If someone's trying to kill me, I will kill them back. Just saying. Greetings and salutations and welcome to Hack or Slash. If you're joining us again, welcome back. You are making us blush. If this is your first time listening, welcome to the party. We are a horror movie review podcast dedicated to telling you whether a movie is a hack. A total joke, a waste of time, or a slash. Totally killer, pun intended. My name is Chris and I'm your friendly neighborhood slash enthusiast. Now this week I'm joined by the Superfly Space Guy, Mack. Hola, muchachos. The Gorilla Vrelexus. Hey rewind. The Car of the Group Orion. Hiya. And the Scream Queen Paris. Hey sweets. Now this week we're looking at a film that paints a dystopian view of what America could look like once it regroups from an economic collapse. But before we get to all that depressing stuff, we have some follow up. Yes we do Chris. Recently we reviewed a little film called Susperia and its remake and we asked our friends about it on Twitter. I have a tweet here from someone named Dr. Talebz. He said, "Honestly, both are beautiful horror films. The imagery and score play in my mind constantly. But the ending of the remake was everything I could have asked for and more. And I'd hate to be inside his head if the score is always playing in his mind, but thanks for the right doc." Oh nice. Perhaps then Dr. can help us get medical adjacent to Orion or Renown again. Oh. We for sure need the help. Now for this week I want you to close your eyes and imagine a world, journalist and art, where there's barely any crime in America. Unemployment is nearly not existent. The economy is booming. It sounds pretty good, but that comes at a price. And that price is one night of cleansing. And I wear any crime, even murder is legal. And that where your friendly neighbor can turn into a homicidal maniac. And that where you can hide, but you might be safer if you fight. Now that is the world that is presented to us in this week's 2013 film The Purge. Who has had experience with this movie before this episode? I saw this movie. Believe it or not. And I started off right. I know. I actually saw this movie with like someone I used to like and it was interesting at the end of this. Our different takes on the purge. Is that like first date territory or like a couple weeks of maybe dating territory where you discuss your purge plans? It was us being friends for a long time and then like we're like maybe we can date. We're like really good together, but I think after this I scary. All right. That's fair. I have never seen this movie before and I hope I'm not the only one. But I do clean out my closet twice a year and get rid of clothes that don't spark joy and I call that the purge. Pairers you are going to be the only one. I can't believe you've seen this. I honestly don't know how I didn't see it. It's an American classic. I saw trailers for it. I don't know why I didn't go. If Ryan has seen it then you are definitely the only one who hasn't seen it. Mac, have you seen it? I have seen the purge and I've seen all the purge movies on the TV show. Oh damn. It's so happy you're worse than me, Paris. I think it feels so much better. It's like Paris and Ryan are just duking it out for who has seen the movie. I definitely saw this back around the time that it came out and I will say that this is a movie that's stuck with me. This kind of like final destination, right? Spawned this franchise and the final destination I think you can look at as like being whore but it's also kind of action. It's also kind of like a guilty pleasure kind of franchise. This, the franchise kind of takes a turn and while it definitely remains in horror, it's very like action oriented. So it's kind of like a movie that we're going to be reviewing next week folks with Alien and Looking at the Turn of That franchise takes. This was a really interesting case. I remember this movie and with the first time I was watching it I felt incredibly tense because it's riddled with so many layers of conflict. It makes you tense in a way that you may not necessarily feel in the movies that come after it but how did you guys feel? This movie always is one of those movies after I watch it that I'm like thinking inward a lot and it's like, I don't know, it's like there's this movie, would you rather? And it's like these people doing things to other people and like after it I just like don't feel good. Like it's not that I didn't like the movie like that movie but it was just like, it just gave me this weird like feeling afterwards. I'm like, I need to watch like a Disney movie or right now I'm watching Riverdale so I was like, I need to watch Riverdale. You need to purge those feelings. Yes, I feel the same way even watching this like a, this is only the second time and second time too. Can we get a counter for purge puns? For this episode? Okay. As somebody who had never seen this movie before I was very stressed out and anxious for most of it. Which I found to be irritating. I wanted it to stop. Wow, okay. Also, this movie takes place two years from now, which is like, can we not? After an economic downfall, which is the IC coming, but to be fair, I think this is one of those movies that set the D not that far into the future intentionally as like part of, it's part of it. Like you're supposed to watch this this many years later and be like, this is only in two years. Like I think that was part of their scheme for sure. I do think there's no way we could have predicted how things would be because this is three years before a lot of the like, there's always been divisiveness in our country. But this is three years prior to the major division, right? And that is even then, you know, four years prior to the conditions that we find ourselves in today. So I will say that while this movie was good in its time, right? Like it was really well received. It is a very different experience watching this. And I can imagine even watching this for the first time now. Yeah, it definitely like ages differently depending on when you're watching it. And I think that'll, you know, the way the world works. I think that'll continue to happen. Like you'll continue to receive this differently depending on what's going on in the world. But I definitely felt stressed out during this movie. And I will say there's definitely a different way you receive this when you've seen it before. There's a lot of the like shock, the shocking parts of the story are obviously not there because you know what's going on. This is not a movie that's like really intense storylines that you'll forget about or something like that. Like I've seen this maybe one whole time pretty close when it came out and I rewatched it and pretty much remembered every single thing that was happening. So it did lose a little bit of it in the rewatch value, but there's still a lot of tension in this movie. Totally agree. There's so much tension. I've seen this one and of course all the other parts properties, but still like going through it. I always feel this link to the concern I have when going to bed. I don't know if you all feel the same way, but even when I'm super tired, the second I lay in bed, if there's like any kind of creek or noise in the house, I'm like ready to to pounce on some like home invader. And so any kind of these like home invasion movies, it's more worrisome. I feel like it just brings back those memories every single night of, you know, who was that if somebody down there, did we lock the door? Let me go down, check all the lights, lock everything again. That's me like every single day. So yeah, this this movie will stress you out just a little bit along the way. See the more I check for like locked doors and windows and stuff like that, the more freaked out I get. So if I hear something, I'm just like, hmm, stand in bed. Never moving. Yeah. Locking the door. I locked the door from home alone. Like lock the bedroom door. Oh really? Yeah. Interesting approach. Yeah, because I'm like, well, if I can hear it rattle, do you ever like, if you like think something's outside, like look out the window? Christmas you well enough. Oh, I don't like all the window, but she knows you all enough. I run my ass up at the steps and they got to turn. Oh, you guys know you got to get a light off for me. I didn't like that anymore. I live with a man. My boyfriend. Good point. He is a man. Yeah. Yeah. Looking out the window into darkness and just waiting for someone to look back at you, I can never. I will as soon as I hear a noise, I'm like, well, just stay right here and never move. Yeah, we never really got the window, especially that one behind you. Pretty pretty recently. I'd say within the last couple of months, someone that I don't know personally, but that is is a friend of someone else I know, I'm going to keep ambiguous on purpose. I had a tenant living in their house and there was some strange, just not that occurred. And the tenant basically had to leave and this person was just like, I'm scared that they're actually going to come back in because they didn't leave them good terms. So I'm scared that they're going to come back in and I don't even know when it's going to be. It could be at any point in the night. Or it's a huge, never left. And they're living in the walls. Hot twist. Mac was the tenant. No, definitely not. Definitely not. Squatters, right? So we got kind of called over to help them feel more secure. And when you leave at 3 a.m. to go to someone else's super old noisy house, oh my goodness, like everything sounds like someone's walking up the stairs. I hate old houses. It's just going to wind in the hole. It just puts you on edge. That feeling of someone else being in your house when they shouldn't be there is like the freakyest of feeling. So I'm in vision is like a legitimate fear that I have. So this is going to be interesting when we talk about how frightening this movie actually was. If we know it at least helps remind Mac of what the willies may feel like. This is this is sure. Hey, I used to live in a pretty crappy part of town when I lived down in Georgia.
And you would wake up at the middle of the night and people would be yelling at each other, like in a parking lot, like near the house. And that's freaky enough. But I woke up one day, opened the door and our bikes that we had double chain to our landing had been cut and stolen. And if you've had anything like stolen from you, there is nothing that makes you feel just weird or instantly than knowing that somebody was either in your house or right outside or in your car or whatever it is because you're like, how vulnerable am I and I didn't even realize it. That is very true. I've had my car broken in too and they had to get everything. So I'm like, they probably knew like what classes I'm in and all this sort of stuff. Yeah, it's freaky. So crazy when you think about that, right? And that level of crime that occurs on a regular basis and then put that in the lens of like, okay, what if all that happened in one night? And you just had to be on alert for 12 hours and that was it. I think one of the things that surprised me most, right? When looking back on this movie, you know, the feeling of tension that I felt then is equivalent to what I felt now, except I was able to pick up a lot more on the nuance of dialogue and looking at the the arcs that a lot of these characters go through and how you may be surprised by some characters' motivations, but really the seeds were kind of there all along. I felt like incredibly surprising and really surprising when you look at just like the class divides and the racial divides that were present in this movie that they've always been there in plain sight, but they didn't feel quite as strongly in 2013 as it do now. It was surprised you guys. I was surprised actually by the home invasion angle. I wasn't expecting it to be like that kind of story because from what I like knew of the purge, I guess from like trailers and stuff, I was thinking more like the anarchy angle. I was thinking there'd be like looting and rioting. I thought there would also be like multiple interlacing storylines instead of like one cohesive narrative. So I was really surprised because when I first thought about it, I was like, okay, if the purge were to happen, I would like bunker inside my house. Like that would be how you survive the purge. And they were like, oh, we already thought about that. And that's actually the movie. And I was like, oh, okay, that's swat. Okay, I would say there are some interlacing storylines, but they do all occur based around one main character's character group, something like that. I was really surprised at how much I remembered about this movie. And maybe that's a silly answer, but like I've talked about this before. I don't rewatch movies. And to be honest, I don't like catalog things that I've seen in movies in my brain, right? Like I got a limited amount of brain space. So I usually just like purge it all out. So it's not something that I normally like normally every watch a movie. And I'm like, it's basically the first time I've ever seen this. And this I remembered every single thing that happened. And the different relationships that happened in this movie, I think are I'm not trying to say that they're the most incredible relationships I've ever seen built in a movie. But these things work together really well. And you start to feel the same way as you're watching the movie, as some people in the movie feel. And then they speak on it. And it's really cool because like I always talk during movies, I start talking about this feeling. And then the movie started talking about it. And I'll expound upon that more, but it was it was a really interesting way that these relationships are built together. I think I had that same moment, Ryan. So I can't wait to talk about it after the break. Hopefully we all did or I have questions for your side. I was surprised that I have not watched this or like watched any of the movies in this franchise more. I've only seen this recently, I mean recently after when it came out like on video on demand or whatever. I'm sorry. Video on demand stopped in 2001. Whatever I combined to direct TV, whatever it was. Like I bought the movie on the TV. Is what I did. I don't know how paper view paper view. Yeah. So they definitely don't have paper view. What a time. What a time to be alive. So from seeing this when it came out on TV versus like the movie theaters. And like knowing what it's about and like seeing all the subsequent like movies, but like never rewatching this one. And I'm like a believer if we've if I've seen like or pick it up like in the middle of a series like I'm like, oh, this is on TV. I'm like, man, this is going to make me watch it from the beginning again with the Harry Potter's with the Nightmare on Street with the Halloween. Like I'm always like that. But this is never made me do that, which is kind of interesting. So surprise that I haven't only seen this. This will be the second time. Yeah. I feel like this is one of those movies where if you have a holiday that you tend to rewatch movies on like, you know, coming up towards Thanksgiving and Christmas, you're going to watch like Harry Potter stuff. This needs to be your fourth of July movie. Oh, agree. So rewatch all the purge movies on the fourth of July. Is that when it takes place? Like do they ever say like what date the purge is? It does. It takes place in March. We just passed it. Oh, so it's over. It is. Yeah. Okay. We survived you guys. Can I tell you how out of touch with life I am at towards the end when they say it's they say it's March 23rd the next day basically. And I go, oh, I bet we're releasing this on March 23rd. It's May. And I was like, it took me a whole set of thoughts to be like, oh, yeah, that's probably not happening. But we did get locked down around purge day. So there you go. Spooky. Technically, we're just frozen in time. It sure feels that way. Technically, I thought this was a summer movie. It does seem like it. No coats in this movie. This isn't March. No, it's like all centered around the idea of spring cleaning. Classic classic Hollywood there. Oh my gosh. This this this movie was I don't know how I got sucked in to watching every single purge property there. There possibly could be. I'm actually surprised when you said you've watched everything including the TV show. Everything. I don't know how it happened. But going back and rewatching this, it's so weird because I'm like, this is not the thing that I'm normally into at all. And it kind of surprised me rewatching it. That it's completely not a my alley, but I'm still into it and still glad that I've seen all of them. Paris, a lot of the things that you were expecting, you're going to see in some of the sequels. That's if I watched those sequels, man. If you watch that, you should know. It's it's worth the watch to kind of, you know, kind of see how how it changes throughout the years and how more specific it gets to modern day culture. I mean, the one that came out in 2018 is very much on the nose when it comes to like the political statement of the movie. Because by 2018, we obviously have experienced in the modern day political climate. Back in 2013, it was, it was just forecasting what was coming. Honestly, I believe that because I feel like there's so much you can do with this premise. And they made an entire movie out of just a very small slice of this world that they're living in. Yeah, I agree. And I don't really like when they are like on the nose about it. Like, and I think I kind of feel that way about most movies like, I don't want you to be intentionally making this movie so political and everything. I like this one because it's kind of before a lot of the chaos that we've seen now, not all of it, but a lot of it. And so it doesn't feel like, hey, we're going to intentionally play on all these anxieties that you have. Whereas I feel like some of the sequels that have come are like pretty obvious there. This is what we're trying to do. We're trying to stress you out. And I have a question. Do you not like that they plan it because it also makes you feel anxious? No, it really doesn't. So I'm, I'm not the kind of person. So there's two type of people that watch this movie, right? There are this could happen tomorrow. People me, same. And, and every other person that I know. And then there's me. And I'm just like, if we're being realistic, is this going to happen? And probably I'm wrong. Probably will god only knows. But it's I'm on the other end of the spectrum. So when they play on the like intentional political stuff, it just throws me up because I'm just like, like, like, let us, let us use our imagination for that part, you know, like they're trying too hard. I don't think the political statement is that this is going to happen. No, I know. Yeah, I think that the statement is that this is happening in a in a different way. Precisely right. People are evil. Ryan, I haven't seen them obviously, but it doesn't have the same energy as the American horror stories season that was like about the election year. Oh, no. Worst one. I was gonna say I haven't seen it. So I'm not sure. I've only seen three episodes of American horror story. It was like very deliberately like on the nose and like we're being topical, but like so much so that they like shoved it down your throat and you're like, but I don't care. And I'm only two episodes in. Yeah, I don't think so. But I just don't like I don't like anything that doesn't let me come like I want to make the relationship between what you're doing and then real life. I don't want you to tell me this is the connection. You know what I mean? Am I being unreasonable? Maybe. No, I feel that. That being said, I mean the the struggle that this movie presents goes back like hundreds and hundreds of years. So it's not a new thing. I mean. Agreed. Then that's why that's what I'm saying about this one versus the later ones. Right. I mean the later ones like you can definitely feel a direct like relation to the Trump era. Like there's there's no there's no way around it. But I think the whole the whole series of movies is is really you know pulling on this battle that that has been waging for as long as there's been money about the rich versus the poor. Too bad we're not playing bingo because we got political adjacent with me. So I think that very subject is what makes this movie frightening for me. And it's not in the sense that Michael Myers can be perceived as frightening right. It's not in the sense of trying to boussant is frightening. But it's more so this sensation that simmers beneath the surface for so many people. And only recently in the last few years have we really seen some of those feelings just kind of come right out there and just get really in your face.
about stuff, but there's a particular quote and it's in the very first moments of this film, right? This movie is, it's very full of context in the first opening moments after you get past the security footage, right? You get a really solid taste of what this world is like. And this person on this interview on the radio says, the poor can't afford to protect themselves. They're the real victims tonight. That is what's terrifying. It's that all that's separating us from total catastrophe is someone's lack of will, like someone lacking the willingness to aid those who have not. And that's what this movie really plays on. And you definitely see it in certain situations. And it's like, you know, how do these people get these weapons? And you know, like, yeah, and I will tell you, these aren't my favorite movies. They're really hard to watch in my opinion. It's really hard to see, like unfortunate victims who can't help themselves and other movies. And they're not usually my hair or horror movies or thrillers or any sort of movie. So for me, I was scared. And that's because I'm not a big fan of people as it is. And in this movie, the antagonists were people. And just regular people just out for blood and coming into my house where I have my nice things. So I was very scared during this movie. And then, you know, had to lock the doors and didn't sleep that well at first. And finally I got over it and went to bed. But I was just like, hell is other people sometimes. I think for me, I have a really hard time with this movie to remember how I felt initially. Like I said, I'm kind of like a optimist to my detriment. So I don't get all like, oh snap, this happened tomorrow. Like I don't get that in this movie. So it doesn't scare me in that way. Like I can watch it and appreciate it and just be like, yeah, I hope we're never at this point, because that would be insane. And I'm completely separated from it. So that part doesn't scare me. What that being said, there's a few jump scares that didn't get me this time only because I remembered them coming. And I know they got me the first time. So there's definitely some fear in this movie. And it depends on who you are if it's going to hit you psychologically or if it's going to be jump scares. There's both. And maybe if you're a great listener here, you get scared by both parts. I'm not if you have. I don't think this is really going to happen tomorrow. Like I'm like, oh my God is the president is going to say, everyone kill each other and our problems will go away. So Corona, I also didn't think he would say shoot bleach into your bands, but he did. And so there's always some realistic actually probably, but aside from that, I think to me, it's some more psychological. I think it's it's scary that people would act this sort of way towards other people. That's true. Also, this is probably why scared the guys watching it with because we were talking about, okay, like, hey, if there was a purge, like what would you do? Would you be the person that would be inside? Would you be the person that's outside? And I totally said the wrong thing. I literally said, I would try to say as safe as I could, but there's two people I kill. This is my birthday about Alexis name names. Be true to who you are Alexis. We don't judge here. Well, actually, you did a loot to them in the teeth episode. So this isn't new. Yes. Okay. So this is not news is how I feel about some X's that I would actually go out of my comfort zone. Clearly, I'm still not over it. It's just scary to see how other people in this movie treat other people. And some of the words they use, it's just like to me, it's just like uneasy and not necessarily scary, but it's just like, oh, it just makes you cringe. And it just like, it honestly hurts my feelings watching this sometimes. I think that this gary is part about the whole premise is that the people that were watching in the movie that seemed like complete caricatures, they're realistic people like their opinions and about other other human beings. Like those are pulled from actual human beings that are out right now walking around with flags of nations that we've already beaten to say the least. But you know, there's people that like legitimately look down upon everyone aside from themselves. And it's all about me. It's all about this huge ego thing. And I think the idea with it is the only way to survive as a species is changing that to a focus on we. And that's the scariest part is that legitimately so many people can't do that. And so many people in this country legitimately think it's like their American duty to be the violent people in this movie that they should help cleanse the earth of anyone that is not them. And let's look back in history and other people who tried to cleanse the earth as a people that weren't them. Yeah, they lost yikes. So they lost. I love what you're saying, Mac, about just like the need to change that mentality. Because while I just said that hell is other people, I've also considered that like maybe hell is just the idea that like people are other than us. And just like hell is the mindset that we're not all in this together. Deep cuts of Paris. I love that I get really classical ideation of hell is complete solitude and aloneness. So if you go for like a more Christian thought it would be the complete like isolation from God. And so that's the idea is like true hell would be completely being cut off from everything that is good. Which is like right now. We're close. All the bars, the beach. Without your boyfriend, without your good snacks. You're right. I do have food and love. But other people and other forms of goodness, that's proper heaven right there. So get on the Zoom calls people. But just I mean, it is crazy to think that like sometimes like people really piss us off. And we're just like, I just want to be away from them. But then when you're truly away from them, all you crave is like social interaction. Maybe not a lot of it. Maybe like that little bit. But yeah, I mean, I like to like the term Ubuntu, the name of a Linux distribution. But yeah, Ubuntu, I am because we are getting getting super deep cuts here. But that's but that's like what people in this movie are just like completely missing out on. Yeah. Is the idea that we only are great if we are great. All of us taking care of each other. That kind of thing. And in this movie, it's like, we are great if we purge and get rid of people we just like decide are not good enough. We like get out our aggression. Like, dude, go to a counselor. Yeah, therapy. What happened to that? Here's what I want to know. I just want to know why no one's fucking purge crime has been hacking into experience and trans union changes. Everybody's read it scores. Everything will be fine. Oh yeah. I would like to know. I have faith that if this happened, that would be there's a hacker out there. Yeah, for sure. I hope you don't have that. My purge crimes don't involve murder. It just involves acquiring money and helping others acquire money. That's it. That's all I want to do. Sticking it to the man. Mine is acquiring food. She's leading I'm murdering. What's everyone doing? What are you doing, Mac? He's Mac staying at home reading the book. Oh, totally staying. Definitely not reading a book. If there were an actual person, I would be so on edge, I wouldn't be able to do anything. Yeah. Which would suck because it would be, you know, normally I would just want to play video games, but there's no pub G when you're worried about actual people showing up with. Actual pub G. Yeah. Okay. Here's my thing about this movie. If I'm wrong or if I'm just like, I don't know, grab a nishaws. If I just need to get involved in the movie and just let it go, then I will. But the concept of A, these people that you know being just literally insane, like your neighbors and stuff, and I get it, that's kind of the whole point in the movie is that we all have these demons inside and stuff. And my other thing is people are just going to be dead tomorrow. Like you're just going to go to work once a year and like some people are just going to be dead. And it's cool. And like the whole time in this movie, the house is just being destroyed. And I just think about like every year they spend how much money fixing their house consequences. I know. Yeah. It's just like all these things. Like are y'all telling me that we're just going to go to work tomorrow. And since it was the purge, just pretend like it's cool that like my secretary in here and like my neighbor killed him. But then consider the economic impact of that, right? That's guaranteeing local businesses, right? That's probably bolstering purge insurance. Well, yeah. That's what I was saying about security. I was like, if this did become a real thing, because obviously I had to have that conversation because I'm on the this would never be real side. It's all I feel like I would just blame mental security companies because they'd be out here getting this money. You know? There you go. But then also like nobody sleeps that night, right? So we all go to work tomorrow tired. Like it just all seems a little out of touch, you know? And hey, we don't know. Maybe it's like the day after super one lot of people just call out anyway. Probably not wrong. Honestly Ryan, a lot of these logistical questions were running through my mind as well and just like added to the stress and anxiety of it all. I knew it. I was like, how do you plan for something like this? How do you deal with the aftermath? How do you clean up something like this? It's too much. I was like, do they know how much Windows cost their bare-knit expensive to have her pleased? I think to me it was the whole which kind of like this had it high-fall about the ending a little bit. It was just kind of like abrupt, which I think would be like, okay, 7am, Babitches, see I was going to kill you last night, but I'm going to wait till next year. Like, like, how is it just going to be cool? Are we still on for brunch this weekend? Yeah. You're supposed to I'm supposed to believe that people aren't ever going to act on these things outside. And like, there's not enough of a police force to stop this at 7am. You know, if we're being realistic, there's just no way because you would have to be everywhere to be like, I'm like, bitch, I killed you at 6.59. Fuck yeah. Exactly. Exactly. Right. What about fires? So there's no emergency services on it long. Yeah, the whole thing.
whole place gets burned out the whole country. There's so many fires like every day all day long. So for 12 hours, if there's no firefighters, it's done for. Yeah, the logistics here just can't do it. It's okay. No slightly better than that. We're not gonna approach too hard guys. I think it's like my internal goal to just like ruin every movie by questioning its logistics. Don't be that person. I already had one of those. All these questions lend themselves to a very interesting point, right? We look at the depiction of this reality and we look at how many things had to happen for all the events in this movie to take place. This is not the first dystopian movie in existence, but do you still think it was original? Toads, muggots. This is a very specific dystopia. It is a very some might say plausible dystopia. And to my knowledge, there hasn't been anything like this specific or brutal made into a horror movie. And it was like a really interesting idea to make this I guess a whole franchise. Yeah, I've seen something very similar, the invitation on Netflix. Yeah, that was a good movie. Yeah, it's a really good movie. Not really similar, but same same with different, but honestly, yeah, I completely agree. This is a totally something plausible, not really, but I don't know. Something some creepy person had in their head that they were like, let's put this out on paper. This would be awesome. scare Americans with. I feel like it's realistic to an extremist, like whatever not saying like one side of the other, just in just survivalist. Oh, that's you. Yeah, yeah. But people just take things like very, you know, extreme, but I mean, I think it'd be hard to argue that this isn't a unique premise that I think it 100% is. Totally. Like there's so many, you know, post apocalyptic movies and dystopian, you know, movies and alternate histories and alternate dimension, kind of movies where like one subtle thing has changed and craziness happens. But I don't think there's there's something that really shows like this mirror world of our of all of our like current fears, like economically and socially and culturally. Quite the same way that this movie does. Now it's it's obviously it's not super intricate and it's not like incredibly realistic. Like this could could never happen. But the violence that's shown and the attitudes of a lot of the people in this movie, 100% realistic and currently happening. So sure. Yeah, but I don't I don't think we've seen this this formula in another in another movie. And if we have I'd love to watch it. Hit us up. Let me know what I missed out on. But I feel like that's probably why I continue to watch the movies as they come out. Sometimes in theater and you know, sometimes on the TV show comes out. I binge it all on one go. But because there's there's nothing exactly like it. Yeah, like the premise is original, but the energy is like spookily familiar. Back is the show worth watching? So if you've seen all of the movies and you want a little bit more, I think it's I think it's worth watching. It's it's it's you know, it's a TV show. So it's not going to hit to the same level of of how extreme the movies are. But I think the stories about like people and the the crises that they get into it's it's worth watching. So doesn't follow like one person per day? There there are several people that it follows. And it actually does a good job of kind of interweaving some stories. And resolution happens. I think at the end of the second season. It's been it's been a couple months since I since I wrapped it up. But it was I would say it was definitely worth a watch. The other movies are also worth like kind of seeing how the story goes. Yeah, but it's Lena Haiti and them. She's she's not, but you can watch Game of Thrones. Yeah, there you go. I've never seen Game of Thrones, but she is my lady from one of the best lesbian movies I've ever seen. What is it? I need to see it. Imagine me and you it's darling. The girlfriend Kaya Glee is in there. It's just wonderful. Oh, hyper. Yes. Can I tell you this is I'm so ashamed of this. I spent the entire movie. So I I turn this movie on and I'm like, dude, who is this chick? She's a wig. Who is she? It's a bad wig. It was a bad wig. I'm like, man, she's wearing a wig. Who is this? Who is this? And then so I finally convinced myself that actually it was just that she looked like someone. So then I start looking up who the actress is. And then I start looking up lookalikes. And I'm like, oh my god. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You didn't look at what she was in. I know. I know. I know. So I so her like lookalike on like, you know, whatever Google brought up is Kira Knightley. And I was like, yeah, yeah, she looks just like Kira Knightley because she looks so different in this movie than in Game of Thrones. So as I was watching it, I didn't relate to it. I was just like, oh, she looks like someone that I'm recognizing. And then literally almost like the very last scene, I was like, okay, it's killing me. I pulled it up again. And I was like, oh my god, it's Game of Thrones. I mean, idiot. I was so ashamed. So ashamed. So they went on this journey with you. Ryan, when you saw her sipping wine out of an oversized glass and looking disdainfully at a family that she barely cares for, it should have been a dead giveaway. Okay, actually, the moment for me was when she, there's a point where she's dragged and she dragged with the same Game of Thrones energy. And I was like, oh, I know who this is. It's the exact same energy. She only has one character. There's just a different accent. Watch and imagine me and you, very different character. I'm so actually going to watch that. Not that I've seen Game of Thrones. We've spoken a lot about this movie and there's so much that we have to unpack because we have to get into some very specific details with the politics of the purge, with the economics of the purge and just with all of the interpersonal interaction, right? So let's go ahead and start getting into our ratings. But before we actually score it, Alexis, how many people died in this movie? In this entire movie from beginning to end, we have 47 deaths, which I will tell you is definitely probably our top, our number one death movie. Our number one without being a zombie movie. Without being, yeah, because that's like infinite deaths. I mean, it's kind of a zombie movie. All right. And Ryan, how many animals were victims for the purge? So fortunately, no animals are part of the purge. I don't think that I can say this for the later series, but in this one, we were good. No, no cute pups that we had to lose or anything like that. Nice. I'm glad we can all agree that even when in time of murder, the dogs are off limit, which is exactly what's wrong with Americans. All right guys. Now let's go ahead and get into the scoring the purge from 2013. A world in which for one day you can release the beast. Was it a hack or was it a slash? This whole franchise, they've seen them all to me. They get better. They're a little bit more in-depth on characters and like what's going on in society and a little bit more dialect and you get a lot more kills and a little bit more brutality, which I think was lacking in this one. But I really do think it like set a good president for like this idea, this what's going to go on through the rest of these movies and it's original. So although it might not be my favorite other franchise, I definitely think it's worth a watch and I would definitely get this a slash. I'll go. Nobody hate me, you guys, but I hated this movie very much. I was stressed out. I was anxious. I wanted it to be over. I gagged. I wrote down what the fuck a few times. And for that, it actually gets a slash because it made me feel way too many things and it was emotionally exhausting. And I was scared. I was thinking it was psychological. It was original. I was surprised by several different plot points throughout it. So overall, I have to. I can't hack this movie. It's a slash. So glad you believe that hating a movie just means it's effective. It's good. It's good. It's a special kind of hate. It can be. In this case, it was so true. I was literally about to jump in and be like, and so what does that mean? It means you loved it. For me, when I think about the purge, like, so, you know, I know that we're doing the purge this week. I've been thinking about it. You know, I don't really feel like watching the purge. One, I don't want that realistic, that little ounce of realism. I don't want it in my life right now. Right. I'm trying to chill. And then too, I have this like connotation with the purge. And I don't know exactly where it comes from, but I kind of think of it as this like silly concept in these movies that don't have a lot of substance. And I think that that more so has to do with like the people that have dressed up like as the purge girls and stuff for Halloween. And like, it's just become this other thing aside from this movie. And so I found myself like really dreading watching it. And then when we put it on, I was like, oh, this is not a bad movie. And it's not like, and those girls probably never watched it. Yeah. Basically, every girl for Halloween is like, I don't have a costume. Let me put blood on a white dress. And it's the purge. So yeah, I just don't know where this connotation is from, but I definitely have it. And I imagine I'm probably not the only one. So I think of it as this like movie, it's not, you know, in my favorite area of horror movies, it's it's later than a lot of kind of terrible horror movies, but I'm not like, oh, 2013, that was a great year for horror. With that being said, I enjoy this movie. And I think it is going to be a very important part of horror moving forward. It already has been, but I think it'll continue to be like a vital thread in what horror is, especially in the 2000s. It's a slash.
I think this movie is definitely worth watching. If you haven't seen it, I'm surprised. I feel like almost everyone has seen this movie at this point and I know that it's kind of hypocritical for me to say that. But it's really good and it is really worth watching. And if you're super anxious about everything going on in the world, maybe don't watch it right now. Maybe watch it in a couple months. And that's totally okay. There's nothing wrong with that because I feel that too. I can't, I don't need to add to my anxiety. But in a couple months, you should watch it. It's great. Just to add to your point, I feel like what you're getting at is like, you can like a movie, but then the fan base of the movie is like, and almost taints your feeling of the piece itself. - I think you're right. - Yeah. So going with the fans of the movie who agree with the idea of the purge, they completely missed out. It's like the movie just went straight over their head because the movie is not trying to get you think that this is a good idea. Like if you think this is cool or fun or a great idea or you want this, you've missed out on everything. - Maybe that's the thing that I don't like. - Why would they dress up so something so bad? - Yeah, kind of. Like it's not cute. It's not a good look. You shouldn't be a purge girl. I don't just say it. - Agreed. - I shouldn't go as face killer either, but he will do that. But it's fun. - So I mean, there's obviously some sort of statement politically coming from the movie, but don't, I mean, don't watch it expecting the deepest movie on Earth. I wouldn't classify this as like, you know, super, super smart, super seri-broad, anything like that. You know, for me, it's kind of along the lines of fast and furious for fans of action movies or like the expendables or something like that. It's not super deep. It's not completely shallow, but it is entertaining and it is thought provoking and it is effective. You all had some sort of effect happen to you when you watch this movie, whether that was good or bad. You know, whether you were super stressed out and worried about humanity. It's an entertaining movie. It's thought provoking in a way. And overall, I think it's worth a watch. So I'm gonna give it a slash. - So this is a particularly interesting movie and Ron, you were talking about how you had this stigma about the purge without it being actually connected to this movie, but not realizing it, right? For me, that's how I feel about Final Destination. I remember Final Destination being this incredible first movie and the rest of the movies were enjoyable, but they were kind of silly. But then when I watched them again, like, oh, wait, no, these are actually really cool in a very specific way. I would say that this movie in particular, there are a lot of folks who don't like the original and they feel like the sequels do a better job. And I actually disagree. This movie is 100% a slasher me because it's rich with so much tension, with so much storytelling and it plants the seed of what's to come in the later movies. But I don't think the later movies ever scratch the same depth that this one does, in my opinion. When I look at this movie, it's just a reminder that there are monsters who walk among us every day and there are people who, if it weren't for these, like, forced smiles and polite society, they'd probably murder you if it convene in some way in some kind of way. And I think that's what's terrifying about this movie. And it's a very specific type of horror that it's not the boogie man coming to get you. It's your next door neighbor or it's some random person in town who you just happen to come across one night when all bets are off. So it's a slasher me. I think this movie age as well. I think it ages differently. It hits differently in 2020. Now this movie is available for rent. So go check it out. Join us in the second half because the purge is just from the universal slasher. So you know we got some stuff to talk about. We'll see you in a bit. (upbeat music) Attention citizens. The new founding fathers of America is dedicated to making America prosperous again. We need you to purge. This year, purge your wardrobe of all t-shirts with cheesy jokes, dad jokes, one-liners, puns, and others will all be purged. Those filthy old ugly boots purge. Those leggings printed to look like denim purge. Many and all cargo shorts must be purged. Together, the new founding fathers of America and you can move this country forward to a more fashionable future. (upbeat music) - All right, welcome back to Purge from 2013. Has earned a universal slash and boy was there a lot of slasher in this movie. Before we get into why we rated this movie the way we did, Alexis, there was some blood and there was some open wounds with things being pressed into those wounds. What's up with the floor? - There will be blood. Not what I was expecting, since I've seen the later franchisers a lot more blood in those compared to this one. But I'm thinking of the aim for this movie is like, it's more of a thriller and action than it would be horror. To me, it was a little bit on the other side. There are a few things that have gorenate. To me, the most shocking, I usually talk about my favorite death or something like that. Two things stood out with me with this movie is the montage in the beginning where you actually see a freaking violent people are. Clearly, I know this isn't real, so. But I had to take myself out of it. I mean, there's a guy killing a woman. People are beating up people in the streets. It's like all his chaos. - It was tough to watch. - It really was for me too. Was it for you guys? - Yeah, and it's playing over that nice smooth, classic music. - It was creepy with the music with that, man. - Some of those clips, I thought were real life clips that they kind of spliced in. - Yes. - Is that the case? Is anyone now? - I believe it. - I mean, it definitely looks, you could tell like some of them were obviously like, shot for the film. But there were some that I thought they just like grabbed some. They just like, hit Reddit, find some violent clips and just like spliced them in. - Shit, that'd be nice to know. - I can't even imagine the legal loopholes you had to jump through to make that happen. - It would be dope, but probably not. - Yeah. - I was not dope. I mean, but like dope as far as movie making goes. - I guess. - Hey, let's show us some actual bodies being killed in this movie and to make sure people don't know the difference. - It's weird for me, 'cause I feel like, I don't feel attached to it. I feel detached from those scenes in the movie so those don't like freak me out as much. But I was washing this with someone and they were totally freaked out by those scenes, those different securities films and stuff like that. - Yeah, my boyfriend and I were bugging during the opening credits. We were like, this is gonna be rough. Do we have to do this? But we suffered through it. - Yeah, it's pretty crazy. And it's kind of like a slow burn in terms of deaths, like in the beginning and the violence and then it just progressed like just amps up. And I think what it is is this movie, I'm so desensitized by the end that I'm just like, oh wow, everyone's just killing each other because you're allowed to do it. And I'm more focused on this family getting out and I'm like, fuck it, I killed everyone in this house. I don't get a hell, they can kill them. So I think I was just like, yeah, kill them, bam, bam, bam, bam. But see, that's the exact point of the movie. It's to make you feel like it's okay to kill these people or this guy that broke into your house. - If someone's trying to kill me, I will kill them back. - Yeah. - Just saying. - That's just self-defense. - I'm not gonna be like, you know what? It's okay you were trying to kill me, I forgive you. I'm gonna kill that. I'm gonna defend myself. I'm not gonna be when I've watched way too many horror movies to tie up the person who tried to kill me and be the savior and be like, I'm not gonna kill you. It's fine, you just sit here until the place comes. - Well, I mean, at some point you gotta be like, good old Harry Truman and the buck stops here. At some point you gotta break the cycle. It's like they're just sitting there waiting till the clock strikes 7 a.m. And it's just like, does anyone care that the clock stroke 7a.m. Are we still gonna try to kill each other? That's where I came in. Where I was like, no, no, I'm still, yeah, you know. And I love how like, you know, you do have to break the cycle of violence. So at the end there is like, like the mom is like, you know, I'm not doing this and punches shit out this woman. - Bro. - That was like what Sam's our head in. - The most gory scene. It was crazy because I was like, oh, 'cause in normal movies I feel like they're drastic. So they would be like, oh yeah, that person's dead. - Yeah. - Or they're passed out or like in some sort of coma toast or something, I don't know. - Agreed. - This one she sits back up in her nose is all jacked up. And I was like, I bet she has had so much work on that nose. So fucking late. - She's gonna need another nose job. - Another nose job. - Yeah, that seems really gory. And then yeah, like Chris mentioned, like when they were just like, sticking the knife in that wound, oh my gosh. Yeah. Like I said, to me the gory scene about this movie was everyone's ability to just be so violent towards people whether you're on the gutter bad side for sure. - There's a section when the neighbors real that they're like not there to help. I think one of the neighbors like, totally isn't blinking during that scene. 'Cause they're just so freaking nuts. - The blonde. - Yeah. - She was like psycho. And that's like, you know, like other people, they might seem like they're nice. But even this, everyone would think like this movie is like focused on the hot, like upper class versus the lower class, but then there's these struggles between the upper class and ain't the same. I'll tell you, but people are being jealous of like certain things. But on a side note, I could totally see other families who maybe are of upper class being like, well that person got this, you know, I need to get a new car. - Oh, it's so real. - They got an extension on their garage. Sure, they got it.
a porch, I need a porch. And then there's that sort of thing where it's like, okay, then you want to kill over that. Yeah. I mean, it's like this play on you go from keeping up with the Joneses to slaughtering the Joneses because you paid them for services rendered and you don't like that anymore. Yeah, I thought that was kind of ridiculous. It was like, oh, your husband did us a favor and helped protect us from the purge, but also we're mad that you got an addition on your house. It's very much like a story about the halves versus the have-nots, but it was also like the halves versus the have-mores. And I thought that was just like really petty, but I'm not rich. So I don't know what money does. Have you ever been, I've never lived in a community like that, but have you ever been even adjacent to a community like that because that is real. Like that jealousy between people and what they have and like, oh, so and so got a new car because they don't have enough things consuming their mind, enough stressful things consuming their mind. They have to stress themselves out over silly things like what somebody has and what is new on the block or something like that. It's so real, so real. Yeah, it was definitely a poor prioritization on their behalf. Oh, yeah. Maybe it was just me, but I thought that the main family in the movie was just like upper middle class. Like they didn't seem that rich. It seemed like they were. I guess in Phoenix, those houses aren't that expensive, but in Virginia, those houses are 700,000. Yeah, that house looked huge. That was the best. The best death for me in this movie and what I think was the best depiction of that like struggle between classes you guys were talking about was the stranger, the polite stranger, Reese Wakefield. And there's a point where he shoots his friend. He said, I will not tolerate that. And it's just one of the most shocking moments of the movie to me because he's so cold and so calculated. And again, he has his four smile on his face as you would expect of any good, well-educated boy in modern day, right? But there's a line that he says he references him, Ethan Hawks character like, hey, he was my friend and you are not my friend. And he says send out he or that will be the and there's just like something very chilling about the way he kind of wove his dialogue. That performance and that kill and that scene hands down favor the movie for me. But what about you guys? Damn, Chris, that line specifically made me cringe really hard and like was it a detriment to that character because I thought that the guy was a great actor, but some of the writing like that like he or that will be the part was like, no, no, no, we're taking it too far. But that's just that was just my perception. I also was afraid I was like, do I look like that man believe it or not? I was about to say that. No, you guys have the same hair. Yeah, I'm like looking at it now. I'm like, oh, is that me? Go shave your head. I this like garbage man. I loved when he died. It was like super satisfying to me. But it came from a character who had been hiding the entire time, which I didn't appreciate. Girl, you, but you would be hiding in the purge. I thought you'd relate to that. Oh, hell yeah, I'd be hiding. But if my family is dying downstairs, I know I have enough goodwill in me that I wouldn't just if my brother, my sister, my mom, my dad, my stepdad, my stepmom were down there. All of them I love. But if I heard them struggling downstairs, I would definitely not be like, hold on. I make a surprise appearance and I kill a leader at the end. But she was also this like a strange teenager and like her boyfriend shot at her dad and then got killed and it's just like this whole thing. I will say there were sometimes, but I was just like, where is she? Like what is she doing? Like the whole time there in this house and they just made it seem like the house was like so big that she could just be like on her own. Yeah, they did make their house seem so I didn't feel very costier for a big in that house. No, not enough. I don't know what favorites, but I did enjoy the satisfaction of like seeing them take out the stupid boyfriend right up front. Yeah, he was great. Just just end that storyline because first of all, he's obviously like nuts to like show back up during all this going on. But he shot first man. I was so surprising. I forgot about that watching this the second time. How do he think that was going to go after a purge night? Right. Like, oh, I'm so glad you killed my dad and we can be together. What? Yeah. So it's not like you took it out and he was just like, I'm angry and frustrated and I don't know how to deal with any of this. I just want to be with her. Or he didn't like talk to him like an adult because he's like, Hey, I'm, you know, I'm 18. I'm an adult. No, he like showed up with a gun and then like shot first at her dad. So I'm so happy that the dad was just like pop up. You're done. Well, it's because it's the purge and you have that chance and you don't have to talk to someone. You can just kill them and it's legal and everything is cool. And that's what's weird about this movie. But the repercussions are what that like this is where I guess I just don't understand that's the way just stuff that I was talking about. Yeah. This is whole cult mentality with people in like America in this, in this America, I should say in the purge, I'm like that they're doing like what's right and that they should be like commended for it after, you know, after the purge is over. It's true. But like everyone else, we'd like obviously isn't butt into that cult mentality is like what the heck is wrong with you? Yeah. It does feel like, I mean, the government in this thing is like we're doing this. This is great. Like our, like our economy is great. Our unemployment slow. Like this is something everyone should be doing. Yeah. And then like you buy the flowers in the morning. Yeah. And support. And so then like exactly what Mac is saying, like everybody that's in on it is supportive of each other. Even if they're like people are dead. Your people are going to die because of this. And it's cool. And it's patriotic for me. I think and this might be annoying in like stupid of me. But my favorite death was like a non death when Lena Haiti had the chance to kill the neighbors. And like she knows she was like, why? Why are you guys being such bitches right now? And the one woman like the blonde one who I did not like from the jump. I wrote down that those cookies were definitely poisoned. And that was a clever way to kill somebody during the purge. But when she's like, Oh, you guys got this all this money and you like rubbed it in our faces. And then she's like, you think you're so perfect. And then Lena Haiti gets the chance to kill her. And she's like, no, I'm going to let you live because living with what you've done is going to torture you more than death would be because you could tell she was like, just do it. Just kill us. Like just get it over with. And it was like, no, no, you don't deserve that. You deserve to suffer and live with the consequences and the guilt of what you've done tonight, which I think is a fate worse than death. And thus my favorite kill kind of killed her soul really. Yeah. If one existed killed her with kindness and pacifism, I'm actually totally on board with that. I love that. And then the end again, where the chick is just being annoying. And instead of killing her, she just smashes her head into the table. Oh, so satisfying. Yeah, both of those scenes were like satisfying. They made the part of my heart that hopes that people will never do stuff like this happy because she, you know, she had the chance like she lost her husband. There's so many things that happened here. She had the chance to just seek that revenge. And she didn't. And I love both of those non deaths more. So and aside from that, one of the like visual elements that I really liked in this movie, which I think is pretty cliche. Like I think this is the common favorite visual moment is when they have the lights shining through and then they bust down the front door. It's so satisfying. I have this like memory and I'm I'm always thinking like, oh, there's so much of this movie that happens at like dawn, but that's not true. It's just the lights from the truck coming in. I always remember it. It's like hopeful. You're like, oh my god, they're almost done. They're almost done. Yeah, but they're not. But they're not. It's just the truck. And so that whole scene where they just they, he, you know, he brings it up so many times, he's like, I have reinforcements coming. I have reinforcements coming. And then you see this truck and you're like, what? And they've got all these barricades and everything. And they bust down these doors. And it's such a like satisfying moment. And then the light coming in and the data is trying to get away. And he know that he realizes that like his shadow gives away everything that he does. It's such a nice looking scene. And then that continues through the rest of the end of the movie. I actually didn't realize the thing with the shadow. Yeah. He like stuck his hat on. He's like, oh snap, my shadow's there. Yeah. I really liked the mask. I think because they are just these creepy masks. Do you think they were modeled after the, the guy that's at the front door? Because I feel like it was his face. Oh, like, but like more dramatic, but in the mask because he is that smile pull time that bore smile. Yeah. I don't know. I like that. We're going with that though. Anyway, sorry. Go ahead. No, no, I'm just saying like, I just love it because it's like this eerie creepiness that, and I think what it has, and it has this like, not a sort of pop culture around it where people are wearing these purge masks. So I think that's why I like it so much that it has, like this creepiness is even carrying into like real life as well. Because they take it off. And I still get the same visual effects. Like I see this person that has this smile on his face and it's great. And maybe like something creepy or like a guy that's like, you can tell in his eyes is evil takes it off. But no, it's just his plane, plane dude underneath there with the same smile. And you're like, oh my gosh. Maybe it was modeled after him. But I get this still the same reflection of like attitude and like personality in the mask that I do in the person as well, which is so creepy to me. So it adds to that like cold thing. Like we're all wearing the same face. Yeah. And it goes with this, you know, and I know Chris was, Chris, you did you have the captions on? Yep. Yeah. So he was polite leader. Did you see that? I was like, yeah, you mentioned that. I was like that. This is great.
- Polite leader, love it. (laughing) - I feel like that's a really good point to let Alexis just because I wrote down that he was like the face of the purge, but more so in like the metaphorical sense, like he was the one kind of preaching the philosophy behind the purge and he was sort of like the main figure head of an antagonist, but you're right, like that face that he had was like literally the same face at all the masks that they were wearing. And then I also didn't notice that. So you guys are making me slash this movie harder. (laughing) - Slash that. - He definitely had this feeling of like glee or like contentment with what was going on. Especially like when the dad's in the pool hall and the two were kind of going after him and the girl with the axes coming after him, I felt the satisfaction after he took her out with a shotgun. Maybe that makes me bad, I don't know, but that was fun. - Yeah, that was fun. - Her skipping was ridiculous. - Yeah, she was just like too gleeful about the whole process. - Even in the way she like swung the ax, which was just like, "Ah, for fun, here we go." I got very man's advice from this. - Oh for sure, same energy. - Yeah, and I'm glad he at least got one out with that shotgun, that was kind of cool. - 'Cause he was like bang, like backed up. (laughing) - Come boom, you're down. - Also as a side note, he did a thing that I'm so pleased anytime anyone in a scary movie does. He killed two people and then he went back and made sure they were dead instead of like standing there and staring at them longingly. He was like, "Okay, let's make sure these people are dead." Boom boom, we're done. - Yeah, let's come back. - Like I shot you in the stomach, now let's shoot you in the head. - Does a walk through his new insecure door, but okay. That's true, that's true. But it's one of those things where they had the opportunity to have him like, "Oh, this is such a sad moment," but instead he was just like, "All right, let's just make sure, we're good, we're good." - I never understand in horror movies when they think the killer is down. Why don't they kick them in the balls? - Or why don't they kick them in the balls? - Shoot them in the head. - I always think just like a face shot. - That would do it, but I mean, that's one of the ways you can check if somebody's actually down, 'cause they can act as is, you know. - What if they don't have balls question? Not everyone has balls. - Then you can kick them other places. - Killers can be women too. - I would never kick a woman, ever. I wouldn't kick anyone. - You think she was a killer? If she was a killer, I'll kick her right in the neck, dude. Like, she's coming after me. But they're not gonna be able to hold in her response. - Yeah. - You know what I mean? - We could, we would say silently. - I think the insurance shot is better. - Yeah, it's actually a legal and war though. - Oh really? - Yeah, well, I'm not in war, so we're good. - That's true. But also, if you had to go to court for the fact you took out this person in self-defense, they're like, "Why did you shoot them in the head "when they were already dead?" - To make sure they weren't gonna kill me. - Right. - It's cool, I'm good. - Wait, that's illegal. - Well, it could be, it thinks to become questionable, yeah. - I would be like, I shot them five times. I didn't know which one to actually hit. - Yeah, I had to be sure. - We'll go legal adjacent here in a few weeks. (laughing) I have a question. There's a thing that, like, just kind of, there's not very much about like the dialogue in the characters in this movie that I don't really like, but the polite leader of the purge that we have at the front door says swine and pig, or maybe just says swine so many times. And like, I get it, I get the concept because that's truly how he sees this person. So I understand why they did that, but did that like stand out to you guys at all? I mean, to me, it was a little bit overkill, like saying swine. - He was being a bit of a ham. - Oh my God. - Geez, yes. - That totally made my skin crawl in like a different kind of way. And part of it was because the character he was referring to was at that point the only black character in the entire movie, which I thought was a very, interesting choice. At first, I was like, why did we make that choice? And then later, I kind of like understood what they were trying to say with it, and it made a little bit more sense, but just like referring to him as a swine, and then a pig, and then later saying that he was entitled to kill him. I was like, no, no, no, this has so much racism built into it that I'm like wanting to die right now. I later understood it was a point, but it was very hard to watch. - Yeah, I don't think he was overdone. I think if anything just reaffirmed how shitty this character was and how, definitely I felt bad for this other character because this character probably had nothing to do, was just in the wrong place of the wrong time. And if you've seen the latest one, you know, which it deals with a lot of like racism. And I just like, it's so like that truly is like actual horror to me, like something, you know, we watched a perfection and I just could not stomach stuff like that because it's just like real stuff that is real horror. And I watched Freddie, I watched Freddie, Jason, Saul, all of them, Jigsaw, because that's just puts me in a way Freddie does the same thing as a perfection. He just, yeah, got spooky with your dreams. - Yes. And technically Saul could happen, but you know, it's happening to bad people, but I think I like when I watch horror to be transported somewhere, where it could be out of the realm of racism, sexism, or actual, or actual, yeah. So when he was saying that, I was like, okay, can you please stop saying that? It's making me super uncomfortable. It's making me pissed off and it's making me just so uneasy. - And maybe that's why he kept saying it. Yeah, I think it was effective. I think it's effective. - How creeped out were you though when he kissed Mr. Sanlon on the head? - I mean, I think like that fit his character perfectly though. He was literally like thankful, like thanks for letting me kill you. Like that, that means a psychopath. 100%. - He was drinking the collade. - Yeah, in some ways, you know, he was very much like, and he even said it earlier, we don't want to kill our own. So there was some level of remorse there on his behalf. Like, hey, I wish I hadn't come to this, but here we are. Thanks for sacrificing. - Yeah, like compassion for that person that they killed. It's crazy. - So I think it's crazy that, like, I don't even know if I'm seeing a lot of character development 'cause there was a lot of killing towards the end, but I definitely see this family that's struggling. They're like, you're getting your ass out there because I want my family to live. And you're just like, I was struggling because I definitely wouldn't do that in a situation. One, my kid would at this would never happen. 'Cause my kid know I would whoop there, freaking ass if they did something like that. But it was just, you see this struggle, and it's towards the end of this, like I don't know if Ethan Hogg's character necessarily, 'cause it seems like he's still at the end, he's like, oh fuck, like maybe I'll save this guy. Like at the end, where he kind of feels bad. - It's an internal struggle. - Yeah, when he realizes it doesn't matter, 'cause they're organized, like, well, I'll save him now. Well, then I'm like, okay, well, you never wanted to save him. - He's like, well, my wife said so, so I guess I gotta save him, man. - Yeah, so it's just this character development that I wish I saw more of, but then I realized the situation, and I was like, I feel like it was perfect for it. It's also like the whole concept is like, if you're in this situation, and you're watching this movie, and this is what I was talking about, where I literally said this out loud, and then it happened on screen, is if you're in this situation, you know this guy's definitely gonna kill your family if he comes in. So if you don't give this man that you don't know, the stranger, if you don't give him up, your family is gonna die, or have to fight for their life. And there's two women, a child, and a dad. So it's not a great army. So you're battling with this feeling of like, this person, I have compassion for this person, but also I don't know him, and I care about my family a lot. So that's where the battle comes in, and you have to decide like, do you give this person up, which clearly means killing him? And like, there's a lot of been watching the Walking Dead a lot, and it's like, if you leave somebody on the side of the road, you're not killing him, but you know they're gonna get killed. And it's the same type of thing in this movie. Like you know if you put him outside, he's gonna be killed. So then you have to decide like, do I care more about him or about my family? And that's where it's such a struggle, and the wife gives in first. And then I think the dad finally comes through and realizes like, no, this is not the right thing. And just because it's tonight, it's not worth sacrificing this man's life because of my family. And I literally set it out loud like, oh, these people are battling with the craziness of trying it. Like he wants to get this man out of his house, so he can save his family. But then at the same time he realizes like, this is a human. And then as soon as I set it, it happened in the movie. And I love that in this. - I had the same moment, Ryan, like when they're struggling to like tape him to that chair, and then like they're like tying this man to a chair and like stabbing him in front of their kids. And Lena Hades just like, wait, what the fuck? Who have we become? And that's what I was thinking the whole time. I was like, you guys are just as bad as the people on the outside. - I think if you were in the pressure of the situation, you would be feeling similarly like things escalate. And then I'll suddenly like, what's happening here? - Yeah, I think for Lena Hades character, when she crossed the line, when she started like stabbing his wound, which I thought was a bit much because Ethan Hawk was just like press on his wound, press on his wound. And she was like, oh, stab it repeatedly. Okay. And I was like, ah, didn't say that. But it makes me, I was curious. I wanted to ask you guys like, if you're in that situation, does it not make the most sense to talk to the guy that's in your house, the stranger, let him know what's going on, recruit him to the team. So you guys are all on the same side. And then kind of wait it out and even see if they actually can get in the house. Cause he was like, oh yeah, it's not 100% impenetrable. But I was like, yeah, but like make them get in first before you just like, oh yeah, we should probably send this man outside. Like maybe they were just bluffing, you know? - Yeah, I mean, but it's like, that's, is that really a risk that you're willing to take? Like you'd have to have a really solid backup plan for, okay, they're probably gonna get in. So what are we gonna do about this one when they do get in, right? And even that, like,
The stranger who's in the house Has been hunted this whole time is met with a little bit of a compassion from a child But then as soon as he gets in there some other guys trying to kill some other guy in the house Don't blame him for keeping that first staying hidden for so long And I think what I love there was like he even says I don't want to hurt any of you But I'm not dying tonight. So I think you could have for sure tried to negotiate like you know I think you would have had to get him tied up to get through to him because I don't think There was anyway he was gonna take a gamble in that in that environment I mean they have no idea who he is he is walking into a house with more rich white people So nobody trusts each other. I think and that's I think that's realistic and That that exchange of fire between you know Mr. Sandlin and and the stupid boyfriend definitely didn't set the right tone I'm sure you know like with he came in here as a few guys is everyone here, you know everyone's okay Can I help it all and there was like yeah, sure like take a seat. We'll get some dinner going now He walked in there like pop up out pop out pop out. I'm running. I would too. Yeah, and killing his legal That's for sure a conversation that might have happened had head and re not done when he did Teenage boys all the time ruined and everything yeah, but I think the the bigger thing that this looks at right is How would you even explain this to a child like children have to go to school and learn about the purge But then you have to look at you know obviously Zoe has and grown up with the same ideals or the same conflict that Charlie has and Charlie Is very headstrong about his Adam feelings against the purge, but realistically like We it's very hard for us to fathom what we would do in the situation where strangers in our house and other strangers are outside Negotiate or like trying to negotiate and barter for their someone else's life But what would you do if you had to face that decision? How do you explain this to your child? How do you explain to your child that you support the purge? But you don't purge so you don't really support it What's going on here like that is an impossible conversation. I totally agree Is it me or were we supposed to think that that child was a psychopath that was gonna kill the family? Oh, he was nothing but a more intelligent Sid from Toy Story. Yeah Oh, the doll looked exactly the same. Yeah I was like, oh, he's gonna kill his mom and his sister and his dad And then he ended up being like the one that was like I have a heart and I was like, oh, then why do you have that haircut? I did not have that feeling Paris you didn't think he was gonna kill everybody No Never is like spooky purge shelter where he was like obsessed with the purge and like hiding in that little closet I don't think he was obsessed with it in like a creepy way Yeah, I think he's just a shy kid and it was like oh look I'm going to my dad's office and Then he sees all these people being killed. He's like oh my gosh But then he like asks them he's like if you guys like put took part in the purge like would you kill someone? And they were like well, yes We would and I felt like that was them giving him like the green light like oh, okay, then I can kill people tonight That's exactly no it was definitely like moral conflict there like he He learned about the history of the purge. He doesn't like the purge. He doesn't condone the purge And then he's like well do you guys even would you really would you go out there and kill people tonight? And then he kind of sees them like they're they're thinly veiled bullshit honestly That's why I think he goes to explore that room is because Everything is kind of being layered for him and veiled for him like they're kind of keeping him away from seeing some of that stuff And so he wanted to see it and he wanted to see the reality of it also like why wouldn't you change the password after the first time He lets everybody in also why does he know the password? I'm just saying Well, he's hyper intelligent. So he's observed obviously I think one of the best things about this movie is it made me appreciate Ethan Hawk I love the fact that when the polite leader is thanking him and telling him about how he has cleansed his soul The reality is that he did cleanse his soul and he didn't cleanse it because he killed people He cleansed it because he did the right thing and he was no longer a sellout He was no longer just strictly profiting off the purge while leaving people out there to die But was there any defining moment like that for you guys with any of these characters in particular? I actually like at the end where we see the mother Tell this this stranger or ask the stranger like are you gonna be okay? Because it was like the first moment we see a little bit of empathy for another human being in the movie Like verbally, you know out there into the world. Are you gonna be okay? Like there's actually a care I kind of wanted like some post scenes where he's now like Like comes by and hangs out with the family. Yeah. I said the same thing right I was like invite him to stay like Ethan Hawk is dead. We need a man in the house like you want to hang with us What about the fact that you know the whole like stabbing thing though? Yeah, that that was awkward Is he gonna is he gonna stick around because he probably like nah, I'm good. I'm gonna go He obviously felt good enough to say it's her call her decision about what to do with these people Yeah, it was a complex relationship between those two but I feel like Lena Haydie really Carried the movie as far as like the acting goes and all of the moments where she had to make those hard choices were Defining in my opinion if you do want to see more of him keep watching the purge movies. Oh Tantantant He is the only actor to I think appear in multiple purge products More than two We've obviously said a lot of good things about this movie, but It's not without its fault in my opinion Specifically there were a few things that kind of drove me nuts one the pacing was kind of rough at a few points like at first the beginning good pacing and then it kind of dragged in the middle and for a movie About like anarchy and murder there was a lot of footage of just people wandering around the house in the dark with a flashlight and a gun Yes, agree agree like like low-key found footage type Seems that I was not on board with I'm not on board with a shaky camera in this Like I'm good for like one or two scenes like that But it kept like going back to that in a way that I was like can we like turn the lights on like flip the circuits Like I don't know what you have to do to make this stop But Unless you're gonna turn the corner and accidentally shoot your child in the face and like really gag me like let's move on from this I totally agree Yeah, I felt that scene was really long Yeah, and when you're in that situation and your family is like We're all gonna wander the house with guns in the dark and a flashlight Like can we all just be like shouting like hey babe. Where are you? Oh? I'm upstairs. Okay. Cool. I'm going in the closet Like that way you have that line of communication so you don't accidentally shoot one another This this kind of setup would immediately make me move to another country though So I just I wouldn't even find myself in it If this was announced that this is becoming a thing I'd be like well, I can't trust anyone anymore I'm moving to the one of the homes of my ancestors somewhere. Yeah, I promise I wouldn't purge you guys You know, I would not like you guys Sure. Yeah, I would not purge anyone on the park. Yeah, thanks for drinking all of my water My hardship was the end and I think it was just because it was just Abrupt and I get it goes with the movie like that's the whole idea You're dropped into this movie in the beginning of this thing in the beginning of this like national holiday And then you're dropped at the end of it or not drop put in then it ends So I wish there was some sort of like Ryan and mentioned like something after this movie just to give me a little bit of hope for humanity Or just like somewhere where I could put some context in this a little bit better But I get what it's doing. It's getting to be like all right cool. You did something wrong You don't know the repercussions that are gonna happen necessarily all the time which kind of appreciate So I liked it, but I didn't like it. I didn't like it for the sake that I wish it was a happy ending You wanted some more. I wanted some I wanted the blonde girl to die, but no Would have been great I think would it be for her to grab whatever weapon once again Like as the belltoles and then for Ethan Hawks character to not have actually died all the way And to like wake up and like take her out. Yes, I like that. That would have been cool I'm kind of bummed that he that you know that character died. Yeah And so kind of early into it because I would have loved to see a transformation on his part before that happened To have like a true ownership of like this thing that I've supported even if it was just for my you know political gain or like social esteem You know, I would love him have that like super like harsh click in his mind where it was like I am totally wrong And have been thinking about everything the wrong way and then to just like you know flip that switch Or for him to throw those all those people in the middle of street and just see what happens That's true Like he doesn't change and his family makes them out into the street No, not Ethan Hawks. They they do all the they kick all the bad people out I didn't see what just happens and it's luck at that point Yeah, take all the weapons and just get rid of them. Yeah, you got to leave Bye And take their keys if Ethan Hawks did come back to life at the last second to like shoot the neighbor That probably would have actually irritated me because I feel like there were a little too many like last second This other person's here to save the day kills. That is true. Yeah They kind of overused that too. That would have been the third. They were at our limit But then also like you were saying like since at the end it's hard because it asks you to believe That like the social contract is so strong that it's like oh seven o'clock Now I can't kill you and like everybody's gonna stick to those roles or no one's a vindictive like Tell me and then they're like damn I got to wait another year to kill him But I got a plan for you and they think about this all year. Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, as you get into other purge movies in the tv
show, they show that the characters legitimately have this idea in their head. That they respect this 12 hour holiday so much that that's how they operate because they're so bought into it. They're so insane with this cultish mentality that 7 o'clock hits are like, "Oh, I have to respect it because that's the American way." 12 hours is such a long time. Right. It's anarchy, but they'll stick to the rules. And I'm like, "Yeah, it's bizarre." But complex and interesting. I mean, that's the craziness of the world they paint. It's what it means to be an American. America. I personally love the ending because I feel like even though it is abrupt, it drops you in this suddenness of like, your lives are never going to be the same. The whole time, the whole way this movie goes, if Ethan Hawks' character didn't die, there wouldn't be enough consequence for this family aside from maybe I have to fix the house and maybe I need to move. There wouldn't have been enough stakes there, right? And when you look at like, just like the parallels in this movie with gun violence in our country, there are so many times where something happens. Someone like walks out to go to school one day and that's the last time their family ever sees them alive. So I love how sudden things were at the end and I love that we had some redemption for that family, not that they were ever truly evil, but that the mother stayed strong in her conviction to keep things grounded on like a good end of the moral scale. I think if we didn't have that, this movie would have been really hollow without it. No, I totally agree. I just, in my, you know, full heart, I just wish it was a happier ending. Happy your ending, she means the blonde woman dies. Yeah. Just so we're clear in my world, in my purge, in my purge, the bad people all die. She gets hit by an ambulance as soon as they walk outside. Yeah. Thank you. That would have like lightened things up a bit. That's a final destination ending. Yeah. And then the final destination, you know, you know, they're intertwined and they're in the same universe. There you go. I'm not against a purge final destination crossover. Let's do it. I do love an elaborate, roobe Goldberg machine death. Obviously there's been a lot to unpack here and there are so much that can be uncovered in this movie in terms of its depiction of our stands on guns or our class systems in our country or the persistency of racism. But even though it's a universal slash, I'm so I'm curious to know, is this a movie that has rewatch value for you? I feel like if I was going to watch a series again, like, or not the series, but the series probably in the whole franchise, I definitely would watch it again, but I just don't see myself like, not that it's bad. I just don't want this like, I don't like the feeling that this movie necessarily brings up. So I rather watch, you know, Harry Potter sauce or something. I think for me, this is not like a movie that's incredible and it doesn't necessarily have good feelings. It's not like, I don't know. It's in this like weird place where I like it and I think it's a great movie that you should watch, but I don't necessarily think you should be rewatching it. You guys know me, I'm not going to rewatch it unless I'm forced to, but it wouldn't be mad if it was on, but also like, I'm kind of mad that I paid $3.99 to watch it because it's so familiar once you've seen it one time. But would you have to be drunk to watch it again? I would not have to be drunk to watch it again. But I will say it's not a movie that you necessarily will pay 100% attention to if you've seen it before. It's definitely easy to be distracted while you're watching this for a second or third or however many times. This definitely doesn't make the list of movies that if they're on, I'll leave them on. I probably won't go out of my way to rewatch this anytime soon just because I'm still exhausted from this first watch. Maybe 10 years from now I'll rewatch it just to see how far we've come or how far we haven't come. But yeah, I'm good on this one. This is something I have already rewatched specifically for this podcast. I think it holds some value. I did enjoy watching it again and I would watch it in sequence with the other films. If you were to do that in the TV show though, you're going to have no free time in your life. But yeah, I feel like if you were going to make a go of it and watch it on its own, I think it holds value. I don't think it's 1990s Kevin Costner movies where if it's on TNT, you're just going to leave it on. Two agree with Paris there. But I think if you were deliberately, I want to watch the purge and somebody hasn't seen it. Yeah, it holds value. I see. I don't know why I'm such a different cookie here. I feel like this movie is so different every time you watch it. Obviously the plot points like you can't be surprised again by a lot of the twists. But even looking at the motivations and looking at like the nuances of vocabulary and looking at the different layers in this movie, I got something different watching it now than I did in 2013. And I got so much out of it. I'm still trying to petition my girlfriend to rewatch it with me because I just want to see her take on it as someone who hasn't seen it before. So there you go, Paris. You weren't the only one. There's one other human on this or through hasn't. I think you need like some a few years of separation for watching this. Like maybe more than five years somewhere between five and 10, I think it really will add to your life because I think our perception of it is going to be very different every five to 10 years. That's fair. I do. I will say that I think if you are someone who cares about social injustice and looking at the way things are playing out currently in the climate of our country, I think you should give it a watch and I think you should watch it with that in mind and just see what you come up with. But there's a lot we have left to learn about this movie and we're going to learn that in fact, or fiction from your boy Mac. I'm going to abstain from this round as I assisted in a little bit of material for it. Yes. So it's just the other three of us that will be answering fact or fiction. Number one, the idea for the purge came from watching World Star Videos of everyday violence. Fact. I'm going to say fact because I got those vibes. Fiction. It is fiction. It actually came from road rage involving the writer director and his wife. Totally understand that. Yeah. Yeah, I get that. I wonder how many people have been in the car either by themselves or with a family member or a friend or something like that and you have a crazy incident like this and they are the persons just like, I wish you could just shoot them, these stupid drivers, that kind of thing. We had someone follow us one time. My dad and I was like, yeah. But I mean, that immediate need to defend oneself or to fight other people who could be ending your life accidentally or maybe on purpose, it's so crazy strong and so crazy fast. Number two, the freaks, the people who are wearing masks and their antagonists and there's like dresses involved with blood on them. They were inspired by the Manson family. Fact. Who mentioned this earlier? Alexis. Alexis. But I also got that same vibe so I'm going to say fact. Yeah, I'm going to go fact also. Hey Chris, how do you feel about this one? You know, it's a fact but it's also kind of indirect because it was inspired by the 2008 film The Strangers. But it actually is a fact. I promise. I was actually thinking about the strangers while watching this. This is definitely like, you should watch The Strangers and you should watch this one when moving into a new apartment. Please don't do that. Just make sure you have some really strong door jams so you can feel a bit more secure after doing that. So we've talked about Reese Wakefield earlier, such a good actor in this film who's super creepy so he plays the polite leader and he was cast just within a few days before filming. Fact. Fact. That seems random. Fact. It is random. But it is also fact. So other actors were just overdoing the character and his subtlety in the role has also like inspired people, his fans to say he should be cast as the Joker. I could see that. How many Joker movies do we need though? Can we be done? More. Be quiet. Even during that audition, he played it cool and they could picture him as being reminiscent of Charles Manson. Hence the amplification of those Manson vibes. I wonder if there's like a video of his audition on YouTube somewhere in the world. It's got to be one floating. Yeah, it reminds me of minehunter though because they have an amazing actor who's playing Charles Manson and does like such an insane. We need to stand on the table and stuff and all that stuff. It's all crazy, yeah. Yeah. And let's wrap it up with one more. Ethan Hawk accepted the role as James Sandin for very little upfront pay because he wasn't working at the time and needed to basically pay for the expansion to his kitchen. He doubted it. He was in that vampire movie before this. He had enough movie. He had enough money and movies. Fiction just based on that random paying for an upgrade to his kitchen line. Like what? But it's also like so random that it has to be true. So I'm going to say fact. It's so random. It has to be fiction. Did this film basically like a favorite of friends? He's friends with both Jason Bloom and James Daemonako and even slept on Jason Bloom's couch during filming for the 19 days they filmed. They're just like us. Indeed. They have friends too. Hey friends, better filmmakers like all of us do. Yep. Films like this. I mean this one's a very low budget film. So we're talking somewhere around like $3 million. And the actors are paid a small upfront fee and then they get paid scale. So this movie like I forget like 10, like got like 10 times its budget back within like the first week in the US. So scale was probably a good thing to sign up for. Well thank you so much for the enlightening experience. So glad there's so much for that one into the production of a film that paints a really depressing picture where we could be in just a couple years. There is a lot of mixed opinion out there on this movie.
all here at the hacker slash, I think it's stellar, right? We all gave it a universal slash, even if there are some small pain points here and there, but we know that your mileage may vary with this movie. So reach out to us, continue the conversation and let us know what you think about the purge from 2013, the first in a franchise. There are a number of ways you can reach out to us, starting at our website, hackerslash.com, and you can check us out on our social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also hit us up at the hacker slash hotline. If there is someone that theoretically you would purge, we won't judge you if you share it with us. You can text us call us, leave us a voicemail or an audio message. Our number is 7576060128. There are no attorneys on this show for attorney privilege. Yes, true. And if you would prefer to release the beast via text, you can email us at
[email protected]. If you've enjoyed listening to our podcast, consider becoming one of our patrons. Check out patreon.com/hackerslash, where you can earn cool perks for as low as $1 a month. Well see you next week folks. Stay safe. Bye.
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