News

Late to the Party: ‘The Purge’ (2013)

Published

6 years ago

July 4, 2018

The First Purge hits theaters today, and so it seems only fitting to dedicate this entry of Late to the Party to writer/director James DeMonaco’s 2013 thriller The Purge. With four films and an upcoming TV series on the way, I’d like to see what all the fuss is about. So, without further ado…let The Purge review commence.

Half celebration and half anarchy, the franchise contemplates what it would be like if criminal activity (including murder) was legal for one night a year. The theory being it would allow participants to vent their aggression and lower the overall crime rate the rest of the year. And, in this world, it apparently works.

The first film is a modest beginning to the franchise with a confined story that mostly takes place in a rich suburban house on the night of The Purge. James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) is a wealthy security system salesman living in a gated community with wife Mary (Lena Headey) and their two kids. Shortly after the Sandins lock down their house for a quiet night of Purge watching on TV, things quickly go awry.

A homeless stranger manages to disappear in their sprawling home after the their son provides him sanctuary from Purgers. The group of psychopaths lingering outside hold the Sandins responsible for harboring the man, and the family won’t be able to keep them out very long.

One can see the draw of such an intriguing high-concept premise. I normally enjoy claustrophobic, single-location films like Night of the Living Dead, Hidden, A Quiet Place, and 10 Cloverfield Lane, which are microcosms of larger scale events going on outside the walls.

What films like these lack in scale and spectacle they often make up for with compelling characters and tight storytelling. This is where The Purge stumbles. While the premise is interesting, the execution is sadly lacking

First, some positives. As Purge Night draws near, the feeling of anxiety is palpable. Seeing a neighbor sharpening a machete in his backyard right before The Purge commences would make anyone paranoid. The film has a dystopian feel that is contained to one evening, until society returns to normal the next day like waking up from a bad dream.

Many citizens (like James and Mary Sandin) treat Purge Night almost like a twisted New Year’s Eve celebration. They state how it has saved their country, and how much good it’s done. While the concept that the majority of crime stems from aggression is obviously questionable, the premise does work satirically. However, it’s not handled in such a way.

The Purge is essentially used in this film as a framework to create a problematic home-invasion thriller. Characters are often forced to make incredibly dumb decisions to keep the plot moving. The daughter Zoey, for instance, repeatedly runs away from her family for no reason while there’s a potentially dangerous stranger loose in their house. This is the type of movie that will have you often yelling at the screen because of the constant lack of judgment.

An (overly) generous amount of the movie’s runtime is dedicated to characters wandering around the dark hallways of the family’s house. However, we have no idea where people or rooms are in relation to one another. This is likely because much of the film relies on you believing characters could disappear without a trace in a reasonably sized home.

In Don’t Breathe, there were sequences when you could picture where The Blind Man was in the house in relation to his victims because we were given a proper walk-through right from the beginning. We can feel the characters getting closer or farther from danger, which adds to the suspense. The homeless man in The Purge also never seems like a real threat to begin with, so it’s hard to fear for the Sandins when they’re trapped inside with him.

The crew of masked nutjobs outside is led by a politely demented leader played by Rhys Wakefield, who is chewing the scenery with his ear-to-ear grin. He is the only one in the film with any charisma, and a quintessential example of the type of crazy roaming the streets on Purge Night.

Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey don’t have much to work with here. They initially support The Purge until it ultimately comes to their doorstep. Unfortunately, their character arcs end up being superficial at best.

The Sandin family’s jealous neighbors turn on them later in the film showing there’s a little crazy inside everyone. However, their motivation for hating the Sandins is so weak it probably would have been better to give them no motivation at all to better fit the pent up aggression narrative.

I was hoping to be more satisfied by the film’s moral dilemmas, character growths, and overall message, but it all came off rather flat. The Purge often seems to have a lot to say about about human nature, classism, and socio-political agendas. But, by the time the credits roll, it doesn’t feel like it said much of anything at all.

You could tell a lot of gripping tales with such a visceral sandbox to play in. Which is probably why 2013’s The Purge is so frustrating.

The potential is there, and that may be one of the reasons why this franchise is so successful. Plus, having such modest budgets doesn’t hurt. One would hope the sequels expand on the concept, and tell more interesting stories with more interesting characters. Maybe I’ll find out in future editions of Late to the Party. Until next time, Happy Fourth of July!

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Editorial

Yay or Nay: What’s Good and Bad in Horror This Week: 5/6 to 5/10

Published

3 hours ago

May 11, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Welcome to Yay or Nay a weekly mini post about what I think is good and bad news in the horror community written in bite-sized chunks. This is for the week of May 5 through May 10.

Yay:

In a Violent Nature made someone puke at the Chicago Critics Film Fest screening. It’s the first time this year that a critic got sick at a movie that wasn’t a Blumhouse film.

Nay:

Radio Silence pulls out of remake of Escape From New York. Darn, we wanted to see Snake try to escape a remote locked-down mansion full of distopean New York City “crazies.”

Yay:

A new Twisters trailer dropped, focusing on the powerful forces of nature that tear through rural towns. It’s a great alternative to watching candidates do the same thing on local news during this year’s presidential press cycle.

Nay:

Producer Bryan Fuller walks away from A24’s Friday the 13th series Camp Crystal Lake saying the studio wanted to go a “different way.” After two years of development for a horror series it seems that way doesn’t include ideas from people who actually know what their talking about: fans in a subreddit.

Yay:

Finally, The Tall Man from Phantasm is getting his own Funko Pop! Too bad the toy company is failing. This gives new meaning to Angus Scrimm’s famous line from the movie: “You play a good game…but the game is finished. Now you die!”

Nay:

Football king Travis Kelce joins new Ryan Murphy horror project as a supporting actor. He got more press than the announcement of Dahmer’s Emmy winner Niecy Nash-Betts actually getting the lead.

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Movies

‘Clown Motel 3,’ Films At America’s Scariest Motel!

Published

6 hours ago

May 11, 2024

Ryan T. Cusick

There is just something about clowns that can evoke feelings of eeriness or discomfort. Clowns, with their exaggerated features and painted-on smiles, are already somewhat removed from typical human appearance. When portrayed in a sinister manner in movies, they can trigger feelings of fear or unease because they hover in that unsettling space between familiar and unfamiliar. The association of clowns with childhood innocence and joy can make their portrayal as villains or symbols of terror even more disturbing; just writing this and thinking about clowns is making me feel quite uneasy. Many of us can relate to each other when it comes to the fear of clowns! There is a new clown film on the horizon, Clown Motel: 3 Ways To Hell, which promises to have an army of horror icons and provide tons of bloody gore. Check out the press release below, and stay safe from these clowns!

The Clown Motel named the “Scariest Motel in America,” is located in the quiet town of Tonopah, Nevada, renowned among horror enthusiasts. It boasts an unsettling clown theme that permeates every inch of its exterior, lobby, and guest rooms. Situated across from a desolate cemetery from the early 1900s, the motel’s eerie ambiance is heightened by its proximity to the graves.

Clown Motel spawned its first movie, Clown Motel: Spirits Arise, back in 2019, but now we are on to the third!

Director and Writer Joseph Kelly is back at it again with Clown Motel: 3 Ways To Hell, and they officially launched their ongoing campaign.

Clown Motel 3 aims big and is one of the biggest networks of horror franchise actors since the 2017 Death House.

Clown Motel introduces actors from:

Halloween (1978) – Tony Moran – known for his role as the unmasked Michael Myers.

Friday the 13th (1980) – Ari Lehman – the original young Jason Voorhees from the inaugural “Friday The 13th” film.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Parts 4 & 5 – Lisa Wilcox – portrays Alice.

The Exorcist (1973) – Elieen Dietz – Pazuzu Demon.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) – Brett Wagner – who had the first kill in the film as “Kemper Kill Leather Face.’

Scream Parts 1 & 2 – Lee Waddell – known for playing the original Ghostface.

House of 1000 Corpses (2003) – Robert Mukes – known for playing Rufus alongside Sheri Zombie, Bill Moseley, and the late Sid Haig.

Poltergeist Parts 1 & 2—Oliver Robins, known for his role as the boy terrorized by a clown under the bed in Poltergeist, will now flip the script as the tables turn!

WWD, now known as WWE – Wrestler Al Burke joins the lineup!

With a lineup of horror legends and set at America’s Most terrifying motel, this is a dream come true for fans of horror films everywhere!

What’s a clown movie without actual real-life clowns, though? Joining the film are Relik, VillyVodka, and, of course, Mischief – Kelsey Livengood.

Special Effects will be done by Joe Castro, so you know the gore will be bloody good!

A handful of returning cast members include Mindy Robinson (VHS, Range 15), Mark Hoadley, Ray Guiu, Dave Bailey, DieTrich, Bill Victor Arucan, Denny Nolan, Ron Russell, Johnny Perotti (Hammy), Vicky Contreras. For more information on the film, visit Clown Motel’s official Facebook Page.

Making a comeback into feature films and just announced today, Jenna Jameson will also be joining the side of the clowns. And guess what? A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join her or the handful of horror icons on set for a one-day role! More info can be found on Clown Motel’s Campaign page.

**Actress Jenna Jameson joins the cast.**

After all, who wouldn’t want to be killed by an icon?

Executive Producers Joseph Kelly, Dave Bailey, Mark Hoadley, Joe Castro

Producers Nicole Vegas, Jimmy Star, Shawn C. Phillips, Joel Damian

Clown Motel 3 Ways to Hell is written and directed by Joseph Kelly and promises a blend of horror and nostalgia.

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Movies

First Look: On Set of ‘Welcome to Derry’ & Interview with Andy Muschietti

Published

1 day ago

May 10, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Rising from the sewers, drag performer and horror movie enthusiast The Real Elvirus took her fans behind the scenes of the MAX series Welcome to Derry in an exclusive hot-set tour. The show is scheduled to release sometime in 2025, but a firm date has not been set.

Filming is taking place in Canada in Port Hope, a stand-in for the fictional New England town of Derry located within the Stephen King universe. The sleepy location has been transformed into a township from the 1960s.

Welcome to Derry is the prequel series to director Andrew Muschietti’s two-part adaptation of King’s It. The series is interesting in that it’s not only about It, but all the people who live in Derry — which includes some iconic characters from the King ouvre.

Elvirus, dressed as Pennywise, tours the hot set, careful not to reveal any spoilers, and speaks with Muschietti himself, who reveals exactly how to pronounce his name: Moose-Key-etti.

The comical drag queen was given an all-access pass to the location and uses that privilege to explore props, facades and interview crew members. It’s also revealed that a second season is already greenlit.

Take a look below and let us know what you think. And are you looking forward to the MAX series Welcome to Derry?