Although it was initially suspected that it would be a slasher film, it is actually more like an action thriller. The horror is derived from real life hatred and the violence that people are capable of committing. Also unlike most slasher films, all violence and death in Red State is done with firearms. The movie however does feature numerous horror genre tropes where comparisons can be made between it and The Devil's Rejects and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
It is not based on an actual story but is inspired but various real life events. The Five Points Church is loosely based on the real-life Topeka, Kansas church/cult Westboro Baptist Church. The villain Abin Cooper is a composite of Fred Phelps, Jim Jones, David Koresh and other leaders of religious cults. The events of the story are also quite similar to the Branch Davidian tragedy in Waco, Texas in 1993.
During the shootout with the ATF and Five Points Church, the congregation's children are hidden in the attic. Later the teenage church member Cheyenne tells them to escape out the back and they are not seen in the film again. During many of Kevin Smith's Q&A appearances for the film he has said that if you listen to the background audio there is the sound of children screaming in the distance soon after the scene when Cheyenne and Jared are killed. Smith said he intentionally chose not to reveal the exact fate of the children.
Kevin Smith's first drafted ending for Red State was to have the climactic shootout at the church end when the true apocalypse begins: Trumpet blasts herald from the sky which turns blood red and is filled with angels, one of which impales Pastor Cooper with a flaming sword. Given the film's $5,000 special effects budget this ending was logistically impossible yet elements of it inspired the film's final ending.
No. This movie is a stand alone story. It does not contain (ex: Jay and Silent Bob) any characters or overt references to previous Kevin Smith films.
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- How long is Red State?1 hour and 28 minutes
- When was Red State released?January 23, 2011
- What is the IMDb rating of Red State?6.1 out of 10
- Who stars in Red State?
- Who wrote Red State?
- Who directed Red State?
- Who was the producer of Red State?
- Who was the executive producer of Red State?
- Who was the cinematographer for Red State?
- Who was the editor of Red State?
- Who are the characters in Red State?Travis, Mrs. Vasquez, Billy-Ray, Randy, Dana, Route 9 Friend, Jarod, Deputy Pete, Travis' Father, Jesse, and others
- What is the plot of Red State?Set in Middle America, a group of teens receive an online invitation for sex, though they soon encounter fundamentalists with a much more sinister agenda.
- What was the budget for Red State?$4 million
- How much did Red State earn at the worldwide box office?$1.87 million
- How much did Red State earn at the US box office?$1.1 million
- What is Red State rated?R
- What genre is Red State?Action, Crime, Horror, and Thriller
- How many awards has Red State won?3 awards
- How many awards has Red State been nominated for?11 nominations
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