Kevin Smith’s Red State and the importance of filmmaking quality control.

Kevin Smith, if nothing else, has fantastic marketing skills. He knows how to play his audience and I think he does this genuinely. He cares deeply about his fans and wants to make good movies, podcasts, and Q and As.

What I don’t think he really cares about is being filthy rich and getting critical reception. Well, I’m sure he cares a bit more about the latter elements then he leads on. Who wouldn’t?

Recently he premiered Red State out of competition at Sundance. I’ve always though that Kevin Smith is not the best filmmaker in the world, something he’s admitted himself. (Not that I think so, but that he isn’t a great filmmaker..grammer)

Moreover, the premiere was the spectacle everyone expected.

First off, the dude proclaimed his “auction” shit was just a fun little ploy to get some interest in the film. Okay, cool.

Then he claimed that he was going to buy the film himself and distribute it himself. There was also a protest at the premiere from whom I’m assuming was the Phelps family. Who famously show up at soldiers’ funerals and say god killed him/her because America allows homosexuals in our country.

Which is odd because America is actually one of most conservative industrialized countries in regards to homosexuality.

Moreover, Smith proposed that he would be buying the film himself and distributing it throughout the country and using his dick-to-ass relationship with his fans and peers to make it money. He calls it something like Independent 2.0. I like the spirit, but know in my heart it won’t work with anybody but celebrity filmmakers. That is just the reality of it.

Distribution networks, marketing , and nation-wide tours are pricey. That is to say, maybe he’s inventing something new? I don’t know the details, but maybe he’ll charge 50 bucks or something and do a Q and A appearance at all his showings. Or a podcast. Or something different. The movie cost four million so how did he buy it for almost nothing? Who approved this style of distribution? Fuck if I know. He’ll be releasing the movie nationally at the end of the year, but isn’t this all just too extreme? Ugh, I don’t get it.

It can’t work for anyone else but him; it just can’t. The average viewer doesn’t give a fuck about the politics of filmmaking. They want to go to dinner, hit the movie theater, see a lot of special effects, and hopefully catch a blow job on the way home. Fact.

They don’t care about an independent movement. American distribution is in the crapper and, indeed, other avenues have to be explored because between 3-D, exploding budgets, the digital age, widespread piracy, and Netflix, something is going to give. Independent films are getting worse because the cost of filmmaking is going down and the market is full of the product.

It would be like if the cost of starting a football team went down to fifty grand. You know how much shitty football would be happening? There is a reason the NFL players/staff make millions and there is a reason filmmakers and studios make a lot of money: because they pull the most talented people in the world.

Yes, the system is flawed, but quality control has to exist. It HAS to. Take a look through Netflix sometime at a few of the lesser known films made on shoe-string budgets. They fucking suck. They’re not even movies. I like a lot of them, but you certainly won’t. Even Paranormal Activity is almost unwatchable.  And Mumblecore, who the hell thought Mumblecore was a good idea? Maybe I’ll write a whole article about Mumblecore.

My point here is while Smith’s enthusiasm is fun. But his movie has to be great to make this work. Something in my gut tells me it isn’t going to be. And not many directors want want to distribute a film themselves. They want to sell it for profit and go hide in a closet for a few months.  Online distribution is a great idea, but then you have the piracy issue that has destroyed so many films.

The road for independents in America looks very, very grim. I don’t imagine Smith has the solution.

-Collin