening is that Jersey Girl is getting quite a few mentions across the country in reviews for "Gigli". "Chasing Amy" is even getting name-dropped in a couple (The Columbus Dispatch compared the movie to Chasing Amy at least twice.) So, if you're so inclined, check out reviews from New York's The Journal News, CNN, and the Los Angeles Times. That should about cover it, like we said, it's pretty much the same sentiment, so we're not going to run links to every Gigli review across the country.

  Gigli is becoming one of those films that it seems the press loves to hate, but it'll be interesting to see if all the publicity actually helps the film at the box office.

  Oh, and humorously enough, "Bennifer" is the Star of the Week over at the Moviefone site.

  JULY 22, 2003
  
  

• Aint It Cool runs a small, mixed review of Jersey Girl today. It's short, but contains some minor spoilers, including a commentary on the film's ending, so we'd recommend those of you that like going in cold avoid it. For those who spit in the face of that notion, read away HERE.

  We're still debating on posting our review of the film so early in the process, but may do it in a non-spoiler way (as best we can) for posterity's sake. Again, chances are the film will please one type of View Askew fan and turn off some others, but stands to be the biggest success in View Askew so far (our prediction). Stay tuned.

  JULY 17, 2003
  
  

• Jersey Girl continues to have the occasional test screening -- A recent one held in the state for which the film gets its name inspired a couple folks who saw it to send us some reviews. We've edited out the spoilers so these are safe to read. It sounds like a few more edits and changes are being made, and the film is testing better than ever:
  Without giving too much away (unless you want me to) as great as I thought the film was first time 'round, it's infinitely better this time. The narrative is focused, extraneous thing taken away, one or two scenes added, and various revised parts of the movie. Again, I could spoil if you want, but I totally understand that you'd want to be surprised along with everyone else in February (or whenever you get to see it again).

  The one thing worthy of mention, however, if that the crowd was WAY more into it this time than the last time. There were laughs from the very beginning to the very end (well, as far to the end as there is funny) and two "gasp" moments nearly turned the theatre into a vacuum of air and sound.

  All right, just thought I'd let you know the screening was a smashing sucess (except Kevin wasn't there) and that the movie is even better than before.

  ---

  I just wanted to report that I saw a screening of Jersey Girl today. Which answers your current poll; I paid NOTHING. In short, it's great. Bennifer's Ollie Trinke comes second to Brodie in Kevin Smith leads. Even though Kev sorta studios out towards the end, the movie retains all of his genious dialogue, and even provides us with a kid who not only isn't patheticly cute, but also says "punch it, chewie" when she gets in a car. Carlin, Biggs, and Tyler were all at the top of their form, and the cameos were great. However, this is slightly less than par compared to the Askewniverse movies, but it is still light-years better than anything else playing when it comes out. And it also gives me something to brag about until Febuary.

  There ya have it, folks. The film continues to please. We're anxious for the day that you all can see it.

  JUNE 29, 2003
  
  

• If you're planning to go into Jersey Girl cold turkey, we suggest you HIGHLY avoid the latest issue of People Magazine (July 7th). On Page 49, in the "Insider" section, a small blurb on the film completely ruins the major plot twist in the film. A few folks have been so irate they're cancelling their subscprtion to the magazine. Granted, in this technological age it's getting harder to avoid spoilers, but hey, at least WARN readers before you start giving away plot points.

  As far as we've seen so far, trailers and publicity for the film are going to attempt to hide this plot point, in the hopes that audiences WILL be caught off guard. As always, we request you stay away from spoilers in your posts and talkbacks here, and we'll be doing the same. Hopefully a handful of you at least will be able to go into Jersey Girl and not know the entire film's plot before you see it.

  JUNE 16, 2003
  
  

• Well, we've finally got around to putting the finishing touches on the full story behind our trip to California to see "Jersey Girl" last month. A word of warning though, the story itself really doesn't have a lot of Askew-related stuff inside of it, it's more just a journal of all the cool stuff we got to do when we were out there. A review of "Jersey Girl" itself will be posted separately, and will not contain any spoilers for the film (therefore it's going to be limited due to keeping out a lot of specifics, a spoiler-type review will be posted here when the film is released). But hey, anyway, for those of you who might be curious about what we chose to spend our time with when we had a rare chance to leave the east coast, check out our feature story: News Askew Invades Hollywood!

  JUNE 11, 2003
  
  

• Jersey Girl got a brief mention on the syndicated Don Imus show yesterday when Goerge Carlin was a guest and spoke about the film. He said he plays Affleck's father, and it was a 'Really nice, Sweet role', and that the movie is funny, but not a comedy (citing that this was his first dramatic role). He said he liked working with Kevin, and referenced him as the director of Dogma. He said he dug workin on the movie, and said it was coming out soon, but without dropping any specific date. Imus didnt ask a follow up, they moved on.

  JUNE 6, 2003
  
  

• Today's Variety has confirmed the new move for Jersey Girl, from Quarter 2, 2004 to Quarter 1, 2004. This does put it on target for the February 2004 release date that Kevin and Jennifer have been mentioning. We expect the film will be in theaters on or before Valentine's Day. Once an actual date is announced, we'll have it for ya right here.

  JUNE 1, 2003
  
  

• The Gloucester County Times had a report on yesterday's Q&A in today's edition:
  'Silent Bob' opens up about 'Jersey Girl'

  PHILADELPHIA -- Award-winning writer and director Kevin Smith chuckled at the thought that a small road bears his name in Gloucester County.

  "Kevin Smith Way," Smith proclaimed in a special question-and-answer forum at the Pennsylvania Convention Center Saturday. "It's the way everyone should live their lives."

  Smith was in town as a guest panelist for the three-day Wizard World comic book convention, where he took random questions from the audience, spoke about his upcoming movie "Jersey Girl" and relentlessly poked fun at the flick's high-profile stars.

  "Jersey Girl," the much-hyped film starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, was filmed primarily in Philadelphia and Paulsboro over the summer and fall of 2002.

  When shooting in Paulsboro wrapped in October, borough officials honored Smith by renaming Tyler Street Kevin Smith Way.

  Paulsboro's proximity to Philadelphia made it a prime choice to be a stand-in town for the North Jersey Highlands, Smith said.

  "So that's why we went to Paulsboro," Smith said. "They were really, really nice to us there."

  "And it was the only town that would name a street after me," Smith joked. "The road leads right into a school, which I thought was appropriate."

  Smith said the film - which is now slated for a February release - is a sharp departure from his other cult classics such as "Clerks," "Mallrats," "Chasing Amy" and "Dogma," but that the latest film is his favorite by far. Smith said he was heavily involved in the editing process for the film, which wrapped shooting in early January.

  "It's dialogue-driven, but not as driven as other stuff," Smith said. "Every movie I think starts to look better than the previous one."

  Two brief preview clips of the film were shown during the panel discussion Saturday. One scene featured Affleck and Lopez arguing before a trip to the Video Music Awards. A second clip showed Affleck humorously walking in on his movie-daughter flashing a neighborhood boy.

  No Paulsboro backdrop in either of the scenes.

  The film was scheduled for a November release, but was bumped to February to avoid competing with a third installment of "The Matrix" due out at that time.

  Smith said the exact release date in February remains unknown.

  MAY 21, 2003
  
  
• We're back on the east coast, but with heading back to the day jobs today and battling jet lag, we don't expect to have a Jersey Girl review completed just yet, so sit tight if you're waiting for our review of the flick WITHOUT spoilage. However, if you're one of those who doesn't mind a lot of plot detail in your reviews, you can surf over to AICN where two reviews from the Sherman Oaks test screening have been posted, one quite positive, the other quite negative. Back with more later.

  MAY 21, 2003
  
  

• We're just back from tonight's Jersey Girl screening to a packed house in Sherman Oaks, California. We'll have a full review of the film at the site for you soon, but wanted to just give a couple initial impressions. We both enjoyed the film a great deal, and it's SUCH a departure from Kevin's previous work that you'll get lost in the film (until a familar Askewniverse face shows up now and then). It's shot beautifully, acted wonderfully (Affleck has some truly touching as well as painful moments), and this is by far the most universally-translatable View Askew film. This one should bring in audiences both young and old, here and abroad, and has laughs for all ages. The crowd was very responsive overall, with some jokes/sequences getting HUGE laughs that sustained for quite some time. Any film that can do that has a lot going for it, and from the conversations we overhead before the film started, this was a tough crowd to win over. When you see Jersey Girl this Fall, you'll be seeing a step in a very new direction for Kevin and View Askew Productions. We hope you'll be as proud of them as we are right now. Watch for a full review (non spoiler, of course) and our complete trip wrap-up after we get back into town later this week.

  APRIL 27, 2003
  
  

• That New York Times article is now available at the NY Times website (with free subscription) but we've got most of the Jersey Girl-related stuff for you here. WARNING: The last paragraph of the article is a HUGE JG SPOILER!!! So, read at your own risk. Here's some of the piece (no spoilers here):
  When Love Hurts (a Movie): Affairs to Forget

  By NANCY GRIFFIN

  ALTHOUGH his movie "Jersey Girl" doesn't come out until November, the writer and director Kevin Smith is already feeling anxious about its chances for success. Research audiences have responded positively to the story line about a music promoter whose life changes after he falls in love and has a child, and they call the love scenes "hot." Only a few people have said things like, "Oh god, enough of these two already." But Mr. Smith knows that he is at the mercy of a phenomenon that is beyond his control and could wreak havoc with his film. "Jersey Girl" stars the tabloid entity that he calls Bennifer: the betrothed, Bentley-riding, bussing, perpetually intertwined celebrity couple Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck.

  This was not what Mr. Smith, the New Jersey-based indie-auteur of "Clerks," "Chasing Amy" and "Dogma," bargained for when he cast his good buddy Ben in his romantic drama. At that time Mr. Affleck had just wrapped the gangster comedy "Gigli" opposite Ms. Lopez, and he recommended her to play his wife in "Jersey Girl." "Then all of a sudden it turned out they were a couple and I was, `Ah, no wonder he wanted to work with her again,' " says Mr. Smith by telephone, laughing. "Suddenly his suggestion didn't seem so altruistic." By the time scenes from the movie were shot in New York City last summer, scores of paparazzi were hounding the couple. "You really felt how obsessed people are," Mr. Smith says.

  Now Mr. Smith can only hope that obsession translates into box office. Will audiences pay $9 to watch J. Lo and Ben falling in love on the big screen when they can see them every night on "Access Hollywood"?

  The same question is probably being pondered by the folks at Revolution and Sony who have $54 million invested in "Gigli," which comes out in August. In recent weeks some nasty buzz has swirled around "Gigli," after an Ain't-It-Cool News film critic infiltrated a Los Angeles test screening and posted his opinion that the movie was "unreleasable," comparing it unfavorably to the calamitous "Showgirls." Then The New York Post's Page Six reported that the movie's director, Martin Brest ("Beverly Hills Cop," "Meet Joe Black"), and its producer, Joe Roth, had come close to a fistfight in the theater after the lights went up. (A Revolution Studios spokeswoman denies this, although she admits that tempers flared).

  It's always been a risky business when stars fall in love for real while making movies, but in today's celebrity-saturated culture our investment in actors' lives increasingly interferes with our ability to believe they are the fictional characters they play. No wonder that movie marketers get wigged out over stars' love affairs: if the couple breaks up they're likely to refuse to promote the film (Catherine Zeta-Jones and John Cusack played this scenario for laughs two years ago in the romantic comedy "America's Sweethearts"), while if they stay together the public might get bored with them. At the same time, the raging vanity of a supercouple in love knows no bounds. Even as studio executives wring their hands over whether J. Lo and Ben are going to flame out, an Internet rumor spread that the pair wants to remake "Casablanca" together (not true, say their publicists). Someone would surely finance that effort, but would it be worth more than a hill of beans in this crazy world?

  Movies that feature real-life couples can be divided into two main categories. The first type, which occurs when the leading actors court and spark during shooting, can succeed if the director can capture their crackling sexual tension. Mr. Smith is hopeful that he's got lightning in a bottle in "Jersey Girl." "We got Ben and Jennifer at a perfect time," he says. "They were falling in love in real life and falling in love on film." Shooting their PG-13 love scenes, he adds, was a breeze: "I don't know that they had to act that much. There were times when we'd say `cut' and that didn't seem to matter to them."

  APRIL 22, 2003
  
  
• Kevin dropped some answers to the big questions over at the board recently, and, while some of you already have seen hints regarding some of this stuff, it's nice to see confirmations straight from the source. Here's a summary of the Q&A we thought you'd like to know about:
  :: Are you in talks to change the date for the "Jersey Girl" release?

  Haven't spoken to Harvey about it yet. But there's plenty of time, so no rush.

  :: What did Mewes say to you?

  He said he doesn't want to do this documentary anymore, for one.

  :: Is it true that there well be another Jay & Bob movie?

  That depends on Mewes at this point.

  :: Release dates of Jersey girl?

  I'm told November 7th.

  :: Know where Vulgarathon's gonna be yet?

  Not sure yet.

  :: Upcoming events or projects?

  Finish the current flick, get cracking on the cartoon flick, and finally start "Fletch Won."

  :: Also on a different note, do you know if "Chasing Amy" figures will come out after "Mallrats" or will it go out of order?

  It's gonna go out of order. "Dogma" is after the "Mallrats" figs.

  :: When will the Clerks 10 year anniversary DVD be out?

  Hopefully next year.

  :: How much longer will you be doing post production on JG?

  A couple of months. We're in no rush, as we've gotta wait for "Gigli" anyway.

  :: What days will you be at Wizard Philly?

  All three.

• Some folks have caught that the original "Jersey Girl" film (no relation) is airing on Starz this month. It's got the same name as the upcoming View Askew flick, but the similarity ends there completely.

• Learn more than you could ever possibly want to know about a Sound Mixer's experience working on "Jersey Girl" in this article from The Mixer Online.

• By the way, be sure and vote in our new poll over on your left sidebar. Thanks to DerekD for the topic suggestion!

  APRIL 10, 2003
  
  

  
• Sure, it's due to the continued controversy (Hey, View Askew can't have a flick without it, ya know!), but Jersey Girl scored a nice mention in the April 14th issue of this Newsweek article that we've copied in its entirety for ya below (you can also see scans of how it appears in the mag itself above):
  Hollywood: Are Two J-Fleck Movies Too Many?

  Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck will costar in two movies this year scheduled to be released just three months apart

  NEWSWEEK, April 14 issue — Just in case you need more of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck in your life, the couple will costar in two movies this year. Unfortunately, they’re scheduled to be released just three months apart, begging the obvious questions: Can they both make a profit? And is either any good?

  AFFLECK AND LOPEZ fell in love last year while making “Gigli,” a dramatic comedy about gangsters. Directed by Martin Brest (whose previous outing, “Meet Joe Black,” flopped), the $54 million film began suffering from negative buzz last fall after test-screening audiences hated the ending, in which Affleck’s character (pronounced Jee-lee) died. Revolution Studios, which financed the film, forked over about $1 million for a three-day reshoot. Last week a test screening of the new version inspired a scathing review on the Ain’t It Cool News Web site—and a heated moment between Brest and Revolution head Joe Roth over the pace of the movie’s final 25 minutes. After a three-day standoff, Brest headed back to the editing room to tighten the final segment.

  Meanwhile, Affleck and Lopez’s other project, the romantic drama “Jersey Girl,” had been basking in good early buzz. This sparked speculation that its director, Kevin Smith, had somehow planted the Ain’t It Cool review as sabotage. Those close to both projects describe this theory as “paranoid” and “ridiculous.” (Smith has been a close friend of Affleck’s since the two made “Chasing Amy” years ago, and even helped Affleck and Matt Damon get their “Good Will Hunting” script into Miramax’s hands.) What’s more, the fates of “Gigli” and “Jersey Girl” are actually tied together—if audiences balk at the first flick this summer, they may boycott the second film come fall. Revolution contends that “Gigli” will be vindicated. “The picture will speak for itself,” says executive Tom Sherak. “This is a really smart summer movie. It’s not a fastball down the middle. It’s not ‘The Hulk.’ It’s a curveball.” Here’s hoping it’s over the plate.

  Always great to get some early buzz out there. Good stuff for JG!

  MARCH 24, 2003
  
  

• A small promotional Jersey Girl site has been set up at Miramax, touting a winter 2003 release for the film. Don't forget, we've got continuing coverage at Exit 37 and full archives in case you missed anything from the film, and expect the site to speed up drastically as release draws closer.

  MARCH 5, 2003
  
  

• Aha, ya see that? I chime in that there's no news, and suddenly...NEWS! That's how it works around here usually. Anyway, AICN's got what looks to be the first review of JERSEY GIRL online. First off though, let's say this was for a TEST screening (from Arizona) and does not represent the finished film. There will likely be cuts and tweaks. Most important, though, is that this thing does have a MAJOR PLOT POINT/SPOILER involved. It will spoil a big twist in the film for you if you read this. So we're gonna recommend you stay away from this one. But here's a peek at some non-spoiler comments:
  This is some of the best character work I’ve seen in a lead since Dante in “Clerks” or Affleck in “Chasing Amy.” Also, as he promised before, Smith has officially left behind all the fart, poo, stoner jokes, and much of the profanity from the former days of the Askewniverse, and now has become a fully matured writer. In addition, the growth in his direction and cinematography is AMAZING! To compare with “Clerks,” Smith has simply left the Indie look to become a true professional. Only a few times were things shot at an odd or confusing angle, and this is simply because they are shots that Smith has never even attempted before, but they still manage to get the point across.

  What's the good news? The reviewer gives the film 4 out of 5 stars! And you know that test screenings are notorious for getting some very picky people in there. This is a very good sign, and great news for those who were worrying about the end of the "Askewniverse". From everything we've been hearing, this film will make all of you longtime fans (as well as the new ones) very proud. However, the reviewer did not seem very pleased at all with Lopez's work in the film, but loved the rest of the cast, especially Affleck. Of course, this is just one reviewer's opinion. Still, an overall excellent rating for the film. And if you MUST read it, spoil away right HERE!

  MARCH 4, 2003
  
  

  
• Here ya go, folks! The first look at an official promotional piece for Jersey Girl! We don't expect this to be the final one-sheet or maybe even the final tagline ("Forget about who you thought you were, and just accept who you are"), but it IS possible. Studios often rush to put something together to have something on display for big events, and ShoWest is one of the biggest. The photo does enlarge, so click the thumbnail for a better look!

  This shot was taken from a display at ShoWest, and comes to us courtesy of Latino Review. Thanks also to JoBlo for alerting us of the story. More news later!

  MARCH 2, 2003
  
  

  
• AICN ran two Jersey Girl photos in a piece featuring images from the Miramax "American Film Market" book for this year. There's one of Ben & Jen we beleive we've seen before, but also what we believe is a new one of Ben & Gertie. Click above for the full-size versions! The book still lists November 7th as a release date for the film.
  CLICK HERE FOR FEBRUARY 2003'S NEWS