Worth Your Consideration 017 - A GF5 Linkdump

• Trent Reznor and company have launched a new version of nin.com that seems to be heading in a slightly more social networking direction than you’d expect from a band that makes music for generally antisocial people. My profile is here.
• Kevin Smith has updated Silent Bob Speaks with a look at the Canadian poster for the film and a link to a previously unreleased general audiences trailer. The new trailer includes some new, funny bits, but it’s got basically the same structure as the red band trailer. So, it’s a bit hard to watch if, like me, you’ve watched the red band trailer so many times that you’re expecting all of the comedic beats before they happen. When a different joke or beat hits in this green band trailer, I’m totally thrown for a loop, and that’s distracting me from enjoying the thing.
• Bill Melendez, the voice of Snoopy and the Flash Beagle’s sometime animator, has died. As a huge Peanuts fan—my nickname in college was Charlie Brown, in case you didn’t know—this makes me very sad. Ain’t It Cool News has a nice tribute, complete with a couple of You Tube clips.

“Everybody Wants to See Anybody F*ck” - Red Band Trailer for Zack and Miri Rules!

The trailer for Zack and Miri Make a Porno is now online at IGN, and it’s brilliant. Jason Kottke calls it “promising” and Ain’t It Cool News says it’s “extra dirty, filthy and funny”.

This is Kevin Smith at his best, with as well-rounded and talented a cast as he’s ever had. Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks are perfectly cast, Jason Mewes and Jeff Anderson manage to not remind me of Jay and Randal, and Craig Robinson is a fucking revelation. Why have I not seen more of his work. Dude is flat-out hysterical. All any of us who have seen the trailer need to do to get a chuckle out of one another is to repeat Robinson’s line, “Her name Bubbles.” I swear…

But my favorite part of the trailer is when the humor goes so far that Elizabeth Banks (as Miri) gives Seth Rogen’s Zack this look:

The conversation which elicits this look is Smith’s most risqué in years. It goes something like this:

Zack: The porn I always liked as a kid was always a spoof of a popular movie.

Miri: Lawrence of A-Labia!

Zack: Fuckback Mountain?

Miri gives him a slightly repulsed look.

Zack: What? Too soon?

I mean, this is coming so close to the edge of unfunny that it might be over that edge. I don’t know if this line was in the script before Heath Ledger passed away, but the fact that it’s still in there, and that the Weinstein Company is using it to promote this film… that line makes me so uncomfortable while I laugh, but still, I laugh.

A few closing thoughts:

• I am no longer worried about Justin Long being in this film, at all. The two or three lines he has in this trailer have won me over. (See my previous post about this for more.)
• Rogen’s delivery of “There’s poo in there,” rivals “Her name Bubbles” for me when it comes to most memorable line.
• Rogen and Robinson’s exchange “Can he slap her ass some more? / Don’t be a fucking pervert, dude.” seals the deal for me, as the final lines in any trailer should.

What did you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Picking on the Porn Star

MSNBC has a piece on Zack and Miri Make a Porno up now and, among other things, it elaborates on which scene nearly earned the film an NC-17.

Smith nipped and tucked the key objectionable segment, a comically over-the-top sex scene between Mewes and Morgan. But the ratings board held to the NC-17 designation, which Smith later got knocked down to an R rating after stating his case to the MPAA appeals board.

So, it was the Mewes-Morgan scene, huh? Remember Kevin joking about how “believable” that scene turned out to be? I don’t think we should be surprised that the scene featuring the active porn star was the one the MPAA chose to pick on. Regardless of whether it’s a cartoonish sequence or not, the guys in the screening room must’ve known that Morgan did this stuff for real in her day job and that must’ve come into play. Don’t you think?

Warren Cheswick Makes a Porno?

Photo from Silent Bob Speaks

Justin Long, the Mac to John Hodgman’s PC in Apple’s (in)famous “Get a Mac” advertising campaign, apparently has a role in the new Kevin Smith film Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and while I am just as much an Apple fan as I am a View Askew fan, I am not sure that this is a good thing.

I first heard about Long’s cameo during the flurry of news coming out of this year’s San Diego Comic Con, and back then it didn’t bother me. But seeing this picture, the one I’ve embedded above, seeing Justin do the same thing he’s been doing since his Warren Cheswick days on Ed (I loved me some Ed by the way… anyone else?), it has me a bit worried. Much as I love Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, it’s cameo/in-joke -ridden sense of humor isn’t the sort of thing I’m hoping for from this new film.

In Kevin I Trust, and all that. But this photo has me scared. How about you?

“We’re not really showing any penis.” - Elizabeth Banks on Zack and Miri

Following up on his interview with Seth Rogen (previously mentioned here), Capone from Ain’t It Cool News has an interview with Elizabeth Banks, the other half of the titular dynamic duo from Kevin Smith’s next film, Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

My favorite quote from the piece once again brings up the asinine nature of the MPAA ratings board’s decision-making process:

Capone: This film smells a bit like a romance under all this flesh peddling.

EB: It’s very romantic. I mean, it’s uber-romantic, this movie. It’s what sold me on the movie. It’s why I can’t believe the MPAA is giving us so much shit, because really the movie has so much heart. Meanwhile Saw 2 is about people cutting off each other’s limbs and blood gushing everywhere is an R. We make this big, heartfelt movie where people happen to fuck each other, and we get an NC-17. I mean, we don’t even show dick. We’re not really showing any penis.

As you may recall, Zack and Miri won an appeal recently and will be rated R, after all. But that doesn’t make Banks’s point any less valid. We, in this country, are way too sensitive about sex and sexual imagery, and way too desensitized to violence. We are nation in love with war and gore and scared to death of love and lovemaking. What a sad state of affairs…

“Zack and Miri” Will Be Rated R

Kevin Smith’s next film, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, which stars Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks, will be rated R after all, according to the Associated Press. As you may recall, the film was originally rated NC-17 by the MPAA. It was only on appeal that this porno was granted clemency.

Kevin explains the controversy to the AP:

“They felt it was rather sexually graphic. My point is, it was comically graphic. All the sex in the movie with the exception of one scene is very cartoonish, very campy,” Smith said. “It wasn’t designed to titillate.”

I’d like to echo the sentiments of the guys over at News Askew and congratulation Kev and Mosier on the win. The fact that they didn’t have to make any additional cuts to get the rating that they wanted is huge. I’m sure the fact that they’ve got one of the biggest stars in the industry right now (Rogen) as their lead didn’t hurt—After all, the MPAA wants a healthy industry first and foremost, right? And how would limiting the audience of a Seth Rogen movie with an NC-17 help business?—but I’m sure that the View Askew team put together an excellent case for the appeals board, as well.

Meanwhile, Seth Rogen is chatting about Zack and Miri (among other things) in this new interview with Ain’t It Cool News’s Capone (conducted at this year’s San Diego Comic Con). Check out this choice quote:

Capone: This might be a stupid question, but is there a lot of nudity in it?

SR: Yeah, there’s nudity in it. Katie Morgan is in it. She doesn’t own clothes [laughs].

Me and a friend were talking about Rogen not sounding very excited about the film recently, but this interview certainly disproves that theory. Maybe he’s just been so wrapped up in promoting Pineapple Express, which comes out today, that he hasn’t had time to even really think about Zack and Miri. Here’s hoping that his enthusiasm for the project continues to shine through in future interviews. Kevin and company need an excited and publicly visible star out there for them on this one. It’s going to take a lot to convince America to go watch Porno in a public place (we know they’ll do it in a private place, but that’s not the issue) and we need Rogen out there promoting the hell out of this one as we near the release.

Worth Your Consideration 014 - A GF5 Linkdump

I think I’ve been collecting these links since Thursday, and the fact that I haven’t done anything with them since then is probably proof of the fact that I’ve been playing with my new iPhone way too much. Oh well. Better late than never, right? Here are some links worth your consideration:

• Mashable has an article about despamming your iPhone e-mail, which is probably worth it to some people, but seems like a whole lot of overkill to me. Does anyone really get that much SPAM anymore? I thought that almost every e-mail account (any worth having, that is) had some sort of SPAM-protection at the server level. My Google Apps @ Your Domain e-mail does. My Engine Hosting e-mail does. Really, I’m not sure why we should be doing anything this elaborate anymore. Why not just forward everything to a central Google account (why get the desktop and filters on a desktop client involved?) and let their servers sort everything out? That’s what I do, and it works fine for me.
• There will be another Harry Potter book, after all. Sure, it won’t be quite the same as the others, but the announcement that The Tales of Beedle the Bard will be published this December has me more than a little excited. If you watched my 5 Things video the other day, you know that I’m obsessed enough with Potter that I re-read the books each summer. I can’t wait to add another to my collection.
• And, while we’re on the subject of Harry Potter, why not check out this shot-by-shot look at the trailer for The Half-Blood Prince, which I previewed this week. You haven’t seen the trailer itself yet, you say? Well, check that out here.
• In other news, there’s a workers revolt going down in the Mushroom Kingdom and it’s pretty darned funny. The minions of Bowser have some really good points about how they could more effectively fight the scourge of the Mario brothers. The question is, will the big boss listen? Watch and find out. And then, go thank Kottke for pointing the way to this clip.
• Oh, and speaking of Kottke-provided links, check out this list of the top nine songs about masturbation.
• Or, if you’re more of a sports nut, check out 20 Ways to Die Trying to Dunk a Basketball. Though, I must warn you, these clips do nothing to disprove the notion of jocks being dumb. In fact...
• Moving on, here’s the trailer for the first traditionally animated Disney film since 2004. It’s called The Princess and the Frog and it’s supposedly set in Jazz age New Orleans. It features Disney’s first African American princess. And, if you ask me, it looks like it could be pretty good.
• And if you’re feeling like going negative on me after that story ("Disney sux! Pixar 4-eva!” or some such shit), please do yourself a favor and read this Tweet from Merlin Man (found via our good friend Kottke): “Some days, the web feels like 5 people trying to make something; 5k people turning it into a list; and 500MM people saying, ‘FAIL.’” If you don’t like the creative output that’s out there (on the Web, on the silver screen, or wherever), shut up with your fucking complaining and go make something yourself.
• Dan Walsh is someone who does his creating by re-creating, but that’s paying off for him. His online comic strip, Garfield Minus Garfield, (previously mentioned here) is coming to a book store near you, thanks to an understanding and supportive Jim Davis.
• DarkUFO has an embedded version of the latest episode of The Official Lost Audio Podcast. This one was recorded live at Comic Con 2008 (previously mentioned here and here), so it’s definitely worth a listen.
• Anyone who can tell me what instrument Trent Reznor is playing in this photo of a recent Nine Inch Nails performance wins a free Geek Force Five t-shirt (whenever I finally make some). That’s not just a xylophone, is it? It’s something else, isn’t it? In any case, seeing them doing this kind of experimenting on stage makes me salivate over the thought of seeing them later this week in Connecticut.
• Just a couple more… Did you know that Wal-Mart is basically ordering its employees not to vote for Barack Obama? It doesn’t surprise me, but that doesn’t make it any less scary.
• In happier political news, NBC has hired Luke Russert to cover the Democratic and Republican national conventions. I had no idea that the lad had previous experience, but it appears he does, and that this isn’t just a publicity stunt in the wake of his old man’s passing. I think Big Tim would be proud.
• And, lastly, check out Kevin Smith’s interview with Ain’t It Cool News for Kev’s thoughts on Zack and Miri Make a Porno and George Carlin’s performance in Jersey Girl (a performance I praised in my goodbye to George).

Worth Your Consideration 013 - A GF5 Linkdump

• The official Website for Nine Inch Nails is getting updated far more frequently these days, now that the band is on tour again. Only trouble is: there is no official archive of the front-page articles that are coming fast and furious. Enter the NIN Blog & Media Archive. It is simply a must-bookmark for any serious Nine Inch Nails fan.
• In other NIN news, Rolling Stone has a full set-list from and a nice write-up of the private rehearsal show I mentioned last Thursday. The setlist that Rolling Stone has up says that the Ghosts songs played were 1, 25, 19, and 31.
• DarkUFO, Ain’t It Cool News, and the Lostpedia Blog have write-ups of the Lost panel held at the San Diego Comic-Con. Among the many teases provided by executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse was a tidbit about the apparently ageless Richard Alpert. It turns out that the number of toes on Richard’s feet may have some significance. You do remember the statue with four toes at the end of season 2, right? There was also a new Marvin Candle/Mark Wickmund/Edgar Halliwax video shown, which was available on YouTube for a short while. That was really interesting, and I encourage you to check it out if you can find it. Apparently, Marvin/Mark/Edgar is actually a guy named Pierre Cheng. And he seems to have a bit of knowledge about his future that maybe he shouldn’t have.
• Also at Comic-Con: the one and only Kevin Smith. Kev was there pimping a bunch of things, but primarily his upcoming film Zack and Miri Make a Porno. News Askew has you covered on that front. The thing that piqued my interest the most was that the clip shown at the convention featured Justin “I’m a Mac” Long and Brandon “I’m Superman” Routh as a gay couple. The casting news on this just keeps getting better, doesn’t it?
• Lastly, AICN gets its second mention in today’s linkdump for providing the trailer to Oliver Stone’s George Bush biopic W. The accents don’t seem right, but the casting seems superb.

MPAA Rates “Zack and Miri” Near-Pornographic

Zack, Miri, and Kevin Smith really are making a porno, at least according to the Motion Picture Association of America.

According to The Hollywood Reporter and various other sources, the fight against an NC-17 rating for Zack and Miri Make a Porno is over, at least for now.

In the latest episode of the SModcast, Kevin Smith elaborates a bit on what this means for the future of his next flick. News Askew, as always, has a good summary:

After several attempts to make cuts, the guys accepted the rating of NC-17 and are now under the formal appeals process, as Kevin no longer has any cuts he wants to make. At the first screening, the film ran 1:45 and got the NC-17. Still having cuts to make anyway, Kevin knocked 12 minutes out, resubmitted, yet the MPAA deemed two scenes still too dirty for the “R”. One shot is a half a second (14 frames of film) and Kevin hates to take it out. It’s that good (but may also be the sticking point for the board).

According to News Askew, the appeal screening happens this weekend. So, if you’re a Kevin Smith fan at all, please do keep the guy in your thoughts. An NC-17 rating means certain death at the box office—newspapers won’t take your ads and many theaters won’t show your film—so let’s hope we get the film Kevin wants us to get, without any of the cuts he doesn’t want to have to make. He’s won appeals before (with Clerks and, surprisingly enough, with Jersey Girl), so let’s hope that, this third time around, he’s still charmed.

Clerks on Mustafar (Video, Explicit Language)

Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader plays the part of Dante and his wife Padme plays the part of Veronica in this video mash-up of Star Wars and Clerks. Remember that conversation about how many men Veronica had been with, the one that ends with the number “37”? Yeah, that’s the conversation that Anakin and Padme are having here. So, if you’re at work, unless you have headphones, you might want to wait until later to watch this. But, if you have a minute to spare, and want a good chuckle, please do check this out.

Thanks to our friends at News Askew for pointing us in the direction of this fantabulous clip.