I watched Ed Wood last night (I'd seen it before). What a great movie. Martin Landau is so fabulous in it. Plus Juliet Landau!

Thanks, NovaChild.

You know, I read this:

Ben Affleck has made an astonishing swipe at long-term pal, director Kevin Smith - accusing him of exploiting teenage fans of his cult films. Affleck has appeared in five of Smith's films, starting with 1995's Mallrats and most recently this year's Jersey Girl. But Smith was reportedly upset Affleck snubbed the DVD launch of Jersey Girl - and Affleck has hit back while publicizing new movie Surviving Christmas. He told The Scoop, "It wasn't enough that I went to Vegas to play in his lame charity poker tournament for the DVD launch of Jersey Girl, but I also had to go out to his f***ing store where he's opening a store where all he's doing is selling more T-shirts of him and his jacka** friend (Jason Mewes) and he's roped in an entire generation of kids into thinking it's worth spending $30 on and $50 if he signs it. I mean the whole thing is a complete travesty and he wanted me to participate in it and I won't do that."

And thought Ben was losing it.

But I just visited one of the stores (to buy comics), and damn, Ben was being kind. I'm a bit skeeved by Mr. Smith right now. The store was a strange combo of sterile and masturbatory.

That sounds to me like the way those guys take shots at each other for the publicity and ironic macho bullshitting, then snicker about how they rooked the press again (which I'm perfectly alright with).

Coincidentally, I just bought a ticket to this:

Kevin Smith Lays the Podium Down Thursday, 11/18/04 8:00PM EST Roy Thomson Hall Toronto, ON

Well, if he's rooking the press, he wasn't lying. There's autographed crap everywhere, and it seemed they'd looped Kevin Smith interviews on the big TV in front of the door. It looks like a comic store, but instead of the normal accessory crap, it's Silent Bob dolls and Bluntman & Chronic posters.

Icky.

Sounds like a brick and mortar version of the ViewAskew.com site.

If people want to buy the shit, what the heck?

Just because people will buy it (don't know if they will -- store's too new to tell), doesn't mean I still respect the seller.

I respect things like the Pirate Store, where a celebrity (of sorts) shares an obsession with the public. I respect Sean John. I even respect Shoshanna.

But celebrities who open stores that are ostensibly about something else (comics) but in fact all about them? Ick.

Just because people will buy it (don't know if they will -- store's too new to tell), doesn't mean I still respect the seller.

Remember, this is the guy who tells aspiring college filmmakers to apply for every credit card in sight and max them out to pay for making their first films, but only if they are too squeamish to raise the funding by giving head.

I never saw Kevin Smith as the sensitive artiste type. The Jay and Silent Bob fans are hardcore. I don't do action figures and stuff, but getting ahold of the dvds can be a pain. It would be nice to have a handy place to do that. I'm probably not the target audience, but I'd buy a t-shirt.

I don't think Kevin is too wrapped up in needing respect, but he will take your money if you give him half a chance.

I never saw Kevin Smith as the sensitive artiste type.

Well, once you've seen a film of his, how could you?

However, he now looks part and parcel of what he mocks. He's Disney tie-ins, with swear words.

As is his right. My goodwill to him may come back once the slimy feeling gains distance, but until then, the $13 worth of comics I bought today is probably the last he'll see of my money.

He had my goodwill. And with such, entré to my wallet. Now, NSM.