NON-HORROR NEWS: Ti West Breaks Into The Major Market - FINALLY!

It's no secret that I have a bit of a man crush on Ti West. I think he's absolutely the shining beacon of hope for the horror genre, and if you don't believe me just hunker down for a viewing of The House of the Devil. 

Yesterday Bloody Disgusting announced some pretty exciting news: Ti West has been brought in to direct some major names in the biz. While it's not a horror film, it's a western revenge flick, John Travolta and Ethan Hawke (Sinister, The Purge). 

West will be writing and directing, and the film is set to take place in the late 1800's. I think it's pretty safe to say that this move is probably heavily inspired by Tarantino's Django Unchained, which I am perfectly okay with. I guess the question is how far detached from the horror genre it will be, West has proved himself to be quite the master of suspense while not relying on violence. Will we see a blood bath? I'm so interested and excited I could just pee myself. 

THE PURGE Comes to DVD/Blu-Ray on October 8th, Now There's No Keeping It Out of Your House!

The Purge, the not-quite-flop-not-quite-hit from Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse Pictures, will be making it's way to DVD and Blu-Ray on October 8th, just in time for the Halloween season. 

In case you haven't heard of it yet: 

"In an America wracked by crime, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—is legal. The police can’t be called. Hospitals suspend help. It is one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking."  

Only one special feature has been announced, "Surviving the Night: The Making of The Purge": “In this exclusive behind-the-scenes featurette, viewers discover how an act of road rage inspired writer and director James DeMonaco to create The Purge, what attracted the cast to the project and how the world of 2022 depicted in the film mirrors the world today. Featuring exclusive interviews with stars Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane, Max Burkholder and Edwin Hodge, this featurette asks the question: What would it take for The Purge to become reality?”

I have yet to see this one, and while I haven't heard the most savory of things, you can expect a review when the DVD is released. 

Sinister (2012) - A Review

 

“Once you see him, nothing can save you.”

Oh Scott Derrickson and Blumhouse Productions, we meet again. Once again, you’ve lured me into your traps and have successfully devoured yet another slice of my horror soul, one that I will never see again. 

Sinister is a film that I have put off seeing for a quite a while. I’m not a huge fan of this style, I often think that its scares are cheap and its storylines are moronic at best, but I decided to give it an unbiased shot. I hate close-minded horror viewers and I try not to be one. I always love when I can watch a horror movie by a director/production company that I have previously disliked, or avoided, and they are able to make me change my opinion. That’s a sure-fire way to make me a lifelong fan. So last night, I ponied up to a 2 hour viewing of Sinister and here I am, writing this review once again convinced that I need to trust my gut instinct. 

Now, I know a lot of people are huge fans of this film. I will say that I went into this film excited to see it and ready to give it a genuine shot. My views may not be very favorable in this, as a lot of it is venting and expressing personal opinion. If you do not want to read something like that, please do not read past the break. If you want to know my thoughts, I’d love to hear yours as well. I do my best to foster an open minded environment on this blog, so I felt the need to present this warning to anybody who may be a fan of this film.

THE PURGE: A Welcome Break from the Monotony of Ghost Stories from Blumhouse Productions?

Any horror fan who has gone to seen a horror film in their local theater in the past two months has inevitably seen the trailer for Jason Blum’s new picture, The Purge, directed by James DeMonaco and starring (big surprise) Ethan Hawke. If you’re not familiar with either name, Jason Blum (founder and CEO of Blumhouse Production) is responsible for supplying countless teenage boys with much needed jump scares to get their girlfriends into their laps for the first time. His list of credits includes Paranormal Activity (1 - soon to be 5), Insidious (1 and soon to be 2), Sinister, and The Amityville Horror: The Lost Tapes. I’m just such a huge fan.

Regardless, there may be hope. For me atleast. Look, I totally get why people enjoy these movies. I just don’t find them scary, I find them annoying, but I don’t want you to think I’m some biased asshole. I watch them, I just rarely find them good enough to warrant discussion.As mentioned before, I will review without bias and keep my own opinions from getting in the way of bringing you honest horror movies. Hell, I want to like them too, so it helps me as well.

Regardless, back to the main point, The Purge. Now, Blum did produce The Lords of Salem so I’ll give him some credit, but I am very interested in The Purge. My kind of horror is real. It’s gritty, it’s nasty, it’s rooted in reality and it could be happening down the street from you at any given time. That’s what scares me. While the basic premise of this film is based in fantasy land, it still hold the realism that I look for in movies which is “People are fucked up enough to do stuff like this. Someone could come to my house right now and do this to me if they really wanted to”. Love it.

Here’s the official synopsis: “In an America wracked by crime and overcrowded prisons, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity-including murder-becomes legal. The police can’t be called. Hospitals suspend help. It’s one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking.”

Sounds pretty groovy right? I’d love to see Blumhouse break out of the supernatural that they seem so hellbent on sticking to, it’s just getting old. Atleast in my opinion. Regardless, you can check out the one sheet below and head here for the trailer. And as always, feel free to share your thoughts. I love to see what other folk are thinkin’.

- Rg Lovecraft