CON: The Kevin Smith Q&A with a dash of Red State!

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

It’s become a tradition for me to end my stay at Comic Con with a lengthy dose of Silent Bob in Hall H before I go get shit-faced one last time. The dude just flat-out entertains me. I want to listen to him talk about anything and everything under the sun and he never ever seems to disappoint. As you’ll see in the summary below, this year seemed a little more focused as audience members wanted to know more about RED STATE, HIT SOMEBODY, and Smodcast Internet Radio than they did what it’s like to corn-hole his wife. But he still covered that just for fun. Thanks for having another year go out with a bang, Lunchbox.

-Kev started the evening talking about how geeked he was to host the STAR TREK Captain’s Panel earlier at the convention, and even more so because he absolutely love STAR TREK IV and he got to say “Double dumb-ass on you” to William Shatner. He blames his love for the movie on the fact that he’s obsessed with whales and then dropped the first of 700 self-deprecating fat jokes over the next two hours.

-He announces that he’s brought footage of RED STATE but is unable to play it because Hall H doesn’t have a Blu-ray player. This is strange for two reasons: 1. Why does he carry around a five minute clip of the film on a Blu-ray disc and 2. How is it possible Hall H doesn’t have a Blu-ray player?!? Anyway, he tells anybody that has access to a player and can bring it in before the panel is over will get to hang out backstage with him, Patrick Stewart, and a huge pile of blow. I check my pockets and realize what a weird moment this is.

-While we wait for somebody to go buy a PS3 talk turns to his latest passion, Smodcast Internet Radio. He says there is an unbeatable immediacy when it comes to telling stories on a podcast compared to the years it takes for one of his films to ever get made. And since he’s a much better talker than he is a filmmaker, it seems natural to him to stop making movies and focus entirely on the radio station.

-He records podcasts 6 hours a day in the studio located in his living room. Among the things he’s hoping the station to expand with are scripted radio plays, a audio sequel to CHASING AMY, his long-talked about RANGER DANGER AND THE DANGER RANGERS, a new company called Pod Book that will transcribe any and all podcasts into book form, more Smodimations (short cartoons based on random show discussions between him and Scott Mosier), and two TV shows. One of those shows would be based on S.I.R.’s Tell’em Steve Dave, a reality based show that takes place in a comic book store (the New Jersey Secret Stash). Part ‘Pawn Stars’, part ‘Hoarders”, but all about comics. Apparently AMC is considering it.

Somebody finally shows up with a Blu-ray player and Kev steps aside for a clip. There’s an added text message exclusively for Comic Con that opens the footage that politely asks the audience not to bootleg the video. And that they shouldn’t bootleg any video….. unless it of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. In fact, the message continues, if anybody has any more bootleg footage of that Bane-Batman fight that Kev would suck their dick to watch it. The whole message goes on for about three minutes and has the crowd doubled over i their seats.

-The clip opens up with Travis (Michael Angarano) trying to escape a old farmhouse while being chased by a bunch of filthy red-necks. As he exits the house we get to meet two federal agents (John Goodman & Kevin Pollack) and the local sheriff (Stephen Root). Goodman owns every second he’s has in this clip. After he takes a megaphone and asks the owners of the house to lay down their weapons and come out there is a long silent wait. As soon as the cops start to talk one of them has the left side of his head blow off by Michael Parks and there is an extended gun fight. The clip ends with that image below,m after she crawls out of the house and tells one of the cops that there’s kids inside.

-It seems almost impossible that this five minutes of film was directed by Kevin Smith. It’s dramatic, intense, scary, exciting, wonderfully acted, and near perfect in every aspect. I’ve had a lot of fun with Kevin Smith films over the years but never because of any of those reasons I just listed. To make matters even stranger, Smith tells us it was shot by the same dude that shot CLERKS. I literally have no idea what’s going on at this point. Kelly Brook could come sit on my lap and I would still be trying to comprehend the words coming out of Smith’s mouth at this point. Okay, I’m going a little overboard. It looked good.

-RED STATE comes out on VOD on September 1st and hits shelves in October. He’s still touring with the film and insists that he watches the film at every stop. You can tell he’s really proud of the film and even prouder that the film has already made a profit with no marketing, no studios, and that it’s most definitely paved the way for his next, and final, film, HIT SOMEBODY.

-Speaking of….. HIT SOMEBODY will start shooting early 2012 in Detroit (the location was part of the deal when he got the rights from Mitch Albom). The film, about a minor hockey player trying to make in the WHA, is to be narrated by Alan Rickman and Smith hopes to include everyone he ever worked with in the film. Everyone. While the film will not be self-financed (as RED STATE was) he does plan on publishing the entire script this fall in some sort of experimental public workshop to shape the film. I’m not sure I fully understand this whole process as I find it obvious that something like this can backfire in more ways than one.

-Overall I had another good time ending my trip with the big fella (who’s apparently lost 70 pounds) and found myself incredibly pumped to check out RED STATE in the Fall. So special props to the dude that brought the Blu-ray player. Hope you enjoyed the coverage this year, folks. I’m out.