Harmless White Powder Sent To Dancing With The Stars, Causing A Scare In Studios Mailroom

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Los Angeles police determined that a white powder found Wednesday in a letter addressed to the television show Dancing With The Stars was harmless, authorities said. The suspicious white powder was found around 2 PM in a mailroom at CBS Television City, a large studio complex, according to Richard French, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department. A hazardous materials team was called in to gather the powder and test it before declaring it harmless. No one was exposed to the powder and no injury has been reported, French said. The envelope was addressed to the show, not a specific participant, he said. Outside of mail room operations being suspended for a few hours, no business operations or show productions were affected, said CBS spokesman Chris Ender. He declined comment on what safety precautions CBS may take in the future. White powder has repeatedly been discovered in the mail at CBS Television City. A similarly harmless envelope of white powder was sent to Dancing With The Stars in November 2010, days before the finale where Jennifer Grey, Kyle Massey and Bristol Palin faced off for the prize. In August of this year, an envelope addressed to The Late Late Show host Craig Ferguson was packed with white powder and a threatening letter. That letter came from overseas, and the powder was also found to be harmless. Television City houses production for many television shows, including ABCs Dancing With The Stars, FOXs American Idol and The Price is Right. Copyright 2011 by Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Fashion Slam: The Design And Style Fruits Of My Labor

By Ryan PattersonLOS ANGELES, Calif. -- How cute are because of the very fact? That is my daughter wearing the Missoni for Target rain boots I obtained her. I, like many, many, many individuals was going insane trying to get the stuff when the site crashed. You might recall from all of these blog, in regards to the debut in the Missoni collection, that my husband continued to be up with the evening trying that assisted me to search on the internet and then we both hit the businesses simply to uncover mostly empty shelves. I now owe him a racing weekend, but what exactly can I believe that? The guy went beyond the cod! I used to be finally capable of deal with and order a few things, which have been trickling in. The first to reach were because of the very fact and my daughter absolutely LOVES them. Even though it doesn't really rain here- shes lately been wearing them each day. Sometimes whenever you apply the internet and dont begin to see the merchandise first, you don't know very well what the conventional will probably be like. Weve all already been through it, right? Well, I used to be amazed with the Missoni line. The metallic Spacedye spend and matching cardigan I bought personally arrived and they're quite nice. Sometimes rayon and polyester might be tickly, but this fabric doesn't look or feel cheap. The silk print scarf I obtained looks a lot more pricey in comparison to $19.99 it cost! All of the clothing we have got for that daughter is beyond adorable and may endure well at preschool- the very best test! Really the only bummer is always that while trying to order on that crazy day when the site crashed, I bought the wrong sweater, therefore i didnt have the one factor that we wanted personally. Well i suppose, theres always eBay. Overall, I believed it had been possibly the best designer collaboration Target is doing and thats from anyone who has bought from just about any collection. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All rights reserved.These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Bavaria, Telepool launch Global Screen

ZURICH -- Teutonic programming leaders Bavaria Film and Telepool are merging their world sales divisions to produce Global Screen, one of the greatest distribution companies in Europe. The completely new company will handle the planet distribution of theatrical and TV programming outdoors of German-speaking European areas. Situated in Munich by having an approved capital of Pounds 3 million ($4 million), Global Screen will launch within the month of the month of january, making its worldwide market debut within the Berlinale's European Film Market. Rolf Moser, controlling director of Bavaria's certification division Bavaria Media, and Telepool topper Thomas Weymar assists as Global's controlling company company directors. Moser and Weymar will both manage purchases, while using former also handling commercial matters as well as the latter controlling programming distribution. Using this distribution team and our professional network we'll become big enough to manage our ground inside the highly competitive program market, but nonetheless remain sufficiently promising small to individually take proper proper care of our clients," mentioned Weymar. Global Screen will essentially dominate the responsibilities and methods of Bavaria Film Worldwide and Cinepool, Bavaria and Telepool's current worldwide theatrical sales models. Thorsten Ritter, presently mind of Bavaria Film Intl., will oversee Global's worldwide theatrical sales. The move marks a considerable step toward getting together the large sales methods of pubcaster behemoth ARD which is many regional affiliate entrepreneurs. Bavaria is possessed by regional pubcasters WDR, BR, SWR and MDR, while Telepool's traders include BR, MDR, SWR and Swiss pubcaster SRG SSR. MDR topper Udo Reiter, who also may serve as Telepool's investor committee chairman, mentioned "an up to date kind of consolidation has finally been launched for ARD's distribution activities," after several attempts formerly. Bavaria Media not only props up distribution rights within the Bavaria Film group, but furthermore has distribution handles traders WDR and SWR, additionally to broad mandates from domestic and worldwide rights entrepreneurs. Likewise, Telepool handles distribution of movies and TV content in the primary traders, BR, MDR and Swiss pubcaster SRF, a subsidiary of SRG and SSR, additionally to ARD's acquisition and production arm Degeto, commercial web RTL along with other rights entrepreneurs from Germany and abroad. The current libraries and program licenses will remain while using traders, but is going to be marketed worldwide by Global Screen, which will also acquire and distribute new film and TV rights. Bavaria Film Group controlling director Matthias Esche mentioned: "This partnership on equal terms will strengthen our worldwide market position. In using this method, a range of programs from various sources might be bundled up up and distributed inside an effective manner." Moser added, "Global Screen will not continue the success story of the two traders, which create the combined reference to almost a century in foreign distribution, but may even obtain a significant boost by joining of forces." Contact Erection dysfunction Meza at staff@variety.com

What Happened to Nicolas Cage's eBay Vampire Photo? Let's Go to the Animated Videotape

The Web experienced one of those slow-news-week stirrings last weekend when a seller on eBay put up incontrovertible photographic evidence (ahem) of Nicolas Cage chilling for a portrait back around the time of the Civil War. Cage is undead, the argument (AHEM) went, and so what better way to capitalize on this bracing phenomenological development than to unload the 19th-century artifact to the highest bidder? Anyway, that auction came and went, but not without the definitive, deeply necessary 60-second animated recap you were praying for. “Nic Cage is one of the undead, because try as he might, his career not be killed,” quips the latest contribution from Taiwanese sim-news gadflies Next Media Animation. In brief: The doppelganger photo has since been pulled from eBay, and Cage is riding this wave of batshit publicity all the way to Trespass’s opening day on Oct. 14. It’ll do, I suppose.

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Toronto Recap: No Drunken Investing A Great Sign For Indie Film Revival

Despite coordinators from the 2011 Toronto Film Festival introduced a 20% uptick in film deals last Friday (the festival includes foreign areas in the count), the deals stored coming. A lengthy expected cope with Lionsgate around the Jennifer Westfeldt-directed comedy Buddies With Kids finally got done, and Music Box introduced overnight it had acquired the Rachel Weisz-starrer The Dark Blue Ocean. Lionsgate was hotly going after another film, the Night time Madness sensation Youre Next, which of all of the festival films appears to achieve the best possibility of approaching this area office completed by Toronto 2010s breakout Insidious. There have been deals through the dozen. Still, are you able to call the Toronto purchases marketplace “solid” when no films got bought to date through the Weinstein Company, The new sony Pictures Classics, Focus Features, or Fox Searchlight (yeah, I says they bought Shame throughout Toronto, however it would be a deal basically sealed in Venice), or for your matter FilmDistrict, Open Road or Relativity Media, because both versions leaped in to the distribution business release a films that may play up up to 2000 screens? Purchasers and retailers stated it had been an excellent festival a minimum of. One full of mostly small deals along with a show of distributor discipline that's an optimistic sign to have an indie film sector that simply began tugging from a nosedive this time around this past year. I’m unsure what Buddies With Kids cost (I’d heard low seven-figures initially when i first authored Lionsgate was chasing after it) or that which you’re Next brings, but in the festival close yesterday, the only real licensed multiple billion dollar deal with a distributor was CBS Films rumored $5 million plus deal for that Lasse Hallstrom-directed Fish Fishing within the Yemen. Some felt CBS Flms spent high, but new divisions frequently pay reasonably limited when putting in a bid against competent distribution rivals, and today CBS Films needed a powerful title that to prove its mettle and today it features a doozy. Mickey Liddell (who this past year acquired Biutiful) notched another major multi-million cope with the William Friedkin-directed Killer Joe, and can rent a distributor to place it. And Luc Besson got his want the performances of Michelle Yeoh and David Thewlis displayed this Oscar season inside a cope with upstart Cohen Media Group to distribute The Woman. It had been obvious money wasnt important for Besson he wanted an Oscar being approved berth and stateside release to choose the worldwide release plans that his EuropaCorp have in position, and first got it soon after his film opened. From the other films atop purchasers lists, some were disappointing, purchasers stated others performed well, but had factors that left marketers questioning whether or not they warranted large P&A stays. That's always the problem with obtaining finished films and underscored for purchasers the significance of pre-purchasing privileges before movies start shooting, where one can possess some influence with what continues the screen. Merely a couple of pre-purchase game titles tested footage at Toronto, such as the Derek Cianfrance-directed The Area Past The Pines with Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper. To date, nobody has met the $4 million selling price for U.S. privileges, however i wager they are available near by AFM. Had the $15 million George Clooney-directed Gosling-starrer The Ides of March arrived at the festival with no distributor, several purchasers explained an 8-figure putting in a bid war for domestic privileges might have resulted. Marketers are utilized to evaluating the difficulties of finished films playing the very first time at festivals. Within the situation of Shame, some balked in the demand they couldn’t change a frame and needed to emerge this season, although not Fox Searchlight, that will chase an Oscar for Michael Fassbender. Within the situation of Buddies with Kids, some potential purchasers explained they asked your decision by director Westfeldt to cast herself within the pivotal role, alongside Jon Hamm, Adam Scott and Kristen Wiig. A couple of purchasers explained they loved the premise and stated it had crowd-pleasing laughs, but because Westfeldt isn’t a recognised star, it made the film much more of an industrial risk. Lionsgate is at this mixture early (Hamm may be the cornerstone star of Lionsgate’s Mad Males), however it never converted into a genuine putting in a bid war. Same goes with 360, which purchasers found challenging to promote. Festival coordinators certainly didnt allow it to be easy on purchasers or retailers by arranging a nonstop barrage from the top acquisition game titles that first Saturday. I believe the festival did this deliberately to produce a craze atmosphere, however it only made our lives difficult, stated one vet. You saw purchasers coming on and on in the center of tests of excellent movies, and lots of movies needed to be tested again. It didnt help anybody. Ive heard the log jam happened because retailers push festival coordinators so challenging prime Saturday berths, and festival coordinators won’t let them know the things they’re playing facing. Some stated they'll think about making better utilization of Friday as well as that first Thursday, despite the fact that many acquisition executives are simply coming. Nobody thinks the very best distribution executives will remain beyond Monday they typically leave junior professionals to look at finish of fest premiere game titles. The possible lack of major marketers left the area towards the boutiques, which pay more compact minimum guarantees and launch films in less sexy platform theatrical and premium VOD methods. Within an article on Magnolias tenth anniversary, co-owner Todd Wagner and co-founder Eamonn Bowles referred to how films all Good Stuff to 2 Enthusiasts to obscure game titles such as the Oxford Killings and 13 Assassins routinely gross millions on Utra VOD excursions, frequently dwarfing theatrical returns and needing less P&A. The festival was a high quality one for VOD purchasers, despite the fact that the brand new division that former Magnolia executives Tom Quinn and Jason Janego are beginning for that Weinstein Company hasnt notched a purchase yet, individuals professionals were chasing after films and may have deals within the coming days. The VOD downside for filmmakers and stars is principally ego: they miss the sizzle of theatrical P&A campaigns of TV and newspaper advertisements, even when those funds spent isn’t economical. Boutique marketers happen to be gobbling up Toronto game titles as marketers like Magnolia and IFC have purchased multiple festival films. Since the casts are strong, you will see inevitable deals for films such as the Oren Moverman-directed Rampart with Woodsy Harrelson, the Fernando Meirelles-directed 360 with Anthony Hopkins, the Sarah Polley-directed Take This Waltz with Michelle Williams, Purple & Daisy by Precious scribe Geoffrey Fletcher and genre game titles like Lovely Molly by Blair Witch co-director Eduardo Sanchez. However, you can wager none of individuals deals will break your budget and also the longer they take, the greater leverage shifts toward purchasers.

TV TEASER: Exclusive Glee Premiere Clip

We’ll get plenty of Jane Lynch on Sunday when the Glee star hosts the Primetime Emmy Awards. But now, here is she as her tracksuit-loving, glee club-bashing character Sue Sylvester in an exclusive clip from the upcoming third season premiere of Glee, which airs on Tuesday. For the past 2 years, Sue Sylverster has been trying unsuccessfully to shut down the New Directions glee club. Now, she takes her efforts to the state level, making suspending all public school arts programs a cornerstone of her campaign for Congress. Here is the campaign edition of her Sue’s Corner weekly segment on the local Ohio TV station. rtmp://streaming.tvline.com/ondemand/video/glee_301_2011-09-16.flv

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To Be an Actor

For three years at Culver [Military Academy] I had run the mile. From those early days as a plebewhen Mike Carpenter had taken me on road trips even though I finished a lap behindto my third year on the team, I had trained hard and was now in contention for first place. There was a runner from Iowa named Baxter with a great stride and a killer finishing kick, and I had come in second to him the year before, running my best time for the mile in just over 4 minutes and 35 seconds. In 1934 Glenn Cunningham had set the world record at 4 minutes 6.8 seconds.* * * Baxter had done 4:29. Before the acting bug bit me I had dreamed of being another Glenn Cunningham. I had the long legs and the thin frame that seemed to be a standard for most milers and I gained confidence in how to pace myself. Mike Carpenter was counting on me to come through for him in my senior year.Then in the spring Major Mather cast me in a leading role. It would require a great deal of rehearsal and I was not going to be able to train for the mile and do the play. It was the toughest decision I had ever faced and to this day I can feel the heat of it. For the first time I was about to make my own choice about the future path my life would take. The acting bug was new, the bite might not last. If I chose it, I would be turning my back on the dream of winning for Mike Carpenter and turning toward a dream that had no clear shape.We were on the edge of the quadrangle outside the Canteen, where cadets at liberty got Cokes and hamburgers, when I told Mike Carpenter I would have to quit the track team to rehearse a play. I hoped to make it a private confrontation, but cadets drifting out of the Canteen were caught in the coils of tension winding around us. Mike was tall. The tip of his nose and patches of his face turned white when he was angry. They were white now. A crowd began to gather."You're yellow.""No, I'm not ""You're yellow. You're a coward""I'm not a coward. I know this is the right"* * * "You're a quitter! A yellow-bellied quitter!" He walked away.I felt only naked, naked shame. How could I have thought the wound would not go deep in him? I stood nailed to the ground. The cadets around me silently drifted off. Was I a yellowbelly? Did I quit because I was losing confidence that I could beat Baxter?* * *I wish I could go back sixty-nine years and watch the turning point of that choice inside my head. Was I a yellowbelly? Or was it an escape? The choice to join the weirdos. To be an actor. * * * I chose to belong to a bunch of people who were eccentric and daring and fun to be with, show people who had taken me in. And there was something irresponsible about it, too. Doing the unexpected, hanging off the railroad trestle, showing off. Watch me now! Acting may have been the high board.I put the guilt and self-loathing to use in the play. I'd been given the role of the maniac in a Grand Guignol drama from the French called "Murder in the Foyer." I wore a great black cape and used it like a scythe, and all the anger and suppressed emotions inside me gathered together in a crazy ball and erupted in the climax of the play. At that point I had my hands around Ollie Rea's neck and I was choking him to death. In rehearsals I often got carried away and had to be warned to ease off because Ollie's neck was turning a little purple, so he was on edge when opening night came. * * * As I advanced upon him, I could see concern and even fear in his eyes. "Here comes that damn Holbrook again," he was thinking. "I've survived the rehearsal period, but what about tonight? * * * I had put my hands around his neck and begun to squeeze, trying to follow instructions about not shutting down his windpipe, but Ollie was taking no chances, not on this night with an untrained actor smelling stardom and blood. He clawed at my hands with a desperation way past acting, sweating to release the pressure on his Adam's apple before it was crushed to dust. Ollie was normally a rather elegant and sophisticated fellow, but this was not time for appearances, or style. When he was down to a last, small puff of air he gasped, "Holbrook! It's only a play!!!""Harold: The Boy Who Became Mark Twain," by Hal Holbrook, will be published Sept. 20 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and is here reprinted with the kind permission of the author and publisher. Holbrook appeared in "All the President's Men," "Wall Street," and "The Firm," but may be best known for his signature solo show, "Mark Twain Tonight!"

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'The Raid': A Unique Red-colored-Band Sneak Look!

If you have been having to pay focus on what are you doing in the Toronto Worldwide Film Festival, then odds are good that you have already learned about "The Raid," which opened up the festival's Night time Madness last evening. Welsh director Gareth Huw Evans may be the mad guy accountable for this Indonesian fighting techinques movie in regards to a SWAT team trapped within a deadly tenement with murders and drug addicts hiding about every corner, and reviews already state that this is an absolute can't miss to use it movie fans. One more reason to stay tuned? Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda is going to do a brand new score for that US release. It's the very first time he's ever written a score for any film, and our exclusive sneak look from the movie includes a sample of what's in the future. Without further ado, watch a unique red-colored-band sneak look at footage from "The Raid," only at MTV News. Take a look and let's read your comments within the comments section as well as on Twitter! Warning: this video consists of extreme violence and isn't safe for work!

Sarah Chalke to visit Cougar Town

Sarah Chalke Sarah Chalke will Cougar Town, TVLine reviews.The Scrubs star has showed up a multi-episode arc concerning the ABC sitcom as Angie, Travis' photography teacher who romances his father, Bobby (John Van Holt).Have a look at photos from Cougar TownThe gig will reunite Chalke along with her former Scrubs boss and Cougar Town creator Bill Lawrence with Christa Burns, who recurred concerning the medical comedy. Chalke won't function as first Scrubs alum to appear about the program - Zach Braff, Ken Jenkins, Mike Lloyd and Scott Foley have came by Cougar Town.Chalke most recently starred on CBS' short-were living sitcom Mad Love.A premiere date for Cougar Town is not determined yet.

Kevin Smith Creates 'Porn for Actors' With 'Red State'

Kevin Smith Creates 'Porn for Actors' With 'Red State' By Jenelle Riley September 2, 2011 Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images Kevin Smith At this point in his career, Kevin Smith is as well-known for being a raconteur as he is for being a filmmaker. For good reason: Few people can speak as knowledgeably and humorously on any number of topics. Witness his take on growing as a director after "Clerks," his 1994 low-budget breakthrough known more for its incisive dialogue than for its visual strength: "I'm like a high school kid who got lucky and had sex with a porn star. Then I spent the next 20 years learning how to fuck properly."His latest film, "Red State," is probably Smith's most visually striking yet, showing he has indeed come a long way since casting his nonactor friends in a black-and-white indie. It also might be his most controversiala lot to say about the man who took on organized religion in "Dogma" and wrote and directed a flick called "Zack and Miri Make a Porno." The plot is contentious enough: Three high school boys looking to get laid find themselves kidnapped by a religious cult. But the film's notoriety comes more from Smith's marketing plan. First he said he would auction the film at its Sundance Film Festival premiere, only to sell the rights to himself for $20. (For some reason, this seemingly innocent publicity ploy outraged more than a few.) He then announced his plans to distribute the movie on his owntouring the country and renting out theaters for screenings combined with Q&A sessions.The tour continues (check Smith's website for details), and "Red State" will also be available via VOD beginning Sept. 1 and on DVD Oct 18. And now for a few words from the filmmaker about the road to "Red State":1. Michael Parks is the reason "Red State" came to be. "This whole movie exists because of Michael Parks," Smith says of the 71-year-old character actor who plays preacher Abin Coopera character not so loosely inspired by Fred Phelps of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church. "I saw [Parks] in 1995 at the beginning of 'From Dusk Till Dawn.' In the first 10 minutes of that movie, he comes on as a local law enforcement agent, and I had never seen him before. It's always amazing to me when someone can take words written on a page and inflect them to make them sound like they're saying them right there in that moment. I certainly can't do that!" Smith says he was captivated. "He was making choices I've never seen any other actor make. He was the movie and I wanted him to stick around, but of course they kill him off. I was like, 'No! He's the most interesting thing I've ever seen in cinema!' I remember saying to my producer Scott Mosier, 'My God, I have to work with this guy.' This guy has forgotten more about acting than I'll ever know. But it took me years to figure out what to do that I could cast Michael Parks in. I didn't want to call him up and offer him the role of Silent Bob's grandfatherhe's far too good for that. It took me a long time to think of something, but it was 'Red State.' " 2. "Red State" is "porn for actors." Smith adores actors, and he says actors love "Red State" because of the great performances from Parks, Melissa Leo, and John Goodman. Smith says he has been able to work with so many amazing actors because he writes scenes they can sink their teeth into. "That's how you get strong talent for your script: You write actor-bait scenes. Write some dialogue that any actor, even if they hate the films of Kevin Smith, will want to speak. Let them drop a monologueactors will line up to work with you. Because that's what they want to do; actors want to actthey're artists and it's in their soul. So if you give a real actor, not just some fly-by-nighter who wants a check, a chance to do something they don't normally get to do, they will line up." He points to his "Zack and Miri" star Elizabeth Banks as an example. "That movie didn't burn up the box office," he explains, "but she said it changed the game for her. People got to see how adorable she was in a lead role opposite Seth Rogen. I asked her once if she had fun, and she said, 'Kevin, how often does a woman ever get to play a part like this? Plus, I got to show off every chop I've ever wanted to.' "3. Ben Affleck is a thief. Smith's good friend and frequent collaborator Ben Affleck borrowed a print of "Red State" but never mentioned watching it. "I thought he didn't like it. Then I find out he cast John Goodman in his new movie, 'Argo.' Then he cast Kerry Bish and went after someone else in the movie. I was like, 'Why is this guy cherry-picking my cast?' He finally wrote me an email saying, 'I assumed by the fact I stole half your cast that you knew I did, in fact, like the movie.'" 4. Smith didn't really direct the film. Smith says he is the biggest fan out there of "Red State," adding, "I can say that because I take none of the creditI directed none of these people. You don't direct Michael Parksyou don't walk in there and say, 'Let me give you the benefit of my wisdom from 15 years as Silent Bob.' " He notes that his style has changed dramatically over the years. "I finally figured out, after nearly 20 years of doing this, that you don't so much direct a movie as much as host a production. For years I'd be like, 'Do as I say!' I used to treat them like puppets; I'd practically stick my hand up their ass and work them like Charlie McCarthy. But in the last few movies, I've learned to trust people more, and I've been turning it back on the crew. When someone asks how I want something to look I'd say, 'What do you want it to look like?' And they give you 110 percent." 5. Smith's gamble has paid off. Although some questioned Smith's choice to take his movie on the road, it has certainly paid off. "We had a $4 million budget, and we've already made it back through our foreign sales and the tour and VOD and DVD deal," he reveals, adding that he never considered the venture risky. "I tour all the time anyway, just standing on a stage with a microphone, without even having a film. So I knew this would work." Smith has wanted to get away from the traditional model of spending millions on marketing to open a film big, hoping to make all the money back in the first couple of weeks. He credits Harvey Weinstein, whose Miramax distributed "Clerks," with teaching him that filmmaking is a marathon, not a sprint. "Harvey once said, 'The movie doesn't begin and end when the lights go down and come up. The movie begins long before they get in the theater, and if you're a fucking magician, the movie never endsthey take it with them and it stays with them.' And I took that very seriously. After a Q&A one night, I overheard two guys walking out, and one guy says, 'Did you like the movie?' The other guy says, 'Nah, I thought it sucked, but I thought the fat guy was funny.' Right then and there I realized I missed them with the movie, but I got them with the Q&A. If he had just seen the movie, he probably wouldn't come back again. But if I came through with a Q&A, he might be back!" Kevin Smith Creates 'Porn for Actors' With 'Red State' By Jenelle Riley September 2, 2011 Kevin Smith PHOTO CREDIT Ethan Miller/Getty Images At this point in his career, Kevin Smith is as well-known for being a raconteur as he is for being a filmmaker. For good reason: Few people can speak as knowledgeably and humorously on any number of topics. Witness his take on growing as a director after "Clerks," his 1994 low-budget breakthrough known more for its incisive dialogue than for its visual strength: "I'm like a high school kid who got lucky and had sex with a porn star. Then I spent the next 20 years learning how to fuck properly."His latest film, "Red State," is probably Smith's most visually striking yet, showing he has indeed come a long way since casting his nonactor friends in a black-and-white indie. It also might be his most controversiala lot to say about the man who took on organized religion in "Dogma" and wrote and directed a flick called "Zack and Miri Make a Porno." The plot is contentious enough: Three high school boys looking to get laid find themselves kidnapped by a religious cult. But the film's notoriety comes more from Smith's marketing plan. First he said he would auction the film at its Sundance Film Festival premiere, only to sell the rights to himself for $20. (For some reason, this seemingly innocent publicity ploy outraged more than a few.) He then announced his plans to distribute the movie on his owntouring the country and renting out theaters for screenings combined with Q&A sessions.The tour continues (check Smith's website for details), and "Red State" will also be available via VOD beginning Sept. 1 and on DVD Oct 18. And now for a few words from the filmmaker about the road to "Red State":1. Michael Parks is the reason "Red State" came to be. "This whole movie exists because of Michael Parks," Smith says of the 71-year-old character actor who plays preacher Abin Coopera character not so loosely inspired by Fred Phelps of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church. "I saw [Parks] in 1995 at the beginning of 'From Dusk Till Dawn.' In the first 10 minutes of that movie, he comes on as a local law enforcement agent, and I had never seen him before. It's always amazing to me when someone can take words written on a page and inflect them to make them sound like they're saying them right there in that moment. I certainly can't do that!" Smith says he was captivated. "He was making choices I've never seen any other actor make. He was the movie and I wanted him to stick around, but of course they kill him off. I was like, 'No! He's the most interesting thing I've ever seen in cinema!' I remember saying to my producer Scott Mosier, 'My God, I have to work with this guy.' This guy has forgotten more about acting than I'll ever know. But it took me years to figure out what to do that I could cast Michael Parks in. I didn't want to call him up and offer him the role of Silent Bob's grandfatherhe's far too good for that. It took me a long time to think of something, but it was 'Red State.' " 2. "Red State" is "porn for actors." Smith adores actors, and he says actors love "Red State" because of the great performances from Parks, Melissa Leo, and John Goodman. Smith says he has been able to work with so many amazing actors because he writes scenes they can sink their teeth into. "That's how you get strong talent for your script: You write actor-bait scenes. Write some dialogue that any actor, even if they hate the films of Kevin Smith, will want to speak. Let them drop a monologueactors will line up to work with you. Because that's what they want to do; actors want to actthey're artists and it's in their soul. So if you give a real actor, not just some fly-by-nighter who wants a check, a chance to do something they don't normally get to do, they will line up." He points to his "Zack and Miri" star Elizabeth Banks as an example. "That movie didn't burn up the box office," he explains, "but she said it changed the game for her. People got to see how adorable she was in a lead role opposite Seth Rogen. I asked her once if she had fun, and she said, 'Kevin, how often does a woman ever get to play a part like this? Plus, I got to show off every chop I've ever wanted to.' "3. Ben Affleck is a thief. Smith's good friend and frequent collaborator Ben Affleck borrowed a print of "Red State" but never mentioned watching it. "I thought he didn't like it. Then I find out he cast John Goodman in his new movie, 'Argo.' Then he cast Kerry Bish and went after someone else in the movie. I was like, 'Why is this guy cherry-picking my cast?' He finally wrote me an email saying, 'I assumed by the fact I stole half your cast that you knew I did, in fact, like the movie.'" 4. Smith didn't really direct the film. Smith says he is the biggest fan out there of "Red State," adding, "I can say that because I take none of the creditI directed none of these people. You don't direct Michael Parksyou don't walk in there and say, 'Let me give you the benefit of my wisdom from 15 years as Silent Bob.' " He notes that his style has changed dramatically over the years. "I finally figured out, after nearly 20 years of doing this, that you don't so much direct a movie as much as host a production. For years I'd be like, 'Do as I say!' I used to treat them like puppets; I'd practically stick my hand up their ass and work them like Charlie McCarthy. But in the last few movies, I've learned to trust people more, and I've been turning it back on the crew. When someone asks how I want something to look I'd say, 'What do you want it to look like?' And they give you 110 percent." 5. Smith's gamble has paid off. Although some questioned Smith's choice to take his movie on the road, it has certainly paid off. "We had a $4 million budget, and we've already made it back through our foreign sales and the tour and VOD and DVD deal," he reveals, adding that he never considered the venture risky. "I tour all the time anyway, just standing on a stage with a microphone, without even having a film. So I knew this would work." Smith has wanted to get away from the traditional model of spending millions on marketing to open a film big, hoping to make all the money back in the first couple of weeks. He credits Harvey Weinstein, whose Miramax distributed "Clerks," with teaching him that filmmaking is a marathon, not a sprint. "Harvey once said, 'The movie doesn't begin and end when the lights go down and come up. The movie begins long before they get in the theater, and if you're a fucking magician, the movie never endsthey take it with them and it stays with them.' And I took that very seriously. After a Q&A one night, I overheard two guys walking out, and one guy says, 'Did you like the movie?' The other guy says, 'Nah, I thought it sucked, but I thought the fat guy was funny.' Right then and there I realized I missed them with the movie, but I got them with the Q&A. If he had just seen the movie, he probably wouldn't come back again. But if I came through with a Q&A, he might be back!"