I was lucky enough to watch The Dirties at this year’s Fantasia Festival in Montreal. As is the case with seemingly more and more films these days, its future was in jeopardy. It’s not hard to explain why: The Dirties is about a two kids planning a school shooting. It’s understandable (though is also a shitty reflection on how “safe” even the more offbeat distributors have to be) that a movie that is mostly a comedy about two kids planning a horrific act would have a hard time finding a home in theaters or even on video on demand. The creator and star of the film Matt Johnson said as much at the screening. Prior to a certain director taking an interest in distributing the film, The Dirties would have been shown for the last time at Fantasia.
The Dirties must have been strong enough on its own merits (and resulting recognition at Slamdance) that the film popped up on Kevin Smith’s radar. He screened it at San Diego ComicCon, slapped his name on it as part of Kevin Smith’s Film Club and helped the independent Canadian filmmakers get a distribution deal. I am huge Kevin Smith fan, but I honestly feel that getting this film into the homes and minds of a larger audience is probably the biggest contribution to cinema of his life. The Dirties is that good. (WARNING: Mild spoilers after the jump, not much more than is spoiled in the trailer though). ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
