Filmmaker Kevin Smith talks candidly about his admiration for Wayne Gretzky, his love of marijuana and his innovative plan to distribute his new movie, Red State, himself. We met with Smith as he's about to embark on a cross country tour screening the film in major venues, starting with Radio City Music Hall in New York City on March 5. (It will be released in theaters in October.) Smith tells us about his economic rationale for bucking the traditional route -- selling it to a distribution company -- and instead taking it out on his own, citing the burdensome cost of marketing a movie that only cost $4 million to make. He also reflects on his career in Hollywood, how smoking pot makes him more at ease with himself, and how box office failures like Zack & Miri Make a Porno and Cop Out made him re-evaluate his ambition as a filmmaker.
Today's Banter Topics:
NewsCorp buys Shine, a production company owned by Rupert Murdoch's daughter, Elisabeth
Broadcast TV dramas at 10pm are being beaten by Cable's reality shows
Listen to the largely unedited version of Kim Masters' interview with Kevin Smith, recorded in his Hollywood hills home. You'll hear things that didn't make it in the show like his sentimental love of Harvey Weinstein, his vast podcast network, his emotions about his daughter, the impact of the Southwest Airlines ordeal, and his successful efforts to lose weight. At one point, he even calls Kim a 'sexy thing!' This version takes you right into the interview which took place in his home office as The Business producer, Darby Maloney makes the observation -- looking at all the Wayne Gretzky memorabilia -- that Smith comes by his love of the hockey hero honestly.