OCTOBER 2, 2014 9:34AM
A Cup of Tea?
Title: The Purge
Released: March 2012
Director: James DeMonaco
Writer: James DeMonaco
Notable Cast: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Rhys Wakefield
Plot: In a future dystopic U.S.A., poverty and crime are at an all-time low, because for one night a year, you're allowed to maim, kill, rape and do whatever it is you please. Courtesy of the "New Founding Fathers." A family is caught in the middle of a Purge victim and his creepily-masked pursuers. Home invasion wackiness follows.
Commentary:To my recollection The Purge wasn't loved. So this one is for the "sue me" file, because I really dug it. It's derivative of a whole bunch of movies - a little Clockwork Orange, a little Hunger Games, some The Strangers, a touch of Panic Room - but it's tense, thrilling, disturbing and yes, thought provoking.
Now, I'm not saying the protagonist family were terribly smart people (most horror movie victims aren't), nor am I saying it isn't legitimate to question exactly how this Purge holiday works to fulfill its purpose. If I wanted to kill someone or steal something, why would I pick the one night where it's expected?
Still and all, I liked it. It's like an Internet era Shirley Jackson story. It also calls to mind that one scene of ritualized violence in The Handmaid's Tale.
Are the "New Founding Fathers" some kind of warped Tea Party nightmare? How are the poor who can't afford high tech security home systems supposed to survive this night?
Special kudos to actor Rhys Wakefield as "Polite Leader" (pictured above). His erudite, prep school charm-smarm and sociopathic smile chews up the scenery and gave the film that extra political edge.
I look forward to the sequel, The Purge: Anarchy - oh hey look, it will be out on DVD soon.
What We're Afraid Of: Whoo boy - what aren't we afraid of here? Creepy mask home invasion is scary enough, but there's a hell of a lot more going on underneath this film. Gated communities, one-percenters, the Occupy movement, the covetings of thy neighbor, economic decline, theocracy, politicians conflated with religious figures, the Tea Party and even a little relationship violence are all writ large here.
The Purge is ritualized violence and sacrifice in the name of God and country, in order to promote and maintain economic prosperity. So yes, this movie is reallyabout our very legitimate fears of economic meltdown, radical street violence and ultimately, apocalypse.
I mentioned the character "Polite Leader," a preppy droog whose passion for "the Purge" is quasi-religious. He reminded me a bit of these guys—
—whose so-called rapping is unprintable audio-horror in its own right.
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Comments
A half home invasion thriller??? I love people doing all the work for me in case I want to watch it. I hate surprises..:)
I once wrote a short
story in 1976 called "Inside Out" in which dreams controlled and guided
by a computer network provided the residents of luxury housing complexes
in a ecologically polluted city state with the violent catharsis
necessary to maintain social order. Ben Bova, who was the Editor of
Analog, sent me a personally signed rejection letter. He loved the
story, but had to reject it because it ran counter to the editorial
guidelines of the publication. He encouraged me to keep writing and
continue to submit other stories to Analog. I've still got it stashed
somewhere in my piles of papers. R&R ;-)
R&R - needing coffee to cheer up now (or maybe go back to bed)
r.
"28%'s the new capital gains tax"
Gotta say, that's not a line I expected in a rap song
Interesting
Gotta say, that's not a line I expected in a rap song
Interesting
@Linda - My pleasure! Run them by me and I'll let you know if it involves home invasion or not ;)
@jmac - you must,must, MUST dig that story out IMMEDIATELY and just publish it! You won't believe how easy it is to do through Amazon, B&N or even the more indie self-publishing platforms. Never read much of Mr. Bova's work - but regardless. DO IT. The idea is too fantastic not to.
@Myriad - I hope you got your coffee and you're feeling better? I don't know if it's the movie's plot or the god-awful young conservative rapping, but either way, I feel responsible!
@Jonathan - thank you as always
@kosh - yeah, there's plenty of lines there that I suppose are interesting in a train-wreck sort of way.
@jmac - you must,must, MUST dig that story out IMMEDIATELY and just publish it! You won't believe how easy it is to do through Amazon, B&N or even the more indie self-publishing platforms. Never read much of Mr. Bova's work - but regardless. DO IT. The idea is too fantastic not to.
@Myriad - I hope you got your coffee and you're feeling better? I don't know if it's the movie's plot or the god-awful young conservative rapping, but either way, I feel responsible!
@Jonathan - thank you as always
@kosh - yeah, there's plenty of lines there that I suppose are interesting in a train-wreck sort of way.
Ah, "family values"
rearing its head once again. As for Young Cons, their moniker may be
appropriate in ways they hadn't imagined.
This may sound disturbing. Ethan Hawke, the actor, NOT the person, deserves to be killed.
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