Taglines: Fear God.
Being driven to school by his mother, Travis (Michael Angarano) notices first a fire station siren being removed from its pole and then members of the Five Points Church, led by Abin Cooper (Michael Parks) protesting the funeral of a local gay teenager who was found murdered. During Travis’ first class, his teacher talks about how Cooper and his church had their town ridiculed for his actions and beliefs.
Later, Jared (Kyle Gallner), a friend of Travis, reveals he received an invitation from a woman he met on a sex site for group sex with himself, Travis and Billy Ray (Nicholas Braun). They borrow Travis’ parent’s car and travel out into the country.
Along the way, they accidentally sideswipe the vehicle of Sheriff Wynan (Stephen Root), while he was engaged in a homosexual affair in his car. Afraid, the boys drive off. Sheriff Wynan returns to the station and tells his deputy Pete (Matt L. Jones) to go and look for the vehicle. Meanwhile, the boys arrive at the trailer of the woman who sent out the invitation, Sarah Cooper (Melissa Leo). She encourages them to drink, and after being drugged by the beer, they pass out while undressing.
Jared wakes up while being moved in a covered cage. He realizes he is in the sanctuary at Five Points after he identifies Cooper. Cooper begins a long, hate-filled sermon before identifying another captive, a homosexual they lured in through an internet chat room. They bind him to a cross using Saran wrap and violently execute him with a revolver and drop him into a small crawl space where Travis and Billy Ray are bound together.
Red State is an American independent horror film written and directed by Kevin Smith, with characters inspired by types of fundamentalist religious organizations. The film stars Michael Parks, John Goodman, Academy Award winner Melissa Leo and Stephen Root. Also co-stars Ralph Garman, Kevin Pollak, Kerry Bishé, Haley Ramm, Kevin Alejandro, Anna Gunn, Michael Angarano, and Nicholas Braun.
About the Production
For months, Smith promised that the rights to the film would be auctioned off to a distributor at a controversial event to be held after its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, but instead Smith purchased the film himself which, according to analysts, “might have been a difficult sale for any distributor.”
Smith originally planned to self-distribute the picture under the “Smodcast Pictures” banner with a traveling show in select cities, before officially releasing the movie on October 19, 2011. Kevin Smith listed Mel Gibson as his inspiration for how he planned to distribute this movie, citing Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ as an example of a successfully self-distributed movie.
Kevin Smith announced at the Wizard World Chicago 2006 convention that his next project would move in a different direction, and it would be a straight horror film. In April 2007, Smith revealed the title of the movie to be Red State and said that it was inspired by infamous pastor Fred Phelps, or as Smith claimed, “very much about that subject matter, that point of view and that position taken to the absolute extreme. It is certainly not Phelps himself but it’s very much inspired by a Phelps (like) figure.” The first draft was finished in August 2007 with Smith wanting to film it before Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Setting it apart from the majority of his other films, Smith has made it clear that Red State is a horror film, stating that there will be no toilet humor in the film.
While speaking at a Q&A event in London on October 13, 2009, Kevin Smith stated that funding had been secured for Red State but he is more of the mindset to proceed with Hit Somebody and hold Red State off for a year. Another reason which was also cited was a superstition he holds around dying after his tenth movie, and not wanting to leave an “unpleasant, nasty” film as his last. In February 2010, he talked about his project with CINSSU, saying that the project is currently working out financial challenges and he had also considered obtaining funding through investments from his many loyal fans but this idea was later dropped.
Film producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein, who had been involved in the distribution of all Kevin Smith films with the exception of Mallrats and Cop Out, passed on supporting Red State with necessary funding. The budget was provided from two main private investor groups that raised the $4 million, one based in New York, one in Canada.
Red State
Directed by: Kevin Smith
Starring: Melissa Leo, John Goodman, Michael Angarano, Kyle Gallner, Stephen Root, Ronnie Connell, Anna Gunn, Catherine McCord, Alexa Nikolas
Screenplay by: Kevin Smith
Production Design by: Cabot McMullen
Cinematography by: David Klein
Film Editing by: Kevin Smith
Costume Design by: Beth Pasternak
Set Decoration by: Dorit Hurst
Art Direction by: Susan Bolles
MPAA Rating: R for strong violence / disturbing content, some sexual content including brief nudity, and pervasive language.
Studio: Lionsgate Films
Release Date: September 25, 2011
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