Red State 2011

I am a bit confused.  I thought Kevin Smith's new film, Red State, was a horror film.  Turns out it is not horror at all.  It's kind of a drama, sort of a lazy social commentary, resembles a comedy, and aspires to be a thriller.  I am not sure what it is besides awful. 

OK, perhaps I am being a bit harsh.  It's just that I am a little pissed with myself.  I had 2 hours to spare today, and I wasted it on this.  Red State isn't The Thing 2011 awful, but pretty darn close.  It's like there is a good movie in here somewhere, but Kevin Smith is just too past it to draw it out.  The number one problem with the film is that it is boring.

The sermon by Michael Parks (whom I love, don't get me wrong) goes on way to long.  Parks plays Abin Cooper, a Fred Phelps type preacher who hates homosexuals.  Along with his family, Cooper begins to kidnap and kill "sinners", including three horny boys who were hoping to gang-bang one of the churches followers.  Cooper rants and raves against the evil-doers for what feels like forever.  The problem is that there is no passion in this speech, no sense of foreboding, no outrage.  We don't care about the three boys, who really should be dead anyway, and we don't care about the members of the congregation. 

When the ATF shows up and turns the whole thing into a Waco type situation, we don't care then either.  I thought the film was headed in an interesting direction when trumpets started blazing signaling the end of the world, but that turned out to be just more bullshit.  I was so bored with the whole thing I actually started reading The New Yorker.  The New Yorker people!!!

I used to love Kevin Smith.  I love Clerks and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.  I was hoping he would do something really interesting with his first "horror" film.  Problem is, he forgot he was making a horror film.  Badly edited, poorly shot, terrible acting ( I am looking at you John Goodman!  Why agree to do a scene with a bluetooth in your ear?  It's so distracting!!!).  Red State is a failure on all levels.  Now I am going to go do what I should have done with my 2 free hours: catch up on Gossip Girl.