- Steve Rettinger, our resident graphics guru and all-around swell guy, gave us a shout to inform us that he’s done a major overhaul to his Cursors Askew Webpage, the home of those spectacular dancing Jay and Silent Bob Windows cursors. He’s added some great stuff here, including Mallrats icons and some custom Windows Startup/Shutdown screen packs (courtesy of himself, Davebo, and Damon Schmidt. You regular News Askewers may have seen this stuff before, but now it’s all here on one page, so we suggest you follow the link and check it all out to make sure your collection is complete…Enjoy!
Site-Related Stuff: New Home? Trip Part 2?
Most of the deals we tried to work out for more webspace and a dedicated site to house this ever-growing monstrosity have fallen though, so we’re continuing to entertain outside offers for a new server to host News Askew & Drinks Askew. We’ll need at least a few megs of disk space to start, a reliable server, and an open FTP line in so we can put in updates at all the crazy hours of the day and night. PLEASE contact us if you think you can help out!
Finally, if you enjoyed the Rutgers summary, let us know, and we’ll see about putting up a “sequel” of sorts with some more Q&A if we get enough requests for it, since it does take a bit of time. Thanks for shopping with us today.
Chasing Amy LaserDisc Running Commentary Recorded
- Vincent posted a message concerning the laserdisc commentary that was recorded on Saturday. Itstead of trying to paraphrase it here, we figured we’d just show you the post, since it pretty much says it all:
I just wanted to drop a note and say that we recorded the commentary track for the “Chasing Amy” Criterion laserdisc yesterday afternoon. Jason Lee and Joey Lauren Adams couldn’t make it to the session due to scheduling conflicts, but Kevin, Scott Mosier, Ben Affleck, Jason Mewes, associate producer and indie adviser extraordinaire Bob Hawk, Miramax executive John Gordon,and myself all participated. We had a lot of fun (especially Ben Affleck) and I think you guys will all get a kick out of the commentary track- it’s both informative AND entertaining, and there’s nary a lull to be heard. It was also my first chance to see the Criterion laserdisc transfer (we watched a 3/4″ videotape copy of the transfer while recording the track) , and it looks quite good. It’s letterboxed at about 1.85:1 (AMY was shot in Super-16, which has a 1.66:1 aspect ratio on the negative, but the framing was composed for a blow-up to 1.85) and the framing actually looks better than it did to me in all the theatrical screenings that I saw, which tended to be too tightly cropped in some scenes at the top of the frame (the scene in the train station comes to mind). The color transfer also looks quite nice, and the only possible ‘objectionable’ element is some visible film grain in some shots, but this is due to the film’s Super-16 origins rather than a problem with the transfer. I was also talking to the folks at Criterion about the extras on the disc, and it’ll be loaded - AC-3 sound, deleted scenes, trailers, the electronic press kit, and some other goodies that were taped yesterday. Hell, I can hardly wait MYSELF- this is going to be one awesome laserdisc.
Well, there you have it, folks…You know we’ll be among the first in line to buy a copy! Stayed tuned to News Askew for the official LD release date…
It Just Keeps Getting “Better”…
- Here’s a nice little piece from Wizard #75, discussing the status of Oni Press, who will be releasing the upcoming View Askew comic books that Kev’s hard at work on. Thanks to Joe for the heads up (and the article!):
When Oni Press opened for business in Spring of ‘97 co-publisher Bob Schreck hoped for a slow and steady course to success. Yeah, right.
Already, the fledging Portland-based company has won the rights to reprint Frank Miller and Simon Bisley’s “Bad Boyâ€, previously published in installments in the British edition of GQ magazine, and signed filmmaker Kevin Smith (â€Chasing Amyâ€) to write comics based on his hit debut film “Clerks.â€
The 40-page, full-color magazine-format Bad Boy, the story of a young boy struggling to regain his freedom from an oppressive society, will be released in December with a $4.95 cover price. “It’s incredibly good — it’s Miller and Bisley!–and it’s a shame it’s never been available in North America,†said Scheck. “I’m already trying to get Miller and Bisley to collaborate on more “Bad Boy.â€
Meanwhile, Kevin Smith’s comic-writing debut will be a 15-page story featuring “Clerks†characters Silent Bob and Jay in the Monthly Oni Double Feature #1, set to be released in January. Matt Wagner (Mage) handles art chores. Smith’s Bob-and-Jay story will be followed up by Clerks: The Comic Book, a 32-page, black-and-white one-shot featuring the “Clerks†characters, scheduled for an early 1998 release. Newcomer Jim Mahfood provides art.
So how come a hot movie director wants to squeeze comic book scripting into an already busy schedule? “I’ve always been a comics guy and a Clerks comic book seems to make sense,†Smith said. “The characters and situations transfer easily from the movies to comics, and comics are a big enough medium to hold anything. In a world where Hate can exist as a comic, so can Clerks.â€
Smith said he wants to write more stories based on the “Clerks†characters and hopes it can eventually evolve into bimonthly title.
Lots of cool stuff there, for out of over seven hundred films submitted, Vincent’s will be 1 of 10 to compete for the festival’s Golden Starfish Award, a goods and services prize valued at a whopping $165,000! Hopefully Vinnie can win this and get himself some car insurance. By the way, this news came to us from Vincent’s IndieWire mail subscription. Check it out if you’re interested in learning more about the independent filmmaking scene.
By the way, Vincent’s getting quite a few calls at the office about the film from various studios and other film-types…Things are really shaping up! We’re definitely looking forward to the October 23rd screening in New York.
Rutgers Appearance Wrap-Up…
- Sorry for the delay, we’re waiting to get a few photos back to put the finishing touches on our piece for the Rutgers Appearance last night…Plus I still have a little of the story left to write. Check back with us later today (or tomorrow if I fall asleep at the keyboard) for our web-exclusive, first-hand account of everything that went down at the appearance. We’ll tell you this much: If you weren’t there, you’re gonna be REALLY sorry you missed it.
10,000 HITS!!!!
- Sometime LATE last evening, most likely when we were on our way back from Rutgers, this page celebrated it’s 10,000th hit!! This is quite a milestone for us, especially since we hit it in less than 2 months. Thanks, everyone, for your continued support. Perhaps we’ll be able to work on getting some Stash-donated merchandise to hold a contest for the next big one: 25,000. We’re now averaging 172 hits a day (up from 137 hits a day when he hit the 5k mark earlier this month), and the site just keeps on growing. We thank you all for making the site such a success.
Editor’s Note:
Due to last night’s Rutgers appearance, this update is being written on 3 hours of sleep, so please excuse any stupid mistakes or confusing statements that one of us is bound to make in the following news items. Otherwise, enjoy!
See You At Rutgers!
- Brian Lynch, aka Huber, posted an update (of sorts) on the status of his film Big Helium Dog, which recently completed filming. Here’s everything he had to say:
Don’t know if this is necessarily a message for this or the riders’ board, but Vinnie “shutupleavemealone†Pereira, Ka-razy Krafty Neil Epstein, Kevin “I played a Grip but really am the prop guy†Crimmins and I took razor to film tonight and edited our first scene.
That’s right, after decades of sound-syncing, we actually slapped something together (okay, so Vinnie did the physical slapping…what do you want, I’m new to the editing biz and nobody’s better at slapping than Vinnie) and what can I say? Vin did something all crazy-like at the end that MADE the scene. He’s a genius at the Steenbeck, ladies and gentlemen, no bullshit.
While I’m at it, allow me to thank Hartford Whalers jersey…Go Whale! Oh well…But we’re serious, while you’re waiting to talk to Kev, we’d love to chat if you can spot us. Tell us how much you love (or hate) the page. Tell us how to make it better. No reasonable suggestion will be refused. Offer not available in Tennessee.
BHD Snipping Has Begun!
- Brian Lynch, aka Huber, posted an update (of sorts) on the status of his film Big Helium Dog, which recently completed filming. Here’s everything he had to say:
Don’t know if this is necessarily a message for this or the riders’ board, but Vinnie “shutupleavemealone” Pereira, Ka-razy Krafty Neil Epstein, Kevin “I played a Grip but really am the prop guy” Crimmins and I took razor to film tonight and edited our first scene.
That’s right, after decades of sound-syncing, we actually slapped something together (okay, so Vinnie did the physical slapping…what do you want, I’m new to the editing biz and nobody’s better at slapping than Vinnie) and what can I say? Vin did something all crazy-like at the end that MADE the scene. He’s a genius at the Steenbeck, ladies and gentlemen, no bullshit.
While I’m at it, allow me to thank Kevin and Scott; without them, Vin, Neil, Crimmins and I would be sitting in a corner with no film to edit.
And Kim for all her hard work…and she knew Michael Ian Black to boot!
And EVERYONE in the VA Office.
And everyone who worked on the film for free.
And the actors. All nine billion of them.
And the academy.
That’s all. If you could be a tree, what tree would you be?
The poop was gone, and in its place was a five dollar bill.
Brian
Brian’s certainly got a style all his own, doesn’t he? Remember, we’ll do our best to always keep you up to snuff on ALL the latest View Askew projects.
“A Better Place” In The New York Times…
- Looks like Vincent Pereira is catching the attention of some important people while publicizing his directorial debut, “A Better Place”. Here’s an article that appeared yesterday in a little rag called The New York Times (maybe you’ve heard of it?) that you’ll definitely want to take a look at. Congratulations, Vinnie!
CORRECTION: By the way, Vinnie mentioned a couple of discrepancies in the article: He’s actually 24, not 26 (we took the liberty of changing that one), and he didn’t get interested in filmmaking while working as an assistant to Kevin; he’s wanted to be a filmmaker all his life.
A Showcase for Works by Fledgling Directors
By PETER M. NICHOLS
NEW YORK — Four years ago, director Kevin Smith was just another hungry young filmmaker vying for attention at the Independent Feature Film Market, the giant downtown screening frenzy and talent hunt for the next Kevin Smiths of the independent film world.
Under his arm was a movie called “Clerks”. Though it got a 10 a.m. Sunday screening attended by exactly 11 people, 10 of them members of his own film crew, it did alert the one scout in the audience, whose solitary word of mouth started “Clerks” on its way to the New Directors/New Films series at the Museum of Modern Art and the Sundance International Film Festival.
“All it takes is one person,” said Smith, 27, of Red Bank, N.J., who briefly studied at the Vancouver Film School in British Columbia before heading home to make “Clerks.” “That’s what IFFM is all about.”
Last week, with his third film, “Chasing Amy”, having cleared $11 million at the box office, he was back at the market as the co-producer of “A Better Place”, f by Vincent Pereira, 24, a filmmaker from Leonardo, N.J., who is as unknown as Smith was four years ago.
“It wasn’t until Vinnie got into the market that people started making calls about his movie,” Smith said. “It’s a nice running start.”
Late last night, the 19th annual market, called IFFM by the thousands of movie people of every description who crowded into lower Manhattan, concluded a packed week of seminars, parties and screenings of 400 movies, or parts of movies, at the Angelika Film Center on Houston Street. Starting Monday, many of them will follow up on films and talent that impressed them.
Deals may result, but despite its name, deal-making is not the object of the market. It is run by the Independent Feature Project, an alliance of 3,500 filmmakers, production and distribution companies, talent agencies, broadcasters, film schools, music companies, law firms, publications and other organizations with an interest in independent film. The business side of that membership certainly suggests buying and selling, and this year, several films appear to be close to a sale as a result of screenings.
More typically, movie deals are made at studios, festivals and chic restaurants. To actually sell movies at this market in a way defiles the spirit of the enterprise. “The focus is to get the industry to look at the films and help push them along,” said Michelle Byrd, executive director of Independent Feature Project.
To be sure, Michael Moore screened his 1989 documentary “Roger and Me” at the market, and this year, he showed his new film, “The Big One”, the chronicle of a three-month cross-country road trip. Quentin Tarantino took “Reservoir Dogs” to the market. Julie Dash’s “Daughters of the Dust” began there, as did Richard Linklater’s “Slacker” and Todd Solondz’s “Welcome to the Dollhouse.” All of these films attracted notice, but were sold elsewhere.
Nevertheless, considering the market’s fast-growing track record, films like “A Better Place,” about an obsessive and deadly teen-age friendship, are drawing close attention from bigger players like Miramax and Fine Line. Pereira, who never attended film school, became interested in filmmaking as an assistant to Smith. He said he doubted that his movie would be spoken for at the market. But, he added, “any positive vibes from the screening can help with the festivals,” which is the next logical step for many films at the market.
Unlike festivals, IFFM offers no formal competition, although it may bestow a prize or two, almost apologetically. Nor are there reviews. Or discussion of paltry budgets. For the filmmaker, the idea is to meet people, watch responses to the movie (an important part of the learning process) and gain insights at seminars with names like “Evaluating the Worth of Your Script,” “Do It Yourself: Financing Through Distribution,” “Aiming Smart: Strategies for Filmmaking Campaigns” and “Revealing Your Rough Cut.”
Six categories of film are shown: features (161 were screened this year), documentaries, works in progress, shorts, scripts and work from film schools, which this year included New York University; the University of Southern California; the University of California at Los Angeles; the School of Visual Arts, in New York; Columbia and Syracuse. The market also includes work from abroad.
By PETER M. NICHOLS
NEW YORK — Four years ago, director Kevin Smith was just another hungry young filmmaker vying for attention at the Independent Feature Film Market, the giant downtown screening frenzy and talent hunt for the next Kevin Smiths of the independent film world.
Under his arm was a movie called “Clerks”. Though it got a 10 a.m. Sunday screening attended by exactly 11 people, 10 of them members of his own film crew, it did alert the one scout in the audience, whose solitary word of mouth started “Clerks” on its way to the New Directors/New Films series at the Museum of Modern Art and the Sundance International Film Festival.
“All it takes is one person,” said Smith, 27, of Red Bank, N.J., who briefly studied at the Vancouver Film School in British Columbia before heading home to make “Clerks.” “That’s what IFFM is all about.”
Last week, with his third film, “Chasing Amy”, having cleared $11 million at the box office, he was back at the market as the co-producer of “A Better Place”, f by Vincent Pereira, 24, a filmmaker from Leonardo, N.J., who is as unknown as Smith was four years ago.
“It wasn’t until Vinnie got into the market that people started making calls about his movie,” Smith said. “It’s a nice running start.”
Late last night, the 19th annual market, called IFFM by the thousands of movie people of every description who crowded into lower Manhattan, concluded a packed week of seminars, parties and screenings of 400 movies, or parts of movies, at the Angelika Film Center on Houston Street. Starting Monday, many of them will follow up on films and talent that impressed them.
Deals may result, but despite its name, deal-making is not the object of the market. It is run by the Independent Feature Project, an alliance of 3,500 filmmakers, production and distribution companies, talent agencies, broadcasters, film schools, music companies, law firms, publications and other organizations with an interest in independent film. The business side of that membership certainly suggests buying and selling, and this year, several films appear to be close to a sale as a result of screenings.
More typically, movie deals are made at studios, festivals and chic restaurants. To actually sell movies at this market in a way defiles the spirit of the enterprise. “The focus is to get the industry to look at the films and help push them along,” said Michelle Byrd, executive director of Independent Feature Project.
To be sure, Michael Moore screened his 1989 documentary “Roger and Me” at the market, and this year, he showed his new film, “The Big One”, the chronicle of a three-month cross-country road trip. Quentin Tarantino took “Reservoir Dogs” to the market. Julie Dash’s “Daughters of the Dust” began there, as did Richard Linklater’s “Slacker” and Todd Solondz’s “Welcome to the Dollhouse.” All of these films attracted notice, but were sold elsewhere.
Nevertheless, considering the market’s fast-growing track record, films like “A Better Place,” about an obsessive and deadly teen-age friendship, are drawing close attention from bigger players like Miramax and Fine Line. Pereira, who never attended film school, became interested in filmmaking as an assistant to Smith. He said he doubted that his movie would be spoken for at the market. But, he added, “any positive vibes from the screening can help with the festivals,” which is the next logical step for many films at the market.
Unlike festivals, IFFM offers no formal competition, although it may bestow a prize or two, almost apologetically. Nor are there reviews. Or discussion of paltry budgets. For the filmmaker, the idea is to meet people, watch responses to the movie (an important part of the learning process) and gain insights at seminars with names like “Evaluating the Worth of Your Script,” “Do It Yourself: Financing Through Distribution,” “Aiming Smart: Strategies for Filmmaking Campaigns” and “Revealing Your Rough Cut.”
Six categories of film are shown: features (161 were screened this year), documentaries, works in progress, shorts, scripts and work from film schools, which this year included New York University; the University of Southern California; the University of California at Los Angeles; the School of Visual Arts, in New York; Columbia and Syracuse. The market also includes work from abroad.
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