October Horror Movie Challenge - The First Purge (2018)

Synopsis: America's new third political party, the New Founding Fathers, have come into power and decide to conduct a social experiment: no laws on Staten Island for 12 hours. No one is forced to stay on the island, but those that do and sign up with the government are given $5000 and more money if they choose to participate in the experiment, dubbed "The Purge."

The Good: I think this addresses some of the logic problems of the original. Why do people murder? If all crime is legal, why not rob people, have sex in public, and party with drugs and such? That's what most folks do. Yes there are a few twisted people that take part, but the whole thing is quickly revealed to be a government excuse to kill poor people. This movie has some solid action. It might be my favorite, after The Purge: Anarchy.

The Bad: These movies aren't horror movies anymore. They're action flicks, with some suspense. Honestly, I'd argue that the only Purge film that truly classifies as a horror film is the first.

Final Thoughts: While the New Founding Fathers are shown to be a third party political choice, this movie really rips into conservative politics. One of the main characters refers to an attempted rapist as a "pussy grabbing motherfucker," and I don't think it's hard to see who inspired that line.

In Your Game:

I don't know that he's a great fit for Dark Places & Demogorgons, but Skeletor would make a great villain for low level Vigilantes. He'd also be a great crazed survivor for a Zombies! game.

Skeletor

Armor Class: 12               Attack Damage: Syringe Gauntlet 1d4 or Blade 1d6

Hit Dice: 4                         Special: Narcotics

Move: 12                           Bonus: +2 to Hit, +2 Damage, +2 Toughness

Attack: 1 per round           HDE: 1

Skeletor is a bad man and drug abuser. When he goes "purging" he equips himself with a gauntlet of syringes. At the beginning of his purge the gauntlet will be filled with various narcotics. The first person struck by it rolls a 1d6 and takes the following effect.

1 - Jacked Up - The character gains +3 movement and does an extra +2 damage for the next 1d6 rounds. After that they come down from their high and they take a -2 to all rolls until they rest.

2 - Don't Feel A Thing - The character becomes numb. Their movement decreases by 3 until the end of combat and they don't feel pain (which can be beneficial and detrimental).

3 - Bad Trip - The character must make a Terror check of 12 as they hallucinate for the next 1d6 minutes.

4 - Euphoria - The character feels an amazing high and must make mental save every time they wish to take an action. If the saving throw fails, they lose their action that round.

5 - I Don't Feel Good - The character has disadvantage on all rolls until the drugs work their way out of the character's system.

6 - OD - Unless the character receives immediate medical attention hey will go into cardiac shock and die.

Depending on how grim and gritty you want your games to be, his needles could be infected with various diseases or they could cause a character to become addicted to a substance. 

New To Me Movies Watched: 18

Total Movies Watched: 24