Red State directed by Kevin Smith

Red State is a complete 180 for Kevin Smith. Unlike anything he has done before, Red State is a hybrid thriller/action/horror flick with very little humour. It stars Michael Parks, John Goodman and Melissa Leo and (unlike Cop Out) is written by Smith. Low Budget, well acted and intense, Red State was exactly what I expected; A fairly decent thrill ride that, like most of Smith's body of work sits on the fence between being okay and being great.

After Smith worked as a director for hire on Cop Out, he returns to writing, producing, editing and directing with this film. And like much of his work, it is the dialogue that really stands out.  The story concerns 3 teenage boys who find a woman online who is prepared to sleep with them no questions asked. They show up, get drugged and wake up to find themselves captured by a devout religious cult hell bent on sending sinners to the grave.  The first five minutes are actually rather funny and could really fit into the rest of the Kevin Smith oeuvre but once the boys arrive at the woman's house the humour becomes minimal and the violence and terror begins.  The last third of the film shy's away from the terror and the humour and seems to become an action film.  And after all this, the very last scene and moment before the credits roll, makes the viewer laugh.

Like I said it is the dialogue that stands out, and this is very apparent every time Michael Parks appears on screen. His maniacal religious beliefs, his love for his family and his murderous rage all come out in a pitch perfect performance that not only holds the film together but is the main reason why the film and the emotions the viewer feels works so well. The other performances in the film come off pretty well too, but Parks outshines everybody including the very talented Melissa Leo.

There are times in Red State where the editing could of been a little tighter. Already a short film, clocking in at just shy of 90 minutes, it could of benefited from maybe being 5 minutes shorter.  A few too long speeches and a somewhat over long third act make the film less affecting than it otherwise could be. Smith`s direction is solid, not award worthy, but a hell of a lot better than his last film and considering he`s working out of his element here, in a genre he`s never touched before, he does a fairly good job. The film looks good, is sharply filmed and has some good production design but as a whole it feels slightly cheaper and more lacking than it should.

After some heavy deliberation I found that this is caused by the sound and music of the film.   The music tracks selected for the film work well, but the score is minimalist and leaves the viewer with nothing. Nothing while watching the film and an even bigger nothing when it ends. The sound design to is not anything to write home about. It works fine in the film but it just doesn`t have any `oomph`. Things just happen, sounds just happen and there is no flare to any of the sound design in regards to the special effects, dialogue and music. This kind of sound design is much better suited to the type of films Smith has made in the past.

With that said, there is still much to enjoy in Red State. If you like horror movies (although this film is not a flat out horror) then you`ll like this film. If you like Kevin Smith and know anything about him then you`ll like this film. It`s not fantastic, but it`s most definitely worth a viewing or two.

Film Rating: 69%

Breakdown (How Red State scored 69%):

Production Design: 7 out of 10
Cinematography: 6 out of 10
Re-playability: 7 out of 10
Originality: 7 out of 10
Costumes: 7 out of 10
Directing: 7 out of 10
Editing: 7 out of 10
Acting: 8 out of 10
Music: 6 out of 10
Script: 7 out of 10

Cop Out directed by Kevin Smith

When I saw Cop Out in the theatres I was terribly disappointed. Now after watching Kevin Smith's first eight films, I thought to myself 'maybe Cop Out will be better than I remember it'. After all, I did like Dogma more so than I did the first time. So after watching it again I can tell you that it did not improve and was still the dull, boring, painfully unfunny and terribly directed movie that I remember seeing those many months ago.

What went wrong with Cop Out. It was directed by Smith, who usually does, if not a great job, a passable job and it stars Bruce Willis and Tracey Morgan as cops trying to bust a drug kingpin. This premise and talent alone should of made for a half decent movie, but instead we are left with nothing more than bad humour, bad acting and terrible directing.

Let's start with the script. For the first time Smith has directed a film not written by himself and what a lame script he has chosen to do. The humour that is ever so present in his previous films has disappeared. Instead we get lame jokes, bad mugging for the camera and a barrage of unfunny material that actually thinks it's funny. Tracey Morgan, in 107 minutes is maybe funny in five.  The only funny character and funny moments come from Sean William Scott, who is only in the film for maybe ten minutes and even then they aren't laugh out loud funny. Mallrats, although not a great film, was at least hilarious. The story itself is fairly weak and for a buddy cop movie, it's fairly light on action and humour and it doesn't delve into any areas we haven't seen before. It's predictable and juvenile, it's full of plot holes, and it's got a rather lame ending that doesn't deliver on what comes before.

The actors in this film you would hope would deliver but they don't.Willis is tame and basically phones in his performance and Morgan gives a performance that will keep him on the small screen rather than the silver screen for years to come.  Populated with mostly TV stars in supporting roles the film feels like a TV movie. And why hire Kevin Pollack in a comedy if he's not going to make jokes? What's the point in that.

But the worst thing about Cop Out, worse than the acting and worse than the script and worse than the music which sounds like a cheap knock off of the Beverly Hills Cop theme, is the direction. Smith, who I never felt was a great director is done an absolutely terrible job here. Most scenes aren't put together well and there are some scenes, like the interrogation scene, that feel like each actor was filmed at different times and then hastily edited together. And the action scenes, especially the car chase are some of the most poorly filmed and boring action scenes I have ever laid eyes on.  Smith is no action director, and apparently, if he doesn't write the script he is no director at all.


Film Rating: 44%

Breakdown (How Cop Out scored 44%):

Production Design: 6 out of 10
Cinematography: 5 out of 10
Re-playability: 3 out of 10

Originality: 5 out of 10
Costumes: 6 out of 10

Directing: 4 out of 10

Editing: 4 out of 10

Acting: 5 out of 10
Music: 3 out of 10
Script: 3 out of 10

Zack and Miri Make a Porno directed by Kevin Smith

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (ZAMP) is the eighth film from Kevin Smith and the second film (after Jersey Girl) that doesn't play into the universe or characters that he created and used in all his previous films (Jersey Girl withstanding).  This film, is raunchy, funny, sweet and enjoyable. At the same time it is is full of cheesy sentiment, jokes revolving around shit and an incredible amount of swearing, for no other reason except to be foul.

ZAMP stars Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks in the leads, and Jason Mewes and Craig Robinson in supporting roles.  As usual Mewes is great in his role as a dimwitted guy who gets casted in the porno of said title.  Banks and Rogen fair well together and have great chemistry on the screen but it is Robinson who ends up stealing the picture under everybody's noses (Justin Long appears in a brief cameo that comes close to being the funniest scene in the movie). Robinson, of The Office fame, is comedy gold in ZAMP.  He is laugh out loud funny, and everyone pales in comparison to him including the usual scene stealer himself, Seth Rogen.

The story concerns two roommates who are down on their luck and down on funds. One night they decide to make a porn film to help make ends meet.  What ensues is a barrage of sex jokes, nudity and foul language that works for the most part, but leaves the viewer feeling a little empty by the time the credits role. Smith, who usually writes incredible dialogue and original story ideas seems to have lost a bit of his magic touch here. ZAMP is still really funny, and scattered throughout the film are some great one-liners and stellar dialogue that Smith is famous for, but for the most part the jokes and the storyline follow a conventional and unoriginal path. The porn titles that Rogen and Banks and other cast members go through are nothing that haven't been said before or used  a thousand times in similar contexts and the final title that they come up with (for their first porno attempt) is just weak.

And then there are the expected shit, ass and penis jokes that Smith seems to always feel the need to put in his movies. Unlike Clerks (1 and 2), Dogma and his other films, Smith's predilection for this type of humour works much better in ZAMP. Not to say they aren't gross or juvenile, but these jokes fit much better into the subject matter. Porn works much better for this kind of humour than say religion ala Dogma.

And even though the film is enjoyable, and funny and keeps you watching from start to finish, there is an air of predictability to the story. You can see the ending coming a mile away and are left with a feeling of been there, done that. That is to say, when the final credits role you feel as though you haven't really seen anything new. That's because Smith's writing is usually sharp, smart and authentic but in ZAMP for the most part it comes off as just the opposite.

The production design is pretty good for this film. Sets look real, outsides feel cold, and costumes look good, especially the Star Wars themed porn film props and costumes.  The music is unmemorable and as I write this review I can't remember a single musical cue.  Smith's direction is fairly solid and you can see he has come along way since Clerks. (student film like) and the poorly directed Mallrats. The editing is pretty good too, making the movie progress at a steady pace, but a few scenes could of been a little tighter.

ZAMP is a funny film. It's chock full of sex and nudity and funny performances and it's got a touching and sweet resolution if somewhat cheesy and conventional.  This doesn't rank up there as a great film, or even as a great Kevin Smith film but if you are a fan of his, or a fan of raunchy humour, I could think of worse ways to spend an hour and forty minutes

Film Rating: 68%

Breakdown (How Zack and Miri Make a Porno scored 68%):

Production Design: 7 out of 10
Cinematography: 7 out of 10
Re-playability: 7 out of 10

Originality: 7 out of 10
Costumes: 7 out of 10

Directing: 7 out of 10

Editing: 7 out of 10

Acting: 7 out of 10
Music: 6 out of 10
Script: 6 out of 10

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Clerks II directed by Kevin Smith

After making a slight departure with Jersey Girl, Kevin Smith returns to the world he created, and the film that got him noticed with Clerks II.  Featuring most of the cast from the original film, a bigger budget and the same solid writing that has encapsulated all his previous films, Clerks II fares a lot better than one would expect.

Not the greatest film in the Smith cannon,  Clerks II is still a fun watch with some hilarious and outrageous scenes that need to be seen to believed.  In a return to his early style (Clerks., Mallrats and Chasing Amy), Clerks II is based around characters standing around and talking. Unlike the original film though, the sequel has more of a story than before.  Both Dante and Randall are back, but this time they are older (maybe a little wiser) and are working at a fast food joint rather than a convenience store. Their characters move through a story that gives them more to do than spout off insults and jokes and allows the viewers the chance to feel something for the characters and understand them better than they did before.

The acting is, like Clerks, okay by the two leads, but Rosario Dawson outshines everyone in her role and makes it hard pressed for anyone not to fall in love with her.  She really does light up the screen every time she appears and makes for a great character to play against both Dante and Randall.  And as usual, Smith has littered his film with cameos from people like Wanda Sykes, Ben Affleck and Jason Lee.

While not a original as Clerks. (how can it be being a sequel for one thing and being 12 years after the original for another), Clerks II is still really funny and will have you laughing from the opening credits to the end credits.  Star Wars vs. Lord of the Rings, a welcome return for Jay and Silent Bob, and a donkey make for some uproarious scenes that rival the first film for more quotable and memorable scenes. And again, unlike Clerks., the sequel contains a couple moments (not many) of drama that makes for a more well rounded arc than said original.

The editing is a lot tighter than Clerks. and rightfully making the film feel a lot more professional than the original. Shot in colour, using more than one location, strong camera movements, a musical number and a few special effects makes Clerks II a stronger film in those regards than Clerks. but the script overall isn't as original, funny or clever as it's predecessor.  Smith does a great job behind the scenes of this film, showing what a strong confident director he has become over the years, and although he still wouldn't be considered an award winning director, he has learned to handle all aspects of the production quite well since his beginnings as a director.

Film Rating: 70%

Breakdown (How Clerks II scored 70%):

Production Design: 7 out of 10
Cinematography: 7 out of 10
Re-playability: 7 out of 10

Originality: 6 out of 10
Costumes: 6 out of 10

Directing: 7 out of 10

Editing: 8 out of 10

Acting: 7 out of 10
Music: 7 out of 10
Script: 8 out of 10