News

The Belko Experiment: Review

Published

7 years ago

March 15, 2017

Everyday, we go to our jobs. Do our work. Have lunch with those people we work with. Some friends. Some acquaintances. Some, just people we wouldn’t go near with a ten foot pole were it not for sharing the same employment. But then we carry on our day until we thankfully can punch out and return home. But say one day, you’re told to murder your co-workers in cold blood. This is the experiment that 80 American workers at a Belko Industries building in Bogotá, Colombia find themselves forced into. Locked inside and told by a mysterious voice to murder certain numbers of the corporate population or else they will all be killed through explosives implanted inside each employee. From the maintenance workers, to the techies, and to the executives, white collars are going to be dyed red with blood!

The Belko Experiment comes from Blumhouse Tilt and Orion Pictures, written by Slither and Super scribe James Gunn and directed by Wolf Creek director Greg McLean. With a pedigree like that, you know things are gonna get good and brutal sooner or later. It starts as a tightly wound thriller that escalates into an office party of blood.

Working with 80 ‘subjects’ in this experiment, the film does a decent job in giving focus to a wide, but select core group of people fighting for their survival. There’s Mike Melch, played by John Gallagher Jr. who acts as the everyman office worker and attempts to act as a voice of moral order during the chaos. The assistant Leandra Jerez played by Adria Arjona. The COO of the Belko branch, Barry Norris played by Tony Goldwyn. Wendell Dukes, a crass executive with eyes on Leandra played by John C. McGinley. Among a few highlighted charcters, and a wide variety of characters in all departments of the gladiatorial office building. Being written by James Gunn, each has a unique voice and sense of humor that makes every one of them stand-out. Even those that commit mass murder.

While ‘battles to the death’ and ‘hunting the most dangerous game’ movies have been used for stories as old as the actual “Most Dangerous Game” story and beyond, Belko manages to create its own footing for a few reasons. Main of which being its social commentary on corporate/government culture. Each of the players has a tiny bomb in the base of their skull. Why? Because they let the company do it. Under contract. So they could get that sweet job and sweet pay. And in breakneck corporate culture, you sometimes have to do things you never thought you’d have to do to get ahead. And in this case, if you want to live, you may have to kill.

The only real gripe to be had was some of the pacing building up to the big bloodshed felt a little off. As well, while we get to observe the players brace themselves for it, it’s still mainly through the lens of the core group that’s followed throughout the movie. That aside, once the experiment breaks out in full, it does not stop. While not necessarily groundbreaking, if you’re looking for a fun and thrilling survival horror movie or just need something to blow off the steam at work in a safe and sensible way, take part in The Belko Experiment!

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News

Netflix Releases First BTS ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Footage

Published

16 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been three long years since Netflix unleashed the bloody, but enjoyable Fear Street on its platform. Released in a tryptic fashion, the streamer broke up the story into three episodes, each taking place in a different decade which by the finale were all tied together.

Now, the streamer is in production for its sequel Fear Street: Prom Queen which brings the story into the 80s. Netflix gives a synopsis of what to expect from Prom Queen on their blog site Tudum:

“Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.”

Based on R.L. Stine’s massive series of Fear Street novels and spin-offs, this chapter is number 15 in the series and was published in 1992.

FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN IS NOW IN PRODUCTION 🩸 Welcome to Shadyside High. We're gonna have a killer time. pic.twitter.com/jDl0zRa2CH
— Netflix (@netflix) April 30, 2024

Fear Street: Prom Queen features a killer ensemble cast, including India Fowler (The Nevers, Insomnia), Suzanna Son (Red Rocket, The Idol), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls, Above the Shadows), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Cinnamon), Ella Rubin (The Idea of You), Chris Klein (Sweet Magnolias, American Pie), Lili Taylor (Outer Range, Manhunt) and Katherine Waterston (The End We Start From, Perry Mason).

No word on when Netflix will drop the series into its catalog.

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News

Live Action Scooby-Doo Reboot Series In Works at Netflix

Published

17 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The ghosthunting Great Dane with an anxiety problem, Scooby-Doo, is getting a reboot and Netflix is picking up the tab. Variety is reporting that the iconic show is becoming an hour-long series for the streamer although no details have been confirmed. In fact, Netflix execs declined to comment.

If the project is a go, this would be the first live-action movie based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon since 2018’s Daphne & Velma. Before that, there were two theatrical live-action movies, Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), then two sequels that premiered on The Cartoon Network.

Currently, the adult-oriented Velma is streaming on Max.

Scooby-Doo originated in 1969 under the creative team Hanna-Barbera. The cartoon follows a group of teenagers who investigate supernatural happenings. Known as Mystery Inc., the crew consists of Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and his best friend, a talking dog named Scooby-Doo.

Normally the episodes revealed the hauntings they encountered were hoaxes developed by land-owners or other nefarious characters hoping to scare people away from their properties. The original TV series named Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ran from 1969 to 1986. It was so successful that movie stars and pop culture icons would make guest appearances as themselves in the series.

Celebrities such as Sonny & Cher, KISS, Don Knotts, and The Harlem Globetrotters made cameos as did Vincent Price who portrayed Vincent Van Ghoul in a few episodes.

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News

BET Releasing New Original Thriller: The Deadly Getaway

Published

17 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Cameron McFarland

BET will soon be offering horror fans a rare treat. The studio has announced the official release date for their new original thriller, The Deadly Getaway. Directed by Charles Long (The Trophy Wife), this thriller sets up a heart racing game of cat and mouse for audiences to sink their teeth into.

Wanting to break up the monotony of their routine, Hope and Jacob set off to spend their vacation at a simple cabin in the woods. However, things go sideways when Hope’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a new girl at the same campsite. Things soon spiral out of control. Hope and Jacob must now work together to escape the woods with their lives.

The Deadly Getaway is written by Eric Dickens (Makeup X Breakup) and Chad Quinn (Reflections of US). The Film stars, Yandy Smith-Harris (Two Days in Harlem), Jason Weaver (The Jacksons: An American Dream), and Jeff Logan (My Valentine Wedding).

Showrunner Tressa Azarel Smallwood had the following to say about the project. “The Deadly Getaway is the perfect reintroduction to classic thrillers, which encompass dramatic twists, and spine-chilling moments. It showcases the range and diversity of emerging Black writers across genres of film and television.”

The Deadly Getaway will premiere on 5.9.2024, exclusively ion BET+.