It's Time To Purge

-->

      Writer James DeMonaco delivers a vivid social commentary hidden behind the bloody guise of a horror movie. The Purge is the story of an average family in the year 2022. Ethan Hawke and Lena Heady portray James and Mary Sandin a suburban, all-American married couple with two children. In this future exists a night of complete savagery known as the Purge, where once a year crime is legal and anything is fair game. The new founding fathers of America, along with many criminal psychologists, weigh in to tell the audience that the Purge exists so Americans can let out their dark fantasies and rage one night a year in the open, so the rest of the year will be virtually crime free.
         On this night of the Annual Purge the Sandin’s youngest child, Charlie, is having a particularly difficult time grasping why everyone seems to be okay with letting people kill and be killed for the supposed good of the country. James, who sells high tech security systems for those who can afford them, reassures his son that the reason the Purge continues to be required is because it works, because it saved the country from crime and poverty. However, when a homeless man cries out for help, Charlie cannot sit quietly behind his security system and wait to see the man die, he must help him. Charlie opens the security barricades to bring the man to safety, but in so doing brings the wrath of a group of young sadists who had targeted the homeless man for their purge. The Sandins now must make a choice to either sacrifice the man to his tormentors, or fight the clan of killers on their doorstep.
       What makes The Purge a must see is its originality. Horror movies, in general, tend to follow such tightly wound plot formulas, so, when a high concept story like The Purge comes along, it is refreshing. The characters themselves are not fully rounded, but the moral questions that are posed to them not only make for great cinematic magic, but also get the audience thinking, “what would I do?” Both Ethan Hawke and Lena Heady deliver powerhouse performances, but what stood out most was the sinister portrayal of “the polite stranger” by Australian actor, Rhys Wakefield. His perverse smile will haunt you long after the movie has ended.

         The reason The Purge makes for such a great movie is that it perfectly balances thought provoking content with thrills and suspense.  Throughout the story the moral questions about the Purge are expressed through character conversations and radio and television broadcasts. James, the patron of the Sandin family is a pure believer in the Purge. He knows that the enacting of the Purge lead to a drop in crime rates and the rise of the American economy. Not to mention, him and his family prospered greatly by the need for higher quality, more expensive security systems. However, what James never explains to his son, is that the Purge mostly benefits the “haves” and is a dangerous nightmare for the “have nots”. Those who can afford the safety of the security systems either sit back and wait the night out, or go out “hunting.” On the other hand, those who cannot afford the security system, those who benefit most from government aid, are sitting ducks. So the economy flourishes because those who cannot afford to be “contributing members of society” are most likely killed. The homeless man that takes refuge in the Sandins’ house is a prime example of the people the Purge targets. He cannot afford a home, let alone a security system and he is target by the sick group of youngsters who refer to him as “swine.” In this way, DeMonaco creates a thrilling night of horrors that is at its core filled with social commentary.
      The Purge is filled with edge of you seat suspense and action, thought provoking and disturbing content and an overall intensely crafted story.
  Though I saw some children in the theater during my viewing, I highly recommend that anyone younger than seventeen sit this one out. The violence is off the charts, and very graphic.

       Let me know what you thought of The Purge in the comments below!







Check Out the Purge Trailer Below

Name That Movie!

Congratulations HOLLY! Last weeks winner who guessed Zombieland

Will you be next weeks winner? Name the movie below!

Cold Body, Warm Heart

            New on Redbox and OnDemand this week is the romantic comedy Warm Bodies. In this new film the plotline to Shakespeare’s classic, Romeo and Juliet, gets done to death. This original
take on an old classic follows R, a zombie who is unhappy in his current afterlife. He wanders the streets collecting a treasure trove of random artifacts and trying to reconnect with his humanity. Like all zombies, he struggles with the all-powering hunger for brains. On an adventure into the city he meets Julie. From across a zombie hoard he sees her and it is love at first sight. R rescues Julie from the other zombies and they embark on a journey to discover what it truly means to be human.

              The recent trend in romance movies centered on human and supernatural entities has left many audience members weary of more Twilightesque teen dramas. However, unlike its counterparts, Warm Bodies maintains a refreshing comedic atmosphere from start to finish. With the use of its quirky score and humorous narration, the story remains laugh out loud funny while developing a non-traditional romance. Audiences can expect to enjoy a romance full of heart, a few exciting fights, many laughs and some original performances. Nicholas Hoult delivers an innovative performance as a zombie with a heart of gold, blending the outlandish concept of a zombie in love with the genuine sentiments of an awkward boy fighting for a beautiful girl.

Likewise, Teresa Palmer offers a refreshing take on the leading lady as the antithesis of a damsel in distress. She wonderfully conveys authentic emotions under surreal circumstances.

             Audiences will have to have a strong stomach, a great sense of humor and playful imagination. It is the perfect movie for an unconventional date night or just a night in for any zombie or comedy lover. Overall, the film employs a wonderful cast, inventive plot line and excellent overall experience. Check out the trailer below!

Top Ten

As a special edition of Oldies But Goodies this week I have a list of my favorite zombie movie recommendations in no particular order, check them out!

1. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
2. 28 Weeks Later (2007)
3. Night of the Living (Dead (1968)
4. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
5. The Crazies (2010)
6. 28 Days Later (2002)
7. Resident Evil (2002)
8. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
9. Evil Dead (2013)
10. Zombieland (2009)

Name That Movie!

Last weeks winner was Will who guessed Inisde Job!

CONGRATULATIONS WILL!

Be next weeks winner by guessing the movie below!

Look for my review of The Purge coming later this week!

Now You (Should) See It

             Starting with a star-studded cast, this summer’s Now You See Me has a lot to offer. The action is frequent and exciting, the camera work masterful and the special effects seamless. Director Louis Leterrier, known for his work on films like The Incredible Hulk (2008), The Transporter, and Clash of the Titans, delivers his next blockbuster hit with Now you See Me. Sticking to his comfort zone, Leterrier crafts an action packed visual delight.
            Now You See Me follows the story of Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) a New York City detective who is assigned to a strange case. A group of rag-tag magicians known collectively as “The Four Horseman” are using their magic shows to rob banks and give money to their audience members as reward. After the Horsemen rob a bank in Paris, Rhodes is partnered with Alma, a desk agent from Interpol, and the pressure is on to solve the puzzle and stop the robberies. Rhodes tracks down the infamous magic-debunking Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman) and enlists his help to solve the puzzle. Along the way Rhodes realizes that with these magicians there is more than meets the eye, and he will have to start thinking outside the box if he wants to catch them before time runs out.
            At its core, Now You See Me is a heist movie. A team of specialists is grouped together in

order to pull off some amazing heists on a global scale. What makes this movie unique from any other heist movie is the use of magic tricks. The slight of hand, the intriguing puzzles, and over the top stunts work seamlessly together to give a thrill ride for the ages. For example, in one scene in the

middle of the film Rhodes is pitted against one of the magicians, Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), in hand to hand combat. Wilder, who is physically much smaller than Rhodes continuously gains the upper hand by using his slight of hand and magic tricks to dupe Rhodes and make him look like an idiot. This fast paced use of special effects and camera work makes for a visual feast. Though the film boasts, “the closer you think you are, the less you will actually see,” the truth is, there isn’t a bad seat in the house. From the sprawling camera views of the large magic stages to the elegantly designed chase sequences, there is way more to see in Now You See Me than the typical bank heist film. Heist movie fans will find their favorite formula enhanced for a unique viewing experience. 
          The only draw back to Now You See Me is that it is not an in depth character study, and many of the films characters fail to go deeper than their surface set-ups. For example, the character J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) begins as the young arrogant magician and ends the film much the same way. Even though the characters are superficial they do brilliantly serve the plot, which will keep audiences guessing up to the final scenes. I heard audible gasps of surprise and excitement from beginning to end, and I have never left a theater with more excited people in my life. Now You See Me is appropriate for all ages, though some of the thematic elements and plot twists will be difficult to grasp by younger audience members, the exciting action and the magic tricks are enough to fuel the enjoyment of any age.

 Oldies But Goodies

This week I have three Bank Heist movies for you to enjoy!

1. The Italian Job (2003)
   
2. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
3. The Bank Job (2008) 

Ask A Film Student

This weeks question comes from "Anonymous" who asks, "How many screenplays will the average writer have to complete before he or she writes one worthy of being filmed?"

The answer is a bit complicated because it varies from writer to writer. Some writers may write one really fantastic script right away and some may spend 20 or so years working on their masterpiece. No matter how many it takes, we are certainly thankful to all those writers who keep amazing us with new stories!

Name That Movie!

Last weeks winner for "Name That Movie!" was Holly with her answer:

The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

CONGRATULATIONS HOLLY!

Who will be next weeks winner? Can you name the movie below?

 

Deep Dark Surprise

                 Deep Dark Canyon, a new movie on Redbox, turned out to be a deep dark surprise, filled with dark comedy, social critique and exciting action. The story revolves around two families, one on top of the world, and the other just under their boot heels. Ted Levine stars as Bloom Towne, the local sheriff of an All-American, truck-driving, gun-toting small town. He and his two sons live in Guerneville, a town run by the Cavanaugh family. The tale begins when Bloom’s two sons, Skylar and Nate accidentally shoot the town’s mayor, Dick Cavanaugh. Bloom and the other members are torn between the rules of the law, their feelings of grief and the Cavanaughs’ need for revenge. The Cavanaughs declare open season on the Towne boys and the movie unfolds as an action pact chase adventure.


               Writers Abe Levy and Silver Tree craft a social critique on the culture of small town America. All the characters in Deep Dark Canyon have at least one gun and the motto of their small town seems to be “shoot first ask questions later.” The heavy presence of guns, and the lacking IQ’s of some of the Cavanaugh clan make for a surprising social commentary as well as some very entertaining dark comedy. Whether you are pro second amendment or not you can certainly appreciate that many of these characters needed to take at least one more minute before making the decision to shoot.
               One of the big themes of the movie is, of course, family. Levine’s character wrestles with a very difficult decision, to fight for the law or for his boys. The Cavanaughs on the other hand find it sickeningly easy to fight for revenge and family and ignore the value of human life. Each character wrestles with many different issues dealing with the three big themes (law, family, loyalty) in very different ways. In one brilliant little scene the filmmakers lay out the biggest dilemma for Bloom. A local waitress, who has heard all the rumors around town that the Towne boys killed the mayor, tells Bloom, “When there’s only one game in town, sometimes it’s best just not to play.” After that scene I kept thinking about that line and how it so beautifully echoed what each character was struggling with. Bloom, who struggles to take action for his boys, Nate (the eldest) who fights against the game, to make his own rules, Skylar (the youngest) who tries to follow in his brothers footsteps, and learns the price of playing, and Lloyd, Bloom's friend and a Cavanaugh, who struggles with his duty to uphold the law, and his loyalty to "the only game in town."

             The two Towne boys played by Spencer Treat Clark and Nick Eversman spend the majority of the movie hand cuffed together and on the run from crazy gun-weilding mad men. This chase, which could have easily run dull, is definitely a thrill ride.  I found myself unable to look away. The artful cinematography of Dan Stoloff creates an almost idyllic world of lush forests and a quaint town.
             This movie is hard to focus into one genre, it was so surprising how many different elements worked so seamlessly together. The performances are gritty and real, the filmmaking artistic, giving the full effect of an independent movie with the action and adventure of a traditional thriller. Many of the other reviews I read about Deep Dark Canyon were mixed, a few great a few not so great. There are three reasons I liked it so much, the performances, the action, and the overall filmmaking choices. The comedy is dark, and moments of this movie are very much unsuited for young children. My recommendation is that you give this movie a watch, it definitely keeps you thinking, whether you love it or hate it, there is so much to be discussed about Deep Dark Canyon that it is worth the conversation.

  

Oldies But Goodies

Since I couldn't really place this weeks film review into a category, this weeks Oldies But Goodies are three films which star the actors from Deep Dark Canyon.

And the Oldies But Goodies this week are....

1. The Silence of the Lambs starring Ted Levine
2. Unbreakable starring Spencer Treat Clark
3. Knocked Up starring Martin Starr

Ask A Film Student!

Your ask a film student question for this week comes from Will. Will asked What is a Best Boy?

Traditionally in filmmaking a Best Boy acts as a foreman for their respective departments. Mainly grip and electric to read more about the function of a Best Boy click here. 

Name That Movie

Last weeks name that movie winner is Katie for guessing Cherrybomb

CONGRATULATIONS KATIE!

Who will be next weeks winner, can you name the movie below?

Control. Alter. Delete. : A Review of Chatroom (2010)

“The internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn’t understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had.” – Eric Schmidt (Executive Chairman of Google)

                   Award winning director Hideo Nakata creates a visual experience with his film, Chatroom. New to Netflix, this British thriller explores the world of online chatrooms and the young people who frequent them. The set up revolves around William (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) a teenager who creates a chatroom in order to make some online friends. The film implores the use of masterful editing to cast the world of online chatrooms in a physical light. The story opens with William logging on to his computer and beginning to set up the chatroom, this image is followed by William wondering down a corridor filled with doors. These doors are quickly revealed to be chatrooms, this corridor the Internet. Using this set up the filmmakers are able to show a highly impersonal world in an intimate way.


              Award winning writer, Enda Walsh, who first created the story for the stage, adapted Chatroom for the screen. He uses the story to highlight the danger of finding friendship in an online world. With each character Walsh explores the generation gap between the technologically savvy and their parents. The story follows five teenagers with very different backgrounds and personalities who all share a common loneliness. Their isolation drives all five teens to join the chatroom to find online friends and companionship they lack in their everyday lives. Like many young people today, the characters find solice in online strangers, opening up to them without knowing what kind of people they are. Once the bonds of friendship are created, William begins to “play” with some of the members, getting these lonely people to open up to a complete stranger, the consequences of which are sinister.

The reason I found Chatroom to be so incredible is the way the writing lends itself to the performers. The cast, lead by British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson, is a wonderful combination of fantastic young actors. Each is challenged with creating their character in the real world, and their slightly more animated counterpart for the online world. The set up allows these performers to be both deeply intimate and coldly distant all at the same time. For example, one of my favorite scenes (which I promise gives away nothing) is between William and his online friend Eva, played by Imogen Poots. The two have sparked a flirtation, which in the physical world is depicted as the two sitting coldly, separated by the length of a city, at their computers. The scene is spliced between this physical world, and the Internet world of their chatroom. Though the actors barely make eye contact the intimacy of the scene is tangible. Both the writing and the amazing young performers create a startling tale of real world isolation and online world intimacy.

My recommendation is to absolutely check this movie out. It is definitely too dark for a family film and may not be appreciated by those younger than 17. The story, the characters, the beautiful imagery all work together seamlessly together to create a thrilling tale about the darkness of the Internet. Check the trailer out at below and the full movie on Netflix.

Oldies But Goodies

In this segment each week I will recommend three movies on topic with the movie reviewed.


This weeks Oldies but Goodies are...

1. Disturbing Behavior (1998)
2. Hard Candy (2005)
3. Cruel Intentions (1999)

Name That Movie

Name the movie depicted below! Make your guesses in the comments section and the first person to guess correctly will be published as this weeks Name That Movie Winner!

Ask a Film Student Question of the Week: What is a grip?

         Wikipedia defines a grip as “lighting and rigging technicians in the filmmaking and video production industries.” Grips can perform a variety of jobs dealing with the set up of camera functions, such as setting up tracks. Grips can also be primarily focused on helping with the lighting set ups for any particular shot. To read more on the function of a grip check out Wikipedia’s full article here.

        Post your questions in the comments below and yours could be featured on next weeks addition of “Ask a Film Student.”