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Month: July 2017

Go for the Paper Cutter – ‘The Belko Experiment’ Review

Killing co-workers makes for a fun little horror movie.

The Belko Experiment is written & produced by James Gunn (Slither, Super, Guardians of the Galaxy 1 & 2) and directed by Greg McLean. It’s set in a corporate office where the employees are forced to murder each other. It’s pretty fun up till the ending. The film chooses to tease a sequel instead of fully exploring the motivations behind what transpired. The actors are all top notch, but sadly, there’s no underlying message and I think that’s a sin in genre work. Instead, it’s simply an outlet for our hatred of corporate environments. I don’t recall seeing any digital blood and somebody does use my weapon of choice. So, I say its worth watching if the concept grabs you.

Beautiful on the Outside – ‘Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’ Review

posterI was the only one in the theater. Sheesh.

If you liked The Fifth Element you’ll probably enjoy Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.

The visuals are stunningly original. It has fantastic effect and production design in service to the world building. Unfortunately, the story is simplistic and the characters are lightly drawn. It sags a bit in the middle, but then picks up to finish off as a light adventure story. It all adds up to a decent time at the movies if you’re into French comic book adaptations. For what it’s worth, I found it more visually engaging than the comic book source material. If you enjoy science fiction tropes and seeing the boundaries of visual effects pushed, then this film should be a forgettable, but enjoyable ride.

© 2024 by Maximilian Gray