365 Writing Prompts Day 20

January 20, 2017 - What is a life lesson you learned from watching a movie? Why do you think that movie stuck with you?

Kevin Smith’s Red State...

First, I went into this movie cold. I’d heard a little bit about it when Smith auctioned the distribution rights to himself at Sundance, but I really didn’t know anythng about the plot.

Second, since it was included in the Horror/Thriller section at Netflix, and it is Kevin Smith, I was expecting a lot of gore and a few laughs.

Man, was I wrong.

In Red State, Smith tackles Fred Phelps and the Westboro band of inbreds, the ATF disaster at Waco, and the conservative party’s interpretation of religion. He does it extremely well, I just didn’t expect it to be so goddamned scary!

There was quite a bit of gore and unsettling, oppressive violence. However, to me, the most frightening scene in the movie was:

Watch on YouTube

These nine minutes hurtled me back to my youth, attending an Assembly of God/Pentecostal church, and perfectly illustrates how one person can use a little nugget of scripture to manipulate people into believing anything, and use God to justify hate.

Kevin Smith is an excellent film maker, and his topics are 100% guaranteed not to be boring. Michael Parks is one of the most underrated actors of all time, and I think he should be in every movie made from now on.

Regardless of your political/religious views, this movie will make you take a long look at society and yourself. I highly recommend it.