Critics: 'The Purge' an attack on Tea Party, NRA

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

BallisticBiker

Sharpshooter
Special Hen
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
917
Reaction score
5
Location
Lawton
'The Purge' shocks with $36.4 million opening at box office

NEW YORK – The suspense thriller "The Purge" topped the weekend box office with a shocking $36.4 million that doubled industry expectations, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Audiences starved for a horror option flocked to the micro-budget Universal film starring Ethan Hawke. The film's strong opening performance minted another box-office hit for "Paranormal Activity" producer Jason Blum.

Like that horror franchise, "The Purge" was made for relative peanuts — just $3 million — making it an extremely lucrative release for Universal. The studio had expected it to open in the high teens.

"Never did we expect it to open at this level," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal. "This result could not have been forecasted by anybody."

There has been a dearth of horror films at the multiplex in recent weeks, which Rocco acknowledged was a major factor for "The Purge." Written and directed by James DeMonaco, "The Purge" is set in a utopic United States in the year 2022, where crime has been eradicated except for one violently cathartic day a year when nearly all mayhem is legal.

The film opened strong with late night screenings Thursday night that alone took in $3.4 million.

"This is exactly the kind of film that stumps all the analysts," said Paul Dergarabedian, an analyst for box-office tracker Hollywood.com. "It proves that R-rated horror films, no matter the budget, always have a place with audiences."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainmen...-million-opening-at-box-office/#ixzz2Vl6nbgcN
 

JB Books

Shooter Emeritus
Special Hen
Joined
Dec 31, 1969
Messages
14,103
Reaction score
183
Location
Hansenland
I have also heard that is really sucks. It looked cheesy in the trailers.

It's not so much that it sucks as it is friggin frustrating. Probably more so for "gun guys". I don't like to pick apart movies for accuracy, but let's all face it, attention to technical detail can make or break a movie. I mean what would you guys think of a Prohibition movie set in the 1920s in which one the bad guys uses an Uzi or an AK? This isn't that bad, but given the premise of the movie, you'd think he and his family would have been better armed and better trained.

It's worth seeing, if for no other reason, you'll start thinking about upgrading your home security.
 

nofearfactor

Sharpshooter
Special Hen
Joined
Mar 24, 2007
Messages
7,269
Reaction score
291
Location
cold, dark
I liked it. Took my 16 yr old. The wife and daughter saw something else (Man of Steel). We're horror, sci-fi, slasher movie freaks anyways so we liked it mainly for the violence but also for the premise of the movie. What other people think about it is their opinion, what was said about it prior to us seeing it didnt effect my decision to go ahead and see it one bit. Was it unrealistic? Probably to most people, but to us it was just a MOVIE, not a freaking documentary or a public service film. Movies like this are supposed to be fantasies, stories, unless theyre based on real events, which this movie wasnt. So they didnt get everything just right according to how some people would do it. Whatever. Be your own judge if you decide to see it. It was just entertainment to me not a manual on how to protect my family. And we agreed that Halloween would be a great night for the Purge. All I know is that after seeing this film if I had some superduper security system to keep the freaks out on a night of widespread legal murder then my kids for sure would NOT know the code to the door locks...
 
Last edited:

JB Books

Shooter Emeritus
Special Hen
Joined
Dec 31, 1969
Messages
14,103
Reaction score
183
Location
Hansenland
Yeah, but don't you find movies better when they are more "realistic?" For example, compare a spaghetti western to Lonesome Dove or Open Range. In one, the good guys never reload, can shoot ten galloping riders at 500 yards with a handgun, and can dodge bullets. In the others, the characters are cognizant of seeking cover and ammo limitations.

It's the same in horror movies. I love vampire movies. Always have since I was a little kid. But look at the genre now. It sucks. Compare Twighlight to Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1970s). In one you have sparkling vampires who fall in love with humans and homoerotic werewolves, in the other you have a news reporter who is scared out of his wits, but knows he needs to kill the bad guy (vampire).

I guess my point is this...of course we know movies are fantasy, but the the best ones allow us to suspend our disbelief while still maintaing a sense of realism.
 

yukonjack

Sharpshooter
Supporting Member
Special Hen Supporter
Joined
Jan 6, 2008
Messages
5,939
Reaction score
2,039
Location
Piedmont
It was hot here in Anchorage on Friday. Since the movie theatre is one of the few places that has air conditioning I went and saw the Purge flick. Thought the whole plot of the movie sucked. The acting did too. I probably shoved have saved my money and cruised the sample tables at Costco. That's right, they have air conditioning too.
 

nofearfactor

Sharpshooter
Special Hen
Joined
Mar 24, 2007
Messages
7,269
Reaction score
291
Location
cold, dark
Yeah, but don't you find movies better when they are more "realistic?" For example, compare a spaghetti western to Lonesome Dove or Open Range. In one, the good guys never reload, can shoot ten galloping riders at 500 yards with a handgun, and can dodge bullets. In the others, the characters are cognizant of seeking cover and ammo limitations.

It's the same in horror movies. I love vampire movies. Always have since I was a little kid. But look at the genre now. It sucks. Compare Twighlight to Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1970s). In one you have sparkling vampires who fall in love with humans and homoerotic werewolves, in the other you have a news reporter who is scared out of his wits, but knows he needs to kill the bad guy (vampire).

I guess my point is this...of course we know movies are fantasy, but the the best ones allow us to suspend our disbelief while still maintaing a sense of realism.

My standards must be lower than most people or Im entertained easily or something because unless a horror movie is just really bad like the Paranormal Activity movies or Blair Witch movies then Im good to go. Its only a few bucks out of my pocket and a few hours of my time. Like I said before others have their opinions and I have mine, same as with any 'product'. I like most of Ethan Hawks other movies and ironically since vampire movies are my ultimate favorite type of movie one of my fave vampire flicks he happens to be in, 'Daybreakers'. Did I see any of the Twilight series of vampire movies, nope, even though my daughters went nuts for the books then movies. But I did take them to the mall at midnight and sat with them so they could buy the books as soon as they came out and the same when the movies came out. But me and my son liked the comedy 'Vampires Suck' panning the Twilight series.

I will agree that 'The Purge' was low budget because it was, only $3 million to make it, and totally unrealistic because the premise of the film I hope never happens in my lifetime. But to say it sucked would mean I left the theatre because it was so unrealistic, which I didnt. I got my moneys worth. Someone else would have walked out Im sure because they did do alot of stupid shiz in the movie. And I totally see why alot of people wouldnt or didnt like it. All Im getting at it is that FOR ME a horror movie doesnt have to be realistic for me to enjoy it, especially this type of movie, and especially a movie featuring firearms. Sure, it was dumb as all hell in some spots, but overall it was entertaining enough for us to like it and I will most likely burn it to DVD when it comes out.

Now Im going to be a hypocrite for a second. Johnnie Depp as Tonto in the new 'Lone Ranger' is another story. I grew up watching westerns (even though their characterizations of natives were almost always laughable) as well as The Lone Ranger series and movies as a little kid. But seeing that trailor yesterday for the new LR movie it looks really bad as does Depps version of Tonto. Being native myself I have seen paintings of natives dressed almost exactly like Depp clear down to the crow or whatever it is on top of his head and the white face paint- my cousin Chris Pappan is a native artist who has painted just such a painting. So while it is a fairly realistic look according to native standards, it just doesnt do justice to the original LR series for me, and to see one of my fave actors like Depp who supposedly does have a little bit of native blood in him play a character I cherished as a little kid and made famous by a Mohawk native like Jay Silverheels, just makes it totally unrealisitic. I would rather have seen someone like Adam Beach or any number of young native actors we have today in the role besides Depp. But even though it looks like it sucks chrome from bumpers I will go see it because I just really love movies. But I wont for a second think any of it is realistic. Which it isnt supposed to be anyways, its a movie, it is fantasy. As they say, to each their own.
 

henschman

Sharpshooter
Special Hen
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
4,396
Reaction score
24
Location
Oklahoma City
I saw The Purge yesterday, and thought it was pretty good. It certainly kept me interested all the way through. I'd say it was a pretty solid thriller... definitely some frustrating "WTF are you doing" moments, like most movies in that genre, but it wouldn't hardly be a thriller without a little of that. I certainly don't think it carried an anti gun message... if anything, it provides a very graphic display of why guns for home protection are a good idea. Most of its social commentary was directed at human nature, and somewhat at elitism/poverty as well.

My buddy and I LOL'ed at the use of the Mossberg pump action with the chainsaw grip. Dude took care of business with it though, haha.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom