Rewatchables Reference

• The playroom fight where Hawke kills three people – 'as good as any 'John Wick' scene'.
• Lena Headey slamming Grace's face into the table.
• The Purgers breaking in through the barricades.

• The one-sentence premise ('crime is legal for one day') as an unassailable good idea.
• The 85-minute runtime aging perfectly in an era of bloated movies.
• The political/social commentary feeling prescient given post-2013 American politics.

• Lena Headey's wig and overall performance – 'she's just bad in this movie'.
• The poorly conceived boyfriend subplot.

• Bill wants proof they didn't steal his 'Felony Land' amusement park idea from his 2012 podcast.
• The whole movie is essentially a hot take.

Gerard Butler as the 2013 alternative who could have played the Hawke role but would have changed the tone.

• Lena Headey wins the over-acting award.
• The interrupting Purger who yells 'bring out that pig' before getting shot.

Chris Mulkey (the neighbor) – 'First Blood', 48 Hours, Twin Peaks, 258 acting credits.

• Replace Lena Headey with Jessica Chastain (right after Zero Dark Thirty).
• 2023 version: Sydney Sweeney as Zoey; Rose Leslie or Emilia Clarke as the mom.

• Budget $3 million, made $89.3 million; shot in 19 days.
• Hawke took only $3,000 upfront and made more from the back end than any other movie.
• The homicidal ladies in white dresses were based on Charles Manson's followers.

• Ethan Hawke – Sinister 2012, then Before Midnight / 'The Purge' / The Getaway all in 2013, Boyhood coming next.
• Blumhouse – though true apex may be 'Get Out' + 'Halloween' 2018.

• The son unlocking the alarm system and letting the stranger in.
• Zoey putting in headphones while her hostile boyfriend has snuck back on Purge night.

The surveillance/security camera footage throughout the movie.

• The fridge only has ketchup and mustard (budget so low they couldn't grocery shop for the set).
• On Purge night, how do you lose track of time and almost forget to start the security protocol?
• Henry's plan after killing Hawke makes no sense.

• Wayne Jenkins being over for dinner on Purge night.
• Would the movie be better with a dog?

• What crimes aren't allowed during the Purge? What's the hospital situation the next morning?
• Were there fantasy leagues or betting on the Purge?
• Can you fly to another country to escape?

'The Purge': Anarchy – 'bang it out in three hours and you get Grillo'.

• The nine ball Hawke uses to hit someone.
• The Polite Stranger's mask.

Don't let anyone in your house during the Purge.

Blumhouse – also Ethan Hawke since he got paid handsomely from the back end.

Craig Horlbeck – hadn't seen it before; liked it more than expected; called it 'essentially just fucked up Home Alone'.