I think the term is "man crush"
The buzz around his latest project, Red State, has been tempered with controversy. First he stated he was going to auction the rights to distributors after Sundance, only to keep the film himself. As such the film has limited theatrical release (it's readily available online though). Then there were various protests by the crazy fuckers over at Westboro Baptist Church. Red State is also Smith's penultimate film, he has vowed to stop directing after one last huzzah - the film was shrouded in importance before it was even released.
The opening 10 minutes or so really don't feel like a Kevin Smith film, visually at least. The camera isn't stagnant and the atmosphere is different to any of his other works, which may lead to fans questioning whether it really is the bearded maestro behind the camera. However, Smith quickly immerses the viewer in his film world through his usual trusty tool: dialogue. Some critics attribute overwriting as one of Smith's weaknesses as a filmmaker. They couldn't be more wrong. The constant conversation is what hooks audiences, gets their attention, and is really where Smith thrives. Red State is packed with more quotable quips than an episode of South Park, and better speeches than a Coen Brothers film. My favourite is when an FBI agent asks John Goodman's character "how much do you think an iron cross like that costs?" to which Goodman replies "You mean in dollars or common sense?"
ZING.
Red State is also different from any other Smith film in terms of its ideology and message. The film feels like a black coffee served straight to the Tea Party. It focuses on the backwards religious fundamentalists of small town America, the kind of people that hate just about everyone that isn't in their own insular community. The film's narrative is driven by the religious folk and their belief that "God hates Fags!" and all that bull honkey. This sets up the rest of the film and eventually escalates to all out warfare between these crackpots and John fuckin' Goodman, who has direct orders to exterminate every last person inside the premises. The naivety and foolishness of the fundamentalists is openly condemned, and the far right of American culture is criticised in an ironic and Smith-esque finale.
He has a good point.
The only down beat is that the film doesn't function as the horror film it's billed as. The only frightening thing in the film is the ignorance of the religious fundamentalists, and that they could be in any small town from East to West coast. There's no edge of your seat moments, or any real suspense building so the film is better viewed as a satirical commentary so people watching it as a horror aren't disappointed.
Overall, the film isn't the best Smith has made (Clerks set the bar pretty high). It is, however, probably the best film i've seen this year and y'all should definitely give it a chance. Plus, if you don't know Kevin Smith then you should REALLY give him a shout, you definitely wont be disappointed.
Just a little taster.
