Kevin Smith’s religious horror film, Red State, is doing pretty well for itself despite circumstances. It was screened at Sundance this year, where it was met with harsh criticism. The outrage from certain movie goers was even worse. The film’s depiction of evangelical, uber-religious southerners was the cause for the negative media outcry, causing a lot of political and religious debate. With these details in mind, Red State was passed over again and again and again by distributors. So, Kevin Smith took matters into his own hands…and bought the film from himself so he could self distribute this psychological horror film.
He just started touring with the film, promising to bring it to small theatre venues and college campuses. The first of thirteen stops happened on Saturday, when Smith showed Red State at Radio City Music Hall. Surprisingly, this showing was the #10 best per-theatre screening in history, making just over $160,000 in one theatre, in one night. At this rate, Kevin will make back half of Red State‘s $4,000,000 budget by the time he puts it in wide release this October. I think we’re going to see a Paranormal Activity-esque phenomenon here. The little horror film that could!
Click here to see where you can see this film while it’s touring. Locations include Texas, Massachusetts, Georgia, Illinois, and Ohio.
You have one fundamentally HUGE flaw in your story, one which even a modicum of research could have prevented. People had packed into the Sundance screening, many of them reps sent to bid on the distribution rights to the film. Though he'd had a tough time before, the film at that point had stirred up a ton of controversy (thanks in part the WBC protest and Smith's ensuing counter-protest)and was considered a very hot property. Smith easily could have sold his flick.
He wasn't forced to distribute it himself, he CHOSE to, to prove it could be done. Check your facts, man. This is sad, and makes people not want to come to your site.