Movies
Comic-Con ’11: More on Kevin Smith’s ‘Red State’ Panel
Just because our fearless leader Mr Disgusting likes Kevin Smith about as much as Southwest Airlines, that doesn’t mean the rest of the Bloody Disgusting crew share his resent-iment. And by the rest, I mean me. The filmmaker garnered a huge fan response at Comic Con on Saturday when he packed out Hall H at Comic Con for his annual Q&A and sneak peek at his horror flick Red State (review).
As well as showing a five-minute death scene and discussing the Westboro Baptists Church-inspired villains, Smith talked about his partner’s involvement in the flick. His wife of 10 years, Jennifer Schwalbac, has appeared in several of Smith’s films, mostly as a villain. Her cameo as a gun-wielding religious fundamentalist in ‘Red State’ was no exception, but Smith said this time he saw her darker side.
“She’s not anti-gun but she’s very gun control,” he said.
“So I was like ‘you’ve got to go train and shot some automatic weaponry and then we’ll talk and figure out how to frame it (the shot).’
“I came back on set and she hadn’t come back yet. All of lunch happens, I go shoot another scene and she’s still not back.
“Later I’m sitting in the trailer and Jen comes in through the doorway with that light set up behind her and she’s just got that fucked walked to her.
“She has a cigarette in her and is leaning in the doorway and I ask, ‘where were you?’
“She’s like ‘shooting guns.’ `(Smith:) ‘Did you like it?’ And she goes ‘oh, too much. It was like a vibrator shooting bullets.”
Smith said Jennifer’s scene in the film is one of his favorites because “I get to see her fire automatic weaponry at the Government over a cross.”
“I’m like, ‘that’s fucking hot!”
‘Red State’ plays a two week run at Quentin Tarantino’s New Beverly Cinema, Los Angeles next month and stars John Goodman, Kyle Gallner, Michael Angarano and Melissa Leo. Smith also said he’s preparing to take out full-page ads to make sure “Goodman in particular” and some of the other key cast members have the best possible shot come awards scene.
Movies
‘Boorman and the Devil’ Documentary Trailer Chronicles Complicated Relationship with ‘Exorcist II’
Critically acclaimed documentary Boorman and the Devil chronicles how one of the world’s greatest filmmakers made one of the most hated movies ever: Exorcist II: The Heretic. A new trailer highlighting some of the troubled production woes has arrived.
Boorman and the Devil opens at The Quad in NYC on August 28 before opening wider in various cities on September 4, including: Los Angeles, Columbus, Houston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Seattle and more.
After the success of Point Blank and Deliverance, Warner Brothers offered John Boorman the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to direct a sequel to their smash hit, The Exorcist. The result was one of the biggest disasters in movie history. A critical and financial failure that not only changed how Hollywood did business, but nearly ended Boorman’s filmmaking career… but to be an artist is to be a risk-taker.
Now, John Boorman, Linda Blair, Louise Fletcher, Karyn Kusama, Joe Dante, Mike Flanagan, and more reflect back on the ambition of the film, the artistry and craft, and the value of big creative swings.
“I am beyond thrilled that Yellow Veil has come on board to help us share this story with a larger audience,” said director David Kittredge. “Like myself and the rest of our team, they’re huge cinema-lovers. It’s so exciting that a film which is not only a love letter to John Boorman, but also to ambitious filmmaking, will be handled by people who share the same passions that our team shares.”
“I first saw the film at an early festival screening and the post-screening buzz was just electric. Everyone was loving Boorman and the Devil,” added Yellow Veil co-founder Justin Timms. “To be able to team up with David and the filmmaking team on this release is incredibly exciting, and we can’t wait to spread that post-screening electricity with audiences across the country.”
Boorman and the Devil is produced by Kittredge’s Triple Fire Productions, Travis Stevens (Jodorowsky’s Dune, Starry Eyes) of Snowfort Pictures, and Jim Fall (The Lizzie McGuire Movie), with Alan Koenigsberg of Milton Ventures Media serving as co-producer.
Daniel Kurland wrote in his review, “Boorman and the Devil goes above and beyond to be the definitive text on Exorcist II. This documentary will delight horror and Exorcist fans alike, but it also provides incredible insight for anyone who is just marginally interested in film production.”