Red State - special guest star review by the 3AM Dad!!!

Red State as seen by 3AM Dad.

I am quite a big fan of Kevin Smith and his body of work. Ever since I saw Clerks from quite a young age, I was a fan of Silent Bob and the Snoogans.

It had been a while since I had watched/heard anything from @thatkevinsmith until 6 months ago when I started listening to his podcast with Jason Mewes called “Jay and Silent Bob Get Old”. I started listening weekly, then daily when Smith launched his SModcast Internet Radio (SIR) network.

I now listen via Stitcher to their daily shows and their live weekly shows on most days. When I started listening, the podcasts mainly revolved around his soon to be released in the US Red State. I was immediately intrigued... A blood curdling thriller written and directed by (in my opinion) a comedic genius. I continued to listen to the podcasts, adding to the intrigue. Smith talked about how this was his movie, he wanted to make it his way and to market it his way. He didn't beg borrow and steal, to make the movie (the budget was 4 million USD), so he wasn't going to spend copious amounts of money on marketing it in the traditional Hollywood way. I loved that he utilised social media and Q & A's. "Why would I spend ludicrous amounts of money marketing to people that would not want to see my movie? I have a direct avenue to the people that want to see my movies via twitter." to paraphrase Kevin Smith. Now I really wanted to see this movie.

There was talk that Smith was going to come to Australia to do Q & A's at theatres and I would have flown to Sydney or Melbourne to see him. But alas, it wasn't meant to be. His ever growing Radio station, growing schedule of live shows, book writing and script writing for his final movie Hit Somebody halted these initial plans. Kevin didn't make it down under, but as soon as the tickets became available on the Gold Coast, I purchased two and went on a date with my wife.

Now, there was a lot of hype around this movie. Some put on by me, some by Smith, but mainly by movie goers. There has been talk of Michael Parks being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, John Goodman Supporting Actor and Melissa Leo Supporting Actress. There has even been talk of Smith being nominated for Best Director and Red State for Best Original Screen Play (this has been played down to no end by Smith).

As the opening scenes started rolling, I paid attention to the cinematography, the editing, acting, everything. I knew that this was a bit of a "Fuck you" to the man by Smith, so I was anticipating the twists and turns.

The movie starts as expected, with Smith’s cast setting the scene. Set in Middle America, where in a nearby town of Coopers Dell is a church that is always on everyone’s lips. Led by Abin Cooper (Played by Parks), the Five Points Church is a sect of sorts and Cooper is leading his church goers into ridding the Earth of “Wickedness, rampant fornication, adultery, abortion and flagrant sexuality.”

The movie initially revolves around three teenage boys , Travis (Michael Angarano), Jared (Kyle Gallner) and Billy Ray (Nicholas Braun) thinking with the only thing that teenage boys think with. They organise a sexual encounter online with a woman (Melissa Leo) in the town of Coopers Dell. This is where Smith takes you on a ride that starts like any good roller coaster... slowly taking you to the top of the biggest drop. Parks gives a stirring hate-filled 15 minute speech, which gives you a taste of what these religious fundamentalists are all about. The ride doesn’t stop for another 60 minutes, where you go through dark tunnels and thunderous twists and turns. You don’t know where the movie is going to go next. Just when you think “Aaaah, that is where is going.” BANG... you are wrong... we are going this way now. Towards the end of the movie, Joseph Keenan (John Goodman) gives a speech (not quite 15 minutes, but poignant) that wraps the movie up superbly.

Did it blow me away? No. Did it meet my inflated expectations? Yes. Is Kevin Smith more than a Comedic Genius? Hell Yeah! I look forward to watching it again and hopefully in the not so distant future, watching it, at a Cinema that Kevin Smith will be giving a Q & A.