I know what you're thinking. "Uwe Boll? Really?" And yeah, really. We all know Uwe Boll is king of crappy films when it comes to movies. and yet, somehow, he keeps being able to make them. How? Why? Because even a broken clock can be right two times a day. And after making so many mistakes, he finally got it. in 2009, he partnered up with two of my favorite Canadian actors, Brendan Fletcher and Katharine Isabelle, for a film most found so beyond politically incorrect. But it worked. It had all the right elements and was one hell of a film. Today, right now, a sequel has happened.
After co-producing the first film, a project he believed in, this time around Brendan sat down with Uwe and pitched idea for a follow-up. If there is a way to do a continuation, what is the most true way to do it? The answer is Capital Punishment. Not only is is a well done written, acted, and directed film on it's own terms. But it's exactly what a sequel should be. Enough call backs to the original (and in very creative ways, not just "Here's your flashback!") and yet it still stands on it's own feet, and hits you with such dangerous, unpredictable plot points.
You think a film called "Rampage" condones violence, when it doesn't. No more than films like "The Purge" tell it's audience "this crime is for a good cause." When the point the character himself makes in the film is that he's doing what he does, simply because he can, because he's allowed to. And if it's not him that does it, it will be someone else. And it's scary how true that is, about society and our government and everything. The world is a corrupt place to live in, and this character's statements about social commentary may not make his violence acceptable, but, dare I say, it makes it pretty scarily understandable? We've seen real guys like this character, and we're going to see more. It's the way the world works, sadly. There will always be violence, and movies, television (FICTION) music or video games (ENTERTAINMENT) are never going to be what causes it. Whether it exists or not, the government, people feeling screwed over by this country especially, always will continue to happen.
As much as people speak out about being against violence and crime or "mean people," they still make news and are watched by millions. It's our morbid curiosities on the matter. We don't wish harm or violence to occur, but when it does? Yeah, we'll take a peek. How many people watched the beheading video that was leaked back in 2001? More recently, how many of you watched Tony Stewart kill that racer? We shouldn't watch it, we shouldn't even want to... But we still do. And to me that's what Rampage is commentary about. About a guy who has no shame or guilt in admitting that curiosity, or confronting his lust. He does what he wants to do, because it's what people want him to do. They don't want to be involved, sure enough, but at the end of the day, his story will be the one they're watching on TV. And we're the ones watching a fictionalized movie based on such an idea.
Don't think of it as "an Uwe Boll film." It'd be like if Tommy Wiseau suddenly came out with another movie that by all means was actually good, but due to The Room's reputation, people would go in expecting it to be horrible. I hate Uwe Boll's work, okay? I couldn't even sit through Bloodrayne or House of the dead. But this film is so far away from that. Watch it. Watch both. You know you want to.
After co-producing the first film, a project he believed in, this time around Brendan sat down with Uwe and pitched idea for a follow-up. If there is a way to do a continuation, what is the most true way to do it? The answer is Capital Punishment. Not only is is a well done written, acted, and directed film on it's own terms. But it's exactly what a sequel should be. Enough call backs to the original (and in very creative ways, not just "Here's your flashback!") and yet it still stands on it's own feet, and hits you with such dangerous, unpredictable plot points.
You think a film called "Rampage" condones violence, when it doesn't. No more than films like "The Purge" tell it's audience "this crime is for a good cause." When the point the character himself makes in the film is that he's doing what he does, simply because he can, because he's allowed to. And if it's not him that does it, it will be someone else. And it's scary how true that is, about society and our government and everything. The world is a corrupt place to live in, and this character's statements about social commentary may not make his violence acceptable, but, dare I say, it makes it pretty scarily understandable? We've seen real guys like this character, and we're going to see more. It's the way the world works, sadly. There will always be violence, and movies, television (FICTION) music or video games (ENTERTAINMENT) are never going to be what causes it. Whether it exists or not, the government, people feeling screwed over by this country especially, always will continue to happen.
As much as people speak out about being against violence and crime or "mean people," they still make news and are watched by millions. It's our morbid curiosities on the matter. We don't wish harm or violence to occur, but when it does? Yeah, we'll take a peek. How many people watched the beheading video that was leaked back in 2001? More recently, how many of you watched Tony Stewart kill that racer? We shouldn't watch it, we shouldn't even want to... But we still do. And to me that's what Rampage is commentary about. About a guy who has no shame or guilt in admitting that curiosity, or confronting his lust. He does what he wants to do, because it's what people want him to do. They don't want to be involved, sure enough, but at the end of the day, his story will be the one they're watching on TV. And we're the ones watching a fictionalized movie based on such an idea.
Don't think of it as "an Uwe Boll film." It'd be like if Tommy Wiseau suddenly came out with another movie that by all means was actually good, but due to The Room's reputation, people would go in expecting it to be horrible. I hate Uwe Boll's work, okay? I couldn't even sit through Bloodrayne or House of the dead. But this film is so far away from that. Watch it. Watch both. You know you want to.