News
Review: ‘The First Purge’ [Blu-Ray/DVD]
How did the United States reach a point where murder was viewed as an acceptable solution to the country’s problems? This question is at the heart of The First Purge, the fourth film in the Purge film series, which documents the origin of the Purge Night concept.
In The First Purge, ground zero is Staten Island, New York, a borough that is chosen as an experimental test location by the authoritarian New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA). As this is an origin film, the mystery in the film is related to just how far the NFFA is willing to go to make this first Purge Night a success.
Although the film reveals the conversations and thoughts behind the Purge concept, the bulk of the film follows the structure of the previous films. As the commencement of Purge Night nears, the residents must decide whether they will hide from the legalized carnage that’s about to unfold, or participate in it. The most interesting aspect of The First Purge is the socio-economic and racial dynamic that exists in the film. Whereas political and social commentary have always been embedded within the fabric of the Purge film series, The First Purge draws a clear parallel between the fictional NFFA administration and the Donald Trump administration.
All of the residents in the film, both the participants and the victims, are black, whereas all of the NFFA officials are white. As the President of the United States who appears in the film is clearly in the mold of Donald Trump, the filmmakers are clearly suggesting that the Trump administration is fundamentally corrupt and that anyone who supports the current administration is in concert with oppression and tyranny.
While the political commentary in The First Purge is heavy-handed, it doesn’t take the focus off of the visceral aspects of the film. Director Gerard McMurray and producer-writer James DeMonaco counterbalance interpersonal relationships and situations with sudden burst of violence.
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has given The First Purge modest treatment, in terms of the special features that appear on the Blu-Ray/DVD combo release. It would have been nice to have listened to an audio commentary by DeMonaco and Gerard McMurray and hear them explain the thought process that went into the making of the film, especially in terms of the film’s political message.
The special features section includes a single deleted scene and three short making-of documentaries, one of which, The Masks of the First Purge, showcases the gallery of odd Purge masks that appear in the film. In the documentaries Bringing the Chaos and A Radical Experiment, the cast and filmmakers briefly discuss the filming process and share their thoughts about the parallels between the fictional Purge universe and present-day America.
For Purge loyalists, The First Purge represents a worthwhile addition to their collection, while the casual viewer will only need to watch this film once. Like the other Purge films, The First Purge will almost certainly become a fixture on cable television within eighteen months.
The First Purge Blu-Ray/DVD will be released on October 2.
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News
Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role
Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.
Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.
“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”
Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.
While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?
The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.
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Editorial
7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch
The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.
The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.
We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.
Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?
Scream Live (2023)
Ghostface (2021)
Ghost Face (2023)
Don’t Scream (2022)
Scream: A Fan Film (2023)
The Scream (2023)
A Scream Fan Film (2023)
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Movies
Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month
Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.
Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.
According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.
Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.
Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.
Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.
While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.
According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”
The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.
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