Red State

Sundance 2011: RED STATE Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 24th, 2011 at 3:08 pm

Confidence is a crucial quality in a filmmaker.  Unlike the artistic expression of a painting or a novel, a film requires marshaling a small army to execute thousands of decisions in order to achieve a filmmaker’s vision.  Kevin Smith is not a filmmaker who exudes confidence.  After the noble failure of Jersey Girl, he retreated to the safety of Clerks II and then followed it up with the simple-yet-enjoyable Zack and Miri Make a Porno and the widely-despised Cop Out.  His new film, Red State, is a radical departure for Smith and yet he lacks the confidence to properly execute the action-horror-thriller he’s devised.  Visually and aurally impressive and featuring a phenomenal performance from Michael Parks, the film never completely comes together as it’s undermined by poorly-timed humor, clumsy exposition, and a refusal to trust the audience with ideas more complex than “fascism is bad.”

New Posters for RED RIDING HOOD and RED STATE

by Jason Barr    Posted: January 12th, 2011 at 5:46 pm

New posters for Catherine Hardwicke’s Red Riding Hood and Kevin Smith’s Red State have landed online.  While neither is that different from their previous offerings (Red Riding Hood here, Red State here), the Red Riding Hood layout features an ominous view of Amanda Seyfried making her way through a snow-filled forest.  As for the Red State sheet, it is another installation in the film’s character posters and it features James Parks in his role as Mordechai.

To check out the posters, hit the jump. Red Riding Hood also stars Lukas Haas and Gary Oldman and is scheduled to hit theaters on March 11th.  Red State also stars Melissa Leo, John Goodman, and Kevin Pollak and is currently looking at an unspecified March release.

2011 Movie Preview: 35 of Our Most Anticipated Films

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 30th, 2010 at 8:49 am

With the holiday movie season coming to a close, and the cinematic dead-zone that is January just around the corner, what better time than now to look ahead to the next 12 months in film? We’ve compiled a list of what we see as the 35 most anticipated films of 2011, conveniently separated into five categories: Superheroes, Sequels, Dramas, Comedies/Family and Action/Sci-Fi. For each film, we’ve provided basic director/cast information, as well as what it’s about and why we’re excited about it. Sure to be another great year in film, 2011 has sequels galore, two Marvel films, two Steven Spielberg films, the return of Cameron Crowe, and Martin Scorsese’s first foray into 3D. So what are you waiting for? Hit the jump and check out what 2011 has in store for us movie lovers.

First Teaser Trailer for Kevin Smith’s RED STATE

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: December 23rd, 2010 at 11:39 am

Kevin Smith has released the first teaser trailer for his upcoming horror movie Red State.  Premiering at next month’s Sundance Film Festival, Red State is a huge departure for Smith as the flick is about “a group of misfits [who] encounter extreme fundamentalism in Middle America.”  The film stars Michael Parks, Michael Angarano, Kyle Gallner, John Goodman, Melissa Leo, Kevin Pollak, Anna Gunn, Stephen Root, and Smith’s Hit Somebody lead Nicholas Braun.  Parks is said to play a Fred Phelps-type preacher who leads a family of followers.

If you’ve been following the development of Red State, you know Smith had a really tough time getting the financing together due to the difficult subject matter.  And after watching the trailer, I can see why.  Red State looks nothing like his previous films and I’m definitely catching this at the first press screening at Sundance.  While I loved Smith’s first few films, I’ve been very disappointed with his recent output.  And his attitude about critics hasn’t helped his cause.  Saying all that, I’d love for him to rebound with Red State.  Judge the trailer for yourself after the jump.

Sundance 2011: First Images and a New Poster for Kevin Smith’s RED STATE

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 3rd, 2010 at 4:40 pm

Hot off the heels of news that Kevin Smith’s upcoming horror film Red State was recently accepted into the Sundance Film Festival, new images have been revealed from the film and a new poster has been unveiled by Smith himself. The poster was released by Smith via Twitter as a “thank you” to fans who pledged $1000 to The Wayne Foundation in less than 30 minutes. The Wayne Foundation is a charity devoted to stopping pederasts, with a mission to provide young women who have fallen victim to commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking with a means of leaving the sex industry for good.

The poster unveiled by Smith features Red State actress Kerry Bishe, and is one of four posters that Smith plans to release next week starting Monday. The headline of the poster, “The Virgin”, asserts Smith’s statement on his “Red State of the Union” podcast that the film begins very much like an 80’s horror film.  Smith’s podcast has been the source of a great deal of news concerning the film, particularly his description of the flick as essentially about “sex, religion, and politics.”  The images from the film that were released showcase Smith’s stellar cast, and confirm that the film is a drastic departure from his previous catalog of films. Hit the jump the check out the poster and images, as well as a bit more on the flick.

2011 Sundance Film Festival Premieres Announced; Includes MY IDIOT BROTHER, WIN WIN, and REAGAN

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 2nd, 2010 at 1:02 pm

Sundance has announced the premieres playing out-of-competition at this year’s 2011 Sundance Film Festival.  While we knew that Kevin Macdonald’s documentary Life in a Day and Kevin Smith’s Red State had already made the cut, we now have some other exciting films to add to the list.  Among the films in the “Premieres” category, I’m particularly stoked for Cedar Rapids (starring Ed Helms and John C. Reilly), My Idiot Brother (starring Paul Rudd), The Details (starring Tobey Maguire and Elizabeth Banks), Margin Call (starring Kevin Spacey and Paul Bettany), Salvation Boulevard (starring Pierce Brosnan and Jennifer Connelly), and Tom McCarthy’s Win Win (starring Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan).

But I’m even more jazzed for some of the documentaries.  There’s a Reagan biopic from Eugene Jarecki (Why We Fight), Morgan Spurlock’s The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, and Steve James’ The Interrupters, just to name a few.  Hit the jump for the full line-up.  Click here for a list of the films playing in-competition and click here for a list of the other films playing out-of-competition.  The 2011 Sundance Film Festival runs from January 20th – 30th.

Kevin Smith Finds His HIT SOMEBODY Lead in Nicholas Braun

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 29th, 2010 at 5:23 pm

While Kevin Smith recently wrapped filming (and completed a first cut) of his horror film Red State, he’s also looking ahead to his hockey-centered film that will be his follow-up. Hit Somebody is a script that Smith has been working on for a while, that’s based on the Warren Zevon song of the same name, with lyrics written by Mitch Albom.  Via his most recent edition of his Hollywood Babble-On podcast with Ralph Garman, Smith revealed that he’s found his lead in actor Nicholas Braun, who Smith recently worked with on Red State. In fact, Smith said that he found “so much of [his Hit Somebody] cast making Red State,” so expect to see a few familiar faces once Hit Somebody rolls around (including podcast co-host and Red State cast member Garman, Smith confirms). Smith had this to say about casting Braun as his lead:

He’s this really really great actor who I love to death and he is the perfect lead for this script…he’s such a good guy, he’s a sweetheart and he’s fuckin so dope in [Red State]

Braun’s credits include Sky High and the short-lived TV series 10 Things I Hate About You. He’ll next be seen in the upcoming high-school dramedy from Disney, Prom.  Seann William Scott was previously attached to star in Hit Somebody after working with Smith on Cop Out, but chose to star in Jay Baruchel’s hockey comedy Goon instead when Smith decided to film Red State first.  For more on Smith’s upcoming projects, including more info on the plot of Red State, hit the jump.

First Teaser Poster for RED STATE; Plus, Kevin Smith Shares Info on the Film

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: October 31st, 2010 at 11:53 am

Director Kevin Smith quietly wrapped shooting his latest film Red State last week, and in what has to be a near-unprecedented move, he screened the entire film for the cast and crew at the wrap party.  It’s no secret that Smith is the editor on all of his films, and usually edits while the film is still shooting.  But with Red State it appears he was able to cut the entire flick by the end of the wrap, credits and all.

Late this morning, Smith cryptically asked via his Twitter account “trick or treat?”  Minutes later, after apparently garnering an overwhelming number of “treats”, Smith posted a link to his blog where he unveiled the fantastic teaser poster for Red State as well as a statement regarding the flick.  Smith’s just coming off the premiere of his EpixHD comedy special Too Fat for 40, about which we had the opportunity to sit down with the man himself to discuss.  For more from Smith, the teaser poster, and info on Red State, hit the jump.

Kevin Smith Talks TOO FAT FOR 40 and His Career’s Second Act

by Jonathan Callan    Posted: October 21st, 2010 at 8:52 am

Kevin Smith seems to be in his Dalai Lama period. After years getting in much publicized rows with critics and the internet, his attitude toward movies and life at once seems more hardened and more accepting. “I don’t need people to validate me anymore,” Smith says. “I did at one point, but I don’t now.” Smith’s secret? “I started smoking weed at thirty eight. I highly recommend it.”

Collider was recently invited to a special screening of Kevin Smith’s new comedy special for EPIX, Too Fat for 40. After an extended clip of the special, Smith treated the group to a Q&A in which the cult director discussed his life, his approach to comedy and his views on the world in general.

The special is somewhere between a real stand up show and the popular Evening with Kevin Smith series. “[About the Evening with Kevin Smith series] one guy on the internet said, ‘he’s so conceited, he has three DVDs of him talking’. So I was like ‘fuck that guy, I’m not going to do them any more’. But that is so stupid. To spite some guy who’s not even into it. So when Epix called, it was great. I had three years’ worth of stories built up.”  Continued after the jump:

Kevin Smith Talks RED STATE, HIT SOMEBODY, and What’s Up with CLERKS: THE ANIMATED SERIES

by Jonathan Callan    Posted: October 16th, 2010 at 9:58 pm

Earlier today, Collider was invited to a special screening of Too Fat for 40, Kevin Smith’s new comedy special for EPIX. After an extended clip, Smith treated the group to a Q&A, some of which shed light on his upcoming horror movie Red State, as well as other projects.

“Visually speaking, it’s the most ambitious movie we’ve ever made,” Smith said. “Everybody’s pulling their belts, taking a massive pay cut. Some of us might not even get paid… and it breaks my heart that after all this we’ll just sell it to a studio that’ll spend twice as much on marketing as we spent to make it.”

More on Red State, his hockey movie Hit Somebody, and what’s up with the Clerks: The Animated Series after the jump:

Casting Call: Four Join DARLING COMPANION; Stephen Root Lands EVERYBODY LOVES WHALES and RED STATE

by Jason Barr    Posted: September 23rd, 2010 at 7:42 am

We have two bits of casting news to bring you this morning.  First, Kevin Kline, Diane Keaton, Richard Jenkins, and Elisabeth Moss have all joined Darling Companion.  The film was co-written, along with his wife Meg, by four time Oscar-nominee Lawrence Kasdan.  Companion is meant to be the third installment in a trilogy which includes 1983′s The Big Chill and 1991′s Grand Canyon.  From Risky Business, the film “follows a woman (Keaton) who takes in a stray dog as a companion to fill the void left by her distracted husband (Kline), only to see him lose the mutt after a wedding at their vacation home in the Rockies. A search for the animal includes several guests and a mysterious young woman.”  The report fails to disclose exactly what Jenkins and Moss’ roles may entail thus we are to assume Jenkins will be one of “several guests” with Moss perhaps filling the role of “mysterious young woman.”  Production on Companion is scheduled to begin within the next week in Utah.

To read about Stephen Root’s latest gigs, hit the jump.

Mulroney, Gallner, Angarano, Root, and Leo in Talks for Kevin Smith’s RED STATE

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: August 3rd, 2010 at 10:44 pm

In a recent interview, Kevin Smith talked about the divide between the type of actors he was looking to cast in the horror film Red State (“not complete unknowns,” but not “name recognizable” either), and the caliber of thespian actively seeking roles (“grade A talent”).  Judging from the list of actors who are currently in talks for the project — Dermot Mulroney, Kyle Gallner, Michael Angarano, Stephen Root, and Melissa Leo according to TheWrap — Smith may not be able to ward off all worthy suitors.

Root and Leo are well-respected veterans in the field, and there’s a 78% chance that Mulroney can be classified as a recognizable name; it seems likely that the seasoned trio are eying supporting roles.  The younger Gallner and Angarano, on the other hand, may be candidates for lead roles opposite star Michael Parks (Grindhouse) in the film, “loosely based on Reverend Fred Phelps of the hateful Westboro Baptist Church.”  According to a Smith tweet, Red State starts shooting on September 22nd.  If your interest is piqued, make sure to check out the full interview for more on the film’s production — dude can talk.

Kevin Smith Interview COP OUT Blu-ray, Twitter, 3D, Comic-Con, RED STATE, HIT SOMEBODY and the Southwest Incident

by Jake Lasker    Posted: July 19th, 2010 at 10:53 pm

A couple weeks ago I was invited to participate in a roundtable interview with writer/director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy) to discuss the special edition Bluray release of his latest film Cop Out. While the focus of the roundtable was supposed to be the Cop Out Bluray’s Maximum Comedy Mode feature, Smith was very open to talk about many other topics. In fact, Smith extended our 15 minute interview in to a 45 minute interview. Put it this way: Smith is a publicist’s nightmare.

During our interview, Smith spoke not only about Cop Out and Maximum Comedy Mode (MCM) but also about Twitter, Comic Con, 3D, his upcoming projects and more. Look for several self-deprecating and brutally honest comments from Smith – he even talks about the “Southwest incident” and discusses the harsh critical reaction to Cop Out. It’s a great interview. Continue reading to read the full interview. Cop Out hits Bluray and DVD on Tuesday July 20.

Kevin Smith Provides Updates on RED STATE and HIT SOMEBODY

by Jake Lasker    Posted: July 6th, 2010 at 1:11 pm

Last week I was invited to participate in a roundtable interview with Kevin Smith. While our 15 minute roundtable interview was supposed to revolve around the upcoming Cop Out Blu-ray and DVD release, Smith was kind enough to allow our interview to go a full half hour longer than planned so we could ask him about numerous topics, including his upcoming projects. Look for the full interview soon but first check out some updates from Smith on his future projects.

• Smith says he wants to keep all casting news and major announcements for Red State secret. He says that after the Southwest incident he has no interest in ever seeing his name in a newspaper again and would rather the audience learn first hand about the cast then make a big announcement.
• Smith wants actors who aren’t totally unknown but actors who the audience shouldn’t recognize.
• Smith says that for the first time in his career he has the ability to cast major A-list “legends” in Red State but has no desire to.
• Smith says he’s still writing Hit Somebody and he’s on page 81.

Continue reading for full quotes on Smith’s future projects and make sure to check back soon for the full interview to see what Smith has to say about the Cop Out Blu-ray and the very cool “Maximum Comedy Mode” featured on the disc, his thoughts on 3D and Twitter and much more. Cop Out hits Blu-ray and DVD July 20.

Kevin Smith’s RED STATE Will Shoot in August; Next EVENING WITH KEVIN SMITH Special Headed for TV

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: July 2nd, 2010 at 1:40 pm

Most Kevin Smith fans have listened to the director discuss his intent to make Red State for ages now, and most non-fans should heed that it’s not your average Kevin Smith flick before they tune out.  Smith describes Red State as a “political horror movie, essentially.”

The original plan had Smith lensing in July, though now the New Jerseyan says production will begin in August.  Any news that it’s officially on the books is encouraging.  More after the jump:

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