The road to Cooper’s Dell is almost as interesting and eventful a journey as Red State itself with director Kevin Smith taking matters of distribution into his own hands and releasing the film through his own Smodcast Pictures company, something he announced in typical understated fashion at Sundance last year.

Eschewing the studio system (with which he brought us Cop Out) the freedom he enjoys bears juicy fruit as this deliberate move into new territory results in a fine horror film from the director, one which makes his promised retirement all the more disappointing. It also shows that as a director Smith knows how to let his actors lead the film, though occasionally they run too far and risk running the show into the ground, but the powerful central performance from Michael Parks anchors the film.

This is not a straight up horror film, and the film shifts gears between your typical horny teen-infused cautionary tale to a Wacoesque siege movie with the (Westboro in all but name) Five Points Trinity Church taking their unholy orders to a grisly extreme and it’s one of the few films of last year which keeps you guessing.

As head of the church Michael Parks is magnificent, spitting his hateful rhetoric and curling his venomous words with distinct glee to his small congregation who watch as the Church take the word of God, twist it, and get biblical on those unfortunate  enough to get caught in their trap. There’s fine support from Melissa Leo and John Goodman, who seems to relish the opportunity to pay things straight, but Parks is the dark heart of the film, the black hole around which the other members of the church orbit, teetering close to the inevitable.

A couple of moments stand out from the film, one problematic and the other inspired. It’s better, if you’ve not seen the film, that you go in knowing only the bare bones of the story (horny teens, psycho church, guns) as there’s great stock in the unexpected here. These two plot elements which tell the story of the film point to what’s good and not so good about the film but make no mistake – this is a director finding his feet on new ground and the film is absolutely worth a watch.

Here’s where the two sides of the film fall. When we meet Michael Parks’ FredPhelpsalike he is delivering a sermon to the congregation and there’s an unhealthy line in fire and brimstone, death by stoning, centered around the eroding moral centre of America and most of the blame is laid firmly at the feet of the gay community, and it goes on and on and on – almost too far. We’re meant to hate this man, and we do, but his grounding in reality is his power in terms of being the villain of the piece and Smith’s love of dialogue threatens the scene, the crux of the film.

The second moment comes towards the end of the film and I’ll not spoil things but there’s an important sign, one that is unexpected and for a moment you think that Smith has done something truly extraordinary. He hasn’t, as it turns out, but the fact that for a moment you believe is testament to the power of the film.

This is a brutal and effective horror film, with some moments of extreme violence and real terror (Kerry Bishe deserves a lot of the credit here – her performance as the one member of the church with any sense at all is a real eye-opener for the actress up until now best now as the lead in the death rattle of the sitcom Scrubs) and Smith has his moment of dark comedy pitched perfectly. A genuine surprise, and a welcome one.

****~ (4/5)

Extras

What you need to watch is the making of documentary which charts the film’s progress from the Sundance auctionnouncment to the release and it has Kevin Smith in fine, and candid, form. In amongst the usual praise for the cast and crew there’s another story being told here. Smith is a filmmaker who infuriates and inspires in equal measure, with a legion of hardcore fans and a line of haters a mile long and yet there’s a genuine sense of gratitude which comes across, of a man who gets to tell story in many mediums (and some stories are better than others), but the fact that his life would have turned out very differently if Clerks hadn’t been picked up all those years ago never seems far from his mind.

It’s been a bumpy road and if Red State is to be the penultimate stop on Kevin Smith’s filmmaking journey then it’s a fine road to take before heading home and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for his big finish.

Kevin Smith’s own personal blend of stand-up comedy is by far my favourite of any stand-up comedian. Rather than write a routine and perform it night after night, he takes himself on tour doing Q&As on camera, and gives his fans the chance to ask him anything they want, and his answers are always absolute genius. I don’t know how he does it, but the man is just naturally hilarious, and so much fun to watch.

Epix hosted his latest-released Q&A, Too Fat For 40 (which just came out on DVD here in the UK last Monday), and they’ve put up a great new clip, with thanks to ComicBookMovie for the heads up, of his upcoming stand-up/Q&A, Burn in Hell.

“In this hour and a half special, writer/director/comedian/podcaster Kevin Smith conducts a riotous and outrageous Q&A session about the aftermath of his latest film, Red State. Topics include such misadventures as his pissing off the entire movie blogger community at the Sundance Film Festival and being followed around the country by the highly devout, and highly angered, Phelps Family.”

I love everything Smith does, whether it’s his films, his SModcasts (podcasts over at SModcast.com), or his stand-up Q&As, so having Burn in Hell to look forward to is a huge win in my books.

Too Fat For 40 was broadcast via Epix at the end of last October, so since it was just released here on DVD, we can hopefully look forward to seeing Burn in Hell in just a few months’ time. I can’t wait.

And if you’re a Smith fan like me, you’ll be pleased to know that he and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes) are bringing their Jay and Silent Bob Get Old tour to the UK next month with a few dates across England, Scotland, and Ireland. (For anyone interested, I’ll be at the London HMV Apollo show on the 18^th. Let us know in the comments below if you’ll be there or at any of the other dates too!)

Until then, you can get your Kevin Smith fix with this great new clip. (Beware, it’s mostly censored, but you might want to wait until you get home to watch this, because the odd word (and 100% of the content!) isn’t really suitable for work.) Enjoy!

Kevin Smith Clip 8 – Clean from EPIX on Vimeo.

With Django Unchained set for a Christmas Day 2012 release over in the States, writer-director/cinephile Quentin Tarantino has got a busy year ahead of him. The casting news for the film has been brilliant so far, with leading roles set to come from Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christopher Waltz, Kerry Washginton, Don Johnson, Kurt Russell, Sacha Baron Cohen, and, provided it’s possible to work it into his schedule, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Pretty much a dream-team for the director’s highly anticipated return after Inglourious Basterds.

In the midst of the current awards season climate, Tarantino has been speaking to The Quentin Tarantino Archives (with thanks to Total Film for the tip-off), and we can see the man looking back on the past year and picking out his favourites from what was a terrific year for film. And in true awards season style, he even throws in a few extra categories to go along with his top eleven (technically twelve) films of 2011.

Quentin Tarantino’s official Top Eleven of 2011

1. Midnight In Paris
2. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
3. Moneyball
4. The Skin I Live In
5. X-Men: First Class
6. Young Adult
7. Attack The Block
8. Red State
9. Warrior
10. The Artist / Our Idiot Brother (tie)
11. The Three Musketeers

Others he liked (no particular order)

• 50/50
• Beginners
• Hugo
• The Iron Lady
• Carnage
• Green Hornet
• Green Lantern
• Captain America
• The Descendants
• My Week With Marilyn
• Fast Five
• Tree Of Life
• The Hangover Part II
• Mission Impossible 4
• The Beaver
• Contagion
• The Sitter
• War Horse

Nice Try Award

• Drive
• Hannah
• Drive Angry
• Real Steel

Best Director

• Pedro Almodovar
• Bennett Miller
• Woody Allen
• Jason Reitman
• Michel Hazanavicius

Best Original Screenplay

• Midnight In Paris
• Young Adult
• Red State
• Attack The Block
• Our Idiot Brother
• Beginners

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Moneyball
• The Skin I live In
• Carnage
• Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
• Hugo
• X-Men: First Class

Personally, I’d give Drive more than a Nice Try Award, but obviously we’ve all got our own favourites, and there are plenty of brilliant films from the past year amongst his top films and other contenders in all the categories. It’s nice to see that something like Attack the Block – one of the several British films to make an impression in the States in 2011 – making the Top Eleven. And as a big Kevin Smith fan, I’m really glad Red State is up there too. It was Tarantino, after all, who hosted Smith’s film in his LA cinema to give it its Oscar-qualifying run, with the film’s trailer including the quote, “I f**king love this movie!” from Tarantino, minus the asterisks. (If you’re a fan of the film, or if you’re yet to see it, it might interest you to know that it will be released on Blu-Ray/DVD this Monday, 23rd January; I’ll definitely be getting my copy when it does, and can’t wait to see it again.)

With such a busy year ahead of him, and the 25th December release for Django Unchained clearly having an eye on the Oscars two months later, it will be interesting to see if Tarantino brings out a list of his favourites this time next year – both on account of conflict of interest (which of course isn’t a problem really; there aren’t any real awards) and whether he’ll have had enough time to go to the cinema much in the next twelve months. Time will tell. Either way, it’s great to see what the great writer-director’s enjoyed this year, and I can’t wait for him to return behind the camera for Django Unchained. It’s going to be an immense way to end 2012.

At HeyUGuys we rather enjoyed Goon (our review here). Not only is it a terrific film, but it’s also represents something of a change of pace for leading man Sean William Scott. He might not be playing an entirely straight role, but it’s the closest he’s come to playing a dramatic lead, and he pulls it off rather well.

We recently had the chance to speak to him about his performance in the film, and discuss the public response to the film. We also took the opportunity to ask Sean just why he chose to film Goon rather than Kevin Smith’s Hit Somebody, and whether he’ll be working with Smith again any time soon.

Just a quick warning though, the interview contains a swear word or two so watch with caution if you’re at work! Goon is UK cinemas NOW!

Earlier today I had the extreme pleasure of being able to attend the US Premiere of Morgan Spurlock’s touching Documentary entitled Comic-Con Episode Four: A Fan’s Hope.  The film follows a week in the life of 7 individuals as they attend the biggest gathering of geeks and fanboys on the planet known as Comic-Con.

With Spurlock’s involvement, this film could easily been have been an 85 minute diatribe on the awkward social skills of basement dwellers, but instead, Spurlock abandons that sort of harsh critiquing that made Super Size Me so famous, and lets the film and its subjects speak for themselves.  Interestingly enough, the only bit of Spurlock you see is is name in the credits.  Separating each disparate story are clips of fandom icons such as Kevin Smith, Joss Whedon, Stan Lee, and Frank Miller, who each give their unique perspective on this one week a year when nerds can just be who they are, free of judgement.

Every member of the cast goes into the convention hoping to take something away, whether it be an award from the Masquerade, or a limited edition Galactus figure.  You find yourself rooting for these underdogs, hoping that one guy can get enough money from comic sales to clear his debt, or others to get noticed by the industry and realize their dreams of working in the business.  But the cruel reality is that while Comic-Con may be rooted in the unlimited possibilities of the Fantastic, it can also serve as a crushing reality check, and that’s exactly what we see in some cases.

Then there is this other to Comic Con which people like Harry Knowles are quick to bring up.  Every year the convention brings in over 150,000  people, which makes the Convention attendees a target for big business.  More and more companies are starting to view fandom as a bottomless goldmine, and have already begun disparaging fans by selling them useless trinkets like Wonder Woman’s Invisible Jet, and others.  Then there is also the unfortunate fact that for the last few years, the convention has been allowed to grow to the point where it no longer is just about comic books and super heroes, and instead includes just about anything with a large enough fan base.  Do you really think a Vampire Diaries or Mythbusters panel is what Shel Dorf had in mind when he started San Diego Comic Con in the 70s?  I think not.

One of the worst things that happens to us as we progress in adulthood, is our loss of imagination.  As children we didn’t care if we look silly wearing tights and a cape, we just liked pretending to be pirates and superheroes and we were better for it!  As we grow we are told that dreaming is silly, and that imagination is a tool that is meant to be abandoned on the road to adulthood.  The truth is, when we make fun of the people that we see in films like Comic-Con, it’s not because we think down on them. It’s not because we think their stupid or childish.  It’s because we are jealous.  We’ve lost that sense of freedom and happiness that came only with the ability to pretend.  We’ve lost our optimism and hope.  Movies like this make you want to drop 1000 dollars on that Voltron costume you’ve always wanted to make and just run around and have a good time.  It’s a film that will bring both tears of elation and sadness as you watch these 7 individuals conquer their fears, and go up against a world that is a million times larger than them.  If you’ve ever been told to grow up, or that you’re to old for something, then this movie is one that most certainly will speak to you.

Now I’m not too certain as to when we’ll be seeing this film released on the National market, but I can assure you that with Spurlock behind the helm, you will almost certainly get a chance to check it out in the coming year.

Thanks to Jack Plunkett for the photo and all the other awesome pics he took throughout the fest!

Crew & Stars: Harry Knowles, Thomas Tull, Skip Harvey, Tova Goodman, James Darling, Chuck Rozanski and Holly Conrad at the Premiere of Comic-Con Episode IV

Emmy Award- and Golden Globe-winning actor, John Goodman, one of my favourite people to have graced the big and small screen, is now in talks to join Denzel Washington on Robert Zemeckis’ next film, Flight, Deadline report.

The film will see Zemeckis’ first return to live-action since 2000’s Cast Away, having directed The Polar Express, Beowulf, and A Christmas Carol in the years since then, and will be written by the rising screenwriter, John Gatins (Coach Carter, the upcoming Real Steel).

Flight will see,

“Denzel Washington as an airline pilot who averts a plane crash, only to come under a cloud for possible substance abuse problems. Goodman will play a friend of the pilot who helps him come to terms with his problems.”

I think the pairing of Washington and Goodman on the screen will be absolutely brilliant, and I can’t wait to see it happen. Both men are now in their late fifties, and both have had such immense roles in all their years of acting, and seeing them come together for this project should be awesome.

Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda), Kelly Reilly (Sherlock Holmes), and Bruce Greenwood (JJ Abrams’ Star Trek) are also in negotiations to star, and with Goodman now coming into talks to join too, the cast is really shaping up nicely.

Goodman is coming into our cinemas as of today with Kevin Smith’s Red State (which I cannot wait to see), and will soon be soon in the upcoming silent film, The Artist, which has some pretty big buzz surrounding it, and the Tom Hanks-starring Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and is currently at work filming Ben Affleck’s Argo, the highly anticipated follow-up to last year’s The Town. Essentially, Goodman is going to be in a number of ridiculously brilliant projects over the next few years (and we can add to that list Monsters University), and Flight will hopefully be yet another film of his to look forward to.

Red State is out in UK cinemas this Friday and our friends from Upbeat got the chance to chat with Writer / Director Kevin Smith about the movie, what we can expect and why we should go and see it. He also goes into detail about how many of the actors were paid very little to be in the movie but did it for the love of the script, or the characters in which they got to play. If you missed our review of Red State, you can click here to check it out and we also have the chance for you to win merchandise from the film.

Red State stars John Goodman​, Kyle Gallner​, Michael Angarano​, Melissa Leo​, Stephen Root​ and Kevin Pollak​.

The 10th film from writer/director Kevin Smith (“Clerks”, “Chasing Amy”, “Dogma”, “Clerks 2″, “Zack & Miri Make a Porno”), RED STATE unfolds in a small town dominated by a fundamentalist preacher, Abin Cooper. It tells the story of three high school boys who, on their way to an internet arranged meeting with a woman, end up crossing paths with Cooper. The encounter sets into motion a series of events that causes all hell to break loose. A horror thriller that could only come from the imagination of Smith, RED STATE stars Tarantino and Rodriguez favorite Michael Parks (“From Dusk Till Dawn”, “Kill Bill Vols. 1 & 2″), Oscar Nominee for Best Actress Melissa Leo (“The Fighter,” “Frozen River”) and John Goodman, Michael Angarano, Kyle Gallner and Nicholas Braun.

Seemingly lost in a foggy haze of a mid-life crisis love affair with the chronic (often blurring his decisions on how to deal with fans and critics alike), former prodigal Weinstein son and self-confessed purveyor of the “dick and fart” school of comedy (which has now fully infiltrated the Hollywood mainstream), Kevin Smith, returns from the Cop Out creative wilderness with an entirely new bag of directorial tricks up his sleeve.

Three horny teenagers make plans to meet and have their wicked way with a middle-aged woman they meet via an on-line personal sex ad. Lured to a single trailer park in the woods, the supposed night of a dirty, mini-orgy is nothing but a ruse concocted by a fundamentalist religious group (clearly modelled on the real-life, controversy-baiting, Westboro Baptist Church) and the trio are instead drugged and taken to the nearby compound run by the sect, with the intent of being offered up as sacrificial offering during the epic sermons by the deranged leader of this equally warped collective, Paster Abin Cooper (Michael Parks).

By a strange quirk of events, a team of ATF officers show up outside the pastor’s residence, which sets in motion a chain of messy actions and violence, leading to a decidedly leftfield turn of events.

Foregoing any noticeable middle act, Red State exists as a strange, if intriguing, two-act structural set-up. The first half definitely has a whiff of a Hostel-type set-up, and this is also where the only trace of Smith’s trademark style is apparent, namely in the vulgar back and forth banter between the youths as they swap insults in preparation for their trip. Despite some scenes which point towards the film heading into torture porn territory, thankfully, this never comes to fruition, and we’re presently which something else entirely.

This is a very different Smith to the crude, knockabout frolics of the Jay and Silent Bob, View Askew universe, and the earnest, pop-cultural, hipster indie philosophising. In shedding all of that, Smith has brought a leaner, more exciting cinematic style to his work. Shot on digital (using the Red camera) the film looks fantastic, and there’s a pleasingly visceral energy and fluidity to the hand-held work on display.

The film also acts as a reminder that Smith is fully capable of eliciting fine performances from his cast. You may have already heard the superlatives being directed towards Michael Parks for his role as the seriously twisted pastor, and these are completely justifiable. The 15 minute barnstorming sermon he delivers midway through may have smacked of overindulgence on Smith’s behalf if Parks wasn’t so mesmerising, and similar to his turns in Kill Bill Vol.2 (and the opening to From Dawn Till Dawn, for that matter), it’s impossible to tear your gaze away from the actor (which is further enhanced by Smith’s use of big close-ups throughout). Mellissa Leo delivers a solid turn as Cooper’s daughter and ostensive right-hand woman, and another real surprise here is John Goodman as the beleaguered ATF leader whose ill-conceived actions yield disastrous consequences for both sides.

Unfortunately, Goodman’s introduction is also where the film loses it a little, and turns proceedings into an all-out botched war zone (à la Waco), where the actions of some characters don’t ring true at all as Smith tries too hard to hammer his points across. The climax may prove a little hard to swallow for some (although the strength of Parks’ performance brings a feasibility to what’s happens) but the film has trouble wrapping up things, and sometimes requires too much of a leap in imagination to really get behind Smith’s theories, and suffers from some abrupt shifts in tone (which may be attributed, in part, to a filmmaker working outside of his normal boundaries). Goodman’s last comment on the whole debacle, which strives for a Tommy Lee Jones-esque No Country for Old Men gravitas, is a little ham-fisted and fails to satisfyingly pin down what Smith is reaching for.

Nevertheless, this change of direction is exciting to witness. It may prove to be a tough sell for Smith’s legion of fans (it’s easy to see why, from a commercial point of view, the Weinstein’s passed on it) but it’s still a film which has much to offer, and may even benefit from repeat viewing. The director seems intent on slowly winding down his filmmaking career, and instead focus his creativity towards his burgeoning series of podcasts and a specialist radio network, but on the strength of this flawed, yet fascinating attempt at addressing the misconceptions of extremist behaviour in the US, he should perhaps think twice about folding away that director’s chair.

There seems to be life left in Smith when challenged to deliver something fresh and altogether more grown-up, and even if the end result is uneven, its nice to see a filmmaker jettison the style he’s arguably coasted on for a good decade or so, and attempt to make a genuinely absorbing (semi) real-world thriller, with a delicious streak of dark humour running throughout.

***½~ (3.5/5)

To mark the release of Kevin Smith’s new movie, Red State in cinemas 30th September, Entertainment One have given us some rather great merchandise to give away. We’ve been given one Kevin Smith signed Red State poster and 5 sets of merchandise which includes a poster, t-shirt and cool silver cross USB stick.

(Please note: The first person pulled out of the digital hat will get the signed poster, the others will receive a non-signed version.)

Red State stars Michael Angarano, Nicholas Braun, Kyle Gallner, Stephen Root, Melissa Leo, Marc Blucas, John Goodman and is directed by Kevin Smith.

Synopsis:

The 10th film from writer/director Kevin Smith (“Clerks”, “Chasing Amy”, “Dogma”, “Clerks 2″, “Zack & Miri Make a Porno”), RED STATE unfolds in a small town dominated by a fundamentalist preacher, Abin Cooper. It tells the story of three high school boys who, on their way to an internet arranged meeting with a woman, end up crossing paths with Cooper. The encounter sets into motion a series of events that causes all hell to break loose. A horror thriller that could only come from the imagination of Smith, RED STATE stars Tarantino and Rodriguez favorite Michael Parks (“From Dusk Till Dawn”, “Kill Bill Vols. 1 & 2″), Oscar Nominee for Best Actress Melissa Leo (“The Fighter,” “Frozen River”) and John Goodman, Michael Angarano, Kyle Gallner and Nicholas Braun.

To be in with a chance of winning this great prize, just answer the following question using the form below:

Who directed the movie, Red State?

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close 3rd October at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received
• No cash alternative is available

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

It’s been almost three and a half decades since Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope hit the big screens and took the world by storm, and in all of the years following, the series of six films has penetrated pop culture across the world in a way that very, very few films or franchises are ever able to.

Like it or not, there are literally thousands of references to the Star Wars series in the films and television programmes we watch, the books we read, and the music we listen to. With so many references, homages, and parodies to choose from, it would be enormously difficult, if not impossible, to come up with a definitive list of them all.

So instead, to coincide with the films’ Blu-Ray release, I present to you the Awards for the Best Pop Culture References to Star Wars, as voted for by me. Because there are so many to choose from, I’ve cut it down to a Six of the Best awards ceremony (six rather than five for obvious Star Wars reasons). There’ll undoubtedly be many moments that haven’t made my personal Top Six, so if there’s something you think has been unjustly missed out, vote for your own favourite moments in the comments below. We’d love to hear what your favourite nods to the franchise are.

Without further ado, I give to you, my Six of the Best.

Best Costume

I thought a great moment from TV’s Friends would be a good way to kick us off. Just like Star Wars, Friends is something a lot of people love, and almost everyone is familiar with on some level. And this particular scene from the show, taken from the episode ‘The One With the Princess Leia Fantasy’, is fantastic. After confessing his secret fantasy to Rachel about wanting to see her dressed up as Princess Leia, Ross’ dream is somewhat ruined by something Chandler confesses to earlier in the episode.

The award itself is actually a tie between Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) and Judy Geller (Christina Pickles), because they are equally as excellently dressed as each other, and both deserve credit for their efforts. But sadly I can’t find a clip I can embed that features them both, so it’s just Rachel that we see below. As the first episode in season three, it aptly serves as both a brilliant introduction to the season and to these awards.

Best Lightsaber Practice

From one TV show to another, we move on to George Michael Bluth (Michael Cera) and his garage home-video recording of something so many of us will have done at some point or another: lightsaber practice for our inevitable future Jedi training.

The clip is one that crops up a few times throughout the show (they did enjoy rewarding their long-time viewers with self-references on Arrested Development), so I’m a little surprised I can’t find that decent a clip of it on YouTube. Nonetheless, it’s a great moment, and whilst I can’t say I ever filmed myself doing it, nor did I get quite so into it as George Michael does here, there’ll be millions of kids all over the world who can relate to the idea of making that well-known lightsaber sound, having fake saber-rattling fights with their friends, and wanting to be a Jedi.

Hell, considering almost 400,000 people in England and Wales alone marked down ‘Jedi’ as their religion in the UK 2001 Census, he can’t be the only one doing it. So I’ll ask you now to direct your attention to about 1:45 into this video, when Gob (Will Arnett) accidentally slots George Michael’s home video into the end of his campaign video for class president.

Best Re-Enactment

If you’re a fan of any of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s work, you’ll know that the pair like to embed pop. culture references into so much of what they do, which is always good fun. Their TV show, Spaced, is full of nods to Stars Wars, The Matrix, and many other things, and whilst shooting their latest film, Paul, they also made this absolute gem.

Everyone knows that pretty much every film has little plot holes and continuity errors dotted about here and there, and Star Wars is no different. But of course that doesn’t mean we love it any less, and Pegg and Frost brilliantly show up a few of these little flaws, which I’m sure in no way detract from their love of the series, in their excellent re-enactment.

Best Animated Parody

There are of course two main contenders that come to mind for this award, and they would be Robot Chicken and Family Guy. Both shows have done three episodes apiece parodying the Star Wars series, but I must confess that I haven’t seen any of Seth Green’s take on the films with his own show, and thus my vote falls unilaterally and dictatorially behind the latter, Seth MacFarlane’s Laugh It Up, Fuzzball trilogy, which started by opening the sixth season back in 2007 with the double-length episode, Blue Harvest.

Given that there’s a full forty-odd minutes of Star Wars parody gold to choose from here, and that’s just counting the first of the three episodes, I thought I’d include two tiny snippets instead of one longer one, just because they’re both excellent. The first clip is of two of the Death Star’s employees venting to each other, and the second is our introduction to Stewie as Darth Vader, whose sarcasm is just perfect.

Best Debate On The Source Material

Star Wars vs. Star Trek, Star Wars vs. The Lord of the Rings, even Star Wars vs. Star Wars. In plenty of films, as well as in real life, there are arguments over which is better, and this particular debate from Kevin Smith’s Clerks is my personal favourite. It’s just such a great conversation. In my opinion, Smith has an unmatched talent for turning ordinarily utterly inane subject matter into something watchable and incredibly entertaining, and this is a perfect example of that.

Here, we see Randal (Jeff Anderson) and Dante (Brian O’Halloran) at first discussing which Star Wars film is their favourite, and then they get into the finer details and Randal starts talking about how innocent lives were lost in Return of the Jedi when the second Death Star is blown up. It’s the kind of brilliant observation that I love Smith for. He can turn the most ridiculous and meaningless discussion, the kind you have with your friends about nothing whatsoever, into a genius scene in a terrific film, showing right off the bat with his feature debut what a great writer-director he is.

Best Use Of The Star Wars Main Theme

And finally, from one great Lucas-sized figure in pop. culture to another, I thought I’d finish this little awards ceremony with John Hughes’ nod to Star Wars in one of my favourite of his films, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

The Star Wars Main Theme is beyond iconic. It’s something almost everyone recognises with ease, and it’s just one of the many incredible pieces of music John Williams has written, with A New Hope’s score earning him one of his five Academy Awards. And Hughes’ use of the theme here is brilliant. After Ferris (Matthew Broderick) puts Cameron’s father’s Ferrari into a parking garage, the two mechanics working there see their chance for a day of freedom, just like Ferris, and take advantage of the opportunity that has fallen into their laps, enjoying the benefits the classic car has to offer, set to Williams’ classic score.

As I wrote at the start of this article, there is an almost infinite number of moments from television and film to choose from over the past three and a half decades, making it very hard to pick just half a dozen. That there are so many is an undeniable testament to the franchise’s cultural impact, and there are very few things that could be argued rival Lucas’ creation. Film series like Harry Potter, James Bond, and Pirates of the Caribbean might well be in the same ball park as Star Wars in terms of box office revenue, but even they don’t pervade pop. culture nearly as frequently or as brilliantly as Star Wars does. In that respect, I’d say it is truly in a league of its own. And for that reason, Lucas and everyone that worked on the films deserve our undying gratitude for creating something that has spawned so many brilliant parodies and allusions that are excellent in their own right.

Until next time, I’ll leave you with one final clip from Family Guy’s Blue Harvest that pays homage to John Williams’ fantastic work on the films’ scores. The video quality’s not brilliant, but I love this piece. Enjoy.

Kevin Smith, whose latest movie, Red State, is set to be unlike anything he’s ever done before, has announced that his next film will be released in two parts, and they will be titled Hit Somebody: Home and Hit Somebody: Away, The Playlist report.

He also adds that the two-parter, which he’s said could be his final film, will be a PG-13 rating for Home and an R for Away, roughly the equivalent of our 12A and 18. Brilliant!

How you can have such different ratings might confuse many people, but when you take into account the basic premise of the two parts, things become a little clearer. The film follows the rise of hockey played Buddy McCracken (to be played by Nicholas Braun), with the first part seeing him as a young star and the second part seeing him go pro. I might not know a lot about hockey, but I can imagine that players can be a bit more aggressive in pro hockey than might be encouraged when they’re younger, so we could well be in for some decent hockey fights in the second part, which could well push the film’s rating up. Fantastic stuff.

The film is based on a song by Warren Zevon, which was co-written by Mitch Albom (author of The Five People You Meet In Heaven), who’s been working with Smith on the script for the film. As many will know, Smith has been taking Twitter by storm, and doing the vast majority of his publicity himself online, via @ThatKevinSmith. As such, a lot of what we get about his upcoming films is taken directly from the man himself. He announced on Friday that he’s finished the script for Home, and is now moving on to Away:

“The script for HIT SOMEBODY, Pt 1 is done. Now into second script. First part I’m calling HOME. Second part I’m calling AWAY. Fucking bliss.”

He’s also said that he’s planning on filming the two parts all in one, which is excellent news for fans of his films:

“Via @ThatDylanHouse ”you filming HIT SOMEBODY all in 1 go, or are you going to break up filming the 2 parts?” I’d like to do one big shoot.”

Whilst I’m sadly still yet to see it, the end credits of Smith’s next film, Red State, which is due out in the UK on 30^th September, are said to promise that Hit Somebody will be reaching our screens in 2012. With anyone else, I’d say that would be too hard a target to reach. But with Smith, I’m confident he’ll get it done. But I’d throw a little asterisk in beside the 2012* too.

When Red State was being promoted, it had an early run that effectively toured across America, which must have been amazing for those lucky enough to see it then. For the rest of us, we’ve had to patiently wait for it a little while longer. I can see the same thing happening with Hit Somebody, if Smith deems the release of Red State a financial success.

With the script for the second part getting underway now, and with Smith’s productivity generally being  impressive, there’s a good chance that filming could begin very early next year. If that happens, he’ll undoubtedly be working on it night and day, alongside filming, and have a rough cut quite possibly by the summer. This is, of course, speculation, but I’d say it’s an educated guess having followed the production of Red State. If everything falls into place for the writer-director, he could well be giving us at least part one in 2012 – but whether it will be on general release or another North American advanced tour is another question.

However it gets released, and whenever it gets released, this is definitely a project to look forward to, especially if Smith is planning it to be his final film. It’s going to be an epic two-part finale to his career if he does stick to his current frame of mind, and I can’t wait to see how it turns out. Before then, we’ve got the release of Red State to look forward to at the end of September, and you can be sure that’s going to be an awesome film too, one I’ll be seeing more than just once whilst it’s out in the cinema.

So much footage and photos has been coming from the set of The Dark Knight Rises over the past few weeks, and I’ve intentionally avoided some of it to keep plenty of surprises for when the film is actually released on 20th July next year.

This new footage was too tempting to resist though, with Collider giving us the first look at Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Chris Nolan’s final Batman instalment, and Ain’t It Cool News bringing us footage of a new vehicle in the film, the Bat-Copter.

The footage is essentially spoiler-free, which is why I’m happy to watch it. I’ve been looking forward to the first look at Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and the Bat-Copter just looks awesome. Whilst it doesn’t look like much of a chopper just yet, the blades will apparently be added post-production. In case you’ve been missing our coverage for the film, you can catch up on it all here. More recently, the first teaser trailer for the film and the first look at Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman have both been absolutely fantastic.

The story for the film is being kept pretty much under wraps, so everything that you might hear/read about the project is all but speculation/hopes for what it will be. We do know that Tom Hardy will be playing Bane, and the teaser and some of the footage from the set has definitely given the impression that Bane and Batman will be coming to some serious blows, which is going to be awesome.

Director/Avid comic enthusiast Kevin Smith tweeted an interesting thought that was definitely intriguing a couple of weeks back:

“Good SMorning! Woke to this thought: maybe TDKR trailer is a misdirect and Bane ISN’T the big villain, but rather Ra’s Al Ghul returned!”

Of course, Smith isn’t at all connected to The Dark Knight Rises, and it’s just evidence that everything surrounding the film at this point is pretty much conjecture. I personally think that it’s pretty impressive that Chris and Jonathon Nolan have managed to keep everybody guessing, in spite of all the footage and photos that have been leaking from the set. The brothers are certainly used to the mystery/intrigue game and keeping things under wraps by now, and The Dark Knight Rises is proving to be no different.

Whether you’ve been keeping up with all, some, or none of the information coming from The Dark Knight Rises, officially or unofficially, you can be sure that 20th July will be an immense date for the cinema. I can’t wait. Without further ado, here’s the new footage and photos from the set. Up first is the footage of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, then two videos of the new Bat-Copter, followed by photos (click to enlarge) of the camo-Batmobile and the new Bat-Copter.

Ka-pow! Here’s the poster (via IMP Awards) for a new documentary on Papa Marvel himself, Stan Lee.

Now almost as iconic as the characters he once dreamt  up, at the ripe old age of 88, Lee is still very much as relevant today as he was all those decades back, feverishly writing away and bringing to life (which the help of many incredible artist, don’t forget) all of the creations seen around him here.

The marketing team behind With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story (see what they did there) can’t help but present him via a typically hyperbolic tagline (The incredible story behind the real superhero) but you have to give the man his props – he’s definitely attained legendary status.  It’s also been a lot of fun to spot his various cameos in the live-action adaptations of his world, and how Marvel studios have utilised him in each new production.

The only question which remains is where’s the name of rotund comic book geek and die-hard Lee fan, Kevin Smith, in the credits?

In case you missed it, this week saw the release of a brand new trailer for Kevin Smith’s forthcoming horror thriller, Red State, and it is all kinds of awesome.

Now CoopersDell.com have a brilliant new poster for the film that brings a different feel to the majority its first posters, no longer set against the black background, but keeping the same scratched-up touch.

For those who’ve been following this film since it went into production, and then screened at Sundance earlier this year, you’ll know that Smith is doing something different with this film. Rather than spending a fortune advertising a film he made with $4m., he’s promoting it all himself, online, for free.

He’s also announced that he’s going to be holding a week-long screening of the film, with most screenings followed by a Q&A with Smith, at Quentin Tarantino’s New Beverly Cinema, out in LA. Doing this will mean that Red State will then qualify at the Oscars early next year. Now, a lot of people might think that that sounds presumptuous or egotistical on Smith’s part, but in an interview he’s given with MovieLine, he explains that the reason he’s doing it isn’t for himself, but for the benefit of his cast.

“To be clear: this Academy-qualifying run is STRICTLY about the ACTORS… I’m not looking for consideration (or even kevsideration) for myself; I just want to see the true talents behind our flick get at least a shot at their propers… When December 31st rolls around, if there aren’t five better supporting actor performances than the dramatic clinic Michael Parks operates in Red State, he should get a nod, no? Same with John Goodman. Same with Melissa Leo. Same with anybody in our cast. Why NOT them?”

Damn right.

Fun Fact about the recent trailer and this new poster: Tweeted directly from the writer-director himself, from @ThatKevinSmith, the new trailer was going to include Smith’s Cop Out credit to promote the film, but he decided to go in a different direction:

“P.S.- As a big ol’ “Fuck ‘em,” the trailer used to have the line “From the director of Cop Out.” I went with “From @ThatKevinSmith” instead.”

Genius. I’ve got so much love for this man, and I really can’t wait for the film to come out here on 30th September this year. The new trailer and poster are both absolutely fantastic, and have just got me even more excited about seeing the film.

Though nowhere on the Internet seems to have written about who the poster features, by my eyes, it definitely looks like it’s the young actress, Kaylee DeFer, who’s recently joined the cast of Gossip Girl. And she looks awesome in this poster, holding the gun close with her head cast upwards, only partially in shot. Without further ado, here it is. As usual, click to enlarge.

All the way from CoopersDell.com comes the latest trailer for Kevin Smith’s dalliance with all things devil and this is the clearest look at what Smith has been touring the States with for the past few months.

We were hoping to have seen the film by now but a last minute intervention from the director called a halt on our Red Stating, however Empire’s Big Screen event will be showing so if you’re in the UK and fancy a sneak peek at Smodcast Pictures’ latest then the 02 arena on the 12th of August is your best bet.

The first trailer for Red State had the disquieting tones of Michael Parks as the Phelpsian preacher talking over a series of quick shots from the film. This new trailer gives far more away and we get to see the tricky predicament three teenaged boys on the look out for a boozy good time end up in. They’ll get to know people biblically, just not in the way they thought.

John Goodman, Melissa Leo and Kevin Pollak are glimsped here and Goodman had me sold on the film which is due out at the end of September here in the UK.

Due to a cavalcade of swearing it’s not safe for work, unless you work in a particularly cool place.

Trailer on.

Ok, this one is a bit special. In fact, when my review copy arrived in the post I tweeted the cover and found several jealous replies coming my way – and this is entirety understandable as this book is a collection of the finest cult movie inspired artwork I’ve ever seen.

L.A.’s Gallery 1988 opened in 2004 and for the last few years has been the home of the Crazy 4 Cult exhibitions which has artists from around the world interpret classic cult movies and the results are uniformly wonderful. Introduced by Kevin Smith there is a tangible affection and love for the artwork and the films on display here. Taking the very best from the first four years of the exhibition every page is a revelation – there is simply no knowing what you’ll find next and some of the pieces are astonishing.

I can only show you a few pieces below, but when you do pick up your copy (because it really is only a matter of time) page 46 has Dean MacDowell’s terrifying Dali inspired take on Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and the various character portraits of the children from the film which follow are both playful and disturbing.

Travis Louie’s Eraserhead portrait manages to make Lynch’s iconic film even more horrifying and the director’s other films get a look in too, as do the gallery of Edwards from Tim Burton’s Scissorhand movie. The Big Lebowski also features heavily, as does Donnie Darko – the latter perhaps a little too much, but there is so much here to enjoy simply because the talent here is phenomenal.

It’s pretty simple – this is the finest and most esoteric collection of movie art for a long time. Titan Books are selling the book right now. Cult Movie Happiness is only a click away.

***** (5/5)

THR are reporting that 20^th Century Fox have hired Brad Caleb Kane, writer-producer of Fox’s popular series, Fringe, to write the script for the upcoming reboot of Daredevil.

Last seen on the screen back in 2003 with Ben Affleck then taking the titular role, this new film is to be directed by British music and film director, David Slade, who last directed the third film in the Twilight saga, Eclipse.

Though the original film wouldn’t make it onto many people’s favourite comic book movies of all time, I think it often gets over-looked and is underrated in a lot of people’s opinions. Affleck played the role of the blind superhero brilliantly, and the film had the added bonus of having a cameo from one of my favourite directors, who’s friends with Affleck, Kevin Smith. It may not have done incredibly by Fox’s standards, making $180m. off an $80m. budget, but I’m still very much looking forward to this reboot.

Kane has been asked to adapt Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s Born Again, a 7-issue arc from the Daredevil series back in 1986 that has a much darker take on the tale of the superhero, seeing his identity uncovered by the Kingpin (last played by Michael Clarke Duncan) and falling further and further into insanity at the mob boss’ doing.

Slade, whose feature credits include Hard Candy and 30 Days of Night, is no rookie to dark films, and I think he could shoot the hell out of a Born Again-based Daredevil script. As good as the first film was, I think a darker take on Daredevil could definitely make for a much more interesting story.

Affleck said many years ago that he didn’t ever plan on reprising his role as the superhero, so it’s not likely that he’ll be donning the Daredevil costume second time around. A few years ago, the L.A. Times reported that at Comic-Con International 2008, Jason Statham expressed a very clear interest in playing the role:

“Just give me the chance, I would love to be Daredevil.”

And Miller, who was also at the event, said,

“I think he should be Daredevil too.”

Whether or not that still stands, I don’t know. I’m a really big fan of Statham’s though, and if he thinks he can do it, I believe him, and I’d love to do see him do it. With a director and writer now signed on to the project, it hopefully won’t be long until we get news of who it is that gets to put on the red suit.

By my count, this is the seventh poster for Kevin Smith’s Red State to be released in the last few months, and it is just as excellent as the last six. Same black background, same scratched-up effect, and now we see the brilliant Stephen Root (TV’s King of the Hill and NewsRadio) as The Sheriff.

In the same vein as the first six posters, this new Red State poster was put up for auction and Film Threat were given the rights to show it first. The money they bid is going to two charities: $2,050 will go to the American Red Cross, for earthquake and tsunami relief in Japan, and $350 will go to The Wayne Foundation, a charity devoted to fighting against child prostitution and human trafficking.

Quoting Kevin Smith on the use of the poster, if anyone else should want to use or share it:

“If you’re a movie website or film journalist and you want to feature this poster or use it in a story, don’t be a detail-thin dick.

Be sure to tell people WHY the poster was released: because (Gavin Ap’ Morrygan (@Tearsinrain78), Darryl Clarke, Jamie Calder (@jamiecalder), Dan Duffy (@TheHalfFund), Heath C. Ice (@hcice) and FilmThreat.com (@filmthreat)) bid $2050 to earthquake and tsunami relief for Japan.

If you also include the link for Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief (http://www.redcross.org/) in your story/article, you’re not only being a thorough journalist, you’re also helping to save actual lives.

It only takes a few seconds longer to provide all available facts in any story.

Including THIS fact can help save lives.”

If you would also like to donate money to the Japanese Tsunami Appeal, then you can do so at the British Red Cross, The Japan Society, or even through PayPal. The 9.0-magnitude earthquake devastated the country on the 11th of March, and both short- and long-term support will be needed to help rebuild and restore what was damaged or destroyed by the earthquake and the following tsunamis. Whatever you can spare will be incredibly helpful in the restoration process.

Returning back to Stephen Root, this latest poster shows what a great actor he is (one worthy of more credit, if you ask me). In NewsRadio (a classic, I’d highly recommend it if you’ve not seen it), he played an incredibly nice guy who wouldn’t hurt a fly. But if this new Red State poster is anything to go by, he’s now out for blood. Maybe with a little justice thrown in there too. But mostly blood.

Some people have been critical of Smith for the way that he’s been promoting this movie, but I think he’s an absolute genius. He’s going against the grain, distributing the movie himself. And I really hope that it pays off for him. At the very least, he’ll have my ticket money heading his way on the opening weekend. I only wish he could bring to the U.K. his Red State U.S.A. Tour, which is currently screening the film months in advance of its mid-October 2011 release at theatres across the United States. Alas, I will have to wait until the end of the year. I know that it will be worth the wait, though. I’m a massive fan of everything Smith’s done, from Clerks on a $30,000-odd shoestring budget, through to Zack and Miri Make A Porno, on a $24 million budget. And I cannot wait to see what the man has created for us next.

Click the poster to enlarge.

Here at HeyUGuys, we aim to provide you with an all-encompassing look into the world of film. Whether you’re a fully-fledged cineaste, or just possess a casual interest, there’s something for anyone with our alternative A-Z of cinema, which starts today and runs through the week.

If you’ve ever wondered just what it is an Executive Producer does, or maybe if you’ve heard the ambient sounds of Tangerine Dream in an 80’s film favourite without knowing who you were listening to, this is the list for you!

Here are the letters P-T…

Pauline Kael (1919 – 2001) was an American film critic who wrote for The New Yorker magazine from 1968 to 1991. She is often regarded as the most influential American film critic of her day.

Although a big advocate of the New Hollywood of the 70’s, some of her reviews carried a somewhat contrarian viewpoint of what many considered classics in modern era. She famously dismissed Star Wars by stating “It’s an epic without a dream”. As a witty response to her criticism of his work, in his 1988 film Willow, George Lucas named one of the villains General Kael.

She even toyed with working inside the industry when in 1979, Warren Beatty made her offer to come abroad a film called Love and Money he was producing. The project never got off the ground and Kael eventually returned to The New Yorker.

Kael retired from her writing career in 1991, having been diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome the previous decade. She passed away in Massachusetts at the age of 82.

Quadrophenia (1979) is loosely based around the 1973 rock opera of the same name by The Who. The film stars Parklife narrator and professional cockney Phil Daniels, with the rest of the cast made up of a who’s who of British TV, film and music from that era and beyond. Leslie Ash, Ray Winstone, Phil Davis, Mark Wingett, Toyah Willcox and Sting also feature.

Set in 1965, the film is a coming-of-age tale about a Jimmy Cooper (Daniels), a London Mod. At odds with his parents and fed up with his job as a post room boy in an advertising firm, Jimmy finds an outlet for his teenage angst by hanging round with all his fellow Mod friends and riding his beloved scooter. The film culminates in a famous riot between the Mods and their arch enemies (The Rockers) on the Brighton beachfront.

Quadrophenia has found a cult audience over the years, with many embracing its rebellious, punk attitude and finding intrigue in its dramatic and ambiguous ending.

Robert Altman (1925 – 2006) is generally regarded as a master in American cinema. He films possess a naturalistic style (characterised through performance, editing and dialogue) and often feature large ensembles.

He made his feature film debut at the relatively old age of 47 with anti-war comedy drama MASH, having toiled away in TV for many years. Others popular features from the director include Nashville, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, The Player, Short Cuts and Gosforth Park. Altman also proved to be highly influential for future filmmakers (P. T. Anderson befriended the director and was on hand to take over directorial duties in Altman’s last film, A Prairie Home Companion, if the then-octogenarian director were to fall ill).

Much like many talented and distinctive Hollywood trail blazers, Altman never received a nod from the Academy for any of his films, despite being nominated five times. It was only in 2006 (the same year as his death) that his body of work was finally recognised when he received the Academy Honorary Award.

Shermer, Illinois is a fictitious suburb of Chicago and is the setting for the majority of films by the late director John Hughes, such as Pretty in Pink, Weird Science and Sixteen Candles. The teenagers from The Breakfast Club attend their Saturday detention at the Shermer High School – the same place Ferris avoids in order to have a day off. It’s also home to the disaster-ridden Griswold family (Hughes scripted Nation Lampoon’s Vacation).

The name actually derives from the original title given to the town Northbrook (Shermerville), which is located 25 miles north of downtown Chicago. This was where John Hughes grew up and lived until his death in 2009.

High-profile Hughes fan Kevin Smith referenced the location in both Dogma and comic book prequel Chasing Dogma, where characters Jay and Silent Bob attempt a  journey to the location under the mistaken impression that they’ll get the opportunity to meet the females from Hughes’ films.

Tangerine Dream is a German electronic outfit who were founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. They formed part of the influential Krautrock music scene in Germany in the late 1960’s, before gaining further popularity throughout the 1970’s. The band was able to successfully relocate their style of ambient, atmosphere electronica and score a number of cult (primarily 80’s) Hollywood features.

In total, Tangerine Dream have written music for over sixty film and TV shows, the most well-known includes the likes of Sorcerer, Thief, The Keep, Risky Business, Near Dark and Miracle Mile. Many fans actually discovered the band through their soundtrack work.

The band is still performing, having undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member. The last film in which the band can be heard is 2006’s The Squid and the Whale (which includes the track Love on a Real Train from Risky Business).

Check out K-O here.

On Thursday, The Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley, London played host to an evening showcasing the surreal and esoteric talents of one Crispin Hellion Glover.

The 46-year-old actor/filmmaker will be immediately recognisable to many as Marty McFly’s weedy, put-upon father in Back to the Future, and as the creepy and silent henchman in the film adaptation of Charlie’s Angels, and its sequel. He also appeared last year in the 80’s-inspired comedy, Hot Tub Time Machine.

Scratch the surface however, and Glover’s interests and ambitions clearly lay outside the mainstream. Having directed two films (2005’s What Is It? and it’s sequel from 2007, It is Fine. Everything is Fine!), the latter was included in Thursday evening’s line-up, which began with Glover narrating stories from his self-penned books.

This visual presentation (entitled Crispin Hellion Glover’s Big Slide Show) involved pages from his various volumes of work being projected on screen as the actor both narrated and highlighted illustrations and photos from his books in the style best described as that of a demented TV weather forecaster. It was an utterly bizarre yet hilarious performance piece. One book in particular (Rat-Catching, written in 1988) presented an old-fashioned looking instructional guide to eliminating vermin, with a prose that quickly lapsed into the surreal and abstract.

If this work indicates Glover’s skewered perspective of life, It is Fine. Everything is Fine! represents the motion picture counterpart to that. Having been scripted a couple of decades back by the late Steven C. Stewart, the film is a haunting psycho-sexual fantasy melodrama featuring Stewart as the protagonist in the story of a disabled man’s revenge on a variety of females.

Born with severe cerebral palsy, (and as Glover described in the post-film Q&A) Stewart had been misdiagnosed and mistakenly confined to a nursing home for over a decade of his life before he was able to express himself artistically. The film itself is a truly unique viewing experience and is unflinching in it’s depiction of disability and the sexuality of that subject matter. Stewart (who sadly passed away soon after filming ended) clearly had abandonment issues and resentment towards women and some of the content is indeed shocking and uncomfortable to watch, but crucially, it never feels like Stewart is being exploited. His condition is never presented in a sanitised way and more importantly, his “character” and actions are often far removed from what could ever be described as saintly. The film is worlds apart from what other actors-tuned-directors usually crank out within the Hollywood studio system.

During the Q&A, one audience member was clearly distressed at what she had seen, and expressed her annoyance in a very verbal manner towards Glover, whom she accused of exploiting women. Glover heartily defended his film but also expressed an understanding of her issues and declared that he welcomed criticism, although the majority of the room didn’t share the woman’s grievances. Glover talked pretty much non-stop for over an hour, and was still going strong as it was fast approaching midnight. The many points and issues he talked about were both enlightening and insightful. By breaking down social and cinematic taboos, Glover has created a powerful work of art whose subversiveness also lies in the fact that he was able to fund himself by taking on roles in mindless, passive Hollywood fare like Charlie’s Angels.

Glover proved to be a fascinating figure who (rather amusingly) possessed more than a passing resemblance to George McFly in terms of his vocal inflections and mannerisms. His ability to flit between the mainstream and projects like It is Fine. Everything is Fine! is an achievement which deserves praise and recognition.

The evening was part of the actor’s intentions on taking this undistributed film on the road (clearly minus the ego-centric intentions behind Kevin Smith’s recent announcement of a similar plan for Red State) and he added that he hopes to return with his first feature sometime soon. Having purchased a 16th-century chateau in the Czech Republic to act as a studio to make the third in his intended trilogy of films, Glover aim of retaining an independent vision and having complete autonomy over his work, cement his reputation as a true original who works in an environment and culture where possessing a unique outlook isn’t particularly embraced with open arms.