Red State (2011) Movie Review

Kevin Smith (Clerks and Cop Out) who is known for his independent dialogue based comedies, writes and directs this straight up horror genre film. The film follows a group of three teenage boys who seek out to lose their virginity with a woman they met on a website designed for quick hook ups. When the teens arrive for their promised sexual encounter they find a cult of religious bigots willing to murder in the name of God.

Being from the Midwest, I was quite interested to see Smith's interpretation of a religious cult, said to be loosely based on The Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. The Westboro Baptist Church has received much media attention for holding protests at the funerals of soldiers and holding signs that read "God Hates Fags." The cult leader in the film is played wonderfully by Michael Parks (Kill Bill). He gives a long sermon of his churches beliefs that are often cringe inducing. "Red State" feels like a cross between "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and watching the live news feed of the David Koresh lead cult in Waco Texas as it was taken down by the ATF.

When discussing "Red State" it seems that the way Kevin Smith has gotten the film into the hands of his target audience is actually much more interesting then the film itself. Mr. Smith is a director that knows his work isn't for everyone. If "Red State" was given a wide theatrical release then we would fine a lot of theaters with a lot of empty seats. So he came up with a way to make the film readily available to his followers. Smith took the film on tour with him to many of the major cities in the U.S. He showed the film for one night only at each venue,  and discussed it live with the people in attendance at a premium price.  By taking this unorthodox approach he was able to make back the films cost before it ever got a "true" release, so when he decided to release the film to the masses it would be all profit from then on. On September 1st 2011, the film was released through Lionsgate, Video on Demand. By going the Video on Demand route anyone interested in the film could pay ten dollars and watch the movie in the comfort of their living room or on their computers. Finally the "Red State" adventure will end with a Dvd/Bluray release on October 18th 2011, just in time for Halloween.

Now I should address if the film is any good. I find that expectations going into a movie have a large affect on your overall feelings leaving the movie. After waiting the good part of a year for "Red State" to become available for me, I had heard only negative responses to the films actual viewing experience. With this in mind I went into the film expecting nothing. The action was intense, some of the dialogue and acting were interesting, and the film didn't out stay its welcome. It was a good time at the movies, or at home in this case (Video on Demand).

Rating: 7.8/10