Plot: What’s it about?
In the near future, North America has been turned into a police state, thanks to the rise in violence and terrorism. The frequency and devastation of terrorist attacks has skyrocketed, which sparked new laws and tougher punishments to be enacted. The freedoms might be more restrained than before, but some kind of law and order is in place, even if it is one that doesn’t often work as it should. A rash of murders plagues the capital city, but this is no normal serial killer, as these killings are shrouded in mystery. The police are baffled as to who is behind the deaths, though the investigation continues. When a beautiful model vanishes, two police officers are dispatched to look into the case, but they never return from that assignment. In response, the police chief knows he must take some kind of action, as the reputation of his department is at stake. More than ever before, the public needs to know that a well staffed, efficient police force is on the streets. So to find out more about the case, without sacrificing more of his own men, the chief sends out three private detectives, all of whom he happens to dislike. The trail leads to an offbeat fashion designer, who has a stable of models to showcase his expensive wares. But is this a normal modeling circle, or it is something far more sinister?
Its not an eating disorder if you embrace it, or so says the sweet tagline for Binge & Purge, a blood drenched, low budget shocker. I have seen countless low end horror pictures, most of which come off as poor attempts to cash in on established franchises or worse yet, amateurish productions that are terrible even by high school drama class levels. But in the case of Binge & Purge, we have an exception to the normal tides, as writer & director Brian Clement (Meat Market) has birthed a film that defies its low budget roots. Yes, Clement’s film has a slick texture and is well handled, from the writing to the performances to the production values. Of course, with such limited funds, some corners had to be cut, but under the circumstances, you have to applaud what Clement and his workers have managed. We all like hot models and since we’re horror fans, why not toss in tons of gore and just for good measure, a liberal dose of cannibalism? This is what Binge & Purge is all about, with some effective, if not redundant social messages tossed in to even the keel, not to mention some great dark humor. A little more cash might have improved some technical aspects, but in terms of entertainment, this one gets a lot of bang for the buck. So if you’re a fan of offbeat horror cinema, then give Binge & Purge a look.
Video: How does it look?
Binge & Purge is presented in full frame, as intended. This looks just like what it is, a low rent movie shot on video. So if you’ve seen other such projects, then you know what to expect from this release. Of course, that means the film doesn’t look refined and pristine, but it looks solid and shows no serious problems. The video angle causes some minor issues, such as shimmers and jagged edges, but nothing too distracting surfaces. I found colors and contrast to be on par with other shot on video releases, so no errors to mention there. I really have no complaints to lodge here, nor any real praise to report. This is simply a passable visual presentation, which takes limited source material and makes it look solid enough.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release uses a stereo track for audio, which seems to be more than adequate. While this movie wouldn’t benefit much from a full surround track, the music would sound much fuller and the total atmosphere would be a little more immersive. As it stands this is an adequate audio track, but never more than that. The music sounds good, but lacks range and sound effects seem flat and uninspired at all times, though the sound design could be to blame. The dialogue is the focus here and it always comes across well in this mix. So not the kind of mix to show off your system with, but it handles the material well enough.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The main supplement here is an audio commentary track, in which director Brian Clement discusses the production. This is not the usual promotional fluff session, as Clement gets down to the real experience of the shoot. He talks about the ins & outs of low rent filmmaking, which makes this a track that is well worth a listen. This disc also includes two behind the scenes featurettes, a selection of still photos, some deleted scenes, an outtakes reel, and a gallery of trailers, including one for this film, of course.
