John Goodman In Trailer For Kevin Smith's Political/Religious Horror Film, 'Red State' (VIDEO)

This isn't your older brother's Kevin Smith.

The New Jersey indie filmmaker, made famous for his slacker comedy cult classics 'Clerks' and 'Mallrats,' is taking aim at a new genre: religious/political horror -- one he's helping to coin himself.

Smith has released the first trailer for his upcoming film, 'Red State,' a frightening look at religious extremism in America, based in part on anti-gay, anti-America Kansas pastor Fred Phelps. Frightening and thrilling for Smith: the film has no distributor yet; he plans on screening it at Sundance Film Festival, and then holding an auction for its rights in public view.

Long interested in religion -- he tackled the topic with his earlier film, 'Dogma' -- Smith is engaging in his first horror film, though he's long been a fan of the genre. John Goodman, Dermot Mulroney, Michael Angarano and Michael Parks co-star in the thriller.

Here's what Smith told the site RottenTomatoes.com about the inspiration behind his film:

The movie's called 'Red State' and it's very much about that subject matter, that point of view and that position taken to the absolute extreme. It's certainly not Phelps himself but it's very much inspired by a Phelps figure.

And to me, too, the notion of using a Phelps-like character as a villain, as horrifying and scary as that guy can be, there's even something more insidious than him that lurks out there in as much as a public or a government that allows it and that's the other thing that I'm trying to examine in a big, big way.

WATCH:

Comments

[pinkeyelemonade]

09:46 AM on 12/30/2010

This looks AWESOME.

[Vern58]

08:34 AM on 12/29/2010

I have been exposed to this hateful bunch of people for 45 of my 52 years, and find the parallels striking and apt. More people need to take a look at this sadistic phenomenon of human existence.

[ecosutra]

12:58 PM on 12/28/2010

Art imitating Life

[Monk2001]

12:49 PM on 12/28/2010

IF some evangelical types or fundy southern baptists types did this right now, I would not be surprised at all.

[Artinhouston]

12:28 PM on 12/28/2010

Hope this is very good his last film Cop Out might be the worst film of this past year.

[Js420]

12:04 PM on 12/28/2010

Wow this looks good...

[MoralHumanist]

03:43 AM on 12/28/2010

Looks as horrifying as I picture extreme religion to be. ;P But I live in Canada and religious fervor is not as tolerated ;P

This Christmas I explained Christian Sun worship and the birth sequence of Jesus and what it meant, when Mom and sis got home from church. We had a good talk and had a new appreciate for spirituality in the natural world.

But I woulda got shot in this movie ;P

[StuffMoreStuff]

01:00 PM on 12/28/2010

congrats on being more intolerant.

[zbig]

11:40 PM on 12/27/2010

Too bad conservatives, the religious right, and tea partiers don't watch films like these that expose their hypocrisy. "In league with the devil"? Right. Look in the mirror.

[cybersense]

11:02 AM on 12/28/2010

zbig, there is a huge difference between extremism and "some" of those who are supporters of republicans, tea party. Some you wouldn't even notice the difference if they had not say anything. There are plenty of those who are too extreme - but this is inspired by Phelps, and that says over the top.

[KirkDiggler]

08:44 PM on 12/27/2010

Sorry to say Kevin Smith is a non talent and whatever message is in the film will be delivered via a sledge hammer.

[Scott Earls]

12:21 AM on 12/28/2010

Non talent? And your idea of someone WITH talent would be who? Your answer will be very enlightening. Especially since you are speaking from such a position of assured confidence and respectable standing within the film community.

[KirkDiggler]

01:11 AM on 01/06/2011

>

Aronofsky, Nolan, Tarantino, Cohens, PT Anderson....numerous others who actually understand what a narrative is.

>>>

Project much? Naturally your opinion is the only one that matters on the subject of film. Smith is a hack and everyone knows it.

[Zackaria Hemingway]

08:17 PM on 12/27/2010

Gotta love the Goodman!

[cybersense]

11:02 AM on 12/28/2010

Yep, love Goodman, man can he play some pretty good roles. Large range of them too.

[Olivia Green]

07:48 PM on 12/27/2010

I am so looking forward to this!

[1jurisdiva]

05:07 PM on 12/27/2010

I already can't wait for the sequel, called "Arizona".

[VanessaFas]

04:53 PM on 12/27/2010

The only problem with this is that Phelps will sue him. And since most of his children are attorneys, they'll tie it up for years. I don't understand all the hate. It's been suggested that Phelps is a fraud, and that he protests and sues thing so that he is infamous, and rich from the lawsuits. I don't know. I will probably not see the movie, even if he can find a distributor, it seems too creepy for me to watch.

[Amishguy]

05:23 PM on 12/27/2010

Sue him for what?

You are forgetting Phelps's reason to live is for publicity. He will probably host a screening.

[Vern58]

08:22 AM on 12/29/2010

It does not matter. Phred will find a way to sue. It has been his life for 40 long,torturous years. In the nearly 45 years i have been exposed to the man and his "family" it never stopped him. Wait and see.

[cybersense]

10:58 AM on 12/28/2010

this film isn't about Phelps, but his actions inspired some of what the movie is about. Not Phelps as himself. It is not a bio of him.

[SILVANUS]

04:32 PM on 12/27/2010

You don't know real horror until you have grown up around Republicans and Baptists. The loathing and sadism that lurks in these dark hearts is worse than any zombie film.

[luvbees]

05:00 PM on 12/27/2010

That's the dumbest thing I've read on here so far.....and that's saying ALOT!!!

[Amishguy]

05:24 PM on 12/27/2010

Too bad its accurate.

[Js420]

11:43 AM on 12/28/2010

you can read?

[Victoria Cline]

05:34 PM on 12/27/2010

add to that...the south. i couldn't agree more. this film sounds as if it could scare the bejesus out of me!

[luvbees]

08:51 PM on 12/27/2010

Who knew?!?! Growing up here in the south with republicans AND baptists I always felt pretty blessed. And here I should have been hiding under my bed quaking in fear waiting for a northern democrat who doesn't believe in God to come and rescue me! You people are HILARIOUS!!!!

[luvbees]

03:55 PM on 12/27/2010

I really like how the HP "moderators" don't post the comments they don't like.

[MoralHumanist]

03:44 AM on 12/28/2010

Oh man they do that to me all the time.

Orwell was right when he said "If thought can corrupt language, then language can also corrupt thought."

[timmmahhhh]

01:24 PM on 12/28/2010

While I don;t agreee with the comments I've seen from you so far - you're spot on here. Someone told me they sometimes randomly purge a post. I don't know about that but I did have a rather centrist comment not make it once, and was so irked I stayed off for a month.

[luvbees]

01:47 PM on 12/28/2010

LOL, really got em in a tizzy don't I??? Thing is, I've never posted anything on this site before yesterday and I probably won't ever again after today. Sigh.....some people take these things sooooo seriously!!!