Kevin Smith is known for writing, directing and producing some the classic comedies of the last 15 years. But after the release of “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”, he moving on to a different genre. With the horror film “Red State” (some are also calling it political), Smith is making the jump from laughs to screams.
Kevin Smith
“Red State” centers on a group of teenagers who encounter extreme fundamentalism in Middle America. The four kids find themselves being stalked by a religious fanatic who might put Fred Phelps to shame. In the stalker’s relentless pursuit, there are screams and jumps and scary scenes uncharacteristic of Silent Bob. As Smith describes it,
It’s a bleak movie, it’s dark, everyone dies. It’s political and it deals with religious issues and domestic terrorism.
But the big question is, will “Red State ever be made? The script is written, but Kevin Smith cannot find anyone to bankroll the movie. But he’s not giving up,
“I don’t know, dude. Honestly, it’s been tough finding financing, and that was before the economic collapse in the last two or three weeks. It’s just not a very commercial flick, and I understand why people are like, ‘Do you have another comedy? Because I’ll do that.’ So I don’t know. [But] for some reason, that just makes me want to do it more. It makes me feel like I’m on the right track, if people are like, ‘I don’t know if I want to be involved in this.’ It makes you feel like it’s worth making.”
Most are comparing “Red State” to Smith’s earlier films just in terms of horror versus comedy. But not so for the writer. He says his first seven movies were simply movies, but “Red State” is film. The difference being its “got a lot on its mind.”
See more photos of Kevin Smith and an interview with Kevin Smith about “Red State” below.
Kevin Smith Photos
Photos: WENN
Kevin Smith Video – “Red State”