As harmless and light as Kevin Smith’s “Zack and Miri Make A Porno” was, it was also still as inept and sophomoric as anything he’s ever done. We didn’t mind it, it was less annoying than most of his films and rather sweet at times, but we don’t disagree with anything Lisa Schwarzbaum said in her Entertainment Weekly review. She calls the premise “inconsequential and puerile” and says, “a Smith production is always noisy, shambling, and liberally smutty on the outside while conservatively gooey on the inside (and always, proudly, a visual eyesore, as if compositional coherence signifies selling out to the Man).”
Ha, it’s kind of true and Smith doesn’t exactly argue. “I’ve never been accused of being an artist,” he told MTV recently and says with his “Red State” horror he’d like to get back to his “filmmaking roots” (presumably if he actually has them).
Smith gets into the difference between films and movies (something we vehemently agree on, art vs. 90% of what is escapist pap) and says he hopes “Red State” will get him closer to the artistry of filmmaking.
This, to me, is very much a film, ‘Red State.’ ‘Zack and Miri’ is a total movie, totally a fun movie, totally enjoyable, but ‘Red State’ has a lot on its mind . “And I want to get back to my filmmaker roots and make something that’s got a lot on its mind. ‘Red State’ has something on its mind. It’s like a polemic of sorts. I didn’t get into the business to make comedies, even though I do make comedies and that’s what I like. I got in the business to make film, like I’m a filmmaker, and films are full of ideas, and full of outlooks, and full of opinions, and done with artistry or whatnot. I’ve never been accused of being an artist, but that’s chiefly what films are.”
” Full of opinions, and done with artistry or whatnot.” Ha, Smith really articulates doesn’t he? Does the movie-maker even posses the faculties to make a film? It remains to be seen, but he seems to be dead set on trying regardless.
