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The Belko Experiment: Review

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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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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
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