Paul Brian McCoy" />
Psycho Drive-In logo
Search
  • PDI Press
    Featured
    • BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

      Paul Brian McCoy
      January 17, 2022
      Fiction, PDI Press, PDI Press Writers
    Recent
    • BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

      John E. Meredith
      January 17, 2022
    • Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Seven)

      John E. Meredith
      January 16, 2022
    • Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Six)

      John E. Meredith
      January 15, 2022
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    Featured
    • X (2022)

      Paul Brian McCoy
      April 22, 2022
      Movies, Reviews
    Recent
    • X (2022)

      Nate Zoebl
      April 22, 2022
    • Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

      Nate Zoebl
      April 15, 2022
    • The Adam Project (2022)

      Nate Zoebl
      March 16, 2022
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
    Featured
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      Paul Brian McCoy
      July 13, 2018
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      The Final Girl
      July 13, 2018
    • David Black: Carnies, Carnage, and the Creative Chaos of Darkness Visible

      Dan Lee
      March 7, 2017
    • Jaiden Kaine joins the Marvel Universe as new Luke Cage baddie, Zip

      Andre Lamar
      September 29, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Batman: The Killing Joke

      Jason Sacks
      July 28, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Syfy’s Van Helsing

      Dave Hearn, Paul Brian McCoy
      July 27, 2016
    • Wondercon Interview: The Cast of Damien

      Gary Richardson, Laura Akers
      April 16, 2016
  • News
    Featured
    • John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum arrives on Digital 8/23 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand 9/10

      Paul Brian McCoy
      July 30, 2019
      DVD/Blu-ray, News
    Recent
    • John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum arrives on Digital 8/23 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand 9/10

      psychodr
      July 30, 2019
    • X-Men: Dark Phoenix arrives on Digital 9/3 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD 9/17

      Paul Brian McCoy
      July 16, 2019
    • Avengers: Endgame arrives on Digital 7/30 and Blu-ray 8/13

      psychodr
      July 16, 2019
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Breaking
  • X (2022)
  • Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
  • The Adam Project (2022)
  • The Batman (2022)
  • Entropy (2022)
  • Killer Sofa (2019)
  • RSS
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Who We Be
  • Contact
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Home
Movies

The Purge: Anarchy (2014)

Paul Brian McCoy
July 20, 2014
Movies, Reviews

I am sick to fucking death of critics who feel like they have to qualify their reviews. If I read another, “Well, it’s dumb, but fun” review I just may burn the internet down. Especially when contrasted with the glowing reviews of this summer’s horribly scripted Dawn of the Planet of the Apes; a movie that spent $170 million to make a CGI wonderland but apparently forgot to hire a script doctor. Who needs a good script when you’ve got the CG spectacle of apes riding horses and firing automatic weapons?

Purge-Anarchy-flag

Which brings us to The Purge: Anarchy. This is the most John Carpenter movie that John Carpenter never made. There was never any doubt that Writer/Director James DeMonaco (who also scripted the 2005 remake of Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13) would be back for another dive into the future America of The Purge after the first film brought in $64 and a half million domestic and another $25 million overseas with a production budget of $3 million (that’s nearly 30 times its budget for those not mathematically inclined).

And that was a film that didn’t try to do much more than reframe your run-of-the-mill home invasion horror with a bluntly direct socio-political message (here’s my review of that one, by the way). Now, with triple the budget of the first film, DeMonaco has put together a B-Movie that captures the feel of classics like Escape from New York, The Warriors, and They Live for a new generation.

Purge-Anarchy-hunters

Here’s the setup, for those not familiar. In the near future, a fundamentalist political group (modeled on the Tea Party) has taken power in an America crushed by crime, unemployment, and general decay. They’ve established The Purge, and annual 12-hour free-for-all, where there are no laws. Anything you do during those twelve hours will not be punishable, except for a few minor caveats that keep higher ranking elected officials off-limits and making sure no weapons or explosives above a certain level are included. You know, the sort of things that would stand up to the military or a militarized police force.

So if you’ve got the money to defend yourself, your home, and your family, you just hunker down for the night and hope that the Purging contains itself to the inner cities. Or, if you’ve got the money to buy weapons, you just might take it upon yourself to “release the beast” inside you with a religious fervor, purging your violent impulses in one night of chaos that is celebrated and promoted as your “holy” right.

Purge-Anarchy-martyr

Or if that doesn’t float your boat, and you’ve got enough money, you can hire people to either martyr themselves to you (for the future benefit of the families they leave behind), or you can hire people to bring you victims to hunt and kill.

The first film focused on jealousies in an upper-class neighborhood, establishing that it wasn’t just about race or class, but about social inequalities of all sorts, even simple envy. But it was also about race and class. This time we are taken out into the world on Purge night to witness first-hand what people are getting up to in the name of religious cleansing and making a buck. Again, it’s about race and class, utilizing similar masked hunters as the first film — along with a few other paranoias brought to life.

Purge-Anarchy-god

We have Shane (Zach Gilford) and Liz (Kiele Sanchez), a middle-class couple in the midst of a breakup being hunted and terrorized by scary black men in masks, we have Eva (Carmen Ejogo) and her daughter Cali (Zoë Soul) being hunted and terrorized by scary soldiers in black, and then we have Sergeant (Frank Grillo) who just wants to get across town so he can murder the man who killed his son in a drunk driving accident, but got away due to a technicality.

Because Sergeant isn’t a bad guy, just an emotionally damaged revenge-seeker (and who doesn’t love revenge films?), he finds himself unable to stand by while paramilitary forces attempt to murder Eva and Cali. Shane and Liz, barely surviving the sabotage of their car, also hook up with Sergeant, and the race is on, with both the hunters and the soldiers now converging on them as they try to find someplace safe.

Purge-Anarchy-big-daddy

There’s plenty of mayhem and madness (along with a seemingly unlimited supply of bullets) as Frank Grillo makes Sergeant his own. He approaches the role with the same swagger Kurt Russell brought to Snake Plisken, but substituting sarcasm with a touch of the tragic that Snake never felt. To be honest, all the performers nail their roles, which is what really elevates this material above the more clichéd elements. You know Shane and Liz are going to get back together before all is said and done, but by then, they’re no longer just privileged and self-involved. They’ve proven themselves worthy of saving — and where the film leaves Liz when all’s said and done, was very interesting.

Eva and Cali are the moral center of the film, and their influence on Sergeant provides a few surprises along the way. John Beasley, in his brief appearance as Papa Rico was nearly perfect, bringing nobility and honor to his self-sacrifice. And Jack Conley as the enigmatic Big Daddy was frighteningly iconic with his aviator sunglasses, American flag ball cap, and butcher’s apron as he stood behind his massive truck-mounted machine gun.

The Purge: Anarchy

The biggest and best surprise of the film, though, was the appearance of Michael K. Williams as the revolutionary Carmelo, raging against the system that solved unemployment by sanctioning the murder of the poor for one night a year. It was almost impossible to not yell “Omar coming, yo!” in the theater when he shows up and starts blowing evil rich people away.

You don’t have to justify liking The Purge: Anarchy. It’s straight-up enjoyable. I don’t give a shit if you don’t think all rich people are evil, or religious fundamentalism isn’t dangerous, or even that there’s no way one night of lawlessness would reign in crime so totally the rest of the year. You probably think sealing off New York and making it a prison is a stupid idea, or that upper-class aliens couldn’t really subliminally control the poor, or that rival gangs with colorful theme costumes wouldn’t really hunt each other through the city for misguided revenge.

Purge-Anarchy-Sergeant

The idea that we, as critics, have to justify ourselves and our movie-going pleasures, or qualify our reviews, is just insulting. The Purge: Anarchy kicks all kinds of ass and falls right in line with classic B-movie action/sci-fi/horror films. John Carpenter would be proud.

(Visited 311 times, 1 visits today)
The Purge: Anarchy (2014)
4.0Overall Score

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Carmen EjogoFrank GrilloJack ConleyJames DeMonacoJohn BeasleyKiele SanchezMichael K. WilliamsPaul Brian McCoyThe PurgeThe Purge: AnarchyZack GilfordZoe Soul

The Leftovers 1.03 “Two Boats and a Helicopter”
Utopia 2.01 & 2.02

About The Author

monsterid
Paul Brian McCoy
Co-Founder / Editor-in-Chief / Dreamweaver

Paul Brian McCoy is the Editor-in-Chief of Psycho Drive-In. His first novel, The Unraveling: Damaged Inc. Book One is available at Amazon US & UK, along with his collection of short stories, Coffee, Sex, & Creation (US & UK). He recently contributed the 1989 chapter to The American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1980s (US & UK). He also kicked off Comics Bulletin Books with Mondo Marvel Volumes One (US & UK) and Two (US & UK) and PDI Press with Marvel at the Movies: 1977-1998 (US & UK), Marvel at the Movies: Marvel Studios (US & UK), and Spoiler Warning: Hannibal Season 1 - An Unauthorized Critical Guide (US & UK). Paul is also unnaturally preoccupied with zombie films and sci-fi television. He can be found babbling on Twitter at @PBMcCoy.

Daily Top Ten

  • Page to Screen: The Boys Season OnePage to Screen: The Boys Season One by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Utopia 1.05Utopia 1.05 by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Adventure Time 6.14 “Princess Day”Adventure Time 6.14 “Princess Day” by Dave Hearn
  • Lost in Translation 116: Mr. Peabody & Sherman, ReduxLost in Translation 116: Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Redux by Scott Delahunt
  • The Watcher (2016)The Watcher (2016) by Jessica Sowards
  • The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 (1984) vs The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007)The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 (1984) vs The Hills Have… by Corin Totin
  • Iron Man (2008) ReviewIron Man (2008) Review by Shawn Hill
  • Flash Gordon (1980)Flash Gordon (1980) by Charles Webb
  • The Hour 1.03The Hour 1.03 by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Chuck 5.03 "Chuck vs. The Frosted Tips"Chuck 5.03 “Chuck vs. The Frosted Tips” by Kyle Garret
400x400 GI Joe Funko Banner

Weekly Top Ten

  • Page to Screen: The Boys Season OnePage to Screen: The Boys Season One by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Big Eyes Smart Mouth: Porco RossoBig Eyes Smart Mouth: Porco Rosso by Serdar Yegulalp
  • Adventure Time 6.06 “Breezy”Adventure Time 6.06 “Breezy” by Dave Hearn
  • Women in Horror: I Spit on Your Grave (2010)Women in Horror: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
  • The Watcher (2016)The Watcher (2016) by Jessica Sowards
  • Advance Review: Russian Yeti – The Killer LivesAdvance Review: Russian Yeti – The Killer Lives by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Drive-In Saturday: Heavy Metal 2000 (2000)Drive-In Saturday: Heavy Metal 2000 (2000) by Alex Wolfe
  • Advance Review: The Legend of Tarzan (2016) Blu-rayAdvance Review: The Legend of Tarzan (2016) Blu-ray by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Women in Horror: They Call Her One-Eye, or Thriller: A Cruel PictureWomen in Horror: They Call Her One-Eye, or Thriller:… by John E. Meredith
  • The Return of Julie James: I Still Know What You Did Last SummerThe Return of Julie James: I Still Know What You Did… by The Final Girl
400x400 UA Affiliate Banner

FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK

Latest Reviews

  • X (2022)

    Nate Zoebl
    April 22, 2022
  • Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

    Nate Zoebl
    April 15, 2022
  • The Adam Project (2022)

    Nate Zoebl
    March 16, 2022

psychodrivein

Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E38 - Greg And Joel's Favorite Modern Figures, Part 1

Greg & Joel (@OrderOfBattlePod) break down their favorite modern figures from the first half of the line. 
---
Listen to the guys at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #OrderOfBattle @AnythingJoesPod #GIJoe #Habro
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 415: Remaking Gilligan's Island

Gilligan’s Island was escapism comedy, with everyday and weird science devices made from bamboo and coconuts. 
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#GilligansIsland #LostInTranslation #BobDenver #AlanHaleJr #JimBackus #NatalieSchafer #TinaLouise #DawnWells #RussellJohnson
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: Unboxing Kotobukiya's Dawn Moreno (Snake Eyes II) & Mighty Jaxx's Off Werk Snake Eyes Vinyl!

Greg takes a quick look at two new releases in the world of GI Joe statues and collectibles!
---
Watch Greg at the link in our profile!

#GIJoe #AnythingJoes @AnythingJoesPod #DawnMorano #SnakeEyes2 #SnakeEyes #Kotobukiya #MightyJaxx #OffWerk
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 414: I Love You, Colonel Sanders! (2019)

The game has a heart, and that heart is Colonel Sanders.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#ColonelSanders #KFC #LostInTranslation #ILoveYouColonelSanders
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 413: Cloak & Dagger (2018)

Cloak & Dagger is a coming-of-age story with superheroes, a teen drama with superheroes, and works as such.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #MarvelComics #MarvelTelevision #CloakAndDagger #AubreyJoseph #OliviaHolt
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Popcorn Cinema Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Popcorn Cinema 48: THE MULTIVERSE IS MADNESS

POPCORN raises his hands, putting them together in front of his face. He then pushes his face slowly through them as if he's giving birth to himself. 
---
Read more of John's reviews at the link in our profile!

#DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness #EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce #SamRaimi #Daniels #BenedictCumberbatch #MichelleYeoh #ElizabethOlsen #JamesHong #JamieLeeCurtis #KeHuyQuan #StephanieHsu
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E37 - G.I. Joe #12 / Three Strikes For Snake-Eyes!

It's the start of one of the most iconic Joe stories in it's entire history, and it includes the return of two pivotal characters from the past! Join Greg and Jaren as they venture into Rio Lindo to root out Cobra's next devious plot!
---
Watch Greg and Jaren at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes @anythingjoespod #GIJoe #MarvelComics #SnakeEyes
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 412: Good Omens (2014 BBC Radio Dramatisation)

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch was first published in 1990 and was a comedy about Revelations and Armageddon.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #GoodOmens #NeilGaiman #TerryPratchett #BBC #MarkHeap #PeterSerafinowicz #JimNorton #AdamThomasWright #JosieLawrence #Charlotterichie #ColinMorgan #CliveRussell #JuliaDeakin #BBCRadio
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E36 - Lexington Comic & Toy Convention 2022

Greg & Jaren recount their experience meeting Larry Hama at the Lexington Comic & Toy Convention 2022. Plus, the latest news, recent acquisitions, and listener mail!
---
Listen to Greg and Jaren's podcast at the link in our profile!

@anythingjoespod #AnythingJoes #GIJoe #Mezco #LarryHama
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Latest Columns

  • Anything Joes: S01E38 – Greg And Joel’s Favorite Modern Figures, Part 1

    Greg Engle
    June 24, 2022
  • Lost in Translation 415: Remaking Gilligan’s Island

    Scott Delahunt
    June 24, 2022
  • Anything Joes: Unboxing Kotobukiya’s Dawn Moreno (Snake Eyes II) & Mighty Jaxx’s Off Werk Snake Eyes Vinyl!

    Greg Engle
    June 15, 2022

TWITTER

My Tweets

Look Who's Talking

Oliver Ghingold
Oliver Ghingold - 2/18/2022
Muppet Madness: You’re the Director
Do you still have these tapes? I've been looking everywhere for them! I loved the Interactive Vision...
white swan
white swan - 12/22/2021
The Hills Have Eyes (1977) vs The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
I enjoyed the article though I would never call brutality gorgeous.
Shawn EH
Shawn EH - 10/26/2021
13 Days of Halloween Day 12: Halloween Kills (2021)
Very disappointing, it's true. And very mean-spirited murders of nobodies. And I don't even see how...
RSSTwitterFacebookinstagramtumblr

Archives

Large_rectangle_336X280
All work on this site is Copyright © each individual writer.
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
%d bloggers like this: