Since 2013, four full-length films have already been released, and now the story is moving to the small screen. The USA Network channel begins to produce a series of the same name, the events of which unfold in the same world. All the films were practically unrelated to each other plot-wise, and the new project will also have its own line. Therefore, it is not necessary to study everything before watching. But it's useful to know how it works fantasy world"The Purge" and where it all began.
What is the point of The Purge?
All films take place in fictional world The USA of the future, where a government that calls itself the “New Founding Fathers” has come up with a way to lead the country out of crisis. Every year they organize a “Purge” or, literally translated, a “purge” - a time when any crime is legal.
Everything is very simple. Throughout the year, Americans live as usual: work, visit shopping centers and visit each other. If someone gets sick, an ambulance will come, if they are robbed, the police will come, although crimes in this world happen very rarely.
However, every year on March 21 at 19:00, sirens sound in all cities, and the beginning of the “Judgment Night” is announced on radio and television. From this moment on, for 12 hours, any violence and even murder becomes absolutely legal, only without the use of weapons of mass destruction. Police, ambulance and everyone else public services they don't work that night.
Any office worker, janitor or student can take a baseball bat, a gun or a machine gun, go out into the street and kill everyone he doesn't like. Even a hooligan from a neighboring house, or just a random passerby. This is called “releasing the beast,” and in this way the state allows citizens to get rid of what they have accumulated in order to continue whole year live in peace. People are not obliged to participate in violence, many simply lock themselves in their houses, and those who have the opportunity buy themselves the latest security systems - the kind the main character of the first film sells.
However, a significant part of the population considers it their duty to take part in the “cleansing”, because according to official information it was she who brought the state out of the economic crisis and made the United States a prosperous country again.
How does violence help the economy?
At first, this question really remains a mystery. In the first film, the events are concentrated on only one family, and all the action takes place in their home. It is only shown that wealthy citizens firmly believe in the correctness of the method, although they themselves do not want to participate in what is happening. Main character locks himself in the house with his family, but they are besieged by strangers, and then by his own neighbors. And their only task is to survive until the morning.
The authors immediately throw the viewer into a world where everyone is convinced of the benefits of The Purge, but how can this help? ordinary people- unclear. Clarifications come in the second part of the franchise, subtitled “Anarchy”. This film is already more like an action film than a chamber thriller. Here, a group of strangers find themselves on the street on Judgment Night, and they have to face hooligans, crazy people, and even trained soldiers.
And then it turns out that the violence is not at all as chaotic and uncontrolled as the government positions it. In addition to street gangs, maniacs and office workers simply driven to extremes, during the “Purge” trucks with professional mercenaries ply around the cities. They track down groups of townspeople who pose the most danger and shoot them.
But their work is not limited to this. Mercenaries are sent to poor neighborhoods, where they destroy representatives of the lower strata of the population. This way the state saves itself from social benefits, growth and other problems associated with the numerous inhabitants of the ghetto. Officially, this massacre cannot be carried out, which is why “The Judgment Night” was invented, which creates a visible effect of universal equality. But in fact, as shown in the first film, most wealthy people have the opportunity to shelter in their homes, and the number of poor people is artificially reduced.
How did ordinary people get involved in this?
From the very beginning, in the films about The Purge, the authors talk about the innate human tendency to violence. IN ordinary life people are used to hiding it, but if they are given the opportunity to “unleash the beast,” they will gladly take up arms.
In reality, everything is not so simple. In the prequel “The Purge. The Beginning” tell the story of the first “purge” in more detail. It turns out that after the economic collapse of the state, the New Founding Fathers party hired scientists to lead the country out of . One of them suggested conducting such an experiment.
However, even residents of poor neighborhoods, accustomed to violence, were practically not interested in the strange idea, and many even wanted to leave the city. After all, it’s one thing to say that you want to kill someone, and quite another to actually take up a weapon, even if there is no punishment for it. Therefore, the government offered people compensation: a certain amount just for staying at home, and a much larger amount if they took part in the massacre.
At the same time, the emphasis was placed specifically on residents of poor neighborhoods. Firstly, because the experiment is actually designed specifically for them. Secondly, for them money is a more serious motivation. But still, most people perceived this only as a need to lock themselves in their own homes.
The experiment was on the verge of failure, and then the official who was responsible for statistics decided to use mercenaries. They had to engage street gangs in shootouts to prove the effectiveness of the method, and, as mentioned earlier, clear out poor neighborhoods. The deception worked, the next morning the government reported on the success of the experiment, the economy gradually began to improve, and The Purge began to be held every year.
And over time, everyone supported the idea?
For many, of course, The Purge really turned into an opportunity to unleash all the hidden cruelty. So that no one recognizes them, people put on bright masks and costumes, dress up as if for Halloween, and girls even buy vending machines with rhinestones. Particularly cruel, but not very brave groups of wealthy people find victims for money. So, for example, poor old man may agree to torture to pay off his daughters' debts. Well, for some - like the main character of the second part - the “purge” becomes an opportunity for legitimate revenge.
Of course, not everyone turned into murderers. But in a world where there are no laws and violence reigns 12 hours a year, everyone had to adapt. Those who cannot afford a security system take up arms to protect their homes or stores.
The third film, subtitled “Election Year,” already shows that some of the residents are trying to help those who suffered from street lawlessness. One of the heroines drives through the streets in an armored minibus and tries to provide first aid to the wounded or takes them to an underground hospital.
In addition, a whole resistance movement has formed that is trying to destroy the established order. However, they find themselves in a dead end situation - a coup can only be carried out using the same violence. The main plot of the third film, which concludes the franchise, is about a female presidential candidate who promises to ban The Purge. More and more voters support her, but the New Founding Fathers decide to use the latest “purge” to get rid of their unwanted competitor.
The film ends with a seemingly happy ending: the heroine still wins the elections and abolishes the annual violence. However, in the finale it is shown that such a decision causes new wave protests and clashes. And this could lead to even more bloodshed.
What will the series be about?
As noted earlier, all films in the Purge series are separate stories taking place in the same world. Therefore, the plot of the series is unlikely to be directly related to any of the parts. And the action will probably take place before the events of the third film, since the “purge” is still legal.
According to the description, the series will follow a former Marine who receives a strange letter from his sister and comes to her just before the start of The Purge. Now he must protect his family from the violence around him. The series starts on September 4 and will continue to air weekly on Tuesdays on USA Network. A total of 10 episodes are planned. According to the authors, they will be a completely new chapter in the story of the 12-hour violence.
Mark Hostein, editor of Coindesk, on why the crypto community is so fond of using the word “scam.”
As children, we all heard the story of a boy who cried “Wolf!” This story teaches you not to panic unnecessarily, otherwise no one will believe you when the situation really becomes dangerous.
But there is another moral to this fable, less obvious and more disturbing. This is important for those on the receiving end (i.e. the villagers) to understand: if someone has fooled you in the past by reporting obvious danger, they may be telling the truth next time. So if you write him off, there is a chance that a wolf will indeed come for your sheep.
This is a big problem for anyone trying to understand the world of cryptocurrencies, and even more so for those trying to make money in it.
There are scams everywhere
Bitcoin fans, especially maximalists, have a habit of calling anything they find a little questionable, or just something they don't like, a "scam."
Although fraud is a serious criminal offense, it is thrown around on social networks and on forums left and right, like schoolchildren throwing name-calling in the locker room. Although, to be fair, this word sometimes takes on a meaning that is far from offensive.
In the notes to his brilliant 2014 essay, “Everyone's a Scammer,” Michael Goldstein of the Satoshi Nakamoto Institute writes:
“The word ‘fraudster’ is heuristic rather than accusatory.”
If you, like Goldstein, believe that Bitcoin will soon go to the moon, then the seller who accepts Bitcoin is a scammer. A scammer and someone who is trying to buy your bitcoins, even if he is ready to give you his apartment.
By this broad definition, a scam is any attempt to get your hands on your bitcoins.
You can look at this situation from another angle. Telling small investors that “all these altcoins and ICOs are a scam” is like telling a child “a porcupine shoots quills.” In reality, this is not entirely true, but if the child believes, he will stay away from needles and avoid trouble.
Among the dangers that lurk in the world of cryptocurrencies are bad ideas that are blindly believed in; good ideas, which are poorly implemented; and outright fraudulent schemes. There is an opinion that the first two categories are rather subsets of the third.
Risk of defamation
In the Wild West of the crypto world, this may be par for the course, but in civil society, the word “fraud” means criminal intent. Calling someone a "fraud" damages the person's reputation (unless, of course, the accusations are repeated so often that they lose weight). Without convincing evidence, such a label is potential slander.
You can express your doubts about the idea or the business model or the team's ability to execute without jumping to outright accusations of fraud. Sometimes a given line of thought can help uncover criminal schemes. One of the first articles about Enron contained neat suggestions that the company was in trouble, and true value its shares are not that great. Time has shown that this was putting it mildly.
But an insult like "fraudster" is the easiest way to get heard in an online spat, and that seems to be another reason why it's used so casually.
Moreover, if CEO The largest bank in the US can call Bitcoin a scam while his organization is building a private blockchain based on Ethereum (a protocol that would likely never exist without Bitcoin), why should anyone even follow the words?
Wolves nearby
Coming back to the villagers who ignored the shepherd boy, there are many clever schemes in this space.
This month, one startup raised $375,000 in an ICO and then fizzled out. There are more and more such stories.
Often people who question the sincerity of others are also prone to exaggeration or theatricality in other situations. So don't roll your eyes or shrug your shoulders when trolls start screaming, "It's a scam!" Sometimes they are right.
In this industry, discerning a clear signal from the clutter of noise is more difficult than anywhere else.
Prepared by Taya Aryanova
I've come a long way. Now in the "Potter" universe starts New film– the ninth, a spin-off about the world of magicians “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” What do we need to know about the world of Harry Potter that we missed while reading seven novels about Hogwarts students? Let's try to fill in the gaps!
Books, films, performance
First, let us remind you: everything you need to know about the world of Harry Potter is described in the seven main books that were filmed (8 fantasy books were published), as well as in four additional ones. Recently, the cycle was supplemented with the novel “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” in which our favorite heroes are already adults (a play was staged based on this work).
The already adapted novel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was written in 2001 under the pseudonym Newt Scamander. In the series itself, this book is Harry's textbook during his third year at Hogwarts (when Hagrid taught his magical creatures class). “Quidditch Through the Ages” (also 2001), as the title suggests, is the story of the wizards’ favorite sport. The Tales of Beedle the Bard are five short stories from 2008 that provide clues to the three items needed for Harry to defeat the Dark Lord. And finally, Harry Potter. Background" ( short story of 800 words).
Features of Hogwarts
Everyone already knows that Harry is a student at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, whom the Sorting Hat “assigned” to the Gryffindor faculty, and that there he met his most devoted friends Ron and Hermione. Now let’s turn to the interesting things you need to know about the world of Harry Potter: these facts are familiar only to devoted fans of the series, because some of them were stated in Rowling’s interviews and during her interactions with fans.
There are approximately three thousand British wizards in the Potter world.
Foreign students are not accepted to Hogwarts - only residents of the United Kingdom.
They showed us Hogwarts as an ancient castle with high arches and spacious halls, fireplaces and alcoves, and if Muggles had seen it, they would have seen a wreck with a warning banner: “Beware: danger!”
Sign of vulnerability
Harry Potter's glasses are not a random detail, but a reminder of the hero's vulnerability.
Daniel Radcliffe kept two pairs of glasses as souvenirs - from the filming of the first film and the final part of the Potter series.
It is curious that baby Harry appeared at Privet Drive on Hagrid's motorcycle, the same vehicle he used to leave Aunt Petunia's house in the final book.
In fact, Harry's postal owl's name was not Hedwig, but Hedwig (the writer found this name in a list of saints). In the films, the role of the feathered friend is played by the trained owl Gizmo.
Something about the Head of Gryffindor
Professor Minerva McGonagall was a Quidditch player in her youth, and, of course, played for her native Gryffindor.
Minerva is a very strong animagus (turns into a cat). Animagus usually take the form of an animal, reflecting the essence of the wizard. For example, Sirius's devotion was embodied in a dog.
Dean McGonagall is a widow, her husband Elphinstone died from the bite of a poisonous creature. Minerva is a half-breed, while the professor’s husband was a purebred sorcerer.
Magical entities as they are
Each of the young wizards had their own patronus, a protector from evil dementors. He is summoned with the spell “Expecto Patronum” (translated from Latin - “I am waiting for a guardian”).
It is curious that Ron's patronus appeared in the form of a Jack Russell Terrier dog (this is a hunting dog that, in particular, tracks otters), and Hermione's patronus was an otter. It turns out they are kindred spirits!
It was the same with Lily and James Potter, Harry’s parents: the mother’s patronus was a doe, and the father’s was a stag.
By the way, the doe was the patronus of Severus Snape, and he loved Lily Potter. Harry inherited James' patronus, the stag.
When Fred Weasley died, his twin George lost the ability to cast a patronus.
Dementors are unable to reproduce - they grow like mold in places of despair and decay.
And now about another magical entity, the boggart. It is a ghost taking the form of the greatest fear of the hero it appears to be. So, Ron's boggart is a giant spider, Harry is a Dementor, Woland de Mort is his dead body, and Neville Longbottom is Professor Severus Snape.
Why did Severus hate Neville so much and pick on him? The prophecy said that it would not be Harry who would be chosen, but Longbottom. If that had happened, Lily Potter would still be alive.
The core of the Elder Wand is the hair of a thestral's tail. This wand is one of a kind.
Harry got the opportunity to see thestrals only after he came into close contact with death - Cedric Diggory died before his eyes.
Did you die happy? Then you are not afraid of anything!
Do you know at what age Professor Albus Dumbledore died? He lived a long century - 150 years.
Voldemort was killed at the age of 71.
If a person dies happy, he will never become a ghost.
Sirius Black died with a smile on his lips.
But Moaning Myrtle cried so much in vain and committed suicide - now she is doomed to wander in a not very pleasant place of death, the toilet room.
Rowling had plans to deal with Ron Weasley midway through the series, but then she chose another “victim,” Harry’s godfather, Sirius Black.
On the origin of several names and surnames
In the family of Black wizards, it was customary to name children after stars, for example, Sirius is named after the brightest star, it is located in the constellation Canis Major.
The surname of the Death Eaters Malfoy is of Latin origin: maleficus - master.
Dumbledore got his last name from his habit of muttering (buzzing), because in Old English “Dumbledore” means “bumblebee”.
Voldemort is not guilty of being alien to love. His father was bewitched at the moment of conceiving his son and was under a love potion.
What else do you need to know about the world of Harry Potter? Read books, watch movies about fantastic beasts(this is the beginning of a fresh franchise), and you will definitely make new discoveries. It is estimated that every 30 seconds someone in the world picks up a book about Harry!
Our ancestors thought that the world stood on four elephants, and they stood on a turtle. But today you can hardly afford this level of knowledge about the world without being branded as an uneducated person. The site has prepared answers to questions that everyone should know.
Why is the sky blue?
When Sun rays come through the atmosphere, they encounter peculiar barriers in the air - molecules and dust particles. Blue skies are most often due to the fact that the air scatters light with a shorter wavelength more strongly. This is exactly the wavelength of this color.
Why do women live longer than men?
As scientists from Uppsala University found, this is due to the fact that men lose Y chromosomes in their white blood cells as they age (women do not have them).
Why does hair become electrified?
It's all about static electricity. Objects around us interact with each other and receive an electrical charge. The same thing happens with hair. The more often they rub against each other, the more electrified they become.
Why do people drive on the left in England?
The British drive on the left side of the road with XVIII century. There are two versions why this happened. The first is Roman. According to her in Ancient Rome There was left-hand traffic. Due to their conquest of the British Isles in 45, the way they traveled by road may have changed. The second is a maritime one, based on which ships had to bypass other ships on the left side.
Where does a rainbow come from?
Multi-colored stripes appear in the sky after rain. The drops act as a kind of prisms and break the light.
Why does hair turn grey?
According to research by scientists from New York University Medical Center, the cause of gray hair is a lack of the Wnt protein. But soon people will be able to avoid and prevent gray hair. This will be possible if the Wnt protein is subjected to genetic changes.
Dictionary of an educated person:
Authentic- real, genuine.
Eclecticism- mixing, combining dissimilar styles, ideas, views. Most often used to describe clothing and interior design.
Assimilation- fusion of language, culture and national identity two peoples.
Profanation- distortion of something by offensive treatment or attitude.
Frustration- depressed state of a person. It happens due to failure and lack of faith in one’s abilities.
Seditious- one that contains something illegal, forbidden.
Euphemism- a neutral word that is used in speech to replace words and expressions considered rude or obscene.
Fable- content literary work and the events depicted in it.
A priori- knowledge obtained independently of experience and study of facts.
Ephemeral- something fleeting, temporary or ghostly.
Many people are afraid to see the world outside their apartment, but believe me, the vast majority of people are not thieves, murderers or rapists. They are people just like you, trying to find their way, help their loved ones and do what they love. There are no differences between races, religions or nationalities. Everyone strives for their own goal, but there are common ideas that unite people.
Fact No. 2. The media lies
If you only learn about other countries from the news, you might think that the world is one complete disaster. The media is always looking for sensationalism and simplifying the story, they make us afraid of the world around us, but we should not give in.
Fact No. 3. The world is boring and banal
If not natural Disasters or armed conflicts, most places in the world would never even make the news. When last time have you heard mention of Laos or Oman? A lot of places in the world, like your neighborhood, are pretty boring. Everything that happens in them may be surprising and interesting only for you, as tourists, but for local residents it is the most ordinary life.
Fact No. 4. You don't need a lot of things to travel
It turned out that you can do just fine without 97% of the things that surround us at home. Now, if you are going to buy something, first think about the fact that you may have to take it with you on your trip.
Fact No. 5. Travel doesn't have to be expensive
Yes, if you insist on staying in five-star hotels and luxury resorts, traveling can be very expensive. However, you can visit many parts of the world and spend only $10-30 per day.
You can also earn money for travel while traveling by teaching foreign language or working as someone else. I have seen many people who were able to travel while spending just over $1000 per month. I once met a traveler from Ukraine who lived for a month in Egypt on $300.
Fact No. 6. Everybody wants to see the world
Most people have a desire to travel, but fears and excuses to ourselves (no money, time, energy) usually prevent us from doing this. Of course, few people can travel around the world for three years, but trips abroad, even for a few weeks, are quite affordable for many.
Even on the island in the middle Pacific Ocean people who probably never left their home island, told how they would like to see New York or London. I think the desire to explore new lands is a basic human instinct.
Fact No. 7. Internet is everywhere
I was always surprised at the places where I found Internet access. I have seen remote villages in the Solomon Islands using radio communications with another island to access the Internet. I was in an Internet cafe in the Marshall Islands that accessed the Internet via satellite. Today we truly live in a “world of wires”.
Fact No. 8. English becomes universal
I estimate that there are at least 35 native languages that I need to know in order to communicate with local residents in their language. This does not include those languages found in Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu or regional dialects.
English has become the second language for the whole world. Countries like Nigeria and India use it as a unifying language in their countries. Many countries have even built their entire school education in English.
Fact No. 9. Everyone is proud of their native lands
When you meet someone local in another country, they quickly begin to tell you something about their city, province or country, and how proud they are of it. Pride in one's land and patriotism, as it turns out, are universal values.
Fact No. 10. Everyone should travel
At some point in your life, whether after college or when you retire, you need to take an extended break and travel outside of your own country. This is the only way to truly know how the world works. Everyone should see this!
