by Robert Scocchi
| Published
There's only one thing more violent than a mob killer in a mosh pit, and that's a group of straight-up killers ready to wreak havoc on a house party filled with booze, drugs, and a group of misfits trying to blow off some steam. Even though I've only had two elbows in the back of my head while trying to dive into hardcore shows (it's fun, but it's not a lifestyle I've ever fully embraced), I can't deny how much… Straight edge kigger It's 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 usher in the found footage era with the upcoming release of the film Lucky Lou, but Straight edge kigger is the trademark of his currently released films, a perfect blend of guitar feedback and power chords that only escalate when a house party turns into… Cleansing In the blink of an eye.
Survival horror with the edge
Straight edge kigger It has all the elements of a perfect B movie; The actors are unknown, the plot is simple, the gore is entirely handmade, and Zink and company seem to have had a lot of fun putting it together after crowdfunding the entire project. Straight edge kigger It was produced by bad guys, for bad guys, with an estimated budget of $40,000, and a soundtrack featuring bands like Uglybones (who gave a strong performance during the opening sequence), Shannon & the Clams, xRepresentx, Noose, Sluts, Televised Suicide, and Fritz. If you've never heard any of these bands before, you'll be given fair warning that “this movie should be played loud” before the opening credits roll.
Old habits die hard
Straight edge kigger Introduces Brad (Corey Kays), a twenty-something who embodies the straight 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 because they wanted to keep skinheads and other hate groups away from kids just looking to see some live music without having to use live music. Threat of unwanted violence. Brad, the quietest friend of the group, begins to distance himself from the upright lifestyle when James becomes increasingly aggressive toward anyone who dares to contradict his morals.
To illustrate this point, James punched Leif Ear, singer of Uglybones, in the face simply for singing a song called “Booze Hound” at the end of their set.
Tired of James's steadfast commitment to being a troublemaker, Brad seeks out Sean (Sean Jones), one of the neighborhood party animals, so he can go on a soul-searching journey. This unrestrained self-exploration leads to Shawn doing a massive flex (complete with vomiting behind a dumpster), and realizing that maybe it's not so bad to lose once in a while.
Punk rock meets purge
Enjoying his new love of life and partying after abandoning his straight-laced ways, Brad is invited to a keg at a local punk house where he encounters his crush, Maybe (Evie Ready), and the two hit it off instantly. Everything goes well at first – the band is loud, the girls are playing Edward 40 Hands, and Brad is taking it all in because every aspect of the young man's life he's denied himself of up to this point is readily available for him to indulge.
It doesn't take long for a group of masked assailants (led by James) to crash the party. Armed with rocks, knives, bows and blind with rage, the attackers use a jammer to render everyone's cell phones useless and begin systematically slaughtering everyone inside the house.
Caught in the middle of a house party with no access to outside help, Brad, Sean and Maybe realize they have to fight fire with fire and take back the house before James and company claim more lives.
A self-aware B-movie bloodbath
It takes a certain type of person to enjoy movies like Straight edge kiggerAnd I'm definitely one of them. While I'm not qualified to tell anyone what “real punk” is, I'm inclined to say that releasing a passion project that's extremely violent without ever losing its sense of humor is about as punk rock as it gets. It happens.
If you have watched any of the movies in Cleansing privilege, Straight edge kigger It doesn't really offer anything new. But if you're a fan of quick-and-dirty survival horror movies and want to see how a group of bad guys handle themselves when the odds are against them, you'll find yourself jumping off your couch before you even get to the second act.
As of this writing, you can stream Straight edge kigger Free on Tubi.
