ChasingAmy Tagged Articles at Cinematical

In the View Askew world, we've already got Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Clerks 2, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back on Blu-ray. Now, finally, Kevin Smith has revealed that his two big classics are getting their turn. Over on Twitter, Smith announced that both Clerks and Chasing Amy are getting the high-def treatment this November.

Two films loved for their gritty visual feel, it's not surprising that it took this long for the pair to be released. But now that they are, the Blu-rays won't be without added perks. Each will have one hefty feature to lure fans to the Blu-Askew. Chasing Amy will contain a "look-back docu," while Clerks, which will be the same as Clerks X, will get Oh, What a Lovely Tea Party. That is, unless it's too big for a disc yet again!

Tea Party is Jennifer Schwalbach Smith's directorial debut, boasting three hours of behind-the-scenes shenanigans from the filming of Jay and SIlent Bob Strike Back. It's already been bumped twice due to its size -- once from Strike Back, and once from Clerks X -- but I imagine Blu-ray will have enough space for the doc.

Are these two extras enough to re-invest in the films, or will you be sticking to regular DVD?

Me, I'm just waiting for Mallrats.

Tomorrow brings Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott to the screen as Role Models. Energy drink and driving bandits, they crash the company truck, and get one of two choices as punishment -- sign up to mentor children, or go to the slammer. Of course, they choose mentoring, having no idea what they're really getting into.

It's always been an interesting idea -- make ne'er-do-wells change their ways by making them do good deeds and be role models. But sometimes it's not such a good idea. In the world of film, there are MANY characters who should never, ever be allowed to act as role models to impressionable youths. Menaces to children everywhere, they'd most likely do the exact opposite of what was intended. This list is, by no means, complete; but consider it a starting point. Read on, reminisce about these bad influences and then comment below about who you would include.

And be warned: These clips may include strong language, and all sorts of adult conduct.

After the highly-loved hideousness of the '80s, the '90s came to wipe the slate clean. Long-haired rock fell to disheveled grunge, and a sea of personal expression, rebellion against pop, and teen sexuality exploded. Unlike the '60s, which are touted as a sexy free-for-all, the '90s focused on its many aspects. In the realm of film, having sex wasn't link to "good" or "bad," but rather, to its different manisfestations and preferences. Emphasis was placed on the characters rather than the story, and this bred a collection of youthful films unlike the movies of other generations.

Here are the films that rocket me back to the '90s with their great characters, music, and sexual expression. Which do the same for you?

Empire Records

I know this -- that if I win this roll, I will save the place that I work from being sold, and the jobs of my friends that work there -- thus striking a blow at all that is evil and making this world a better place to be in.

People usually either love or hate Empire Records, and the ones that love it cherish its quirk, uniqueness, and killer lines. As the Empire employees fight against the news that their beloved workplace will be turned into a Music Town, they also struggle with their own personal issues. Artist A.J. glues quarters to the ground, which drives hooligan Warren crazy, while he obsesses over his secret love for Corey. She, meanwhile, plans to sweetly seduce the aging rock star guest Rex Manning, but he's more into her bad-girl best friend, Gina. Debra tried to kill herself with a pink, plastic razor with daisies on it. Lucas lost $9,000 of the store's money in Atlantic City, but it more interested in relaying his pearls of wisdom: "In this life, there are nothing but possibilities." Mark just gets stoned and hallucinates. And Joe, well, he loves these guys, but is weighed with the responsibility of running the store, and fighting the incoming music chain.

From Rory Cochrane's philosophical rambling to Renee Zellweger's stint as a sex-crazed wanna-be singer, Empire Records is a film in love with music and being different. The characters have extremely diverse interests and attitudes, but they all come together and happily co-exist in this tune-laden environment. Yet it isn't sickeningly saccharine; it's just accepting and honest.

Trivia: Deb's boyfriend Berko is played by the wonderful Coyote Shivers, who, at the time, was Liv Tyler's stepfather.

You might remember that I wrote about The Criterion Contraption last month -- a blog by Matthew Dessem that hopes to review each and every Criterion DVD. The latest in the mix is one I have been waiting for -- Kevin Smith's Chasing Amy -- one of the most contested additions to the roster (the other being Armageddon... poor Ben Affleck). I didn't realize just how long it has been since I popped it into my DVD player until reading his great review -- one that isn't necessarily full of praise, but captures enough of Smith's essence that you can enjoy it either way.

From the first image, which just happens to be of Guinevere Turner (who has gone on to success collaborating with Mary Harron and writing and acting in The L Word), Dessem points out -- this is a film that is 100% entrenched in the '90s, from it's make-up, to its plaid, to Comic-Cons without star-studded line-ups. He's pretty hard on Ben's Holden McNeil, which is a fair assessment, although it can also be argued that the character's inadequacies make him the perfect Holden -- it might be unbelievable that Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams) would fall for a man like him, but it's almost suitable -- he's the mistake she can't can't quite rationalize, which makes perfect sense with the passive ending. But even if you're not up for Affleck and his wordy speeches, there's Jason Lee. From slapstick to wordless acting, the review points out just how great Lee was in the movie.

Personally, I'm thinking it's time to pull out the plaid and pop in the DVD, which is kind of like Some Kind of Wonderful for the next generation -- the guy's friend realizes she's a lesbian, but tries him out and has disastrous results. The big difference: instead of offering diamond earrings, he offers a menage a trois with his best friend. What could describe the '90s better?

If you're a Kevin Smith fan and you're not reading his blog ... well, what's wrong with you? Even if, like me, you think the guy's work is heavily uneven, it's still occasionally worth a look for interesting odds and ends. He recently posted this series of pictures, some of which date back to the mid-90s, documents everything from Smith's Vegas re-wedding to storyboards from his aborted adaptation Green Hornet. Above: the Japanese VHS version of Chasing Amy.