Jay is my hero.
Apr 09I remember watching Kevin Smith’s DVDs and making a point of watching them a second time with the commentary on, because you could be certain of two things – One, Kevin’s commentaries are always equal parts entertaining and informative. Two, you never know what Jason Mewes is going to be like. It was hilarious, sitting there with a group of friends, laughing, because Jason had undeniably fallen asleep mid-movie.
I’d like to take it all back now – not because it wasn’t funny. There’s no two ways about it, it was funny. But because I’d like to make some small gesture that I now know what the full meal deal was and since I can’t stand up and clap, I’ve got to do something. So, I’m taking it back.
Y’see, Jason Mewes is a full blown drug addict. Not a little, not a cute stoner – he is an addict. Failed rehabs, teeth lost to heroin, chemical tolerance levels that freak the shit out of anybody with even a little medical horse sense.
And, he’s been sober for three whole years now. Which is to say that if you saw Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, he was in serious trouble and if you saw Jay and Silent Bob Do Degrassi, he was doing AOK.
I know all this, because Kevin has been writing it all down and laying it all out, over the last two weeks – his intent was to wrap it up on Thursday, Jay’s anniversary, but it’s a big story and it’s gone a bit long.
If you’re familiar with Smith’s works, it’s a good read – if you’re a fan, then it will leave a lump in your throat. Some of the professional high points for Smith and Mewes were happening concurrent with some crazy personal lows.
Happy Anniversary, Jay.
Got It Covered
Apr 08Sigh. Recently, I’ve discovered that certain key titles have somehow gone missing from my graphic novel collection. These aren’t just any ol’ GNs, but much-beloved favorites, which indicates to me that I probably loaned them to someone in a “you must read! You will loooove it!!!” frenzy and then promptly forgot about it. The missing titles are (oh, this breaks my heart): Blue Monday: The Kids Are Alright, Box Office Poison, and the X-Men Dark Phoenix Saga. Sob!
The plan is to thoroughly search our comic archives and bookshelves and if that fails, I may just have to replace them. I can’t not have these things in my collection. Anyway, the dilemma I’m facing is that all three of these things (I think) are currently in re-print mode, which means I could either hunt down the editions I previously owned (which aren’t all first editions or anything, they just have sentimental value) or just get the newer editions, which have different covers. I’m not sure how much I care about this.
Like, for example…this is the cover of the Dark Phoenix trade I originally owned. Kickass, right? There is something undeniably classic and elegant about the cover. And yet…there is also something old-schoolish and crazily awesome about the cover of the newest re-print, which comes out next week. A little more neon, yes. But still neat.
What would YOU do?
The Movie Wasteland
Apr 08Fandango just invited me to “purchase advance tickets to The Benchwarmers today!”
Um, I don’t think so.
I hate the springtime. Yeah, shit blooms and grows and gets all green. Big damn deal. I live in California. Shit here is ALWAYS blooming and green.
What I need are those big phat summer blockbusters. X3, Superman Returns, Cars, and whatever else the movie industry sees fit to hurl in my face three times a day until I have no choice–none!–but to report to my local multiplex for active vegetative duty.
It should be an okay summer. Well, for me, it will be the greatest summer of my life, because my first child will be born in June. (Say it with me now: “Awwwwww.”) But for me as a moviegoer addicted to the mainline crack of summer films, it looks average to good at this point. X3? VERY doubtful. Cars? Probably fun. Superman Returns? Better kick my ass.
Otherwise, what do I need to daydream about while I wait for cinema to cough up its pretty, popular children? The Star Wars TV series? Yeah, right.
This one’s for Matt.
Apr 07Read faster, fanboy!
[UPDATE] And this one’s for Sarah. SARAH!!!
And just because there’s etiquette to these things, hero puppets are here, and angel icons are here.
Widderwhatsis?
Apr 07I’m really nerdily excited about Charles de Lint’s new Newford novel, Widdershins, due out in May. So imagine the exponential increase in excitement and nerdiness when I found this lengthy excerpt posted on his website today.
I’m especially thrilled because this is the one that finally addresses the long-simmering loooohhve between fan favorites Jilly Coppercorn and Geordie Riddell. I think I was a Jilly/Geordie ‘shipper before I even knew what being a “‘shipper” meant.
A few things that struck me about this excerpt:
1. Thank freakin’ GOD Jilly finally dumped boring old Daniel. I always pictured him looking like Daniel Cosgrove, aka NotBrandon on 90210.
2. Aw, Christiana’s back! I love her. She has one of the coolest, weirdest backstories of any de Lint character, I think.
3. Is someone in their twenties really “half” Geordie’s age? Jesus. That makes me feel old. I remember these characters when they were young, hot little things themselves (of course, I think I was in high school or junior high at the time. So it’s been, ahem, a while).
Between this and X-Men 3 and all the TV season finale shiznit, May really can’t come soon enough.
