As it turns out, Silent Bob is not completely silent. Filmmaker Kevin Smith, director of “Clerks,” “Chasing Amy” and his latest film, “Red State” really likes to talk.
“Filmmaking isn’t my forte — talking is my forte” Smith said at his recent screening and Q&A at the Long Beach Art Theater. Smith’s love of spoken-word shows in his weekly Smodcast radio show and the expertly-written dialogue in his many films.
His most recent work, “Red State,” is like nothing he has ever done. Fans of his previous films, starring the cult icons “Jay and Silent Bob,” will be surprised to find that this is a blood-drenched thriller with twists and turns along the way.
“I got tired of making ‘Kevin Smith’ movies,” Smith said. “I like to think this is a Quentin Tarantino flick through the eyes of the Coen brothers with a bit of Kevin Smith mixed in. Sometimes the normal three-act structure gets boring.”
“Red State” is about a group of high school kids who respond to a dirty craigslist ad and end up being kidnapped by a family of Christian extremists led by Abin Cooper (Michael Parks). Parks steals every scene he’s in as Cooper, including a 20-minute sermon scene in the middle of the film. In most movies, a 20-minute sermon would be unbearable to sit though, but the combination of Parks’ sinister delivery and Smith’s skillful writing make it one of the most chilling scenes in the film.
John Goodman is excellent as usual as agent Joseph Keenan. When one of the town sheriffs makes a horrible mistake, Keenan is given some disturbing orders from his superiors. The film makes many comparisons between the groups representing the law and the church itself, and the viewer is left to decide which one of them is worse.
Smith takes the film in interesting directions, leaving the viewer unable to guess what is going to happen next. Characters drop like flies, perspectives constantly change, and the overall tone of the film is never constant. This serves the film well, and makes it stand out amongst the traditional horror fare.
“There is something out there that I would like to do that doesn’t exist,” Smith said. “It’s very rare to get to do that in this life. It’s even more rare to get to do it twice.”
It’s not often that a director is so open and accessible to his fans. Whether it’s through Twitter, his Q&As or his podcast, Smith is always finding new ways to speak to his audience and respond to their questions and criticisms. Whether you enjoyed his previous films or not, “Red State” is still worth seeing to witness a director going outside his comfort zone and doing something completely different.
Disclaimer: The Daily 49er is not responsible for Postings made on www.daily49er.wpengine.com. Persons commenting are solely responsible for Postings made on this website. Persons commenting agree to the Terms of Use of the website. If Postings do not abide by the Rules of Conduct or Posting Regulations as listed in the Postings Policy, the Daily 49er has all rights to delete Postings as it deems necessary. The Daily 49er strongly advises individuals to not abuse their First Amendment rights, and to avoid language suggestive of hate speech. This site also encourages users to make Postings relevant to the article or other Postings.
