Yeah, I saw it back in April. My review is a page back. I'll just bump it:
Quote:
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 twistdr 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.
Kevin Smith and SModcast Pictures are proud to announce a one week exclusive Academy Award qualifying run of RED STATE beginning Friday, August 19th at Quentin Tarantino's legendary New Beverly Cinema. Each screening of RED STATE will be followed by a live Q&A with writer - director Kevin Smith.
Red State had its controversial and much talked about debut at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, where Smith bought the distribution rights for $20.
Smith decided to self distribute the film and immediately set up 15 special screenings throughout the U.S. as part of the "Red State U.S.A. Tour". The tour began at the historic Radio City Music Hall in New York on March 5th and finished one month later at the infamous Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.
The performances in RED STATE are extraordinary and well-worthy of Academy recognition, so in order to comply with the AMPAS rules governing Oscar qualification, SModcast Pictures is screening the film for one week in Los Angeles, starting 8/19.
When setting up this special Academy qualifying run, SModcast Pictures looked for a theater that truly represented the spirit of independent cinema and found it in the New Beverly. This choice of venue is not by chance. The New Beverly,one of the oldest revival houses in Los Angeles, has a storied past all its own. Starting as a vaudeville theater in the 1920s for acts such as Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Jackie Gleason and Phil Silvers, the New Beverly had subsequent incarnations as a nightclub, an X-Rated movie house, a live nude dance venue and finally, in the late 50s, a movie theater. Quentin Tarantino, a longtime fan of the theater who started seeing films there as a kid, took it over in the past year. Aside from the stewardship of Tarantino and programmer, Michael Torgan, the New Beverly is well known by filmgoers for it's current double feature format, which Red State will adopt for this exclusive run. Only, this double feature packages the movie and the director for two showings daily.
On September 1st, Lionsgate will debut Red State on VOD. The untraditional, direct-to-fan, touring theatrical release pioneered by SModcast Pictures during the Red State USA Tour continues this fall.
I'm thinking about going to see it again. It was such a good movie. I'd like to see it a few times before it hits blu, just to help support Smith's cause.
Wow, this was easily Kevin Smith's best movie... why is he retiring when he is just getting good? I don't know why he wasted the last 10 yrs instead of making challenging stuff like this all the time. and why the studios gave him such a hard time making it.
The rotten tomato reviews are really low but critics are stuck up. I think real film people will love it.
In case everyone wasn't aware, the film is readily available on demand right now from pretty much every cable/satellite provider as well as iTunes/YouTube/Blockbuster/etc. - Across the board it seems to be $10 to rent it, but if you get a few people to split the cost it would be much cheaper than seeing it at the theater.
Just watched it on VOD (Vudu - free after credit from Walmart BD's).
It started out pretty decent, and John Goodman's acting once he shows up toward the end is great, but this film really drags out in the middle, especially a seemingly 6-hour long sermon scene near the beginning. A decent film, but nothing great.
I guess one of the most interesting things about this film is its availability on demand before theater release. I saw it was available on iTunes the other day for $9.99 and couldn't figure out what it was doing there. Interesting marketing approach for sure. I may even take a look at it--temping having it available now to watch.
I guess one of the most interesting things about this film is its availability on demand before theater release. I saw it was available on iTunes the other day for $9.99 and couldn't figure out what it was doing there. Interesting marketing approach for sure. I may even take a look at it--temping having it available now to watch.
That's because its theatrical release will be a brief, limited release. They're doing this with more and more smaller films lately if they feel they won't make much $$ in theaters. Tucker & Dale vs Evil is doing the same thing.
The theatrical release is to get to those who dont have VOD, and also more just a marketing tool: VOD can boast they are getting it pre-theatrical run, and when it eventually comes out on DVD people wont see it as a lame direct-to-dvd movie since it actual did play in theaters.
Actually it was already released in limited theaters prior to going on VOD. It's getting a slightly bigger release next month before hitting DVD/Bluray on the 19th.
Here is my review of it, by the way, if anyone is interested.
Wow, this was easily Kevin Smith's best movie... why is he retiring when he is just getting good? I don't know why he wasted the last 10 yrs instead of making challenging stuff like this all the time. and why the studios gave him such a hard time making it.
The rotten tomato reviews are really low but critics are stuck up. I think real film people will love it.
Saw it last night and I have to agree the trailer does not do this film justice. In my opinion, it's Kevin Smith's best film. Hands down. Loved it. Can't wait to scoop up the blu-ray.
Saw it last night and I have to agree the trailer does not do this film justice. In my opinion, it's Kevin Smith's best film. Hands down. Loved it. Can't wait to scoop up the blu-ray.
I thought the Red Band trailer was very good. Haven't seen the regular trailer.
I saw this yesterday. Thought it was an amazing film and one of my favorites of the year. I dont get the hate this film has gotten from some critics. My guess is they just dont like Kevin Smith. If this film was made by an unknown director I think it would get more praise. I even read a review on RT where the critic said Red State was Kevin Smith's worst film, even worst than Cop Out I say this is hands down his best work. My second favorite of his (behind Chasing Amy) but theres no denying this his best made film.
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I say this is hands down his best work. My second favorite of his (behind Chasing Amy) but theres no denying this his best made film.
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