Reel Horror

Kevin Smith has gone back to his daily blog of what he does during the day, as opposed to the mini-essays that he had been posting. Currently, he is passing the first draft of Red State around and the reaction is very interesting.

Jen and I rock the Richard Gere/Andy Garcia psycho-cop drama “Internal Affairs”, during which I spy friend-and-producer Dan Etheridge (he of not only “Veronica Mars” producing fame, but also the voice of Mr. Plug in the “Clerks” cartoon) on iChat. I ask him if he’ll give “Red State” a read, to see if it’s a movie that should be made at all. He obliges, I give him a heads-up on the bleakness of “Red State”, and we make an appointment to chat about it later that evening.

Post “Internal Affairs”, Schwalbach and I head into “Fright Night”. Midway through, Dan pops up on chat again, with his thoughts on the script.

DAN: Well, lordy.
KEVIN: Thoughts?
DAN: I don’t mean this offensively, but I feel like I want to take a shower. All that moral yucch.

We take the convo to the phone for a bit, during which we try to come up with reasons for and against the shooting of “Red State”. Around six, I’ve gotta get off the phone so I can drop Jen off at a dinner with her friend Daniella. I head back to the house, where Malcolm and I spend a bunch of time cracking one another up. Malcolm asks if Dan liked the script. For the answer, I go to the source on chat…

KEVIN: Malcolm wants to know “Did he like the script?” I don’t know if there’s an easy way to answer him.
DAN: there isn’t. though malcolm always gets on me for never giving a yes or a no. obviously, it’s not a bad script. but it’s such a dark trip, that’s it’s hard to come out throwing a parade of adulation. it’s provocative to be sure, and stirs conversation (i’ve been thinking about it since we spoke). but i’m still not sure what conclusion to draw. a good thing? perhaps?
KEVIN: I hate to say this, but isn’t that what art’s supposed to do?
DAN: tis true, which is why i cannot dismiss the moral swamp lightly. but i am still thinking through what exactly i am to take from it. and i don’t mean that in a bad way — but i am not sure i’ve reached my conclusion yet. what does malcolm think?
KEVIN: Malcolm loves it. Which might be a bad sign. He writes…
“that shit stays with you
I’ve thought about it alot
I think my favorite part is the ********** stuff
its so bleak
you have to have no pre-credit sequence
and after the last shot
have the screen go black and fade up on the words
Red State”
DAN: all good notions. it’s a question as to exactly how likeable you want the characters to be coupled with how likeable can you make them given what they do? tricky
KEVIN: Very.
DAN: well, you’d be guaranteed the most divided love it/hate it reviews i think in a long while

I find my lawyer John Sloss on chat and ask him to read “Red State” ASAP so we can talk about what’ll happen if Harvey and Bob decide it’s not marketable enough to make. it’s not marketable enough to make.

Beyond the insite we're getting into how the beginings of movie production comes together, the tidbit that should be taken away is that Red State is not definite at this point at all. At least, not at the Weinstien Company. If they don't think that the flick can be marketed, will Smith take it else where, or even self finance? We'll stay on this story.