Red State

"How much do you think a cross like that cost?"

"In dollars or common sense?"

If Michael Parks doesn't win the Oscar for best actor for his role as the leader of a Westboro Baptist Church-like group of religious, gun toting and homosexual hating worshippers I will either give up watching movies or I will burn down my local multiplex.

Damn, I can't do that. They make the BEST movie house hot dogs EVER.


Parks is absolutely mesmerizing in this controlled role as true believer and leader of his flock. There is never a doubt in my mind that he is in the head man in charge.

Red State unfolds in a small town dominated by a fundamentalist preacher, Abin Cooper. It tells the story of three high school boys who, on their way to an Internet arranged meeting with a woman, end up crossing paths with Cooper. The encounter sets into motion a series of events that causes all hell to break loose.

I think this is Kevin Smith's strongest work. He took a point of view and he resisted all his worse urges and repeated none of his usual directing 'ticks'. I felt that I was seeing the genius of a first time director here. I would never have been able to guess Smith wrote and directed this film. It has the feel of something by Clint Eastwood. I hope Smith has them making his custom tuxedo for the next Oscar telecast. Want to bet he wears those short pants and a tuxedo t-shirt?

John Goodman is terrific as the FBI agent in charge of assaulting the group's compound once a local cop is killed.


This one had me right from the beginning. Yes, it has a point of view but it was my point of view for the most part. Guns, god, government and the certitude of opinion meet in a clusterfuck.

No good decisions made here but that is reality. Despite all the training in the world, there is no guarantee that the right thing will be done when the 'moment' arrives.

I promise you, you have no idea where this one is going. You will either love it or hate it. I loved it. It made me feel and it made me think.

10/10