¡QUÉ HORROR! 2012
Candidate # 3

RED STATE
(January 2011)


Given that the last Kevin Smith film I enjoyed without having any major issues with it was Chasing Amy, and still holding out the hope that he could once again win me over, it was with a generous amount of curiosity that I looked forward to checking out Red State, considering that it was also going to be his first “horror movie,” something that appeared to be way out of his comfort zone. (As evidenced below on the final one-sheet, it is billed as “An Unlikely Film From That Kevin Smith.”)
Of course, by the time I finally got around to having the opportunity to see it, the whole “I’ll sell the distribution rights, oh no, let me buy them instead for a negligible fee” auction thing came and went, and it had also just been announced that the film had taken home the Best Motion Picture award at Sitges 2011, where Michael Parks (who plays cult leader Abin Cooper) was also awarded Best Actor.
Well, not having yet seen some of its other Sitges competition, I can’t really say whether I agree with its Best Motion Picture win, but I will say that it’s a very good film, quite possibly the most accomplished one of Smith’s career.*

It’s always been evident that Smith has very strong and pointed opinions about everything from geek culture to religion, a characteristic made even more evident from his appearances outside of his own film work, and while I’ve always been fond of his smaller, more intimate films like his debut feature Clerks and Chasing Amy, in Red State, he delivers a caustic tale of (as the headings under which he divides his cast’s names in the end credits roll indicate) sex, religion, and politics.
The fact that the events of Red State kick off with three horny high school kids just looking for some sex should have put me off this one; I think I’ve mentioned it in these parts before, that I have very little sympathy for film characters who wind up in deep doodoo because of sheer stupidity. Instead, Smith succeeds in drawing me into his film and keeps me there for the duration. Sure these kids are dumb and horny, but what happens to them is simply our way into the story, and it’s a grim, disquieting one.

And not only is Red State the best-looking Smith film I’ve seen (Smith on edits; DP, David Klein, who’s shot most of Smith’s films, including the Reaper pilot), it also sports the best cast Smith has ever assembled, with John Goodman; Kevin Pollak; Oscar, SAG, and Independent Spirit Award winner, Melissa Leo; the Sitges winner, Parks; and Stephen Root. There are also other familiar faces in this like Kevin Alejandro (as with Root, a True Blood alumnus), Buffy alumnus Marc Blucas, and younger, recognizable actors, like Kyle Gallner and Michael Angarano. In a fun bit of casting, Smith also ropes in noted casting director Deborah Aquila (instrumental in casting shows like Dexter and The Shield, and films like The Mist, One Hour Photo, and Sex, Lies, and Videotape) for a small role.

If you think Smith is only about raunchy, potty-mouthed comedy, then give Red State a look. It’s mean and nasty, but it certainly proves that Smith can step away from his comfort zone and deliver the goods.


* I have yet to see both Jersey Girl and Cop Out, so, for all I know, either of these films could whup Red State’s a$$ from here to Timbuktu and back.
Or not.

(Red State OS’ courtesy of bloody-disgusting.com and impawards.com.)

THR3E
(Review)

Based on the Ted Dekker novel and directed by Robby Henson, Thr3e opens with a prologue introducing us to police psychologist Jennifer Peters (Justine Waddell), who is being terrorized by the Riddle Killer, a serial loony who’s taken offense to Peters’ writing.
Ending with the prerequisite tragedy which will ensure the character’s investment in the subsequent narrative, this opening sequence gives way to seminary student Kevin Parson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Marc Blucas), whose thesis on the nature of evil is nearly overdue. Just when he’s about to get cracking on it though, he is inexplicably targeted by the Riddle Killer, who blows up Parson’s car to prove he means business.
We then quickly make the acquaintance of Parson’s teenhood friend and sweetheart, Samantha Sheer (Laura Jordan), and his aunt, Belinda (Three’s Company’s Priscilla Barnes) and her terminally dysfunctional household, as the film steadily gets into gear and moves towards its marginally effective climax (whose plot twist may or may not grab you, depending on how closely you’re paying attention, and how familiar you are with this type of psychological thriller).
And given the presence of that last minute plot twist, it’s clear that this is the kind of movie that hinges entirely on whether that curve ball works for you. Personally, I thought it was handled a lot better here than in other films (Hide and Seek, for one).
It is, however, a success both qualified and relative.

The effectiveness of Thr3e’s climax is compromised by a number of things.
Firstly, there is no art at all to the narrative structure, and the proceedings are riddled with awkwardly placed flashbacks.
The flashbacks are then made even more problematic by terrible performances from the supporting cast playing the younger versions of some of Thr3e’s main characters.
Wince-worthy performances can also be found amongst much of the rest of the supporting cast, including Waddell and Barnes. When the Riddle Killer (whose voice distorter gimmick comes off as a lame rip-off from far superior grandmasters like Scream’s Ghostface and Saw’s Jigsaw) calls Peters a bad cop who wrote a bad book, he neglected to mention, “Oh, and by the by, you’re a bad actress too.”
Barnes meanwhile, acquits herself far better in Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield (reviewed here: Archive March 2007). As Thr3e’s loony Belinda, she’s mostly borderline burlesque, as are the other members of the nuthouse she calls home. Here, the dysfunction feels more contrived than authentic, again diluting the potency of the story’s climax.

Beyond the bland storytelling and the largely questionable performances, there is also the particular problem of having a climax that by its very nature, has to be talky, as opposed to one characterized by action. Even if you didn’t see the plot twist coming (and you can, if you take careful note of the peculiarities of how some characters act), it’s still a distracting thing to be conscious of the fact that, Boy, these are some Chatty Patties, huh? (And when one of the characters is played by Bill Moseley, who on occasion sounds like Tom Gottlieb—who does VO work for You Don’t Know Jack and trashy reality dating show, The Fifth Wheel—the distraction level gets pretty high.)
There are also some details that aren’t even addressed, such as how Kevin’s stalker became so knowledgeable about explosive devices. (Of course, I guess all that was required is a copy of The Anarchist’s Cookbook, but I would have appreciated a mention at the very least.)

Fortunately, there are a couple of good things to write home about. Laura Jordan as Sam is possibly the best actress in the lot, and Blucas is at least tolerable as the film’s protagonist. Though they don’t completely make up for the majority of bad performances in Thr3e, they at least go a long way to making sure the audience isn’t constantly groaning and rolling its eyes in exasperation.

Ultimately, Thr3e is not as bad as many of the other psychological thrillers of its ilk, though it could have been significantly more effective had the direction and acting been given more attention.

Parting shot: Thr3e is from FoxFaith, Twentieth Century Fox’s faith-based division handling the company’s “growing portfolio of morally-driven, family-friendly programming,” their tagline: “Films You Can Believe In.”
It’s funny though, the fact that Home Alone and Home Alone 2 are part of that portfolio.

(Thr3e OS courtesy of wildaboutmovies.com.)