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Surgeons of Horror

~ Dissecting horror films

Surgeons of Horror

Monthly Archives: July 2016

The Purge: Election Year (2016)

14 Thursday Jul 2016

Posted by surgeons of horror in movie of the week

≈ 1 Comment

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Elizabeth Mitchell, Frank Grillo, Horror movies, James DeMonaco, The Purge, The Purge: Election Year

the-purge-election-year

AND SO IT would come to pass that director James DeMonaco would delve into another Purge movie where the streets of America are filled with anarchy, marking this the third entry in the series and a fitting as US Presidential Election would also take place in 2016.

The result of which is potentially a lot more scary and hazardous than this film depicts.

For those not familiar with the Purge series, it essentially follows the ratification of the 28th Amendment to the U.S Constitution. 

This amendment establishes a 12-hour event known as “The Purge” which would take place on from 7:00 in the evening ofMarch 21 to 7:00 in the morning of March 22, wherein all crime including murder becomes legal. 

Election Year would pick up in the year 2040, following a lawyer turned senator, Charlie Roan, who is now running for President with the aim of stopping ‘The Purge’ once and for all.

This gets the New Founding Fathers in a knot, so they decide to change the rules and make a Government Official with a rating of 10 or above no longer immune to the game.

This in effect it to make Charlie a target and eliminate her from the running.

But Charlie is a survivor, as evidenced in the opening scene of the movie as she gets through an ordeal back in the original Purge, whilst a masked purger torments and tortures her family.

The movie then takes place as part survival movie and part action movie as Charlie teams up with a group of underground vigilantes and overthrow the corrupt government.

There’s plenty here to keep you salivated and by now DeMonaco has immersed himself so much into the Purge universe, he’s able to spread his wings a little and focus on the impact that these rules have placed on society that little bit more.

Elizabeth Mitchell cuts a fine display as Charlie Roan, a woman who is scared but still has a lot of heart and willing to see the compassion in humanity and restore faith once more.

Frank Grillo also effectively grimaces and grunts his way through the movie as he revisits his character, Sgt Leo Barnes.

Action movies are such a staple of Grillo’s work that this feels like yet another day in the office where he hits each sequence note for note.

Yes Election Year isn’t going to set worlds on fire, but it is a bit of fun whilst still flicking the bird to the people with the power and authority.

Heck it’s even great to see Kyle Secor back on screen hamming it up as Presidential candidate Minister Edwidge Owens.

The films have seen a combined income of over $318 million, so DeMonaco must be doing something right.

With that kind of result you’d be forgiven for thinking about yet another addition to the franchise, but SPOILERS…..

At the conclusion of Election Year, Roan has successfully turned over the amendment and put a stop to The Purge each year.

Combine that with Frank Grillo stating that he won’t be back for another outing, the likelihood that a continuation from the on-screen events is unlikely to occur.

But rumours are that a fourth film is in the works and likely to be a prequel looking at how the New Founding Fathers were formed.

Whatever the outcome it was a fun ride and if you’ve not seen any of the series yet, then perhaps you should get your hands on the trilogy and treat yourself to a Purge.

  • Paul Farrell

Flashback Friday: Mind Ripper (1995)

08 Friday Jul 2016

Posted by surgeons of horror in Flashback Fridays, Wes Craven

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Horror film, Horror movie, Horror movies, Lance Henriksen, The Hills Have Eyes, Wes Craven

mind-ripper
BACK IN THE MID 90’s, a little known HBO movie was released with little fanfare or critical reaction.

It has also been known as The Hills Have Eyes Part 3 despite the fact that the only thing that connects this movie with the franchise is that Wes Craven is billed as producer and his son Jonathan is credited as writer.

Yes it is primarily set in some abandoned quarry in the middle of nowhere, which can loosely connect the films but rather than be a collection of mutants infected by radiation poisoning and reeking havoc on a family, here we have a character, THOR, who has been experimented upon via re-animation. In fact it is probably more closely aligned with Frankenstein, Re-Animator, or Universal Soldier with its subject matter.

The movie doesn’t exactly offer anything new, with it’s team of scientists holed up deep underground to perform their experiments only to have the tables turned on them when their test subject becomes a blood thirsty killer, hunting them one by one.

It does though have some prominent star-pulling power in Lance Henriksen (Aliens, The Terminator) and Giovanni Ribisi (Boiler Room, The Gift) as the dropout son who comes good. And they both stand out in the cast for what is essentially mediocre characters.

In some places the dialogue is clunky but at the end of the day, this movie was never going to win awards for its high brow conversation piece. It’s an action-based horror movie that struggled to find an identity, aiming for Aliens but ending up more like The Mimic.

It’s entertaining enough, but never finds its voice or is strong enough to mark on the horror celluloid mantle of greatness.

– Paul Farrell

 

 

 

The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 (1985)

05 Tuesday Jul 2016

Posted by surgeons of horror in Uncategorized, Wes Craven

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Horror film, Horror movie, Michael Berryman, The Hills Have Eyes, Wes Craven

The Seventh and Last Feature for our Wes Craven Season 1 discussion centres on his first sequel and with it a potential to start a franchise.

Needless to say, The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 would not live up to expectations and the franchise would end up dead in the water despite reaching a cult status. Subsequently there have been 2 recent film adaptations based on the original and a comic book to boot.

Wes Craven has distanced himself from the project, citing it as an unfinished piece when he handed it in to the producers to review. The producers, aka the money and finance would accept the film as its first draft and push this out into cinemas with the need to market swiftly. The result speaks for itself.

As for Craven, this was no passion project. It did however, provide funds for him to create horror cinema gold, A Nightmare On Elm Street, (More on this in an upcoming season) and along with it the iconic character of Freddie Kruger.

When sidled next to A Nightmare On Elm Street, The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 pales in comparison. The film picks up with survivor from the first film, Bobby, discussing the horrific events that unfolded and the devastating impact it had on him and his family.

Bobby now runs a bike racing outfit and endeavours to take them back out to the sticks for them to compete in a race, but this task appears to be too great an ordeal and he reluctantly chooses not to go.

So, it is down to fellow survivor, Ruby / Rachel (and the dog, Beast of course) to take our intrepid team of victims / youths to certain doom when they once again come face to face with the mutant family in horror poster icon, Michael Berryman reprising his role as Pluto and The Reaper (Papa Jupiter’s brother).

So much is inherently wrong with this movie. Bad characters, poor set up, and no plot. It’s a wonder that it got off the ground. Perhaps is it wasn’t resting on its stronger predecessor and Craven’s now recogniseable name attached to it, it probably wouldn’t have.

And with the already mentioned, A Nightmare On Elm Street, and its success, along with it cane a much longer lifespan for The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 would ordinarily have occurred.

Check out the surgeons of horror podcast below for more thoughts and views.

https://player.whooshkaa.com/player/episode/id/98518?visual=true

Also available in iTunes.

– Paul Farrell

 

Retrospective: The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

01 Friday Jul 2016

Posted by surgeons of horror in Flashback Fridays, Uncategorized

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Edgar Allen Poe, Horror film, Horror movie, roger corman, Vincent Price

Based on the short story by Edgar Allen Poe and directed by B-Movie legend Roger Corman, this macabre story centres around a prince who lords it up whilst sheltering from the plague-ridden scenes that envelop the town around him.

He’s more than happy to delve into his riches and ignore the plight of others.

In fact he relishes in it and goes to great strengths to terrorize the peasantry.

Playing the role of the villainous tyrant Prospero is another horror icon, Vincent Price who becomes embroiled in a satanic cult and despite being known for his hammy antics, in this role his very nature is well suited to the character and he appears to be incredibly comfortable in his skin.

Corman was also evidently a huge fan of Poe’s work, this movie being the seventh of eight series, which included The Pit and the Pendulum and The Raven. The Masque of the Red Death is definitely the stronger of these titles, with Corman hitting all the right notes and belying the negative image that has been depicted upon him by critics.

This movie has a great lead in Price and plays with the melodrama and nuances with great style and substance and is a fine example of a director at the height of his craft.

  • Saul Muerte

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