I wrote my ex-employer Kevin Smith this morning about getting into one of the two Sundance screenings of Red State. (Preferably the 8:30 am Library showing on 1.24.) No press screenings scheduled and we all know what this implies, but the only Smith film I’ve had any significant issues with was Jersey Girl. “I know what your policy is, but I’d love to be excepted from it,” I wrote him. “Oh, and I ran into [Red State costar] Melissa Leo yesterday afternoon,” I added. “She’s happy.”

The film’s villains are red-state religious wackos. I’m sure they’re going to get theirs by the conclusion. For this alone I’m half in the tank for this thing.

For what it’s worth, last month director Richard Kelly (a Smith pally) told Slashfilm’s Peter Sciretta that “I’ve never seen a filmmaker reinvent himself” the way Smith has via Red State. “I won’t say anything else because I don’t want to spoil anything. It’s really really exciting. If the movie ends up playing at Sundance, I might actually come up to just see the audience’s response.”