September 10th, 2008 -- Written by Rodney
ComingSoon.net recently had a chat with Keving Smith about Red State; a film is about renegade fundamentalists from the midwest. The following is an except from the interview:
We’re still looking for some cash for it ’cause it’s not a really commercial film at all. It’s very bleak and very dark, and there’s no one to root for in the movie, so it’s a real film festival type of film, but it’s not the kind of movie you can take into multiplexes and do a bunch of business with unless it becomes a water cooler type of movie where people start talking about it. So we’ve had trouble finding financing for it, but hopefully that’ll come together soon. Script’s all done. We want to make it for like $5 million in the Midwest and do it with a bunch of unknowns and see what happens. So I mean none of those things add up to people rushing to you with a check. No one’s rushing to give us money for it.”
“It is definitely a 180 from everything else we’ve done including ‘Zack and Miri’ but at the same time, it’s not like a splatter film, it’s not like slasher balls-to-the-wall gore, it’s more unsettling and disturbing type of horror,” he explained when asked about the direction he plans on taking things in his first horror outing.
A film about home grown terrorizers is a great idea for a horror film. Instead of just one bad guy – have a cult set out on the work of apocalyptic doom! The film may not have anything to do with the apocalypse, and will probably not play out this way – but it’s fun to day dream.
I think that horror films that are “very bleak and very dark” are very right. Too many horror films have happy endings. We need more films that stack woe on top of woe, and I think it’s bitchin’ that Smith wants to take this route.
I would welcome this foray into horror, and hope the film comes to fruition shortly. If any of our readers have an extra 5 million, consider becoming a producer so this can happen stat.
For those of you that are die hard horror fans – what do you think of this news? Are you interested in seeing Smith do a horror film, and what do you think of his plans thus far?
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No. Oh god, no.
“a film is about renegade fundamentalists from the midwest.”
You bet My Nagy, I am there. I can personally spare Mr Smith about 50 quid if he wants it.
I liked Kevin Smith when he was a bit more humble. I really enjoy most of his work, but he hasn’t really done anything real outstanding or memorable. I am talking “award” memorable. Kevin does a little too much preaching these days, he should concentrate more on making good movies.
I think I understand what he is trying to make here and while what he wants you feeling is being scared about the fact that this could be the future of our world. But by saying a horror film he’s giving people the wrong impression.
It sounds to me like saying a psychological thriller would be a more accurate description of what Smith is going for.
Clerks was his first and will always be his best film. There is something genuine about that movie that all of his subsequent films have lacked.
For me, I’ve been sort of over Kevin Smith since Jay & Silent Bob. That was his bang the cymbals finale for me, but instead of just taking a bow and deciding to end that style of filmmaking then and there and move into new territory, he brought us Clerks 2, and now Zack and Miri, which looks like more of the same Star Wars and porn jokes — only with Seth Rogen in the Jason Lee role.
That said, there’s no way to judge this till it’s in theaters. But one thing is certain: it will have slightly better dialogue and more nostalgic pop culture references than your average horror film.
Kevin Smith talked about “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” and other projects yesterday on the CBC Radio Program “Q”
You can listen to the podcast of this program here.
http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/qpodcast_20080909_7417.mp3
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Why do I get the feeling this film is about priests (or possibly senators) that like to butcher little boys? And the main character is a Dexter-like guy that no-one wants to relate to as the main character. Guess we have to wait and see for a proper synopsis.
actually Bill Clay, he did clerks 2 more for the fans then anything. People kept asking for it so he made it. For Zach and Miri make a porno it is set in a completely different universe, and Ive seen a clip from comic-con and I can tell you its not like the view askew movies. Its a funny thing to is that he even addressed his own preaching and that people asks for his comments on other things then for his own work.
Clerks 2 is his best movie. The original is astounding in the sense of how it was made but not as genuinely entertaining or poignant as the sequel was.
IMO obviously.
*chuckles*…terrorizers
can jay and silent bob make an appearance?
But I do like happy endings… especially at the end of harrowing movies. A movie will get no points from me, if I leave the cinema feeling depressed.
I like HORROR film very much.But i am too much doubtful about kelvin smith’s project.
While I think that this should not be labeled as ‘a horror film’, the first thing that sprang to mind was John Carpenter’s “They Live”, which was more sci-fi than horror, and had a clear satirical tone regarding politics, censorship, and the well off. I consider myself conservative, I attend a non-denominational church that leans towards Pentecostal. Yet I wasn’t put of by They Live, I loved every minute of it.
So if that – or something like that- is on Smith’s agenda, it might be fairly decent. I never fully understood Kevin Smith’s appeal, I think right now he and one of his actors (Elizabeth Banks) in his latest film are making a big stink over having to tone down the ad campaign when they should just knock off the shit and comply with the MPAA and the advertising guidelines.
“”There’s nothing worse in Zack and Miri than there was in (horror film) Saw II, and that got an R rating… If I cut your throat and blood spews all over my face, it’s an R. But if we have a lovely time together and you spew something else on my face, it’s an NC-17.”
Duh.