The docu-series “Waco: American Apocalypse”, in which the bloody siege incident from 1993 is unravelled, awaits you on Netflix from today. This is also the true story behind “Red State” by Kevin Smith…
In 1993, the Branch Davidians sect’s farm is under siege by US federal authorities for a full 51 days. Religious leader David Koresh has converted the farm in the small Texas town of Waco into a kind of fortress. When the authorities pay them a visit and want to search the farm on suspicion of illegal gun possession, the situation gets out of control. Four policemen and five cult members die in a hail of bullets. By the end of 51 days, nearly 100 people are dead.
The three-part documentary series “Waco: American Apocalypse” now revisits the horrific incident. In doing so, the series offers exclusive access to recently discovered videotapes recorded inside the FBI’s hostage negotiation command post, as well as unedited news footage that has never been released to the American public until now.
WACO AS INSPIRATION FOR A BLOODY FSK-18 RIPPER
If the whole story sounds vaguely familiar, it might be because you’re familiar with the fictionalized version of events in “Red State,” which has managed to build a bit of a cult following in this country over the years as well.
Director Kevin Smith (“Clerks”, “Dogma”) tells the story of Jared (Kyle Gallner), Travis (Michael Angarano) and Billy Ray (Nicholas Braun), who want to meet an online acquaintance for sex. But everything goes quite differently than planned, because shortly afterwards the teenage trio find themselves in the clutches of the fundamentalist preacher Abin Cooper (Michael Parks). When the ATF (led by John Goodman) is finally alerted to the matter, disaster ensues.
There’s no question that Waco served as the model for “Red State.” Kevin Smith tells the whole thing as emphatically grim, ultra-brutal and thoroughly engaging genre cinema, which very successfully brings together horror elements, sectarian drama and lead-laden action excess. Furthermore, Kevin Smith announced a few months ago that he would like to direct a second part of “Red State”. Here you can watch the trailer for “Red State”:
