50 / 68
T
he Purge
(2013) had a great concept – an annual
12 hour period allows the US population to indulge
their inner criminal with impunity, and thus keep
the crime rate down – but didn't do a lot with it.
Where the events of the first film played out as a
generic home invasion thriller, this bigger and better
sequel takes the action to the streets and fulfils the
titular promise of anarchy. Dependable movie tough
guy (and Christian Bale lookalike) Frank Grillo is the
self-appointed protector to a group who only want
to survive the night, leading them through an LA that has gone to
Hell. It's a riff on
The Walking Dead
et al, but at least this time we
get some answers to the bigger questions raised by the idea of The
Purge, and the motivations of it bloodthirsty participants.
An American tradition.
THE PURGE: ANARCHY
The latest entry in the handheld horror genre follows
hot on the heels of
The Possession of Michael King
,
offering both a gender switch and a diabolical twist
on the found-footage format. This time the events
are presented from the POV of the possessed victim,
18-year-old college girl Grace (Alexia Fast), which
means the viewer will experience all the trademark
paranormal activity, bodily contortions and hurling of
profanity at priests from a first-person, video game-
like perspective. This immersive approach was put
to effective use in the 2012
Maniac
remake, and it does add some
novelty value to the exorcism sequence in
Grace
, albeit at the
expense of the peripheral action. However, those with an aversion to
shakycam are likely to feel as queasy as the possessed protagonist.
Inside the devil.
GRACE: THE POSSESSION
050
visit
www.stack.net.auREVIEWS
DVD&BD
Format:
Release Date:
01/01/15
Format:
Release Date:
01/01/15
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JANUARY 2015
JB Hi-Fi
www.jbhifi.com.auJoel Edgerton wrote and stars in this suspenseful
Aussie thriller which lures the viewer in with a thorny
moral dilemma for its lead character. Hero detective Mal
Toohey (Edgerton) is driving home following a boozy
night celebrating a successful drug bust when he hits
and critically injures a young boy. Fabricating a hit and run
scenario to cover the fact he was DUI, Toohey consequently
becomes entangled in his own web of lies. Moreover, a
suspicious rookie cop (Jai Courtney) is determined to dig
deeper into the events surrounding the incident and expose
Toohey's deception. Directed by TV veteran Matthew Saville (
Cloudstreet
,
The Slap
) and featuring a top-notch cast (including Brit import Tom Wilkinson),
Felony
continues the recent run of quality Australian features that received a
limited cinema run and will find a wider audience on DVD. • See page 44
Secrets and lies.
FELONY
Nope, not a remake of the 1964 Michael Caine
classic; this namesake feature is a cracking crime
thriller that transplants the 'buddy cop' movie into
avolatile new environment. The setting is post-
apartheid South Africa, where mismatched police
officers Orlando Bloom and Forest Whitaker (both
carrying major emotional baggage) are investigating
the brutal murder of a wealthy, white teenage girl,
which appears to be linked to a lethal new drug
that has hit the streets of Cape Town. Bloom's
legion of female fans will want to check this out for the actor's
commitment to gratuitous nudity, while those looking for thrills of
a different kind are well served by intense action sequences and
brutal gang violence.
Some crimes echo through history.
ZULU
Format:
Release Date:
31/12/14
Format:
Release Date:
07/01/15
HORROR
THRILLER
