Kevin Smith has been quite the talking point in the last year. He’s taken on film critics and airlines, and I’m not sure either stance has won him new fans. Hell, Cop Out didn’t even win him the mainstream audience it was supposed to. Instead, it seems his legion of followers has merely entrenched themselves, while the critical community dismisses him.
Can he come back? Or is he destined to simply rant away on SModcast to those that will listen, duck into Hall H every year in San Diego, and make movies no one but his fans see?
I submit to the jury the teaser trailer for Red State, which premiered (where else) on SModcast.
It certainly doesn’t look like the typical Smith film. But it does look like a lot of the grimy hick horror movies we’ve seen in the past few years. And really, is there an easier target than the Bible belt? There’s a whiff of pandering there.
On the other hand, the cast is good, and even if the topic is pandering, there’s potential there.
I give it up to the defendant.