#smodcast

[clockoftheheart]

making my way thru the kevin smith archives again which means i’ll be back on my regularly scheduled bs again

[bkenber]

'The 4:30 Movie' Review by Tony Farinella

As the title spells out, this review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent Tony Farinella. Kevin Smith has developed a loyal and dedicated following amongst the film community because he’s a film lover at heart. He’s someone who appreciates cinema and the magic that can occur when you create something powerful on screen. He’s one of the few directors out there where people will see his…

[cordspaghetti]

hi sorry if this is a silly question! but i’ve seen your art around and it’s amazing!! i’ve been wanting to get into mcr for a bit because of it and i know nearly nothing about them (somehow) and it seems like they have a lot of, lore for lack of a better word. if you have any suggestions, where should i start? btw i adore ur style! :)

Hey!! this is such a fun question oh my god. And thank you so much, i’m so happy that you like my art!

ok so when you say you know nothing about them I’m going to assume you mean like… absolutely nothing. after listening to the music i think youtube is a pretty good place to begin getting into the My Chemcial Romance Lore. very visual band. definitely watch the music videos on their channel if you haven’t already—any behind the scenes/making of videos, live performances, and promo videos on there are really great too. their tour diary/documentary Life on the Murder Scene is CRUCIAL. Some other nice ones to look at afterwards are mcr in the studio 2002, this WSOU interview, this 97x a look back with mcr series, this kevin smith smodcast... also anything from steven’s untitled rock show or fuse tv for early stuff !!! mcr’s career can be split into 4 extremely distinct eras corresponding with each of their albums, so you can pretty much pick what you’re most into and investigate from there… some other fun ways to learn about them are searching up magazine scans/articles (AP, kerrang, and rock sound covered them a lot, plus SPIN and nme a bit), combing through my chemcial romance dot com on the wayback machine (their blog posts are a highlight), checking out fan zines and archives (lots on tumblr and also ig), and reading Books (off the top of my head i can think of Not the Life it Seems by tom bryant and Where are Your Boys Tonight by Chris Payne). Also the Killjoys comic series if you dig danger days 😎. ok i’ll stop there!!! this is mostly like… how to Find the lore, rather than the lore itself haha. i hope you find it helpful! anyone who wants to add on pls do…

[greensparty]

2024 Northeast Comic Con Fall Edition Wrap-Up

For many years now I’ve been lucky enough to cover the Northeast Comic Con (read my coverage here), a fun cool convention for lovers of comics, pop culture, and collectibles. Most recently I attended the Spring NECC in March.

Here are some of the highlights of some of the guests I got to speak with at this season’s NECC:

Actress Anne Dudek has appeared in a great deal of film, TV and theater in the last 20+ years. A Newton, MA native, she has had recurring roles on House and Big Love. But I asked her about her role as Francine Hanson, Betty Draper's friend and neighbor on AMC's Mad Men (I worked at AMC Networks when Mad Men was capturing the zeitgeist) and the experience of working on that show? She says "It was an incredible experience. Matthew Weiner, the creator, is a genius and I loved every second of it. I was in every season except for one. I loved the writing. I loved the directors."

Speaking of AMC, the channel's unscripted Comic Book Men was a sleeper hit when it aired from 2012-2018. Built around Kevin Smith and his comic savvy friends at his comic book store, the show brought comic book culture to mainstream TV. One of those friends on the show was Ming Chen, who was the webmaster for View Askew and is also a SModcast podcaster. I asked about his experience of being on the show? "Listen, I'm just a nerd who grew up loving Star Wars and G.I. Joe and James Cameron movies. It used to be such a solitary thing being a geek. There weren't many out there or if you were, you didn't tell anybody about it. I'm glad I stuck to my fandom. Some people tell you not to read comic books. I'm glad I did not listen to them. But it was just cool to be on a show that celebrated all the stuff that I love and I was able to bring it to other people. It awakened a lot of people's inner-nerdom. The other thing I loved about it is that a lot of the show was just me and my friends asking a lot of 'What If?' questions. I didn't realize people would relate to it as much as they did. Then I realized in every dead end job there's all kinds of people sitting around having those same conversations." The series had a great run of 7 seasons / 96 episodes!

Oh and speaking of Kevin Smith and the View Askew-niverse, one of Smith's most frequent collaborators is actor Brian O'Halloran. After playing Dante Hicks in Clerks, he returned for the sequels and numerous other Smith films as Dante or another Hicks. I have met O’Halloran many times over the years beginning at the 1998 Vulgarthon in Red Bank, NJ. Since then I’ve run into him and talked at many conventions. In 2022 I interviewed him and Clerks III co-star Jeff Anderson via zoom. When I spoke with him then, I asked if he had any plans to direct sometime soon. He said "I’ve been working on a script for a while so I will hopefully at some point be like “alright, that’s it I’m making this movie”. I followed up to see if there was any news? He said "No news, but I have a script I've been working on for a couple years now that I'm pretty particular about. It's a comedy and comedy is something that I think is a lot of work to write for, it's not as simple as people think. But I've been working on that for a while, which would be the thing that I'd want to direct. I helped assistant direct other peoples' projects over the years. So the world is not new to me for that. Obviously working with Kevin [Smith], M. Night Shyamalan, and James L. Brooks watching really great directors work is a lesson and a treat that no film school can teach you. When you get out there and work with these people it's the best experience. I hope to in the next few years - when this absolutely pretty face is no longer pretty enough to look at, I'll jump behind the camera." I also asked if he was able to say anything about the sequel to Mallrats. He says it "had to be put on the shelf after the passing of Shannen Doherty. She had a big part in that film and the loss of her puts a hold on that project. Kevin is pivoting to his two favorite characters Jay and Silent Bob. Next up is Jay and Silent Bob: Store Wars. Hopefully that begins shooting next year."

Speaking of NECC guests who I've had the pleasure of meeting in the past, I got to meet actress Kelli Maroney at the 2018 Rock and Shock. I got to talk to her about Night of the Comet, which just recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. I asked about one of my all-time favorite movies Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which she played Cindy the cheerleader in. "Well, I had auditioned for Stacy, but I don't know if they had already cast Jennifer Jason Leigh at the time. I know there was at least one day where me, Phoebe Cates and Brian Backer auditioned all day long and read the whole script over and over again for the producer, Amy Heckerling and Cameron Crowe. Then they called me up and asked me to play the cheerleader. You don't really know how other people see you. Up until then I had played a juvenile delinquent and an awful human being and to myself I thought 'where are they getting this cheerleader thing?' [laughs] Cause we don't see ourselves as other people see us. It took me ten or twenty years to finally see why they saw me as the cheerleader. But it was phenomenal. I didn't drive so for my first time out to California, my choices were the teamsters could pick me up at the crack of dawn or I could get myself there somehow. But I got to watch Universal City come to life. It's just like that commercial on Turner Classic Movies only better. It exceeded my expectations!" And then after we chatted for a minute, Kelli came out from behind her booth and gave me a big hug. This has to be one of the rare occasions where a celebrity guest was truly that gracious and appreciative. Thank you Kelli!

I didn't get the chance to speak with musician / actor /podcaster Michael Des Barres, but I briefly caught some of his panel. I talked with him last year at the NECC's 2023 MusicCon. Just a few weeks ago I actually talked to his ex-wife Pamela Des Barres as well. I had hoped to chat with him about Power Station, Seinfeld, or MacGyver. Maybe next time!

The big theme this NECC was The Monkees. They had Zilch!, a Monkees tribute band performing. They had appearances by Coco Dolenz, the sister and musical collaborator of Mickey, and also Bill Chadwick, a songwriter and musical collaborator of The Monkees. I asked him if he had a favorite Monkees song? "Well I'd have to say something like 'Zor and Zam' because I wrote it." Alright, how about his favorite Monkee song he didn't write that's his favorite? "I'd say 'Won't Be the Same Without Her'." I also stopped by and talked with the good folks at Monkee Mania Radio, where I recorded a station ID, which will be airing sometime next weekend!

...And the big star of this NECC was Micky Dolenz of The Monkees. After the passings of Davy Jones, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith, he is now the last Monkee standing. Over the years I've seen him around at other cons, but never got the chance to talk to him because the lines were too long, including last year's MusicCon. Unfortunately Mr. Dolenz was not doing press so I couldn't ask him a question for my coverage, but I did purchase an autograph and he signed my vinyl record of More of The Monkees and shook my hand. He is a gentleman and a scholar!

Big thanks to Gary Sohmers and the NECC team for another fun-filled con!

For info on Northeast Comic Con and their other events: https://necomiccons.com/

[davidapringle]

#conthrowback #mingchen #comicbookmen #smodcast #kevinsmith #jaymewes

[stoovrs]

clerks III: the animated series

original screenshot:

[resurrectionsadamwarlock]

Other podcasts you should listen to- Fatman Beyond #365

On his Batman/Comics podcast, #KevinSmith just released an episode compiling five previous episodes (54-56, 71, 72) where he had the great Neal Adams as his guest.

 Want to hear about how Neal helped the creators of Superman get some financial justice or how he was involved in returning original art to the creators? In his own words?

Find it HERE!

[chogrin]

#ArtvsArtist2022 (Kevin Smith edition). A huge thank-you to @thatkevinsmith, @jordanmonsanto, and all his crew for all the rad opportunities this year and for letting me play in the View Askewniverse! Here’s to many more #ViewAskew projects to come! #artvsartist #chogrin #chogrinart #chogrintoys #clerks #clerks3 #vulgartheclown #smodcast #moobys #jayandsilentbob #jayandsilentbobtoys #darkhorsecomics #thequickstop #quickstops #quickstopgroceries #masteroftheviewaskewniverse #mallratstoys #mallrats #guruaskew #kevinsmithtoys #kevinsmith #unrulyindustries #thatkevinsmithclub #uvdtoys #viewaskewniverse #thebeastbrothers #kevinsmithcollection #thatkevinsmith (at The Quickstop) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmPEcuvOtf3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[vbartilucci]

This may be one of the most hilarious stories of how a movie got made I've ever heard.

After reading an ad (later found to be a prank) about a house rental, Kevin just blue-skyed the whole damn film on his podcast, largely peppered by the phrase "No, wait..." and adding something even more ridiculous, giggling furiously. And when the podcast was all over, they looked back and said "Wait a minute, I think we just actually came up with a good movie".

The story of how he got Johnny Depp involved is almost as ridiculous - his kid went to school with Harley, so they knew each other as school-dad friends, and on a mad whim, he sent Depp the script.

I can't find a copy of the episode (Smodcast #249) but if you can. it's a hoot and a half.

Jesus Christ, Michael Parks could act. Another person that Quentin Tarantino sort of re-introduced to modern Hollywood, and everybody was all "Why are we not giving this guy work?"

Creep-o-Rama's Tusk 10th anniversary apparel includes two shirts by Dismay Design ($28), plus baseball tees ($33), hoodies ($60), hats ($30), and 60x80 blankets ($60). Pre-orders run through Monday, September 23, and will ship 4-6 weeks later.

[thesecursedsails]

i think this is the most in depth i’ve ever heard gerard talk about the time he was held at gunpoint? they’re all laughing, but listening to this? hurts?

[davosfingers]

E97 Show Notes: Free Cities aren’t free (they cost a buck ‘o five)

Welcome to SHOW NOTES, where we provide you with links and other info regarding some of the ever-important side topics we discussed on the show. Check them out here at davosfingers.com after every episode!

TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE

Most of you are hip enough (unlike Matt) to know where “Freedom isn’t free, it costs a buck o’ five” comes from. A crude, marionet-wielding satire created by the South Park guys? Sign me up yesterday! Errr… in 2004… which was when I was living in Brazil. That partly explains why I had never heard of it. Or I’m just making excuses at this point. Either way, I can’t get that blasted “freedom isn’t free” chorus out of my head now. Curses. CURSES.

TUSK

For the first 15 years of his career, Kevin Smith found his lane and mostly stayed in it. Then came Red State, which Scad and I both consider a major win. But then, out of the depths of an off-the-rails conversation between Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier on SModcast, Tusk was born. The comedy-horror about a young man discovering his inner walrus (okay it’s a lot darker than that) is unsettling and somehow awesome, anchored by the enchanting performance of the late Michael Parks. In the end, it’s a theory you can take to the bank: the mazemakers of Lorath were destroyed by a Justin Long-led contingent of walrus-men.

OF COURSE! BUT MAYBE...

Feel like cringing today? Watch this Louis CK bit from his 2013 special Oh My God. One reason I’ve always been a fan of CK’s comedy (if not him as a person) is his crude way of making points that make you go, “huh…”. If the Valyrians (and their descendants) ever heard, “How did they build those pyramids? They just threw human death and suffering at them until they were finished”, they’d either be nodding vigorously, or looking slightly uncomfortable.

BILLY ON THE STREET

Thanks to a delightful question from Bloodrider Linsea, we spent a probably-too-long-but-not-surprising-for-us amount of time talking about Parks & Recreation characters, with Scad recommending the hilarious Billy on the Street series by the Craig Middlebrooks-portraying Billy Eichner. In the show, Billy walks around the streets of New York asking questions to randos, like if they’d have sex with Paul Rudd (you know what Matt’s answer would be).

Was there anything else we talked about on the show that made you throw the “WTF” flag? Drop us a line and let us know! 

[valiantdinosaurlover-blog]

Pictures taken by @nameinbrackets, @thatkevinsmith and me This time last week I was shuffling into the Apollo to see Kevin Smith and @ralphgarman do a live #HollywoodBabbleOn podcast here in Manchester. I've been listening to the SMod shows for around eight years now and it was so cool to finally get to be there for a recording of one of them. Heading to the pub for a quick pint after I never once expected that I'd actually get to meet these incredibly funny people who I feel like I know after all of these years. True gentleman and filled with kindness, I can't even feel bad about Ralph mocking my selfie game, because my selfie game is weak af. Still processing, but this was a great night that I'll always remember. #HollywoodBabbleOn #SModCast #SModCo #KevinSmith #RalphGarman #Manchester #podcast https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxp39X9FmoZ/?igshid=nqqk6qkd582m

[geekbroll]

The Shitterton Sign made this week's Hollywood Babble On.

[breadknight-likes-things]

Reminder that Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back predicted the modern internet in 2001.