Red State

[Guest apsham]

So - it's been a decently big news story the last month or so, but I have been following it for a while as I am a huge SMODcast fan - but here's the short of it.

 

A while back, Kevin Smith announced his next movie, Red State which is a horror/thriller loosely based on the fundamentalism of the Phelps family of Westboro Baptist Church fame. The film stars Michael Parks, John Goodman and Melissa Leo amongst others, and started to raise note in news stories, initially over Goodman being cast in the film, followed up by Smith auctioning off the rights to the film's posters to websites for charity.

 

Then the film was accepted into Sundance and when it went up for auction, Smith stepped in and bought his own film for 20 dollars and announced that he would be releasing it under Smodpictures, his own banner created solely for the independant release of Red State. He basically believes that too much money is put into advertising, a factor amongst others that he stated killed the returns on previous movies that he has directed such as Zack & Miri Make A Porno and Cop Out. While most people expected an early 2011 release date, Smith announced that he would be taking the movie on tour across America, hosting Q&A sessions with crew and cast afterwards and releasing the movie in theatres on October 19th, 2011 - the 15th anniversary of the release of his first film, Clerks. He plans to try and breakeven through these showings, merch, etc.

 

All of this he ties to his (in recent years) admiration of Wayne & Walter Gretzky and the "go where the puck is going to be" philosphy.

 

Any thoughts on the movie, Smith's idea or both?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmmnVGyLajw

[LonelyWreckage]

I haven't seen the film, but his distribution methods certainly interesting - we'll have to wait and see how he gets on, but I support the principle behind it.

 

Red state, as in staunch Republican, Religious Right ? Only in America can "Red" mean that. ;)