Kevin Smith Drops More Info on Red State

Kevin Smith's dream project, the straightforward horror film Red State, is one of those projects that have been floating around the rumor mill for some time now, with his fans hoping that it will actually come to pass. The director sat down with the folks at Ain't It Cool News today, and touched on it a bit, indicating that in a perfect world, it's what he'd like to be working on soon, now that Zack & Miri Make a Porno is finished up:

"I'm still trying to find money for Red State, though, admittedly, I haven't been looking that hard yet, since it's not something I'm gonna get to till March, the earliest. Early prospects, however, look dim. Problem is, the flick is bleak. Beyond bleak, even. Remember how bleak Dark Knight was? This makes... that flick seem Beverly Hills Chihuahua bleak. Sadly, while the flick's bleaker than Dark Knight, it's also not nearly as good as Dark Knight. Or as commercial... So when you go down the checklist--overtly bleak, unlikable characters making horrible decisions, unhappy ending in which everyone dies, a director of questionable talent who's never worked in this genre before--you can see why folks aren't whipping out their check books."

Very typical of the self-deprecating Smith. And there is some truth to what he says--after 15 years, he still hasn't proven he can make anything other than Jay and Silent Bob movies. Still, the very concept of a Kevin Smith-written and directed horror movie is very intriguing. Hopefully someone has the vision to pony up the dough.

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Are You Ready for a Kevin Smith Horror Movie?

There will be no Jay. There will be no Silent Bob. There will be no comic book and Star Wars geek in-jokes. The last time Kevin Smith tried to break out of the so-called "Askewniverse", the result was Jersey Girl. This time, he's out to prove he is "a filmmaker" after all.

In an interview yesterday with MTV's movie blog, Smith discussed Red State, the horror project which will apparently be his next film after the forthcoming Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Ideally, according to the New Jersey native, moviegoers will come out of the flick not believing that it was actually directed by Kevin Smith:

"If I can pull it off in another genre, maybe I am a filmmaker. If it fails, then I’m a dick and fart joke guy and I should stick to that... There are no laughs in it. It’s straightforward, creepy, unsettling horror. I’m aiming high. I’m aiming at the unsettling ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ kind of vibe. I also want to throw in a little of ‘Race with the Devil’ which is one of my favorite scary flicks."

Smith definitely has the genre cred in terms of knowledge and respect to pull something like this off. The question is, does he have the talent? I love him when he's in his comfort zone, but I still have my doubts. Ever since he backed out of that Green Hornet feature, I've had the feeling he doubts his own abilities as a serious director.

As for the plot of Red State, Smith has stated it has something to do with an extremist far-right wing cult leader in the Midwest (which would account for the title). He was inspired by none other than the notorious Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church run by Fred Phelps of "God Hates Fags" fame.

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