By Robert Scucci | Published
There’s only one thing more violent than a mob killer in a mosh pit, and that’s a group of heterosexual murderers ready to wreak havoc at a house party full of booze, drugs and a bunch of misfits trying to let off steam. Although I’ve only taken a few elbows to the back of the head trying to stage dive at hardcore shows (it’s fun, but not a lifestyle I’ve ever fully embraced ), I can’t deny how much Straight Edge Kegger is the movie version of getting a concussion while wearing a pair of Chuck Taylors, but much bloodier.
Writer/director Jason Zink may be about to kick off his found footage era with the upcoming release of Look-Loo, but Straight Edge Kegger is the highlight of his currently released films, and it’s the perfect combination of guitar feedback and power chords that only crescendo as a house party turns into The purge in the blink of an eye.
Survival horror with an edge
Straight Edge Kegger has all the elements of a perfect B-movie; the actors are unknown, the plot is simple, the gore is totally DIY, and it looks like Zink and company had a lot of fun putting it together after financing the entire project. Straight Edge Kegger was made by punks, for punks, had an estimated budget of $40,000 and a soundtrack featuring bands like Uglybones (who delivered a stunning performance during the opening sequence), Shannon and the Clams , xRepresentx, Noose, Sluts, Televised Suicide and The Fritz. If you’ve never heard any of these bands before, you’re warned that “THIS MOVIE SHOULD BE PLAYED LOUD” before the opening credits.
Old habits die hard
Straight Edge Kegger introduces Brad (Cory Kays), a twenty-something punk who embodies the Straight Edge lifestyle; no smoking, no drinking, no drugs and a vow of celibacy. His group of like-minded friends, led by James (Julio Alexander), began attending shows in the area with pure intentions, as they wanted to keep skinheads and other hate groups away from the kids who were simply looking to see live music without the slightest noise. unsolicited threat of violence. Brad, the most level-headed friend of the group, begins to move away from the straight-talking lifestyle when James becomes increasingly aggressive towards anyone who dares contradict his ethics.
To illustrate this point, James punches Uglybones singer Lev Er in the face for simply singing a song called “Booze Hound” at the end of their set.
Fed up with James’ unwavering commitment to being a real buzzkill, Brad seeks out Sean (Sean Jones), one of the neighborhood party animals, so he can embark on a journey of soul-searching. This unfettered exploration of self leads Sean to go on a massive bender (complete with vomiting behind a dumpster) and realize that maybe it’s not so bad to indulge every once in a while.
Punk rock meets the purge
Enjoying his new love for life and partying after abandoning his straight ways, Brad is invited to a kegger at one of the local punk houses where he meets his crush, Maybe (Evey Reidy), and the two hook up. hear immediately. Everything goes well at first: the band is loud, the girls play Edward at 40 hands and Brad understands everything because every aspect of young adult life that he has been deprived of until now is easily accessible to him. indulge.
It doesn’t take long for a group of masked muggers (led by James) to ruin the party. Armed with stones, knives, crossbows and blind with rage, the attackers use a jammer to render everyone’s cell phones useless and begin to systematically massacre everyone inside the house.
Caught in the middle of a house party with no access to outside help, Brad, Sean and Maybe realize they must fight fire with fire and reclaim the house before James and his henchmen take more lives.
A self-aware B-movie bloodbath
It takes a certain type of person to enjoy films like Straight Edge Keggerand I am definitely one of them. While I’m far from qualified to tell anyone what “real punk” is, I tend to say that starting such a violent and crazy passion project without ever losing your sense of humor is about as punk rock as it gets. gets.
If you’ve seen any of the films in The Purge franchise, Straight Edge Kegger doesn’t really bring anything new. But if you’re already a fan of quick and dirty survival horror films and want to see how a group of party punks behave when the odds are stacked against them, then you’ll find yourself diving off your couch before you even get there. ‘have arrived at the second act.
As of this writing, you can stream Straight Edge Kegger for free on Tubi.
