The film, which was partially shot in its neighborhood namesake, envisions an apocalyptic invasion of Brooklyn by a right-wing coalition of Southern secessionists. The clip above is totally over-the-top, but most reviews thus far give Bushwick a modest thumbs-up. The film stars Brittany Snow and Guardian of the Galaxy’s Dave Bautista.
When the Texas secessionists arrive, hopefully they won’t find us at at Old Stanley’s!
The Verge has more:
Bushwick opens on a scene that’s supposed to convey millennial Brooklynite normalcy: a college student and her boyfriend get off the L train, bantering about introducing him to her family while complaining about the subway. The station is strangely empty. Then a man runs down the stairs on fire, an explosion kills the boyfriend within minutes, and the real movie begins.
Directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion, Bushwick is one part social commentary, three parts hard-driving urban warfare film… In a Q&A session after the film, Milott and Murnion said that they were inspired by an offhand comment about secession from former Texas governor Rick Perry. Bushwick imagines a very literal culture war, but it seems more specifically interested in inverting the right-wing fantasy of guerrilla resistance. Instead of Americans banding together to rise up against a foreign invader, Bushwick residents must unite to defeat an enemy who thinks principles like racial tolerance make their city weak. And instead of seeing warfare as purposeful and cleansing, Stupe — a disillusioned veteran built like a mountain — feels as though he’s being drawn back into something inherently repellant.
You can see Bushwick in selected theaters and on-demand on August 25. As Brooklyn Vegan points out, the soundtrack was scored by Aesop Rock and will also be released on August 25. He’s playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on August 23.