Michael Parks confirmed for Kevin Smith's Red State

During his annual Comic-Con slot, Kevin Smith announced that Michael Parks will have a key role in his upcoming (political) horror movie Red State. Chances are that Parks’ face is more familiar to you than his name. But what have you seen him in? Read on to find out.

If you’re thinking that Parks looks bloody familiar, then Smith’s casting choice is right on the money. Smith has said all along that he wants to cast recognisable but not famous actors in this film. And if you look at Parks’ CV, you will undoubtedly remember a number of his roles, even if his name didn’t ring any bells. He played the character of Texas Ranger Earl McGraw in a number of Tarantino productions beginning with From Dusk Til Dawn (QT does love his recurring characters). As fans may know, Earl is shot and killed by the Gecko brothers but the good ranger rallies to fight again in Kill Bill Volume I; Death Proof and Planet Terror. Earl didn’t make an appearance in Kill Bill Volume II but Parks’ Esteban Vihaio did. The actor also played Henry Craig in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (pictured). It’s a pretty neat bit of casting – he’s a likeable actor who most will want to see in a starring role – and it’s likely to spark interest from genre fans who might otherwise be put off by the film’s supposed political content.

Red State is about a group of misfits who fall foul of a fundamentalist Christian group in Kansas. Judging from the various comments Smith has made about the project over the years, it’s not going to end with everyone participating in a barn dance. He has, however, made it clear that it’s not a traditional horror movie. In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes (quoted on Slash Film) Smith said “people have been asking me, ‘Is it a slasher movie? Is it like the Japanese horror flicks?’ It’d be much easier to just show it to them when I’m done and be like, ‘This is what I meant.’ At which point I’m sure there’ll be people saying, ‘This ain’t a horror movie!’ But to me, it is.”

The film is inspired by the Westboro Baptist Church (a fundamentalist group which seems to exist largely to persecute gay people, make banners and upset families at funerals – that’s what makes them a church, y’see?) and its leader, Jim Phelps. It’s currently assumed that Parks will play the antagonist based on the Phelps character. Earlier this month, Smith told Collider that he had resisted the urge to cast a big star in the role, even though actors had approached him, interested in the role: "I'm talking legends and shit... huge fucking names though and each time I'm just like 'Why?! Why are you calling me. This is suspicious."

The film is set to start shooting in August and Smith seems to be engaged with an almighty struggle with himself on this one. He’s been in the business of blogging, podcast and tweeting every move he makes (bowel movements not excepted) and on this occasion, his intent is not to raise expectations about its content and or genre but to let the film speak for itself. Of course, he’s announced that in several interviews as well as from the stage at Comic-Con, so we’ll have to see how he fares during the August shoot and if he can resist the urge to update.

Incidentally, the above-mentioned weirdy hatemongers were outside Comic-Con picketing about whatever gets them all hot and bothered: Batman’s suggestive codpiece (they don’t think it’s suggestive enough) or that Moses should be in the X-Men or why watching cartoons is sinful unless you beat yourself with a corn dolly first. But some imaginative Comic-Conners set up a rival picket protesting the madness and idiocy of the first group.

Oh, and those Japanese horror flicks Smith is talking about? UK users can watch a bunch of them right here.

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