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Rage

“Despite a strong first half, albeit one plagued with unnecessary dream sequences that scream laziness, ‘Rage’ dwindles in its ability to separate itself from the rest of low budget, indie thrillers by quickly dropping into familiar territory. It’s an admirable effort from Witherspoon, though one that ultimately falls flat.”

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Rage, a low budget indie homage featuring an unnamed man on a bike terrorizing an unassuming man, has its heart in the right place. It starts off well enough, but manages to deviate from what makes it seem interesting before quickly devolving into the overtly violent schlock, ripping the rug from underneath your feet and subjecting you to the same old thing we’ve seen a thousand times from low-budget indie horror.

Rage follows Dennis Twist and an unidentified Biker that wants to make his day a little less routine. Kissing his wife Crystal goodbye and heading into the city to break it off with his mistress, he comes across a man on a bike and an opaque helmet that, for reasons unknown to Dennis, is determined to make his day a living Hell. A game of proverbial cat-and-mouse ensues as the biker focuses all of his effort first on simply getting under Dennis’s skin. As the day presses on, it becomes clear that the biker has other plans for him.

The biggest problem with Rage lies entirely in its decision to abandon this approach that constitutes the first two-thirds of the film. If you can look past the questionable dialogue, the fact that every single speaking character has a unique accent, and the bizarre predilection for flashbacks, Witherspoon manages to construct something that, for the first 45 minutes or so, represents a solid little thriller. Starting with small, seemingly random acts of property damage and general terrorizing, the Biker’s antics quickly escalate into downright violent, homicidal tendencies. As the terror unfolds you begin to try and solve the mystery of who the masked biker is and why he or she is subjecting Dennis to such things. It’s a game, and you’re now a part of it.

Sadly, the film takes a home invasion turn that abandons the tension in favor of downright horrific and exceedingly bloody acts. The tense thriller is replaced with senseless violence that seems to come out of left field, and by the time the climax arrives, you’re left with a bad taste in your mouth; it’s not satisfying enough to reconcile the sudden and dramatic shift in tone from intriguing thriller to egregiously violent and disturbing home invasion movie.

Despite a strong first half, albeit one plagued with unnecessary dream sequences that scream laziness, Rage dwindles in its ability to separate itself from the rest of low budget, indie thrillers by quickly dropping into familiar territory. It’s an admirable effort from Witherspoon, though one that ultimately falls flat.

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SCREAMBOX Investigates UFOs and Extraterrestrials: Several Documentaries Streaming Right Now!

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As someone who is obsessed with UFOS (or more recently known as UAPs) and the concept of extraterrestrials, I love a good documentary. Sightings have been on the rise since the 1940s, with the atomic bomb seemingly acting as a catalyst for new visitors. But what are these UFOs/UAPs? Is there an explanation or are they simply beyond our explanation? Why are they here? Who are they? How much do our governments know? The questions are endless and so are the documentaries that attempt to uncover the secrets behind decades of sightings and alleged confrontations.

Whether you’re a seasoned viewer or new to the rabbit hole, there’s always a handful of interesting documentaries to get your neurons firing and leave you with sleepless nights. SCREAMBOX is investigating with the addition of several docs, all streaming now on the Bloody Disgusting-powered service. Here’s the breakdown:

Aliens (2021): Beam into this unidentified streaming documentary for a glimpse into Extraterrestrial life. Aliens are hypothetical life forms that may occur outside Earth or that did not originate on Earth.

Aliens Uncovered: Origins (2021): Before Area 51, hidden deep in the desert, the military discovered a hidden gem that helped them create Project Bluebook.

Aliens Uncovered: ET or Man-Made (2022): The crash of Roswell wasn’t meant for New Mexico. In 1947, a neighboring state had 3 major sightings that were swept under the rug.

Aliens Uncovered: The Golden Record (2023): In the late 70s, the US government launched a message to our distant neighbors.

Roswell (2021): This high-flying documentary examines the July 1947 crash of a United States Army Air Forces balloon at a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Theories claim the crash was actually that of a flying saucer, but what is the truth?

Also check out:

The British UFO Files (2004): Since the 1940’s the British Government has been investigating the Flying Saucer phenomenon. High-ranking military and government personnel, speak out for the first time, offering unique eyewitness accounts and inside information.

Alien Abductions and Paranormal Sightings (2016): Amazing Footage and stories from real people as they reveal their personal encounters of being abducted by Aliens.

And do not miss Hellier (2019): A crew of paranormal researchers find themselves in a dying coal town, where a series of strange coincidences lead them to a decades-old mystery.

These documentaries join SCREAMBOX’s growing library of unique horror content, including Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, Here for Blood, Terrifier 2, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, The Outwaters, Living with Chucky, Project Wolf Hunting, and Pennywise: The Story of IT.

Start screaming now with SCREAMBOX on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, and Screambox.com.

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