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By Robert Scucci
| Published
There’s only one thing more violent than a mob killer in a mosh pit, and it’s a group of murderous straight edgers ready to wreak havoc on a house party full of booze, drugs, and a bunch of misfits trying to blow some steam. While I’ve only taken a couple of elbows to the back of my 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 Kegger straight edge is the cinematic version of getting concussed while wearing a pair of Chuck Taylors, but a hell of a lot bloodier.
Writer/director Jason Zink may be about to begin his found footage era with the upcoming release Looky-Loo, but Kegger straight edge is the high-water mark of his currently released films, and is a perfect blend of guitar feedback and power chords that only crescendo when a house party turns into The Purge in the blink of an eye.
Survival Horror With an Edge
Kegger straight edge has all the elements of a perfect B movie; the actors are unknown, the plot is simple, the gore is completely DIY, and it looks like Zink and company had a ton of fun putting it together after crowdfunding the project whole. Kegger straight edge made by punks, for punks, has an estimated budget of $40,000, and a soundtrack featuring bands like Uglybones (who put on an amazing performance during the opening sequence), Shannon and the Clams, xRepresentx, Noose, Sluts, Televised Suicide, and The Fritz. If you haven’t heard any of these bands before, you get fair warning “THIS MOVIE SHOULD BE PLAYED LOUD” before the opening credits roll.
Old Habits Die
Kegger straight edge introduces Brad (Cory Kays), a 20-something punk who embodies a straight-edge lifestyle; no smoking, no drinking, no drugs, and a vow of love. 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 the kids looking to see some of live music without the threat of spontaneous violence. Brad, the most level-headed friend in the group, begins to distance himself from the straight-edge lifestyle when James becomes increasingly aggressive towards anyone who dares to 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 total excitement, Brad seeks out Sean (Sean Jones), one of the neighborhood’s party animals, so he can go on a soul-searching trip. This unbridled self-exploration leads to Sean taking a huge turn (along with a push behind a dumpster), and the realization that maybe it’s not so bad to let loose every once in a while.
Punk Rock Meets The Purge
Enjoying his new love of life and partying after abandoning his straight edge ways, Brad is invited to a kegger at one of the local punk houses where he meets his crush, Maybe (Evey Reidy). and both strike at once. Everything is going great at first – the band is loud, girls are playing Edward 40-hands, and Brad is taking it all in because every aspect of a young adult’s life he deprived himself of up to this point is easily available to 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, crossbows, and blinded with rage, the attackers use a jammer to render everyone’s cell phones useless and begin to systematically kill 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 goons claim more lives.
Bloodbath Self-Aware B-Movie
It takes a certain type of person to enjoy movies like that Kegger straight edgeand I’m definitely one of them. While I’m far from qualified to tell anyone what “real punk” is, I’m inclined to say that kicking off a violently off-the-wall passion project without losing its sense of humor is just as punk rock with it. gets
If you have seen any of the films in The Purge franchise, Kegger straight edge doesn’t really offer anything new. But if you’re already a fan of quick and dirty survival horror flicks and want to see how a group of party punks handle themselves when the odds are against them, then you’ll find yourself diving into the stage off your couch before you even make it to the second act.
As of this writing, you can stream Kegger straight edge free on Tubi.
