There will be no Jay. There will be no Silent Bob. There will be no comic book and Star Wars geek in-jokes. The last time Kevin Smith tried to break out of the so-called "Askewniverse", the result was Jersey Girl. This time, he's out to prove he is "a filmmaker" after all.In an interview yesterday with MTV's movie blog, Smith discussed Red State, the horror project which will apparently be his next film after the forthcoming Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Ideally, according to the New Jersey native, moviegoers will come out of the flick not believing that it was actually directed by Kevin Smith:
"If I can pull it off in another genre, maybe I am a filmmaker. If it fails, then I’m a dick and fart joke guy and I should stick to that... There are no laughs in it. It’s straightforward, creepy, unsettling horror. I’m aiming high. I’m aiming at the unsettling ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ kind of vibe. I also want to throw in a little of ‘Race with the Devil’ which is one of my favorite scary flicks."
Smith definitely has the genre cred in terms of knowledge and respect to pull something like this off. The question is, does he have the talent? I love him when he's in his comfort zone, but I still have my doubts. Ever since he backed out of that Green Hornet feature, I've had the feeling he doubts his own abilities as a serious director.
As for the plot of Red State, Smith has stated it has something to do with an extremist far-right wing cult leader in the Midwest (which would account for the title). He was inspired by none other than the notorious Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church run by Fred Phelps of "God Hates Fags" fame.