Red State

Though technically the blu-ray version of this movie does not hit shelves until October 18 (three weeks after it hits theaters on September 25), I saw it fit to backlog it because I just watched it on iTunes. Yes, I don't own it yet, but I do have it pre-ordered.

Because my commute to work ranges from 40-60 minutes on any given day, I had to find a way to fill it. Podcasts seemed a natural fit, and as an avid Kevin Smith fan, I got hooked on the hours and hours of podcasts he has available at smodcast.com. Though his podcasts are quite funny, they come with a price. On every podcast, you have to listen to 7+ minutes of commercials for everything Kevin Smith. Though annoying, as this guy whores himself out for your dollars like no one else in Hollywood (pick up your autographed copy of his Degrassi DVD at http://viewaskewmerch.com/jaysibobdode.html), these commercials also clued me in to the upcoming release of Red State. Suffice to say, I was eagerly awaiting Kevin Smith's first foray outside of the comedy/romantic comedy genre.

Let me just start out by saying that this movie is like nothing else he has ever made (it reminds me of a Quentin Tarantino movie, which isn't surprising, as Smith idolizes that guy). It's not funny, it's not sappy, it doesn't make reference to any of his other movies and it doesn't star Jason Lee, Ben Affleck, Brian O'Halloran or even Jason Mewes. What it is, however, is the best film he has ever made.

Though this movie begins in typical Kevin Smith fashion with graphic sex talk between three teenagers, it is clear early on that the real star of this movie is Abin Cooper (played by Michael Parks). As head of the Cooper family (inspired by the Phelps family, a fanatical Christian clan who pickets gay funerals, etc), he has brainwashed his children and his children's children to believe in a much more vengeful God than we might be used to. He "fear[s] God, you better believe [he] fear[s] God" and because of that, his family does, too. The similarities between the Cooper and the Phelps families end there, as the "Phelps are suers and the Coopers are doers." Whereas the Phelps are armed with protest signs, the Coopers are armed with AK-47s. Though I won't get into much more detail, because I think everyone should go out of their way to see this movie, I will say that the movie gets violent, sometimes disturbingly so.

Surprisingly, the scenes of action and violence in this movie are quite believable (hard to believe considering the same man who directed those scenes directed Dogma). The dialogue is of course spot on. However, perhaps the best aspect of this film is the acting (if you ignore the presence of his wife). Whether it's because Kevin Smith has become a better director (doubtful) or if it's because he is working with trained actors for a change(Michael Parks, Melissa Leo, John Goodman, that girl from 24 who dated Behrooz), I could finally find some of his characters believable and relatable. Still, based on the extreme violence, I don't see this as everyone's cup of tea. But, if you have seen other Kevin Smith movies, I think you owe it to yourself to see this one as well. It's good, really good.