It's only been a week, and the world feels much emptier without him.
Rather than post another eulogy here, I'll direct you over to
the piece I wrote about my friend for Newsweek on Monday.
G'bye for now, Boss. I hope you were wrong about the afterlife - if only so that I can shoot the shit with you again one day.
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Courtesy of Peter Sciretta over at
SlashFilm.com, I caught an early screening of "The Dark Knight" yesterday evening.
Without giving anything away, this is an
epic film (and trust me: based on the sheer size and scope of the visuals and storytelling, that's not an overstatement). It's the "Godfather II" of comic book films and three times more earnest than "Batman Begins" (and fuck, was
that an earnest film). Easily the most adult comic book film ever made. Heath Ledger didn't so much give a performance as he disappeared completely into the role; I know I'm not the first to suggest this, but he'll likely get at least an Oscar nod (if not the win) for Best Supporting Actor. Fucking flick's nearly three hours long and only leaves you wanting more (in a great way). I can't imagine anyone being disappointed by it. Nolan and crew have created something close to a masterpiece.
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Also in the Masterpiece Department, this shit...
If you haven't already peeped it, get thee to a theater. It's the ballsiest animated film ever made (right up there with
"Persepolis", in terms of untraditional cartoons), yet it'll melt your heart. Seriously - Wall-E's so adorable, he makes E.T. look like Josef Mengele. Alright, maybe not Mengele, but at least Rudolf Hess. Y'know what? Let's drop the Nazi comparisons altogether and just leave it at this: Wall-E (the character) is adorable and "Wall-E" (the film) is a must-see.
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In the Far-Less-Than-a-Masterpiece department, "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" continues to move ever closer to its October 31st release date. We tested again in Albuquerque, New Mexico last week (where I did, in fact, make a left turn I knew I shouldn't have made), and scored almost exactly the same as we did in the Kansas City test screening the month before - which is to say really, really well. A poster and a theatrical trailer should be making their way to theaters soon (the online teaser we posted a few weeks back
met with an early demise). In the meantime, here's another image to hold you over...
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I'll be in attendance at San Diego yet again this year, and it'll be a pretty busy Con for me: as of right now, I'll be doing four panels.
The big panel, the one I do every year, will happen Friday night from 6:30 to 8pm (right after the Entertainment Weekly panel I'll also be a part of). Naturally, there'll be a "Zack and Miri" slant to the appearance so I'm sure we'll rock a clip or two. Hopefully, we'll also have some special guests for you as well.
And, please -
let's not have a repeat of this...-------
Some of you may remember the
Crazy 4 Cult art exhibit Scott and I hosted at Gallery 1988 (on Melrose in L.A.) last summer. Well, it's happening again...
August 22 at Gallery 1988, on Melrose in Los Angeles. View some wicked cool, movie-inspired art, then hang out afterwards for a party in the parking lot. If it's anything like last year's show, it's gonna be crowded (over a thousand peeps showed up) and fun.
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East coasters! Don't think for a minute that you're forgotten. There are two upcoming shindigs you can come out for...
First up, there's the next Secret Stash Hold 'Em McNeil Poker Tourney on Saturday, July 12th. Interested parties looking to secure a seat and take home some green should send those emails to donkey@viewaskew.com.
Here's a pic of the "winners" (I use that term losely; I mean, fucking look at us...) from the last game.
Then, later in the fall, on November 7th, c'mon down to the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank for my third hometown Q&A...
Last year's show was shot for the next "Evening with Kevin Smith" DVD (due in stores this October). This time, there won't be any cameras getting in our way, as we shoot the shit for five-plus hours.
Ticket info can be found here.-------
See how wide my face looks in that poker pic? I put on a shitload of weight during the "Zack and Miri" shoot and have only just recently started to take it off. Been on a diet for the last four weeks and have already dropped twenty five pounds, with many, many more tons to go. By the "Zack and Miri" premiere in October, I hope to look almost human again.
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And don't forget: tonight there's a brand new...
SModcast, an ongoing conversation between me and Scott Mosier, is now online and available only at QuickStopEntertainment.com (and via iTunes a week later).
Get that shit right here! Why the fuck not? It's free.
Brought to you by Kevin, Scott, and the good folks at
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And whether you're a fan of the forthcoming "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" or just a fan of zombies in general, how can you not wrap yourself in this rascal?
Order up that motherfucker right here.