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iHorror Exclusive: Director Greg McLean Clues Us In on “The Belko Experiment”

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7 years ago

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The Belko Experiment bashes its way onto Blu Ray and DVD on June 27, 2017, and it is hands down a thing of violent beauty.

The film, written by James Gunn, centers around a group of Americans working in an office building in Colombia.  They arrive for work one day and soon after they get down to business, they find themselves locked inside with no escape as a voice over the building’s PA system instructs them to kill or be killed.  Naturally, at first they think it’s a sick joke, but they soon find themselves in a fight for survival that would make William Golding proud.

I recently had the opportunity to chat with director Greg McLean about this corporate Lord of the Flies, and he was excited to talk about how the film came to be and what he has in store for its audience.

“James wrote the script several years ago, but it ended up being shelved,”  McLean explained.  “He went on to become a superstar with Guardians of the Galaxy of course, and a few years later, someone asked if he’d be interested in coming back to Belko.”

Gunn jumped at the opportunity to make the film but he had two conditions: 1) He got to pick the director and 2) there could be no restrictions on how hardcore violent the film could be.  They had no arguments and before long McLean found himself with the script and pitching his ideas to Gunn on how he’d like to make the film.

“I felt like we had to use a counterpoint in the film,” he says.  ‘The kind of thing we saw Kubrick use a lot.  Have extremes between the form and content really creates an interesting effect.  By pairing this crazy violence with really beautiful music and lighting it almost makes that violence a little more palatable.  I wanted to see if we could make a very violent action movie that could be emotionally charged and fun, as well.”

It was a very thin line, the director admits, but one he ultimately walks well.  The film is filled with violence that is over the top (they are killing each other with supplies you can find in an office building after all), but at the same time I found myself genuinely involved in what these characters were going through and that involvement makes each death more intense.

Tony Goldwyn, John C. McGinley, and Owain Yeoman. Photo from Collider.com

Each shot is beautifully rendered and acted by a superb cast including John Gallagher, Jr. Tony Goldwyn, Melonie Diaz and Adria Arjona alongside James Gunn film regulars like Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn.  The score also stands out here with pop songs like “I Will Survive” and “California Dreamin'” translated into Spanish alongside the music of Dvorak and Tchaikovsky.

The director also manipulates color masterfully in the film.

“I think the key was trying to take the film from sort of normality to surrealism,” he confessed.  “By the time you get to the third act, what happened has been so crazy that now you have these very vivid pinks and reds and blues.  It reflects the insanity so well.”

When all of the elements come together, The Belko Experiment shines.  This a movie that is not only extremely violent, but also extremely funny.  You will laugh, gasp, cover your eyes, and hold your breath at regular intervals.

Check out the trailer below and pick up a copy of The Belko Experiment on DVD and Blu Ray on June 27, 2017!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZNfwayNLL0

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Jake Gyllenhaal’s Thriller ‘Presumed Innocent’ Series Gets Early Release Date

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1 hour ago

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April 26, 2024

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Jake Gyllenhaal’s limited series Presumed Innocent is dropping on AppleTV+ on June 12 instead of June 14 as originally planned. The star, whose Road House reboot has brought mixed reviews on Amazon Prime, is embracing the small screen for the first time since his appearance on Homicide: Life on the Street in 1994.

Jake Gyllenhaal’s in ‘Presumed Innocent’

Presumed Innocent is being produced by David E. Kelley, J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot, and Warner Bros. It is an adaptation of Scott Turow’s 1990 film in which Harrison Ford plays a lawyer doing double duty as an investigator looking for the murderer of his colleague.

These types of sexy thrillers were popular in the ’90s and usually contained twist endings. Here’s the trailer for the original:

According to Deadline, Presumed Innocent doesn’t stray far from the source material: “…the Presumed Innocent series will explore obsession, sex, politics and the power and limits of love as the accused fights to hold his family and marriage together.”

Up next for Gyllenhaal is the Guy Ritchie action movie titled In the Grey scheduled for release in January 2025.

Presumed Innocent is an eight-episode limited series set to stream on AppleTV+ starting June 12.

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Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

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20 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

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Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

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21 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

Inside the Lizzie Borden House

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.

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