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Art Askew Updates…

November 5th @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • Erik, the guy who runs the Art Askew site, asked if we would mention a few things, and, well what can we can say? We’re happy to oblige.
  • Steel yourselves for Project Pocketwatch! It’s coming and set for a Novemeber 22nd launch.
  • Some folks have been suggesting a contest to redesign the Chasing Amy video box, and Erik wants to run the contest. Rules? On Art Askew. Format? Jpeg. Prize? Yeah, right. The winner will go into the soon to open “Art Elite” section. By the way, I finally saw a copy of the poster for the video, and, though it’s NOTHING as slick as the theatrical, it’s not THAT bad. By the way, if anyone with access to extras of the poster (maybe you work in a video store?) wants to send us a couple copies, we’d remember you in our wills…
  • Erik’s also overjoyed about hitting 1,000 in a month and plans a major update along with the surprise feature on the 22nd of this month.

State Of The Askewnion…

November 5th @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • Kevin posted a VERY informative message on the board last night that revealed quite a bit of new and exciting goings-on in the Askewniverse. We’re not gonna even try and sum it up, just read it for yourself right here:
Has anyone seen the EW special issue on Indies? We got mad props thrown our way, including a space in the 50 most important/influential indie films.

I – for one – was tickled.

In other news, we’re going to be doing a series of Jay and Silent Bob shorts for MTVv. We’ll be shooting them mid-November, and after writing them for the past two days, I’ve gotta say that they’re pretty funny (especially considering Jay can’t say ’shit’ or ‘fuck’ at all). They’ll run about thirty seconds apiece, and will start popping up sometime around the first of the year.

Come to think of it, it’s a pretty packed month around these parts. November brings the video release of ‘Amy’, the UK release of ‘Amy’, the Mtv shorts, a couple college appearances (Trenton State and James Madison University), the unveiling of the particulars for the untitled event (for which I’m leaning toward ‘Five Flicks for Forty Bucks’), and the start of the Christmas shopping season.

And somehow, I’ll still find time to make it here twice a day (no applause, please; just throw money).

This is the first we’ve heard about the J&SB shorts on MTV, but that’s a really cool piece of news there. Hopefully we can see some sneak peeks of them at “FFFB” and get the jump on the MTV crowd. Most of the other stuff’s been brought up in some capacity here at News Askew, but you’ve got the confirmation now. Thanks to Ted Laidlaw for sending the message our way before we made it to the board!

By the way, we’ll have that Entertainment Weekly on Friday most likely (depending on the mail), so if there’s any other revelations or stuff to elaborate on, we’ll have the full story then.

Kev To Pen “Daredevil”…

November 5th @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

Daredevil : The Man Without Fear

  • ZENtertainment had this to say on their site today. No word on the legitimacy of it, since last we’d heard the project was no longer attached to Kev, but it seems official enough. Thanks to Jeff and Brent Pampel for forwarding the story to us.
Sources tell ZEN that EVENT Comics’ Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti are in final talks to package several books for MARVEL, a la HEROES REBORN, except these titles will take place in MARVEL continuity, and have the blessings of the MARVEL editors. As part of the arrangement, filmmaker/comic-fan Kevin Smith (Chasing Amy) is rumored to take over as writer of DAREDEVIL.

“Good Will Hunting” One-Sheet

November 4th @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

Buy This 'Good Will Hunting' Poster Here!

  • Here’s a shot of the “Good Will Hunting” poster for those of you curious as to what it looks like. Click the pic to buy the one-sheet (or practically ANY other poster in existance) from Class Act Movie Posters, our favorite poster site on the net.

Kevin In “The Web” Magazine

November 4th @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • “The Web” magazine did an interview with Kevin, and we’ve got a local copy of it right here for ya. There’s text copies AND RealAudio versions of his answers, so choose your poison. Thanks to Rob Pouria for letting us know about the interview!

The Web Magazine

Interview By :

Shoshana Berger
Assistant Editor
(Art, TV/Radio, and Weird editor)

When did you first go online?

Before Chasing Amy — February of ‘96. Somebody had asked me, “Have you seen any of the Clerks sites?” And I was like,”What the hell are you talking about?” So I went to an Internet café and logged on, and… I was shocked. There was this one that looked really tremendous, and I contacted the dude and asked him if he wanted to design our Web site. I said “I’ll write the text, you come up with everything else.” So we did. He built the entire site while he was in college.

Do you surf sites other than your own?

Yeah, I definitely do, I’m a big, of course, uh, Web porn fan. Nothing beats that. And I’ll do some of the other movie sites from time to time. I occasionally pop in at Harry Knowles’ site, which is huge now—Ain’t It Cool News. Has all the studios up in arms.

How does your Web site affect your movies?

I love the [bulletin] board on our site.… I get on like twice a day. We started it after Chasing Amy, but it may touch on future [movies], just in terms of hearing what people want to see, what characters they like best, ’cause I keep working with the same characters again and again—or at least the same actors—and all the movies are set in the same kind of universe. It also helps in terms of merchandising… knowing what kind of shirt they’d like to get. But I think the board was really effective for preparing a lot of people for what Amy was.… It wasn’t like another Mallrats, or even another Clerks; it was somewhat of a departure. You know; so they didn’t go to the theater and say, “What the hell, has Smith gone gay on us or something?”

Do you feel responsible to your online fans?

Oh yeah. Last year we had an early screening of Chasing Amy and we took like a hundred people from the board—hardcore board people—and flew them out to Jersey for the screening. So we had people from Alaska and Australia and California, and then those people went out and spread the good word. For me it’s been deeply affecting, and it definitely touches on everything I do and plays a major role in the day-to-day. I mean, these are the people that keep you employed; without these people you have no job.

Do your fans now form their own communities online?

People on my board are breaking off into groups and bouncing scripts off each other and exchanging scripts, which is nice.

Would you ever release a film on the Net?

Like a preview screening? I’d do that; I know they did that with Party Girl; that was the first movie ever broadcast on the Web. A preview definitely, but I don’t think I’d ever release a movie exclusively on the Net, even if the technological capabilities were so great that there was no lag, like watching a movie on TV. It’s still not the same as going into that darkened theater.

Do other filmmakers care about online reactions to their work?

Right now I feel like I’m out there by myself, which is nice. I just don’t think people realize the power there, or what can be gained. I mean, the studios now are paying attention to the Net… because of Harry Knowles and the Drudge Report sites, where people are spilling beans on movies before they come out, based on advanced screenings. Now everyone’s up in arms, and this is something that’s beneficial! You know, Batman and Robin wouldn’t have done as terribly as it did if these people had listened to what the core audience had to say. But they don’t. They sit in an office far from these people, far from the true audience of the movies they make, and they don’t have a clue as to what these people really want to see. And why not use [the Net] to tap into that? It’s a way for a studio exec to get in touch with the people that actually buy the tickets and keep them employed. It shocks me that they don’t do it!

What will directors do with the net in the future?

Sadly, not much, you know. Because there are a lot of people who believe in auteur theory and are like, “What am I going to learn from these people? [If] they tell me to do something, then I’m obviously compromising.” And perhaps they’re not incorrect. I mean, if people put so much stock in what the audience has to say, then it’s really just a little bit removed from taking notes from a studio executive, and suddenly there is no vision whatsoever, but a vision cobbled together from what everyone else wants to see…. For us independents, it’s a way to talk to people who appreciate our stuff. Because they are so spread out, you don’t walk down the street and see somebody who knows or appreciates what you do, or has even seen anything you’ve done.

“Amy” Write-Up In “Video Business”

November 4th @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • Video Business Magazine, a weekly publication that we recevive FREE (so can you!) has a small write-up on “Chasing Amy” to promote its Novemeber 25th release. Subscribe Here! It’s free! Here’s the piece:
Ben Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams are caught in 'Chasing Amy'

Chasing Amy
Comedy, Color, R (language, sexual situations), 113 min.
PPV: 55 days, copy-protected, CC, VHS rental priced, Laser $39.99
Street: Nov. 25; Prebook: Nov. 4
Cast : Ben Affleck (Mallrats), Joey Lauren Adams (Michael),
Jason Lee (Weapons Of Mass Distraction), Dwight Ewell (Flirt)
Director: Kevin Smith
BUENA VISTA (MIRAMAX)
Story Line: Buddies and business partners Holden (Affleck) and Banky (Lee) are the artists behind Bluntman And Chronic, an adult comic book with a growing readership. When Holden falls for fellow comicbook artist Alyssa (Adams), who is a lesbian, he persists in dating her despite Banky’s warning that he’s risking their friendship.

Bottom Line: Director Smith bounces back from poorly receivedMallrats with an origianl look at life and love among hip young urbanites — actually Jerseyites — struggling in lower manhattan and its environs. These are Smith’s Clerks idlers five years later, when adulthood can no longer be avoided. Although Holden’s life does indeed fall apart as the effervescent Alyssa upsetes all the rules. Chasing Amy presents the young man’s highs and lows as a vital part of emotional growth. A high-profile theatrical release and a slew of press guarantee this one to be a hot renter from the start. One caution: The sex talk is couched in frank street language and may shock some sensibilities.

Andy Wickstrom (Executive Editor)

What IS Project Pocketwatch?

November 3rd @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • The guy you all know from the board as Erik! dropped us a line to let us know about a secret project going on over at Art Askew: Project Pocketwatch. We’d love to tell you more about it, but we’re sworn to secrecy for the moment. Yeah, we know, we know, we’re supposed to dish out ALL the dirt here, but he asked us not to tell. Anyway, we just wanted to let you know that it really IS a good idea and you’re all gonna love it if it turns out the way it sounds. Project Pocketwatch is set to kickoff on November 22nd over at Art Askew. More details as we’re allowed to reveal them!

E! Online’s “20 Under 30″ List…

November 3rd @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • Some familiar faces made E! Online’s list of 20 up-and-coming stars of tomorrow. You can see the entire list here or just read about the ones that count below:

18Ben Affleckand Matt Damon
Onscreen, they’re the heartthrob kids (Affleck in Chasing Amy, Damon in Courage Under Fire), but these two former grade-school pals are also emerging quickly as writers. Affleck and Damon They penned the upcoming Good Will Hunting, in which they costar with Robin Williams. Affleck also has a solo deal to scribe Balling the Jack for New Line. And now, they’re locking themselves away every day to work on their next joint script (though they’re mum about the details). Not that they’ve given up their day jobs: Affleck, 25, stars with Bruce Willis in the upcoming Armageddon. Damon, 27, is expected to score big when Coppola’s Rainmaker opens in November, also starring Claire Danes and Danny DeVito. Then they pair up again for Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, with Tom Hanks. Who says you can’t chew gum and walk at the same time?

3Kevin SmithKevin Smith
Clerks and Mallrats showed 27-year-old writer-director Smith could capture the quirky slacker underbelly. Then came Chasing Amy, which showed he could handle mainstream–well, almost mainstream–romantic comedy. Now, he’s writing Dogma for Miramax, set to star funnyman Chris Rock. He’s attached to the big-budget comic-book rage X-Men–and if that’s not enough, he’ll be resurrecting Chevy Chase for Fletch 3. Hey, if anyone can do it…

Wow, Kev’s involved with the X-Men!!??! I wonder where they get THEIR news. At least they gotMOST of it right. But seriously, it was nice of them to give him the number 3 spot. We thinkit’s well-deserved, though.

A “Comical” Look At Jay & Bob…

November 1st @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • Here’s a first look at Jay & Silent Bob from Oni Press’s feauture, coming in January, courtesy of Joseph Meli. Click the thumbnail to see a MUCH larger version of the pic. It’s gonna be an excellent book!

View Askew NewsBites™

November 1st @ 12:00 am | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • Kevin mentioned casually that there would be no more Dogma casting announced until 1998. We’ll of course stay on top of any rumors, though…
  • John Funk tells us that there’s a rumor going aroundthat Jon Peters contacted wrestler Hulk Hogan about playing the part of “Doomsday” in “Superman Lives”. Sounds bogus to us, but still…Yikes.
  • Chasing Amy will make its long-awaited debut in the U.K. on Novemeber 14th. It will in full release, so you shouldn’t have much trouble finding it.