Draft:General Gore (character)

General Gore is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 2020 film Friend of the World. He is a military general who discovers a young filmmaker in the remnants of an old bunker following the chaos of a global war. The character was created by writer and director Brian Patrick Butler, and portrayed by Nick Young.

Young's portrayal was well received by film critics, commending his chemistry with co-star Alexandra Slade. The character was compared to other iconic personalities.

Fictional character biography
General Gore is a middle aged, straight, and conservative white man. He is a paranoid smoker and wartime general who's focused on spreading propaganda. Gore finds Diane Keaton after a brutal massacre and provides her with the resources to survive under the dire circumstances they find themselves in. Carrying an antidote with hallucinogenic side effects, he protects her as they search their surroundings, belittling her in conversation along the way.

Development and casting
Young was cast as General Gore after submitting an audition by mobile video. Butler said that he was referred to him after Young had auditioned for another film. The influences for the character were John Wayne, Sterling Hayden, and Beetlejuice. Butler said most of the film reflects Gore's world, represented by monochrome in the visuals.

Reception
FilmInk described the character as a "seemingly paranoid, chain smoking, brick outhouse of a man." Tilt Magazine said "He is well prepared for the end of the world: one even gets the sense that he is enjoying it." Set The Tape mentioned he is "wild-eyed and larger than life, a big man with a big voice, big gut and big ideals." Io9 characterized him as "a bombastic, foul-mouthed military type with the unhinged aura of someone who’s been alone too long, and the wild eyes of a man who might have had something to do with the spark that set off the apocalypse."

Tilt Magazine praised the character by stating "Young's performance lifts what could've been an inconsequent film into something rather grand." Video Librarian expressed "Although Slade's and Young's performances felt at times incongruous with the other, it is their interactions that make this feature so engrossing." FilmInk said "kudos must be given to Slade and Young who really commit to the bit as reality begins to melt around them." Exquisite Terror Magazine said "his character and performance is so all-consuming that Alexandra Slade struggles to claw some of the screen back for herself.

Film critics compared him to Jack D. Ripper played by Sterling Hayden in Dr. Strangelove, Jack Torrance, Soldier Boy played by Jensen Ackles, Jack Burton played by Kurt Russell in Big Trouble in Little China, Bruce Campbell, and John Goodman's character from 10 Cloverfield Lane.