Listen, I can see why people didn't like Cop Out. It was cheesy, cliche, and predictable... but I counter that it was supposed to be. That's exactly what Smith wanted to make: An 80's cop/buddy comedy that hearkened back to the days of Lethal Weapon & Beverly Hills Cop. Was it as funny as it could have been? Probably not. Was it as good as all of other Smith's movies? Nope. But they all can't be the best. If you are gonna rank a guys work, something has to be at the top, some in the middle, and some at the bottom. If not, then you don't have a ranking. So I will accept the overall failure of Cop Out, but look optimistically forward to Smith's next release...
Red State is a horror type film that will star Michael Parks (Sheriff Earl McGraw from Death Proof, Planet Terror, Kill Bill & From Dusk Til Dawn) as a rouge preacher in the vein of Fred Phelps (a real life creep) and his terrorizing of a small town through fear, extreme fundamentalism and propaganda. It sounds creepy as shit, and also features Kevin Pollack, John Goodman, and Melissa Leo. The film just wrapped shooting, and Smith already had a first cut edit ready to show the cast at the wrap party. This is Kevin's style, he edits while he shoots... but this is highly unorthodox. But since he is so meticulous and hard working, he will probably make his goal of having it ready for this years Sundance Festival (it needs to be complete in 2 months for submission). I am really looking forward to this film. The poster looks cool, and the story sounds solid. Let's see if Smith can conjure up some of his older film's magic... Snootchie Bootches, Bitches!!!!
