Even a cursory glance at the rather mixed response to Red State following its Sundancedebut should indicate that it has problems in need of fixing, chief among them being a 20-minute long sermon performed by Michael Parks that many have opined runs way too long. Question is, without any pressure from a studio to cut the film down, does director Kevin Smith have any desire to do so?
Well, Kevin Smith has now responded to the criticisms, and his answer to the aforementioned question was an unhesitant, “Kill your babies.” Er, I mean, “Yes.”
In an interview with Bleeding Cool, Smith provides an explanation for the problems of the current cut of the film, and confirms that he plans on tweaking the picture before he goes on tour with it.
Quote:
The movie that I showed the cast and crew screening at wrap, two days after we wrapped, I showed them the whole movie, that’s the movie I pretty much showed at Sundance with end credits attached to it… I loved the movie, we knew what we were doing in terms of editing it, it was a beautiful running time and stuff… and then we go to Sundance and I sit in the back and for the first time I get to watch it with 1200 people who have no involvement with the movie, no involvement with me…
So I’m sitting there going “Okay, there’s something I thought would work, didn’t play with the audience”, “Something I thought would get a nice reaction just kinda laid there”, “Boy, that played way bigger than I ever thought it would, maybe we should shape something around there” and just found some time to take out… if I had to guess I’m saying five to ten minutes somewhere in there.
And John [Gordon, producer] fought me on it. John was just like ”Why bother dude, we’re our own bosses, nobody’s telling you to take it out”, like back in the old days Harvey would be “I love it! Take ten minutes out,” no direction at all, just take the time out, so John’s like “We don’t have to do that now, we don’t have to really cut the movie at all” and I said “Yeah, but I’m a filmmaker first and foremost, dude, and I want the movie to play as gangbusters as possible” and if the length of Parks’ speech is making anybody remotely go “Maybe that speech is a little long”… I want them to love Parks as much as I do, so for me, right, I’m an editor, you kill your babies every step of the way as an editor.
Smith has been receiving a lot of flack as of late, but this is one area where I doubt he’ll be greeted with too much dissent. Assuming the problems critics and audiences have with the film are capable of being fixed up in the editing room, this new cut could very well make or break the movie. It certainly wouldn’t be the first instance of a re-edit of a film totally altering people’s perception of it. A notable example of this can be seen with The Brown Bunny, a movie which Roger Ebert famously referred to as “the worst film in the history of [the Cannes Film Festival]“. After 26 minutes were stripped from the original cut, Ebert eventually reevaluated the film and it garnered a respectable 3-star rating, with a choice quote asserting how much of a difference editing can make: “It is said that editing is the soul of the cinema; in the case of ‘The Brown Bunny,’ it is its salvation.”
It remains to be seen how much of an impact a new edit of Red State will make on its overall effectiveness when it goes on tour in March and gets released into theaters on October 9th, but I for one am eager to see how the response to the film evolves once it does.
To hear more from Smith’s response to the Sundance screening, you can listen to the full interview at Bleeding Cool.
Alright guys, so last night I had the chance to see Red State. I'm about to get into some pretty hard spoiler territory in my review, so keep that in my mind. The movie won't get a wide release until October.
I never thought I'd see a filmmaker reinvent themselves so much that the entire length of movie, I forgot who directed it. But Kevin Smith has absolutely done that with his new film Red State. Smith, who is best known for his wildly vulgar and geek friendly comedies such as Clerks, Dogma, and Chasing Amy, decided to take on some very dark material and has created a very bleak, unsettling movie that is much like an exploitation movies of the 70s. It took over four years for him to get this made, and in a way I can see why. But any studio who would have picked it up would have ruined what Smith was trying to do. Making this as an independent film was absolutely the way to go. Even more impressive was the cast he was able to assemble for this. You have Michael Park as Pastor Abin Cooper, leader of the Five Points Church, Academy award winner Melissa Leo as his daughter Sarah, John Goodman as ATF Agent Keenan, and a whose who of young up and coming Hollywood actors.
The film itself was inspired by Fred Phelps and his family of the Westboro Baptist Church. Many of you who recognize that name probably feel unnerved or angered by it. For those of you who do not, here is a little background: The Westboro Baptist Church is made up of about 71 members, most of whom are in the Phelps family. They are known in particular for picketing funerals of deceased soldiers, are fully behind the anti-gay movement, and are known for their stance of saying "God Hates (Insert just about anything here)".
Smith has taken the essence of that idea, and turned it up to 11. The movie begins when our young protagonist Travis (Angarano) drives past the funeral of a teenager from his school, who we learn was gay. Amidst the funeral patrons we see Abin Cooper (Parks) and his Five Points Church picketing and tormenting the family. As Travis arrives at school, his friends Jared (Gallner) and Billy Ray (Braun) tell him they have a plan to meet up with an older women from the internet and sleep with her. A simple plan, but nothing could be further from the truth. As the boys arrive at the meeting place, the whole film is turned upside down, grabbing the audience and never letting go from this point on. The boys are captured by Cooper and his church to be tortured and killed for their sins. But all hell eventually breaks lose, and the movie is off and running like a roller coaster. It twists and turns the audience leaving you unnerved, shocked, and even cheering for what happens.
I find that Smith has created one of films best villains with Abin Cooper, and much of that credit goes to Michael Parks for bringing the character to life. He is a very twisted individual who believes that what he is doing is right, and he's doing it for God. And to me, there is nothing scarier than someone who believes he is killing for God. I couldn't praise Parks enough for this movie. He gives a performance that is Oscar material. The way he talks is so calm and collected, yet everything he says is scathing and evil. He is just incredibly terrifying to watch. He has power and a way with words. Nothing shows that better than Melissa Leo's character Sarah, the daughter of Cooper. She has been raised in this environment her whole life, and sounds very much like her father. Even at one point turning on her daughter, which is one of the most terrifying moments in the film.
But to me, the biggest standout was John Goodman's character Keenan. Goodman brought so much life to this older, tired ATF agent who would like to see nothing more than Five Points Church brought down. To him, they're not just Religious fundamentalists, they're terrorists who are harboring weapons, planning mall bombings, and murdering innocents. The way Goodman reacts to the whole situation is very real. At one point, he must take an order from a higher up that he doesn't want to do, but has to do. It was incredibly acted, and without Goodman, I don't think the scene would have been as well done.
And last, but certainly not least, I can't go without mentioning Michael Angarano, Kyle Gellner, and Nicholas Braun, the three teenage protagonist in the film. They are the catalyst for everything that happens, and our eyes into the twisted world Abin Cooper has created. They all do an incredibly job at conveying the fear, confusion, and anger that comes with the situation. I haven't been this impressed with a young cast in a long time. They really brought an A-game with them and I look forward to seeing more of them in the future.
Smith really left his comfort zone with this, and it's incredible. I'm just blown away by the way he brought this dark film together and created such an intense, exciting, action packed film. He has shown that he really has grown as a filmmaker, which makes me that much sadder to see him leaving Hollywood as a director after his next film. I've been an avid Smith fan for the better part of a decade now, and to see him closing the book on his film career is really a sad thing. I just can't imagine a world without Smith's commentary and pop culture referencing. To me, last night showed me Smith still has something left to offer us. He's moved away from the pop culture references and moved into a new direction. If Hit Somebody is anywhere near as good as Red State, he'll be going out on a career high. And from what I've seen so far from the script, he absolutely will be.
Kevin Smith's Red State dares to do things most filmmakers won't do. It pushes the audience into very uncomfortable territory, and strikes the nerves in a way thats not usually done in Hollywood. Packed with an incredible cast, very well done cinematography, and a very interesting story, Red State is everything I could want out of a film. This film will test you, and I for one am glad to have gone through it. An incredible film, highly recommended.
5/5
Last edited by Walts Ghost; 04-11-2011 at 03:39 AM.
Alright guys, so last night I had the chance to see Red State. I'm about to get into some pretty hard spoiler territory in my review, so keep that in my mind. The movie won't get a wide release until October.
[Show spoiler]
I never thought I'd see a filmmaker reinvent themselves so much that the entire length of movie, I forgot who directed it. But Kevin Smith has absolutely done that with his new film Red State. Smith, who is best known for his wildly vulgar and geek friendly comedies such as Clerks, Dogma, and Chasing Amy, decided to take on some very dark material and has created a very bleak, unsettling movie that is much like an exploitation movies of the 70s. It took over four years for him to get this made, and in a way I can see why. But any studio who would have picked it up would have ruined what Smith was trying to do. Making this as an independent film was absolutely the way to go. Even more impressive was the cast he was able to assemble for this. You have Michael Park as Pastor Abin Cooper, leader of the Five Points Church, Academy award winner Melissa Leo as his daughter Sarah, John Goodman as ATF Agent Keenan, and a whose who of young up and coming Hollywood actors.
The film itself was inspired by Fred Phelps and his family of the Westboro Baptist Church. Many of you who recognize that name probably feel unnerved or angered by it. For those of you who do not, here is a little background: The Westboro Baptist Church is made up of about 71 members, most of whom are in the Phelps family. They are known in particular for picketing funerals of deceased soldiers, are fully behind the anti-gay movement, and are known for their stance of saying "God Hates (Insert just about anything here)".
Smith has taken the essence of that idea, and turned it up to 11. The movie begins when our young protagonist Travis (Angarano) drives past the funeral of a teenager from his school, who we learn was gay. Amidst the funeral patrons we see Abin Cooper (Parks) and his Five Points Church picketing and tormenting the family. As Travis arrives at school, his friends Jared (Gallner) and Billy Ray (Braun) tell him they have a plan to meet up with an older women from the internet and sleep with her. A simple plan, but nothing could be further from the truth. As the boys arrive at the meeting place, the whole film is turned upside down, grabbing the audience and never letting go from this point on. The boys are captured by Cooper and his church to be tortured and killed for their sins. But all hell eventually breaks lose, and the movie is off and running like a roller coaster. It twists and turns the audience leaving you unnerved, shocked, and even cheering for what happens.
I find that Smith has created one of films best villains with Abin Cooper, and much of that credit goes to Michael Parks for bringing the character to life. He is a very twisted individual who believes that what he is doing is right, and he's doing it for God. And to me, there is nothing scarier than someone who believes he is killing for God. I couldn't praise Parks enough for this movie. He gives a performance that is Oscar material. The way he talks is so calm and collected, yet everything he says is scathing and evil. He is just incredibly terrifying to watch. He has power and a way with words. Nothing shows that better than Melissa Leo's character Sarah, the daughter of Cooper. She has been raised in this environment her whole life, and sounds very much like her father. Even at one point turning on her daughter, which is one of the most terrifying moments in the film.
But to me, the biggest standout was John Goodman's character Keenan. Goodman brought so much life to this older, tired ATF agent who would like to see nothing more than Five Points Church brought down. To him, they're not just Religious fundamentalists, they're terrorists who are harboring weapons, planning mall bombings, and murdering innocents. The way Goodman reacts to the whole situation is very real. At one point, he must take an order from a higher up that he doesn't want to do, but has to do. It was incredibly acted, and without Goodman, I don't think the scene would have been as well done.
And last, but certainly not least, I can't go without mentioning Michael Angarano, Kyle Gellner, and Nicholas Braun, the three teenage protagonist in the film. They are the catalyst for everything that happens, and our eyes into the twister world Abin Cooper has created. They all do an incredibly job at conveying the fear, confusion, and anger that comes with the situation. I haven't been this impressed with a young cast in a long time. They really brought an A-game with them and I look forward to seeing more of them in the future.
Smith really left his comfort zone with this, and it's incredible. I'm just blown away by the way he brought this dark film together and created such an intense, exciting, action packed film. He has shown that he really has grown as a filmmaker, which makes me that much sadder to see him leaving Hollywood as a director after his next film. I've been an avid Smith fan for the better part of a decade now, and to see him closing the book on his film career is really a sad thing. I just can't imagine a world without Smith's commentary and pop culture referencing. To me, last night showed me Smith still has something left to offer us. He's moved away from the pop culture references and moved into a new direction. If Hit Somebody is anywhere near as good as Red State, he'll be going out on a career high. And from what I've seen so far from the script, he absolutely will be.
Kevin Smith's Red State dares to do things most filmmakers won't do. It pushes the audience into very uncomfortable territory, and strikes the nerves in a way thats not usually done in Hollywood. Packed with an incredible cast, very well done cinematography, and a very interesting story, Red State is everything I could want out of a film. This film will test you, and I for one am glad to have gone through it. An incredible film, highly recommended.
5/5
Thanks for the review, I'm looking forward to seeing this one, maybe in the theatre when it hits town .
I only read the first two paragraphs of your review, but MAN! Am I seriously jonesing to see this film? That is the biggest rhetorical question that I have EVER asked!
Question, did Smith trim down the sermon scene? While it's suppose to be a great scene, I heard it was a bit too long.
Yea, as Tyger said, he definitely cut it down. But honestly, I was so enthralled by that scene, I wouldn't have minded if it was longer. Any reason to watch more of Michael Parks as Abin Cooper would have been ok with me. He was creepy and amazing in it. Man, the more I think about it the more I want to watch it again.
I thought it was interesting that at one point, Kevin said that he almost didn't want to do the release in October because he was enjoying touring it too much and seeing the audiences reactions. And heads up, it sounds like they're gearing up another tour, so be on the look out for that. If it comes close, I'm definitely going again. Although, the most awesome thing for me in LA was the fact that almost the entire cast, minus Goodman, was there last night. It was truly a site for me. I'll never forget it.
Also, thanks for the feedback on the review guys.
Last edited by Walts Ghost; 04-11-2011 at 06:54 AM.
I only read the first two paragraphs of your review, but MAN! Am I seriously jonesing to see this film? That is the biggest rhetorical question that I have EVER asked!
Have you read some of the tweets coming from Megan Phelps? She's loco. She's trying to make their walk out look like a victory.
My opinion of this project is that it may have been made with good intentions but it will do more harm than good. Creating a movie with the Westboro Cult (I refuse to call them a Bapist Church) as the villians will do nothing but bring more attention to there sick and fruity little cult. My opinion the best way to deal with creeps like the Westboros is to ignore them. The Westboro Cult have the approval rating of the ebola virus why waste time attacking them. They love the negative attention this movie gives them. Society is best off simply pretending that cult doesn't exist. Ignore them and they might go away
My opinion of this project is that it may have been made with good intentions but it will do more harm than good. Creating a movie with the Westboro Cult (I refuse to call them a Bapist Church) as the villians will do nothing but bring more attention to there sick and fruity little cult. My opinion the best way to deal with creeps like the Westboros is to ignore them. The Westboro Cult have the approval rating of the ebola virus why waste time attacking them. They love the negative attention this movie gives them. Society is best off simply pretending that cult doesn't exist. Ignore them and they might go away
The movie isn't actually about them. It's semi-based off their family, but thats it. The fact that Kevin Smith got them to walk out of the movie is impressive really, because they were so taken aback by what happened in the movie.
Honestly, the people who will see this in October will mostly just be Smith fans anyway. It's not going to get a marketing campaign or anything. It's just going to come out. And anyone in the general public who sees it either won't know who Phelps are, or won't know the characters are based off them. So they'll just see them as a group of religious fundamentalists.
Last edited by Walts Ghost; 04-11-2011 at 06:40 PM.
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