valerian and the city of a thousand planets ( french : valérian et la cité des mille planètes ) is a 2017 english-language french 3d science fiction action-adventure epic film , written and directed by luc besson , and co-produced by besson and his wife , virginie besson-silla .

the film is based on the french science fiction comics series valérian and laureline , written by pierre christin and illustrated by jean-claude mézières .

it stars dane dehaan as valerian and cara delevingne as laureline , with clive owen , rihanna , ethan hawke , herbie hancock , kris wu , and rutger hauer in supporting roles .

besson independently crowd-sourced and personally funded valerian and , with a production budget between $ 177 – 210 million , it is both the most expensive european and independent film ever made .

the film was released by stx entertainment on 21 july 2017 in the united states , and in france on 26 july , by europacorp .

valerian received mixed reviews from critics , who criticized the writing and plot , but praised the visuals , and has grossed $ 88 million worldwide .

valerian and the city of a thousand planets

valerian and the city of a thousand planets <EOT> watch the trailer for " valerian and the city of a thousand planets . "

sucker punch , jupiter ascending and valerian and the city of a thousand planets . composite : rex / allstar

’s goofy sci - fi valerian and the city of a thousand planets . it might look a bit like his film

1 . it would have positioned valerian and the city of a thousand planets as the last big movie of the summer .

valerian ( dane dehaan ) and laureline ( cara delevingne ) in valerian and the city of a thousand planets . all images : stx

i ask him if he’s seen the clips for valerian and the city of a thousand planets that we’re about to watch .

valerian review : a thousand planets but a frustrating plot | birth . movies . death .

the federation : the united human federation which runs alpha , a . k . a . the city of a thousand planets .

if two minutes of " valerian and the city of a thousand planets " leaves you borderline speechless , imagine what the whole movie will do .

looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing valerian and the city of a thousand planets near you .

no movie this summer will leave your jaw on the floor and your eyeballs as wide as saucers like luc besson’s valerian and the city of a thousand planets .

my first tweet ever ! let’s share a real news ! my next film is a big sci - fi : # valerian and the city of a thousand planets .

chinese authorities have given an aug . 25 release date to luc besson ’s sci - fi epic “ valerian and the city of a thousand planets . ”

the first teaser for valerian and the city of a thousand planets is expected to be released nov . 10 , with another teaser in january and then a full trailer in march .

after its ill - fated release in north america and most foreign territories , “ valerian and the city of a thousand planets ” looked to china as its final hope .

valerian and the city of a thousand planets is playing everywhere . try convincing your most literal - minded friend to see it with you . it’ll make for a good story .

while the special effects are sure to help make valerian and the city of a thousand planets as visually rich as the fifth element , the heart of the film’s story is its two main characters : valerian and laureline .

here’s a wide shot of alpha , the titular city of a thousand planets . most of the movie takes place here and its construction is detailed in a breaktaking opening sequence that spans centuries of space exploration .

the first five minutes of valerian and the city of a thousand planets , iconoclast luc besson’s latest magnum opus , emotionally overwhelmed me in a way i wasn’t expecting , in a way i dare not say a word more about .

valerian and the city of a thousand planets is set for release on july 21st , 2017 and features a cast that also includes clive owen , rihanna , ethan hawke , john goodman , herbie hancock and kris wu .

luc besson’s valerian and the city of a thousand planets started strong at the french box office , topping 1 . 3 million admissions on 970 screens over the opening weekend in the director ' s native country .

if you think that’s cool , a new website just launched that’s even better . it’s the world of valerian , “an in - depth 360 - degree look at the visual development of valerian and the city of a thousand planets from legendary directory luc besson . ”

luc besson is a grandmaster of cinematic kitsch , a director who can make us gasp in wonderment one moment and groan in dismay the next . valerian and the city of a thousand planets ( based on a french comic strip ) is a crash course in the best and worst of besson .

valerian and the city of a thousand planets is the visually spectacular new adventure film from luc besson , the legendary director of the professional , the fifth element and lucy , based on the ground - breaking comic book series which inspired a generation of artists , writers and filmmakers .

these men represent everything that director luc besson did not want in “ valerian and the city of a thousand planets , ” his big - budget sci - fi phantasmagoria , which opens in theaters this weekend .

valerian and the city of a thousand planets features about 60 major aliens ( all told there are hundreds , besson said ) . each of those aliens has their own backstory and history , all put together in a 15 - page dossier .

valerian and the city of a thousand planets , the latest sci - fi epic from luc besson , had far more humble beginnings than the silver screen . it started out as a series of french comics called valérian and laureline that launched in 1967 and wrapped in 2010 .

a dark force threatens alpha , a vast metropolis and home to species from a thousand planets . special operatives valerian and laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just alpha , but the future of the universe .

it’s easy to see why valerian and the city of a thousand planets is bombing hard . for starters , it’s called valerian and the city of a thousand planets , a name that means nothing to american audiences . like other high - profile , auteurist , director - driven science fiction flops such as sucker punch , chappie , sky captain and the world of tomorrow and jupiter ascending , valerian is audacious , original and ambitious to a fault . like those oddball flops , it’s clearly the work of an auteur willing to pursue his creative vision even if makes him seem ridiculous and laughable .

valerian and the city of a thousand planets is not to be confused with the czech cult film valerie and her week of wonders , though a week of wonders is what it feels like writer / director luc besson delivers here . which is to say , it’s a visual marvel , but a long sit .

director luc besson is a world - builder , and that’s never been more evident than his upcoming comic adaptation valerian and the city of a thousand planets . his heroes traverse the galaxy , encountering fantastic places and things , before landing on the biggest cultural melting pot in history : alpha .

with a week left of shooting on valerian and the city of a thousand planets , luc besson roams around the vast cite du cinema studio with a dazed look , appearing even more unkempt and bedraggled than usual . as he describes it , “i’m like a runner in the last 15 meters of a marathon . exhausted . deeply . physically . ”

all we needed was some 70s - style art - porn erotica and it could be walerian borowczyk and the city of a thousand planets . the movie keeps striving for a kind of artless modernity , and yet it keeps looking like something from 10 or 20 years ago .

the story for valerian and the city of a thousand planets is based upon the valerian and laureline comics by pierre christin and jean - claud mezleres taking a serialized approach to its story structure . major valerian ( dane dehaan ) and sergeant laureline ( cara delevigne ) are highly decorated special operatives in the 28th century who are on a top - secret mission to recover stolen government property . they need to return the property to alpha , the city of a thousand planets , into the hands of commander arun filitt ( clive owen ) . once they arrive at alpha , the mystery deepens as a rogue group of aliens attack kidnapping commander filitt . valerian and laureline pursue the group into the red zone where their actions threaten to destroy alpha and all those who live in the city .

the return of western movies to chinese cinemas after a month of absence was an anticlimax . the top ten films earned a combined $ 76 . 7 million , making it only the 20th best weekend of the year to date . “valerian and the city of a thousand planets” became the film to finally depose “wolf warriors ii” after [ … ]

to date , the cast for valerian and the city of a thousand planets includes dane dehaan , cara delavingne , ethan hawke , clive owen , and rihanna . hancock is repped by paradigm , redlight management and melinda murphy . europacorp’s red distribution label is releasing valerian on july 21 , 2017 . besson’s instagram is below .

valerian and the city of a thousand planets is the visually spectacular new adventure film from luc besson , the legendary director of the professional , the fifth element and lucy , based on the ground - breaking comic book series which inspired a generation of artists , writers and filmmakers . in the 28th century , valerian ( dane dehaan ) and laureline ( cara delevingne ) are a team of special operatives charged with maintaining order throughout the human territories . under assignment from the minister of defense , the two embark on a mission to the city of alpha—an ever - expanding metropolis where species from all over the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge , intelligence and cultures with each other . there is a mystery at the center of alpha , a dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the city of a thousand planets , and valerian and laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just alpha , but the future of the universe .

chinese authorities have given an aug . 25 release date to luc besson’s sci - fi epic “valerian and the city of a thousand planets . ” europacorp’s “valerian” will be one of the first imported films allowed into china following the usual summer blackout period . a rep for the company confirmed the date to variety . an official announcement is [ … ]

luc besson has taken to instagram to announce that he’s wrapped filming on valerian and the city of a thousand planets , the upcoming big screen adaptation of pierre christin and jean - claude mézières french comic series , which stars dane dehaan ( the amazing spider - man 2 ) and cara delevingne ( suicide squad ) .

but let ' s not get ahead of ourselves , here ; for now let ' s all get really excited about " valerian and the city of a thousand planets . " ( between this and " guardians of the galaxy vol . 2 , " summer 2017 is going to be full of really crazy space operas . )

justin chang reviews ' valerian and the city of a thousand planets ' directed by luc besson , starring dane dehaan , cara delevingne , clive owen , rihanna , ethan hawke , herbie hancock , kris wu , rutger hauer , and john goodman . video by jason h . neubert .

valerian and the city of a thousand planets ( valérian et la cité des mille planètes ) , shortened to valerian , is a 2017 american / french space opera film produced , written and directed by luc besson ( of the fifth element fame ) . it is based on the french science fiction comic book series valerian , and stars dane dehaan as valerian , cara delevingne as laureline , clive owen as commander arün filitt , and rihanna as bubble .

valerian and the city of a thousand planets ’ lack of dramatic interest amidst its visual splendor might have been less frustrating a decade or so ago . but the bar has been raised in recent years by the many special - effects blockbusters that have offered solid human grounding amidst the spectacle ; the best comparison would be the guardians of the galaxy duo , which indulge in plenty of nuttiness while keeping us involved with its core protagonists . the city of a thousand planets has had plenty of attention lavished upon it , and it would have helped if besson had taken as much care with the hero who shares the titular billing .

it’s rare that a modern scifi movie shows you something you’ve truly never seen before , but that happens a lot in luc besson’s valerian and the city of a thousand planets . there’s innovative action , wondrous landscapes , creepy aliens , awesome weapons and technology , all of which combine to create a massive , magnificent universe . unfortunately , all the focus on the setting causes valerian ’s story to suffer .

ew can exclusively reveal that luc besson’s riotous 23rd - century caper will mark its 20th anniversary next month with a two - day theatrical re - release . presented by fathom events and sony pictures , the screenings will showcase a 4k restoration of the fifth element and an exclusive preview of besson’s new space opera valerian and the city of a thousand planets , which opens in july .

after its ill - fated release in north america and most foreign territories , “valerian and the city of a thousand planets” looked to china as its final hope . now , the middle kingdom’s summer blackout period has come to an end , and europacorp’s “valerian” has ended the weekend on top . luc besson’s $ 180 million sci - fi epic — considered [ … ]

so if you ' re familiar with the tastes of todd mccarthy and typically agree with him , valerian and the city of a thousand planets may not be your cup of tea . that being said , there are still plenty of other professional voices who are singing praise for the blockbuster ' s ambition and spirit , and your own personal tastes may line up more with theirs ' .

after taking to instagram last weekend to announce that ethan hawke was joining the cast of the sci - fi epic valerian and the city of a thousand planets , director luc besson has posted an item that multi - grammy winning jazz musician herbie hancock will have a role in the feature adaptation of the french 1967 graphic novel series by pierre christin and jean - claude mézières .

it’s a cynical world in which we live , even within our fantasies , and that’s a big part of the reason why luc besson’s ambitious sci - fi spectacular valerian and the city of a thousand planets plays like a welcome reprieve from literally everything everywhere . it welcomes the audience into a future world full of dangers and conflict , certainly , but also of hope , sensitivity , acceptance and – perhaps most importantly – the most eye - popping imagery imaginable .

unfortunately , many of valerian ’s coolest designs — the underwater alien farmers , walking goldfish bowls , and peacock - human hybrids of alpha station — don’t get the time and attention they deserve . a city of a thousand planets is too big to show in its entirety , of course , but instead of weaving these wondrous elements into the film’s most important scenes , besson uses them as exposition and window dressing .

in the 28th century , valerian ( dane dehaan ) and laureline ( cara delevingne ) are a team of special operatives charged with maintaining order throughout the human territories . under assignment from the minister of defense , the two embark on a mission to the astonishing city of alpha—an ever - expanding metropolis where species from all over the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge , intelligence and cultures with each other . there is a mystery at the center of alpha , a dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the city of a thousand planets , and valerian and laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just alpha , but the future of the universe .

“ valerian and the city of a thousand planets ” became the film to finally depose “wolf warriors ii” after an unprecedented run . “valerian” opened as the top film with a creditable $ 28 . 8 million , according to data from ent group . that total was earned on close to 80 , 000 screenings per day . and it included $ 3 million from 431 imax screens .

in the movie , special operatives valerian and laureline head to the sprawling intergalactic city of alpha of 17 million inhabitants to try and stop a threat that places the entire human race in great danger .

in the 28th century , valerian ( dane dehaan ) and laureline ( cara delevingne ) are a team of special operatives charged with maintaining order throughout the human territories . under assignment from the minister of defense , the two embark on a mission to the astonishing city of alpha - - an ever - expanding metropolis where species from all over the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge , intelligence and cultures with each other . there is a mystery at the center of alpha , a dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the city of a thousand planets , and valerian and laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just alpha , but the future of the universe .

from that point on , valerian and the city of a thousand planets quickly evolves into a story of intrigue , with a core conspiracy that begs to be uncovered . of course , valerian and laureline are the only two that can solve the mystery . but any seasoned moviegoer will see the villain and the motivation coming a mile away - - the villain’s reasoning is far too poorly conceived and is based on so much crucial missing information that providing any early clues would venture too far into spoiler territory .

besson has secured the rights to nine of the comic books in the series and will have a script for the second film by the time " valerian and the city of a thousand planets " hits screens next summer ( a trilogy has been fully mapped out , as of now ) , so if the movie turns out to be as awe - inspiring as the trailer suggests , there should be a lot more from the franchise coming your way very soon .

at the time of this article ' s posting , only 23 reviews of valerian and the city of a thousand planets have been written and activated , which means that it ' s score could still fluctuate a bit - - but given what we ' ve seen so far , it seems as though the fifth element is a good field - guide to understanding how critics en masse will react to the blockbuster .

valerian and the city of a thousand planets opened this weekend with ( as of this writing ) a $ 17 million fri - sun frame . that ' s relatively lousy and immediately puts it in the company of the likes of king arthur : legend of the sword , jupiter ascending , pan , john carter , battleship and 47 ronin as a very expensive movie ( $ 150m after rebates ) that couldn ' t remotely pull its weight in north america .

they arrive at the titular city of a thousand planets , a space station citadel of thousands of different alien races all coexisting together in harmony . suddenly , the film stops to go through the different names , species , and environments shown later in the film . rarely have i ever seen a film crowbar its own trailer into the narrative . but , never say never . what’s even more awkward is that valerian and laureline are the ones that asked for the little lesson on the city’s demographics and population for no reason whatsoever .

valerian and the city of a thousand planets is a summer movie that leaves the block unbusted . in fact , it leaves the block pristine and box - fresh and , if you kept the receipt , in a fit condition to be returned to the block store . it is a cordial addition to that genre of films that in a bygone age would lurk in the discount bin in a thousand vanished video shops , but is now destined to occupy a tiny space on itunes , waiting for rihanna fans bored enough to want to stream it . dehaan and delevingne can do better – and so can the rest of us .

twenty years ago , writer / director luc besson brought a new sci - fi vision to the big screen , heavily inspired by the work of pierre christin and jean - claude mézières . . . and now he ' s done it again . there are many connections to draw between the cult classic the fifth element and the upcoming valerian and the city of a thousand planets - - but it seems that a new thing the two movies have in common is the critical response .

at times bubble has to climb onto valerian ' s shoulders in order to disguise them both , in scenes that sadly omit the punch line " you can stand under my umbrella . " there ' s no denying that " valerian and the city of a thousand planets " is something to see , but even with rihanna and herbie hancock onboard , it ' s nothing you want to listen to .

the wga west has reached a $ 1 million settlement with luc besson ' s seaside productions to cover unpaid residuals on 23 films . guild records show that the company , which is owned and managed by the french filmmaker , had a " history of contract violations and noncompliance " and has been " inconsistent in paying residuals . " besson is perhaps best known as the writer - director of the fifth element , lucy and last year’s valerian and the city of a thousand planets , though it ' s…

the fifth element had 188 special effects shots over the course of the movie , besson told us , and a lot of them were practical . valerian and the city of a thousand planets has 2 , 734 special effects shots . there are so many , in fact , that besson decided to break them up into three types and send them out for bids . ultimately , weta digital , industrial light & magic and rodeo fx signed up to provide the effects .

after watching the trailer , we mingled with besson , who was on hand to answer any questions and also to have some wine and cheese with a small assortment of journalist ( he ' s french , after all ! ) the filmmaker said of " valerian and the city of a thousand planets , " " it ' s my dream sci - fi movie . " and there ' s a sense that he has been working towards this film his entire career - - " the fifth element , " which will be 20 years old by the time " valerian and the city of a thousand planets " hits the big screen , felt like an initial stab at this kind of material . it , too , was inspired by french comic books ( mézières was often cited ) and had a similarly decadent , larger - than - life aesthetic ( those jean paul gaultier costumes ! )

based on the french graphic novel series ' valérian and laureline ' which enjoys cultural impact in europe some 40 years after its debut ( despite little awareness elsewhere on the globe ) , valerian and the city of a thousand planets goes head to head against better - established properties from the likes of dc and marvel in a risky , but ballsy , move - the likes of which we don ' t really see in an increasingly risk - averse hollywood .

the first reviews for luc besson ' s valerian and the city of a thousand planets heap praise upon the movie ' s cgi and spectacle , if not so much its human protagonists . valerian itself is an adaptation of the french sci - fi comic book series valérian and laureline ( which turns 50 this year ) and follows the misadventures of space / time - traversing crime fighters valerian and laureline , as played respectively by dane dehaan ( chronicle , the amazing spider - man 2 ) and cara delevingne ( paper towns , suicide squad ) in besson ' s big screen interpretation .

all of this comes into light not just on the world of valerian website , but when valerian hits theaters on july 21 .

this is mul . it’s the home of a very elegant race of beings who control some of the secrets of the universe . its fate and legacy are a huge part of what valerian is about .

i mostly enjoyed valerian and the city of a thousand planets and i sincerely hope that it kicks butt overseas ( c ' mon , china , pull another billy lynn and show you have better taste than we do ) . moreover , i hope that folks who would enjoy seeing it in theaters make time to do so . you ' ll regret waiting for vod on this one .

which is not to say that " valerian and the city of a thousand planets , " arriving 50 years after its source material was first published , is anything but a highly derivative pop bauble . besson , an industrial - strength entertainer and the reigning maximalist of the european film industry , isn ' t selling originality so much as volume . he has made a madly overstuffed mos eisley cantina of a movie , one that surveys its diverse alien constituencies with the wide - eyed wonderment of a small child and the attention span to boot .

the dossiers were handed out to the actors to read over , especially the ones who play the cops of this mammoth city .

yes , valerian and the city of a thousand planets really is that bad , bad enough that you don ' t know for the longest time that valerian is one of the lead characters and not a planet or a spaceship . sporting special effects and sets that smack of 50 - year - old barbarella - style tackiness , luc besson ' s $ 200 - million eyesore will barely trigger a momentary blip on the american box - office radar screen , leaving besson with the lone hope that there are parts of the world where the entertainment tastes remain , ahem , less discriminating .

final update , writethru , 1 : 16 pm : after a long six weeks during which the chinese market was cordoned off from imports , this was the frame that marked the return of foreign movies to proc screens . they include the session leader valerian and the city of a thousand planets ( $ 28 . 9m ) , as well as cars 3 ( $ 10 . 7m ) and baby driver ( $ 9 . 6m ) .

why won’t audiences embrace new space operas ? john carter of mars , jupiter ascending and now valerian and the city of a thousand planets all met tepid to disastrous box office responses in most national markets , all but assuring an unlikely franchise future . meanwhile , any old star trek or star wars film will make at least $ 500m and the “good” ones will crack $ 1billion . franchise fever is self - perpetuating .

and yet , valerian and the city of a thousand planets still works , albeit in its own offbeat way . the visuals , especially in 3d , are some of the best you’ll see this summer . besson’s penchant for incredible action is there at all times . as a showcase for a new scifi universe , there’s rarely been better . it’s just the most important stuff—character , emotion , plot—is overshadowed by that universe . that’s what keeps valerian from being great . . . but damned if it isn’t a fun watch .

inevitably , valerian and the city of a thousand planets will be seen by naysayers as a knockoff of the iconic george lucas films , but i can only judge what is on the screen . wacky as the story is , and wooden as some of the acting is , including brooding lead dane dehaan , the pure visual technicolored visual wonder of besson’s view of the 28th century , along with some way - out - there supporting characters , won me over . it is a must in 3d , where this time that format actually makes a difference .

valerian and the city of a thousand planets may only be a month away from hitting theaters , but it ' s just added a new cast member - - elizabeth debicki - - for some last - minute voice - over work . the project , based on a graphic novel , is an english - language french film set to hit theaters on july 21 . the film is directed by luc besson ( the fifth element ) , and stars cara delevingne and dane dehaan .

what were the selling points for valerian and the city of a thousand planets ? it was from a noted visionary filmmaker . it offered something that audiences hadn ' t seen before . it offered a unique cinematic experience explicitly served by seeing it on the biggest movie screen possible . it was a break from franchise reboots , revamps and sequels , offering a story that wasn ' t necessarily original but was a new - to - cinema adventure . now , pop quiz hotshot , am i talking about valerian or am i talking about dunkirk ?

the gorgeous world of mul is a mystery that’s central to valerian . all images : europa

at the time of writing this , valerian and the city of a thousand planets is holding a 72 % fresh rating on rotten tomatoes after 18 reviews , meaning the critical consensus could easily change ( for better or worse ) as more reactions are published ahead of the movie ' s theatrical release next week . to find out more about what critics are saying thus far , read on for some spoiler - free valerian review excerpts ( with links that you can click on for the full reviews ) .

without a doubt , luc besson knows how to make a lavish , astonishing , cinematic big screen event films but continues to struggle to connect with the characters and hitting key emotional beats within the story being told . valerian and the city of a thousand planets excels at being visually striking and exciting , rousing eye candy full of imagination , color , and spectacle ; but , it too is weakened by failing to connect its lead characters , valerian and laureline , to the story itself . by comparison to dazzling wonders to behold , valerian and laureline are flat and dull . it doesn’t help that dane dehaan as valerian and cara delevigne as laureline have very little chemistry which is a critical misstep for the film given how much of the film’s dialog between the two is centered around valerian proposing to laureline . surprisingly , the character of bubble played by rihanna is given a far more engaging arc than the lead characters . this cripples the overall appeal and effect of the film . while audiences will be amazed by the lush landscapes , astonished by the colorful special effects , and thrilled by the fast pacing , the film itself feels hollow without a strong enough character to connect to within its story . the film has plenty of opportunities but almost always opts to focus on the presentation instead of the ingredients . even with this tragic flaw , valerian and the city of a thousand planets nearly succeeds by pure spectacle alone .

that could easily come from a review of valerian and the city of a thousand planets , but it ' s actually from roger ebert ' s write - up of the fifth element when it first came out . like the many who now qualify themselves as fans , notable writers like ebert , gene siskel , and owen gleiberman gave luc besson ' s bombastic sci - fi flick positive marks for its creativity and ingenuity - - even while recognizing that it still has significant problems .

valerian and the city of a thousand planets is sure to amaze and astonish audiences with its superb visual style and sci - fi elements . it collapses under the weight of those elements without a strong emotional core to keep the story itself compelling and engaging . it zips along like so much fluff without challenging its characters or its audience . it may be the best eye - candy of the year , however . for many , that will be enough . the biggest issue the film has is that its leads are miscast . dane dehaan fails to bring the charm and anti - hero shenanigans necessary to elevate valerian to the roguish appeal of a han solo type character . cara delevigne is a little more successful at bringing some cinematic lure and charisma to laureline but the weak dialog does her efforts in . besson seems to realize this perhaps by the amount of time and attention he gives to the aliens , their worlds , and the sci - fi aspects of the story . whenever he is able to do so without burying his film under exposition , the film shines as the opening sequence with the pearls exemplifies . regardless , for valerian fans and those who adore sci - fi fantasy spectacle , valerian and the city of a thousand planets is likely to fit the bill .

among the current slate of movie sequels , franchises , and cinematic universes , it’s hard to come by a film with both great imagination and creativity . fortunately , one such film is 2017’s valerian and the city of a thousand planets . based on a french graphic novel , one of the top five franco - belgian comics from publisher dargaud , it’s only appropriate that luc besson – director of the fifth element , lucy , and leon : the professional – would take it upon himself to deliver on the source material as both writer and director . and in the realm of visual effects and design , valerian knocks it out of the park consistently thanks to weta digital , ilm and rodeo fx – just to name three of the vfx studios that worked on film .

in some ways , “valerian and the city of a thousand planets” builds on a key aspect of “the fifth element , ” which revolved around a gun - wielding maverick with a surprising sentimental core , portrayed by bruce willis . the difference ? “die hard , ” “the last boy scout , ” “pulp fiction” and “12 monkeys” had lent willis an unrestrainable machismo , maintained in “element . ” dehaan , less of a household name than willis was in 1997 , has a more malleable reputation and a more gaunt countenance , as evidenced earlier this year in “a cure for wellness . ” put differently , willis was a brand ; dehaan is not .

besson , a frenchman whose eye - popping aesthetics won him american success , had sought to adapt “valérian and laureline” ― the comics series he loved as a child ― since making the 1997 oddity “the fifth element . ” a futuristic space opera set in the outer reaches of the galaxy , “valerian and the city of a thousand planets” evolved throughout its development , getting an entire rewrite after besson saw “avatar” and decided his initial script “ wasn’t good enough . ” but one thing never changed : besson always wanted a leading man without typical leading - man attributes .

valerian and the city of a thousand planets shows flashes of the fun , excitement , and infatuating creativity you’d hope to see in a modern space opera . ( without giving it away , the film’s first 5 - 10 minutes , which provide an abridged montage of alpha station’s origin , using the film’s interesting art and design to great effect . ) despite these glimpses of compelling lore , most of valerian feels like a series of concepts , connected by an extremely bare - bones action tale . from afar , its best ideas look as if they’ve been drawn from an imagination running wild — but get closer and there’s no aspect of this movie that really stands out .

but it ' s not just " the fifth element " that " valerian and the city of a thousand planets " calls to mind . there ' s also echoes of the absurdist humor that ran through things like " angel - a " and " the family , " and the kind of harmonious one - love message of his brilliant " lucy , " which was sort of like terrence malick ' s contemplative " tree of life " but remade as a late - night direct - to - cinemax action movie . and someone from besson ' s europacorp told us that the original comic books that inspired " valerian and the city of a thousand planets " have largely informed besson ' s entire career , from the way he writes rat - a - tat dialogue between actors to his fascination with a strong female central character . when i asked besson about alexandre desplat ' s score for the film ( which , honestly , seems like an odd tonal fit considering the composer ' s rather somber proclivities ) , since it was announced that he would be handling the music shortly after leaving similar duties on " rogue one : a star wars story , " besson said he hadn ' t heard anything yet . " he starts this week , " besson explained . so while things that he had been tinkering with for " star wars " could end up in the mix for " valerian and the city of a thousand planets " ( and given how long desplat was a part of " rogue one , " that seems likely ) , besson hasn ' t heard a note .

“valerian and the city of a thousand planets” is an utter delight and one of the most gorgeous fantasies to hit the screen in recent memory—the kind of film that can take moviegoers logy from the usual array of craptaculars and render them giddy with its pure fun . the question , of course , is whether viewers will be willing to give its weirdo charms a chance . but if you want to come away from a film feeling dazzled instead of simply dazed , this is an absolute must . besides , it is almost certainly going to become a cult favorite in a few years , so why not get in on the ground floor while you can ?

, the two of them are suddenly standing in the surf of a painfully beautiful beach completely out of the blue . laureline is quick to remind valerian of his promise .

in his ludicrously entertaining 2014 science - fiction thriller , " lucy , " the french director luc besson gave us a chemically enhanced action heroine with the rare ability to harness 100 % of her brainpower . besson ' s latest futuristic whatsit , " valerian and the city of a thousand planets , " seems determined to induce the opposite effect in the viewer . when you enter the theater , you can pick up your 3 - d glasses with one hand and drop off your brain with the other .

the review embargo for valerian and the city of a thousand planets lifted yesterday evening , and the earliest write - ups suggest the movie is going to get a mostly positive , but mixed response . every critic thus far has commented on the intense visual spectacle the film , but some are more forgiving when it comes to the weaknesses in its narrative and its pacing . it seems that it ' s a blockbuster you ' re either on board with or not , and that ' s practically identical to the responses that the fifth element received back in the late 1990s .

spaceship girl : valerian ' s ship has a female a . i . called alex .

in the century xxviii , the space station alpha is a city where beings from different planets live together exchanging their knowledge and culture . peace is granted by a human force , including major valerian and his partner sergeant laureline . they are assigned by the defence minister to retrieve the last species of converter in a dangerous mission . they succeed and back to alpha , unknown humanoids abduct commander arun filitt expecting to steal the converter . they head to a forbidden area that is infected but valerian and laureline follow them and disclose a hidden secret about the race and the infected area .

when besson is working on a big canvas , as with 1997’s the fifth element , a film with the straight - faced audacity to posit that love truly is the fifth element , it becomes impossible to deny his auteur status . two decades after the fifth element was a worldwide box - office success and attained instant cult classic status , besson has made another magnum opus , another labor of love , another movie that is so personal that it’s essentially luc besson in cinematic form , in valerian and the city of a thousand planets .

seven centuries in the future , alien species from across the universe have converged to call the city of alpha home ; a sprawling melting pot where planets share and coexist in harmony for the betterment of all . but during a mission which finds them called to hunt down a rare , and priceless prize , agents valerian ( dane dehaan ) and laureline ( cara delevingne ) become embroiled in a conspiracy which could spell doom for alpha and all that ' s been built .

red shirt : the squad of soldiers who accompany valerian and laureline on their mission at the beginning of the movie . not one of them survive it .

the summer isn ' t quite over , but valerian and the city of a thousand planets is certainly the frontrunner to be named the spectacle of the summer , and while many franchises have disappointed , this is a movie that ends with you wanting to see much more from the universe it introduces . it ' s visually stunning , beautifully prescient in its humanist themes ( alien - ist too , i suppose ? ) , and while its reach doesn ' t match its grasp in some respects , you ' re still left respecting the hell out of the reach alone .

valerian and the city of a thousand planets hopes you don’t focus too much on the script and characters , or lack thereof , while at the same time , it amazes you with incredible visuals and design . so much of the world of valerian looks applicable and reasonable to various alien species - - aliens that are robots manage the economy , floating up and down while collecting data ; aliens that exist underwater need an apparatus to successfully farm their crops . the vfx does a fantastic job making you believe that this world exists . it even does an admirable job making all the real actors look like they belong in this universe too…most of the time . several times , valerian walked into a location where you can literally see the greenscreen , abruptly snapping you out of any suspension of disbelief you might have .

valerian and the city of a thousand planets is a jaw - droppingly beautiful and often delightfully exciting sci - fi adventure . taking place in the not - so - near future , it is ( like the fifth element before it ) an uncommonly optimistic portrait of the future . . . while the main selling point will be the 3d - friendly spectacle , besson remembers to root his story in character . okay , his heroic duo , valerian ( dane dehaan ) and laureline ( cara delevinge ) aren’t exactly classic cinematic creations . but they are a lot of fun to spend time with , which only adds to the razzle - dazzle .

it’s a shame that besson so brilliantly brought this universe to life , but wasn’t able to help the audience connect with the characters or the script . the humans act weird while certain weird aliens display more life and personality than any of the cast . the setting is beautiful and the action well - choreographed . but , there’s no tension in any of the scenes because dehaan and delevigne don’t act like real people in danger . as a result , there is no reason to care about what happens to either of them . valerian and the city of a thousand planets is a typical case of a big production that’s all sizzle and no steak , that never connects with an audience or gives them anything or anyone to root for .

" the ballad of narayama " is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…

now that ' s not to say that valerian and the city of a thousand planets would have opened at $ 40 million had it debuted on aug . 4 , 2017 . it still may well have lost out on the imax screens and the plf theaters to a still relatively " new " dunkirk , and the whole " no movie stars " ( rihanna fans didn ' t show up the way harry styles fans did ) and " obscure source material " thing still would have been a handicap . but opening away from the chris nolan war drama would have allowed valerian to stake its claim in terms of what it had to offer as the summer wound down .

based on pierre christin and jean - claude mézières’ valerian and laureline graphic novels that began in the ’60s—and inspired besson’s equally outré the fifth element —the movie plays as if the filmmaker desired to cram every odd element from the comics into one feature . you can’t accuse valerian and the city of a thousand planets of lacking ambition or visual imagination ; there’s a new , sometimes eye - popping sight every few minutes . besson also continues his fifth element penchant for casting recognizable actors in oddball supporting roles ; here , ethan hawke plays jolly , the gonzo owner of a club in this universe’s red - light district , where rihanna portrays bubble , an alien dancer with cgi - enhanced costume changes .

progressive era montage : an opening montage shows the evolution of a human space station into the eponymous city in space , and its role as a diplomatic nexus first for human races , then alien ones .

breaking : in a major move that redefines stx entertainment ’s place in the distribution landscape and decimates the distribution pipeline red , stx motion pictures group has made a three - year deal with europacorp films usa to release and market the upcoming films hatched by luc besson ’s production entity . that includes europacorp’s biggest gamble , the besson - directed valerian and the city of a thousand planets , the most fiscally and creatively ambitious film in that hit - making director’s career , at around a $ 180 million budget . the deal was announced by adam fogelson , chairman , motion picture group , stx entertainment , and marc shmuger , europacorp ceo .

dehaan and delevingne will play valerian and laureline in the adaptation of the original story , which centered on a pair of spatio - temporal agents who help defend a utopian 28th century earth and its neighboring planets from bad guys , with the pair’s adventures rooted in space opera and time travel themes not so much unlike fifth element , besson’s seminal 1997 pic .

and now , a few of the beings in the film . this is a kortan dahuk , one of the many races who contributes to the creation of alpha .

“the first woman i fell in love with was probably laureline , ” luc besson , the french director behind the forthcoming film valerian and the city of a thousand planets , said last year . “she was totally free and badass , and . . . was a very modern heroine at the time . ” besson was talking about one half of the duo at the center of valérian and laureline , the legendary sci - fi comic series his new movie is based on . written by pierre christin and illustrated by jean - claude mézières , the comics debuted in 1967 and follow the two eponymous “spatio - temporal agents” who work for an organization called galaxity , and , later , as mercenaries . valérian and laureline travel as partners—both professional and romantic—through space and time to resolve conflicts and foil villainous plots .


found footage 3d is a 2016 american found footage horror film .

it is the debut feature film of writer/director steven degennaro , and is being produced by texas chainsaw massacre co-creator kim henkel .

it is the first found footage horror movie shot natively in 3d .

filming began on may 26 , 2014 in gonzales , texas , starring carter roy , alena von stroheim , chris o'brien , tom saporito , scott allen perry , jessica perrin , and scott weinberg , and wrapped mid-june 2014 .

the film 's trailer debuted on entertainment weekly august 10 , 2016 .

the film premiered at bruce campbell 's horror film fest on august 20 , 2016 , where it won the festival 's inaugural jury award .

its international premiere took place at frightfest on august 29 , 2016 .

it screened at 20 different festivals between august and november 2016 , winning 15 awards .

found footage 3d

found footage 3d <EOT> found footage 3d is currently in postproduction . check back at urltoken for updates .

“found footage 3d tells the story of a group of filmmakers who set out to make the first 3d found footage horror movie , and find themselves in a 3d found footage horror movie when the evil entity from their film starts showing up in their behind - the - scenes footage . ”

halloween love : the plot of found footage 3d , in a tasty nutshell . go .

the blair witch project , found footage 3d and whatever that gif is . that’s hilarious .

found footage 3d is the first 3d found - footage horror film ( think blair witch project ) , providing a unique and fresh movie experience for horror junkies and the horror genre itself .

found footage 3d - a horror movie by s . degennero | official teaser trailer [ hd ]

the new big - screen terror tale found footage 3d concerns a group of filmmakers who set out to make the first 3d found - footage horror film , spectre of death 3d , but find themselves in a found - footage horror film when the evil entity from their movie escapes into their behind - the - scenes footage .

a group of filmmakers sets out to make the first 3d found footage horror movie , but find themselves in the first 3d found footage horror movie when the evil entity from their film escapes into their behind - the - scenes footage .

found footage 3d ’s world premiere is saturday august 20th , at the bruce campbell horror film festival .

found footage 3d - a horror movie by s . degennero | official teaser trailer [ hd ] - youtube

- esque sort of way . there are things that we can do , as a found - footage movie shot in 3d , that no found - footage movie or 3d movie has ever been able to do before .

found footage 3d is a movie starring carter roy , alena von stroheim , and chris o ' brien . a group of filmmakers set out to make the first 3d found footage horror movie , but find themselves in a found footage horror movie when the evil entity from their film escapes into their behind - the - scenes footage .

the cast and crew of the first 3d “found footage” film encounters unexpected horror while shooting in a haunted cabin .

looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing found footage 3d near you .

it’s a great movie about the spirit of all bad found footage movies coming together and killing anyone who tries to make another found footage movie .

a group of filmmakers set out to make the first 3d found footage horror movie , but find themselves in a found footage horror movie when the evil entity from their film escapes into their behind - the - scenes footage .

the film tells the story of a group of filmmakers who set out to make “the first 3d found footage horror film , ” and find themselves in the first 3d found footage horror film when the evil entity from their movie escapes into their behind the scenes footage .

a group of low - budget filmmakers sets out to make “the first 3d found footage horror film , ” but find themselves * in * the first 3d found footage horror film when the evil entity from their movie escapes into their behind - the - scenes footage .

enter writer - director steven degennaro’s debut feature film , found footage 3d , and it’s a triumph on all fronts .

there are no featured audience reviews yet . click the link below to see what others say about found footage 3d !

synopsis : a group of filmmakers sets out to make the first 3d found footage horror movie , but find themselves in a found footage horror movie when the evil entity from their film escapes into their behind - the - scenes footage .

how can a horror film hope to make a splash without drowning in the “found footage” flood already eroding the market ? by being the first “found footage” film to shoot in 3d , that’s how .

the film tells the story of a group of filmmakers who set out to make “the first 3d found - footage horror film , ” and find themselves in the first 3d found - footage horror film when the evil entity from their movie escapes into their behind - the - scenes footage .

steven degennaro : six filmmakers go out to a cabin in the woods of central texas to shoot “the first 3d found footage horror movie” , but find themselves in the first 3d found footage horror movie when the evil entity from their film escapes into their behind - the - scenes footage .

there are so many ways that found footage 3d could have imploded , as evidenced by the self - aware cynicism of its title . but steven degennaro and his terrific cast have instead crafted a movie that is the opposite of cynical , as it takes two of the cheapest marketing scourges currently blighting the horror landscape—the found footage film and 3d exhibition—and instead turns both into some of the movie’s biggest assets . this isn’t just a movie that makes lemonade out of 3d , found footage lemons . it’s one of the best 3d and one of the best found footage movies i’ve ever seen . found footage 3d is really something special .

found footage 3d doesn ' t exactly have great box art , nor does the premise sound all that interest . after all , as pitched it ' s a pretty straight forward 3d found footage , and the very fact it ' s in 3d adds an extra layer of stupidity to the mix .

a found - footage horror film when the evil entity from their movie escapes into their behind - the - scenes footage .

a group of filmmakers set out to make " the first 3d found - footage horror film " , but find themselves * in * a found - footage horror film when the evil entity from their movie escapes into their behind - the - scenes footage .

degennaro : “and it can’t feel rehearsed because we’re making a found footage movie . ”

sg : found footage 3d will tell the story of a group of filmmakers who set out to make “the first 3d found footage horror film” but find themselves in the first 3d found footage horror film when the evil entity from their movie escapes into their behind - the - scenes footage . like the scream movies , it’s got jokes and clever commentary on the genre , but it’s not a spoof . it’s going to scare the shit out of people .

if you are one of those cheapskates who have been waiting to see found footage 3d for free , then your wait is almost over .

i watched this meta - found - footage flick in 2d . i ' m not sure how good it will look in 3d , but there is supposedly a 3d version coming out soon .

this one tells you what it is right up front . titled found footage 3d this one promises to do for the found footage sub genre what scream did for the slasher genre back in the day . pretty hefty shoes to fill .

found footage 3d is a 2016 horror american film written and directed by steven degennaro and co - produced by degennaro , charles mulford , and kim henkel ( co - writer of the texas chain saw massacre ( 1974 ) . it is the first found footage horror movie shot natively in 3d .

conceived as the antidote to the common found - footage film , found footage 3d entered production in january of 2014 . degennaro , a former sound designer and no stranger to the film business teamed with charles mulford ( producer , two step ) and kim henkel , the co - writer and producer of tobe hooper’s the texas chainsaw massacre and writer - director of texas chainsaw massacre : the next generation , to bring the world’s first 3d found - footage film . on paper , a 3d found - footage film makes no sense whatsoever , a fact the filmmakers are quick to smartly address and quickly move on from . in practice , this 3d found - footage film works like gangbusters .

aptly titled found footage 3d , the innovative film is the brain - child of steven degennaro , who had previously directed the 2011 short first date .

a refreshing stab at the found footage genre . the film could have easily made itself standout by just telling a story in 3d , but by adding the film crew element they add something unexpected . in an over saturated genre , found footage 3d holds it’s own – scream meets the blair witch project .

the biggest surprise out of wizard world’s bruce campbell horror film festival was steven degennaro’s found footage 3d , which held its world premiere this past friday night .

writer / director steven degennaro is excited , he states the following : “the 3d aspect isn’t just a marketing ploy—it’s integrated into the story in a very scream - esque sort of way . there are things that we can do , as a found footage movie shot in 3d , that no found footage movie or 3d movie has ever been able to do before . ”

part of the issue with found footage 3d is that it’s not as clever as it thinks it is , nor does it fully take advantage of its post - modern setting . it talks about the tropes of found footage movies in several scenes , but it doesn’t push the satire . worse still , as the film comes to its conclusion , it becomes everything the characters hate about the genre . steven degenerro writes throughout the entire script that found footage has become predictable and every movie is the same , but found footage 3d ends up being ‘just another found footage movie’ . “what can we do to separate ourselves from every other shitty found footage movie” asks one of the characters . the answer appears to be ‘very little’ .

' found footage 3d ' is an absolute riot that ' s also quite scary , setting up a multitude of payoffs that deliver a flurry of satisfying punches .

in the end , found footage 3d is an exceptional addition to the found footage family of films . while it will certainly be known for the immersive 3d aspect , its ability to seamlessly move from an almost satirical take on the style to an outright horror movie is what it should be lauded and , ultimately , remembered for .

instantly , weinberg replies , “i said i’m in ! i said it because i like found footage and i hate 3d . i think it’ll be a fun challenge . ”

also working for the movie are its horror moments as there are some sequences in found footage 3d that are genuinely terrifying , and degennaro directs with a brilliant flow . with such a glut of found footage films released each and every year , it’s impressive to see one that’s directed this well . it may not get its tone or satire right , but it’s mostly effective in its execution of being a found footage movie . there’s a line where andrew says there’s only ever been two and a half good found footage movies and one of those came out fifteen years ago . well , found footage 3d isn’t bringing that number up by much , but it’s better than most .

there ' s a twinge of recognition with any found - footage horror movie : filmmakers getting slaughtered before their own lenses . found footage 3d apes that convention , with a crew making a found - footage movie , spectre of death , as well as their own documentary about making their own mockumentary . under duress from their dictatorial producer ( carter roy ) , they ' re doing both in 3 - d . but what happens when they start finding evidence of something really evil in their fake found footage ?

i ' m a sucker for found footage movies , especially when they ' re self aware like this one .

steven degennaro ' s found footage 3d is hilariously scary ! doing what scream did for the slasher genre , ff3d plays to every trope of the found footage subgenre and exceeds thanks to a tight script and fantastic performances . strap yourselves in for the ride as the outcome is truly remarkable !

sg : found footage 3d is a movie people are definitely going to want to see in a theater . this will be the first found footage horror movie in 3d , which is reason enough to see it . the 3d aspect is not just some lame marketing gimmick . it’s integrated into the fabric of the story and it’s an important part of the way we plan on shooting it . there are things that we can do , as a found footage movie shot in 3d , that no found footage movie or 3d movie has ever been able to do before . as a director , i really want to explore the boundaries of the 3d medium and do something unique and original , and this story is the perfect forum for doing so . so people will need to come see this in a theater to really get the full experience .

what i didn’t realize , and what i was soon informed of , was that pre - production had at the time already begun on the first ever 3d found footage horror movie .

found footage 3d just screened at bruce campbell’s horror fest , where it won the jury award , and it can next be caught at london’s frightfest this coming monday , august 29th .

coming just before the release of blair witch , the second to the creator of this sub - genre , found footage offers a new and refreshing perspective . fans and haters of the found footage film will all find something to enjoy .

films within films are always tricky to get your head around , but found footage 3d is on a whole different level . this film has more layers than the end section of inception .

“found footage 3d” is among the better “found footage” films , although it is not among the best . charming characters carry momentum for miles and a shockingly graphic climax reinvigorates energy for the film’s final breaths . the route taken to get there just isn’t quite creepy enough and could use some more bite behind its bark .

the guide for frightfest says that found footage 3d hopes to do for the genre what scream did for slashers . it’s the first post - modern found footage movie that isn’t afraid to play within the genre conventions while also poking fun at them , and for the most part it works . but not everything does .

found footage 3d has been bought by amc networks for their horror streaming service shudder , which has been called " the netflix of horror " . the movie will be available on their streaming platform starting october 26th , just in time for halloween ! and best of all , it will be available in 2d , 3d side - by - side ( for 3d televisions and vr ) , and red - blue anaglyph 3d . indiegogo backers : dust off those 3d glasses !

halloween love : one of the most noteworthy aspects about found footage 3d is that texas chainsaw massacre co - creator kim henkel is attached to produce . how did henkel become involved with the project ?

and thus concludes found footage 3d . it ' s such a great watch that understands how to poke fun at itself while still remaining superior to the majority of its competitors . # shudder # ff3dlive

so , as far as these things go , found footage 3d is sufficiently entertaining , and tailor - made for horror movie buffs . there ' s no real reinventing found footage at this point , i think we can all agree on that , but degennaro and company have admirably delivered a satisfactory new title to the mix .

“shot natively in 3d” . many big budget hollywood productions are converted into 3d after shooting . generally , they look horrible as a result . urltoken

don ' t forget : if you want to see the movie again , or share with your friends , it is available on @ shudder in four different versions , including 2d , 3d for 3d tvs , red - blue 3d , and a director ' s commentary . also available on itunes under the title " found footage " . # shudder

the surrounding story they are plugged into could use a swig of that spirit . where “found footage 3d” runs into roadblocks , particularly with that last number and letter , is that it isn’t terribly exciting .

based on his love for the blair witch project , scream and paranormal activity , director steven degennaro unleashes a sharp , scary and smart comedy horror that he hopes will do for the found footage genre what the wes craven franchise did for slasher flicks . a group of filmmakers sets out to make the first 3d found footage horror movie , but find themselves actually in the first 3d found footage horror movie when the evil entity from their film escapes into their behind - the - scenes footage . produced by kim henkel , co - creator of the texas chain saw massacre , a fresh horror experience for genre junkies .

motion sickness sufferers need not fear found footage 3d as , with our story origin being the making of film , it’s been shot by a professional . there’s none of that shaky , jerky , nausea induced camerawork .

several months back , i jokingly made a remark on twitter that someone should make a found footage movie in 3d , due to the recent surge in popularity of both storytelling devices – or gimmicks , if you prefer .

found footage 3d receives its world premiere at the bruce campbell horror film festival in chicago on aug . 20 at 10 p . m . the film is also playing at fright fest in london on aug . 29 .

sadly it feels as though found footage 3d is a missed opportunity . everyone has gone into this with the best of intentions and it mostly works , but it’s sadly rather forgettable . it doesn’t quite know who its pitching too ( those who hate found footage or those who love it ) and so it ends up a bit bland . a very nice cameo from scott weinberg ( who also produces ) is a funny addition and allen perry has some real laugh out loud moments , but found footage 3d just feels like every movie you’ve ever seen from the genre . a shame .

“ff3d tells the story of a film crew who travel to a remote cabin in the woods to shoot a 3d found footage horror film , but get more than they bargained for when the evil entity they created for their film starts showing up in their behind - the - scenes footage . ”

a genre film found footage 3d might be , but it also works well as a ‘how to make a found footage film’ guide . throughout the course of the movie there are several discussions between cast and crew . they discuss what locations will work , how to stand out , and most importantly why their characters will keep on filming as the world falls down around them . these are all very solid concerns for a found footage movie in general and is clearly a conversation the actual cast and crew had .

) for post - production costs , adding 3d visual effects and festival entries .

it’s not about stuff popping out at the audience or anything cheesy like that . it’s about immersion in the world , which is what makes found footage and 3d such a natural fit in my opinion . found footage is about tricking your senses into thinking you are watching something real , even if you know it isn’t . and 3d is about putting you inside the world of the story , physically . so doing them both together seems like a natural fit .

found footage 3d does attempt to do something different with the found footage genre by filming it as the making of a found footage film . we follow a group of people who are making a found footage film in an old abandoned house in the country . the film does a good job of turning the cliches of the genre in on it’s self . one great example has a girl scream and all of the plates and cups flying out of the cupboards in the kitchen . we’ve of course seen this before , but we the viewer at first think that it’s something supernatural , but we then learn it’s an effect for the film in the film . but then it’s revealed the…

there are moments throughout found footage 3d where we get to watch the crew edit footage , while a webcam screen is open showing what’s behind us . there’s no doubt filming this was as confusing as it sounds , but these sequences were essential in order to deliver some of the best scenes in the movie .

anna biller’s the love witch , tim reis’ bad blood : the movie , steven degennaro’s found footage 3d , ali abbasi’s berlin hit shelley and shelden renan’s controversial documentary the killing of america are among the films in the discovery screen strand .

steven degennaro : anyone interested in more info about the film , or to keep up with the latest developments , can visit the found footage 3d website or any of our various social media pages ; facebook , instagram , twitter and youtube .

found footage 3d had its world premiere at the bruce campbell horror film festival last week , where it won the jury award . it will screen at frightfest in london on august 29th . it does not yet have a formal release date .

pete barnstrom ( film editor ) was an editor on the found footage film exists by blair witch project creator eduardo sánchez , which premiered at sxsw 2014 .

so blair witch is the best ff feature , but for my money , the best found - footage horror movie of all time is gareth evans’ short “safe haven” from v / h / s / 2 . it’s a masterpiece of short horror and by far the most effective use of found footage i’ve ever encountered .

a dash of local production news : indie horror found footage 3d by austin director steven degennaro ( " first date " ) has wrapped up the first week of shooting down in gonzales , and they ' ve released this short production video diary .

found footage 3d begins as many found footage films do , with a clearly defined goal . we’re quickly introduced to a group of filmmakers headed by leading man derek ( carter roy ) , director andrew ( tom saporito ) , cameraman and derek’s brother mark ( chris o’brien ) and sound guy carl ( scott allen perry ) as they discuss the project they’re about to embark on , a found footage movie , “the spectre of death 3d” . derek reveals to the audience and to his crew that not only are they making a found footage film , they’re going to make a making - of documentary , and to top it all off it’s all going to be in 3d . andrew immediately derides the idea as absolutely ludicrous , and derek says they’ll figure out how to make it work , because in order to get the big press , you’ve got to be the first to do something . meta .

, a film that is a brilliant sendup of the subgenre , a loving tribute to found footage , and one of the best surprises in horror this year .

found footage fans can claim rewards that include digital downloads , 3d glasses , props from the film , signed texas chain saw massacre memorabilia , and private screening invitations . full fan and rewards information can be seen on the indiegogo campaign page here : urltoken .

plot : a small crew of filmmakers head to a remote countryside in texas to make a 3d found footage horror movie . little do they know the cabin they ' re shooting in is haunted - or has the apparition in their own movie bled into reality ?

“it doesn’t quite know who its pitching too ( those who hate found footage or those who love it ) and so it ends up a bit bland . a very nice cameo from scott weinberg ( who also produces ) is a funny addition and allen perry has some real laugh out loud moments , but found footage 3d just feels like every movie you’ve ever seen from the genre . a shame . ” luke owen , flickering myth

the true surprise hit of the festival was the world premiere of found footage 3d , a meta comedy / horror film that is , in fact , a 3d found footage movie written and directed by steven degennaro . even more than any of the repertory screenings , found footage played best to the packed - house crowd of any movie during the weekend . it ' s a modest film , about a small group of filmmakers who go to a remote cabin to make a movie until life starts to imitate art , which , in turn , imitates life . while i ' m no real fan of found footage movies , degennaro and the cast found a way to have their cake and eat it , too ; the film is both a critique of found footage and one of the best found footage movies ever made - - the rare sendup that works as both a goof on the thing and as a great example of the thing itself . there are really funny observations about the horror genre and the filmmaking process , but a handful of terrific scares as well . while horror movies - - and in particular found footage movies - - aren ' t known for great character work , that ' s what ' s best about found footage 3d . degennero and the cast ( who are , to a person , terrific ) understand that we have to care about these people in order to give any kind of shit about what happens to them , and the film has an amazing ability to shift tones and sympathies multiple times in the course of a single scene . i don ' t think the movie has distribution yet , but keep an eye out for it and hit up social media saying you want to see it if you can . it really is something special .

but it would only work if we could shoot in 3d and do it properly . so we looked into what it would take to shoot the movie in 3d and we discovered that it was not at all prohibitive , financially or logistically . in fact , the price of 3d camcorders has dropped so precipitously in the last few years ( the camera we shot on costs less than 2 grand to buy ) that it suddenly seemed inevitable that someone would shoot a found footage horror movie in 3d in the next few years , and it may as well be us .

ah , found footage . the bad penny of mid - naughties horror that turned a brutally realistic storytelling device in cannibal holocaust into countless low - rent , inc . . .

an entertaining watch despite its missteps , and it ' s still far better than most found footage films as it delivers solid performances , smart observations , and a fun ride .

in the same way that scream deconstructed the slasher sub - genre in the 90’s , ff3d takes a found - footage horror movie and populates it with people who are aware of all of the rules , tricks , and clichés of the genre . they know how to make a found - footage movie . but do they know how to survive one ?

one of the fun aspects of found footage 3d is that we get some great special effects gags and even a blood bath of a third act . jessica perrin , who plays lily , gets pretty beat up throughout the movie , including one of the movie’s first jump scares .

weinberg : “found footage really constrains you on what you can do editorily . you shoot a traditional movie and shoot five takes , you can mix and match what you want . ”

but as goofy as the idea of a 3d found footage movie may sound , director degennaro fully leans into the concept and delivers one of the best 3d experiences i’ve had in a theater since the format had its resurgence in 2009 . this isn’t a slapdash post - conversion ; the depth and clarity have clearly been thought through , and the movie offers a number of sequences in which the 3d is used in new ways to brilliant effect . it’s one of the few theatrical experiences i’ve had in a long time that i won’t just suggest be seen theatrically in 3d , but demand it .

there is a lot to like about found footage 3d however . unlike a lot of films in the genre , the movie features a cast of very likeable characters from the struggling director andrew and the loveable sound guy carl ( played brilliantly and hilariously by scott allen perry ) . production assistant lily adds a real sweet quality to the cast , and this is countered perfectly by writer and all - round asshole derek ( perfectly portrayed by carter roy ) and flip - flopping amy . in a really smart move , the plot of found footage 3d mirrors the film they’re making , titled spectre of death . the film within the film surrounds a couple escaping to a cabin in the woods to help their marriage , which reflects derek and his co - star amy’s failed marriage . it’s all surface level stuff , but it adds a lot to found footage 3d .

why would anyone make , or want to see , a found footage movie in 3d ? that ' s the question posed to pompous actor - writer - producer derek ( carter roy ) , whose bright idea it is to travel , along with a small band of very patient friends , to an isolated location and knock out a quick and dirty thriller called spectre of death , which is basically the blair witch project meets paranormal activity . derek is the kind of guy who only thinks in big picture terms , content not to worry about little things like sensible plotting or character motivation ; all he knows is that 3d movies make more money than 2d ones , so their cheap found footage movie might as well utilize the format . the director of spectre of death , andrew ( tom saporito ) , asks the obvious questions : why would a couple vacationing in the woods have 3d cameras ? who has ever heard of 3d security cameras ? and , the most common issue for a found footage movie , why haven ' t they dropped the camera yet ? derek - and found footage 3d - never really comes up with a satisfactory answer for this , but the true reason is clear : don ' t matter , it ' s a movie .

as writer , producer , and star of the horror movie “spectre of death , ” derek james surprises director andrew reed , sound operator carl , and new p . a . lily by announcing that theirs will be the first “found footage” film to shoot in 3d . derek’s brother mark is also given a 3d camera to use for shooting the behind - the - scenes “making of” documentary .

if you consider that the found footage horror film really found its footing in 1999 with the release of the blair witch project , then you understand just how bold a claim , " first found - footage horror film to . . . " really is . doesn ' t really matter what follows those first six words . we ' re talking about a sub - genre that ' s beyond exhausted , and approached in seemingly every way possible . over 18 years of making excuse after excuse as to why the camera must keep rolling . " first found - footage horror film to . . . " couldn ' t possibly mean anything today . could it ?

“ found footage 3d is destined to become a franchise , and for once – i am rooting for such a thing . it’s clever , smoothly - produced with a constant wink to the audience ( perhaps not the dumb ones – the film’s words , not mine ! ) and it contains an exceptional excuse – one to beat all others in the found footage world – as to why they continue to film… because they’re filming a movie . duh ! ” michael klug , horrorfreak news

consider , for example , the very “hook” of the movie , which is to be the first - ever found footage movie shot in 3d ( at the time it went into production , this was the case ; paranormal activity : the ghost dimension technically beat this one to the punch , but that’s a movie destined to be forgotten ) . on the one hand , it’s ludicrous and completely at odds with the found footage aesthetic , which is to provide as “real” and immediate an experience as cinema allows . by putting the idea in the brain of cynical , opportunistic derek , found footage 3d stays a step ahead of the audience by openly admitting to all of its own potential faults—it beats us to the critical punch , at the same time mining satire about the way artistic decisions are made in the movie business .

a small production team are hard at work on their latest film project , a found footage horror . worried that the genre has been done to death , star and producer derek ( carter roy ) comes up with an ingenious idea , to film it in 3d . to further set it apart in the crowded market he also decides that the behind - the - scenes documentary should also be filmed in that format . however , unbeknownst to the crew they have just become the stars of their very own found footage film…

the film is well shot , perfectly replicating the style of footage one might find in a low budget making - of feature . the plot is whip crack smart and the performances are all organic and believable . one of the easiest way to screw up your found footage horror film is bad acting and found footage 3d deftly avoids that pitfall . every character feels real and grounded in our world , which is key when shit starts hitting the fan . the entire cast is strong ; roy’s derek is every inch a schlock film maker , o’brien’s mark is the shy technical wizard , perrn’s lily the charming if unremarkable easy target .

this is a prime example of a movie that tries way too hard to be a satire , kind like how scream was a satire of slasher films ( only that scream was actually incredible ) . this movie tries to be a satire of the found footage genre , but there is so many problems with this movie it ' s not even funny . first off the acting is terrible there ' s so many moments that are so out of left field , the writing feels like someone who ' s trying to be funny but really isn ' t . also this is one of those found footage movies , idiots argue for like 80 minutes and then something not very interesting happens at the last 10 - 15 minutes . i will say there were some moments that made me laugh so i guess that counts for something , but overall found footage 3d is a terrible satire on the found footage genre which is dying . . . . .

now available on shudder and itunes . " a near - perfect horror experience " - - bloody disgusting . " one of the best found footage movies i ' ve ever seen . " - - daily dead

from the description above , “found footage 3d” might sound like it has the potential to be cartoonishly off kilter in balancing its kook with its kills . it does have that potential , but immense credit goes to the film’s complete cast and director steven degennaro for keeping comedy tuned with subtlety so it doesn’t detract from the drama .

steven degennaro’s short film first date was voted “best of fest” by five festival audiences , won a jury award for directing , and was given a special commendation by united states senate majority leader harry reid . he currently teaches sound design and mixing at the university of texas at austin . found footage 3d is his first feature .

in case you haven’t heard yet , found footage 3d surrounds a group of filmmakers who set out to utilize their budget limitations and create the next big found footage movie , spectre of death 3d . the director of the movie within a movie , derek ( carter roy ) casts himself as the lead in a vain attempt to exploit his own failed relationship with amy ( alena von stroheim ) , even casting her as his female lead . their characters in spectre feel a trip into a cabin in the woods might help solve their problems and he wants to document the experience…in 3d . of course , strange things start happening and a supernatural force seems to feed off their negative energy and familiar devices ensue . derek’s crew decide on what kind of gimmicks they’re going to use , including filming with 3d cameras in order to capitalize on ticket surcharges so the movie is a guaranteed financial success . his feelings towards the people he hopes will pay to see the movie aren’t the most passionate , but greed is what motivates him and begins to create tension amongst the crew . this leads to the spirit from their movie to transition into reality and everything they were making fun of becomes what drives the terror in found footage 3d .

the way that steve degennaro and his team have striven to make found footage 3d as much of a behind - the - scenes dramatisation as possible , has resulted in almost a documentary feel . this is exactly what you want in your found footage horror . above all else it has to seem real , otherwise it won’t have the desired effect . if you think back to the blair witch project – the film that started the genre – you forgot that you were watching fiction . similarly , at times , you get the same experience here .

as promised by the premise , a meta aspect exists where the movie criticizes the current state of “found footage” and its associated clichés . a big chunk of that lamentation isn’t incorporated into either plot , however . a lot of it is simply “did you ever notice ? ” dialogue reflecting the same sentiments shared by everyone fatigued on the first - person format . satire isn’t simply identifying tropes through a character’s open rant . “found footage 3d” makes moves to turn certain ideas on their ear , though it misses opportunities to be as clever as it can .

in brief , producer derek ( carter roy ) wants to shoot a found footage flick that does what no other film in this overcrowded realm has done before . he turns up one day with a couple of suitcases full of cutting edge tech that would allow them to shoot their film in 3d . we all know that every found footage movie should have a reason why people would keep on shooting when supernatural shit starts hitting the fan so everyone just laughs the 3d gimmick idea off at first and this provides for a great bit of raillery as to why on earth anyone in their right minds would be heading off to the woods to shoot something sinister , let alone in 3d . but boys will be boys when it comes to new toys and once they get their hands on the equipment , the whole idea seems to make perfect sense so they load up the car and set off to shoot “the spectre of death 3d . ”

i don’t have a favorite 3d horror film , to be honest . my favorite 3d films are all non - horror : gravity , avatar , and hugo spring to mind . the 3d for those films was innovative and immersive in a way that most 3d features aren’t . gravity , in particular , was absolutely riveting in imax 3d . i’m as big a critic of the “let’s convert every big - budget film to 3d” as anyone . if you are going to use the tool , use it wisely and not just because it will let you charge an extra three bucks . it would be the height of hubris to compare ff3d to any of those films , but at the same time , like those movies , i want people to come out of the theater and tell their friends : “you have to go see this in 3d ! ” that’s my goal .

review : before i start in earnest , full disclosure : i did not see this movie in 3d . i know , seems as though that would negate at least part of the novelty of found footage 3d , which aims to tease - and honor - the trappings of both found footage and 3d horror movies , but the truth is , the film is only just now barging out of the gates at a handful of horror film festivals , ones that i ' m not able to attend , but i was not about to allow that to dissuade me from seeing it early . the good news is , i liked it ( for the most part ) , more than enough to want to check it out in the theater with those damn glasses on when the time comes , just to give it its full due .

urltoken - found footage 3d official trailer ( 2016 ) horror movie hd when he ' s hired to document the behind - the - scenes action of the ultra low - budget horror movie spectre of death ( " the first 3d found - footage horror film " ) , an aspiring filmmaker packs up his camera and travels with the film ' s crew to a creepy cabin in the woods . but when the fictional evil presence from their film begins appearing in his behind - the - scenes footage , he has to figure out how to stop it , or it just may find its way into the real world . starring : carter roy , alena von stroheim , chris o ' brien , tom saporito , scott allen perry , jessica perrin , scott weinberg website : urltoken ►subscribe to joblo movie trailers : urltoken

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i’m glad to be able to report that writer / director steven degennaro’s feature debut , found footage 3d succeeds in very much the same way by adopting a similar attitude , presumably the fruit of degennero’s designs to pinpoint where so much of all the crappy found footage that has been put out before shot itself in the foot and gave the sub - genre the bad rep it has right now . although the plot is a bit more bare bones compared to the aforementioned leslie vernon , found footage 3d’s ace up its sleeve is the deftly written dialogue and inspired humor , all buoyed by a completely committed cast who really make the whole thing all the more palpable and , accordingly , you can’t help but get sucked right in . and despite the film being a comedy at its core , it also manages to include a few well devised shit - your - pants scares that i honestly wasn’t expecting to see before heading into this one .

plays with the tropes and the medium of found footage in ways that are genuinely funny and entertaining in its most memorable scenes . unfortunately the majority of the movie devolves into a grating stream of arguing and mumbling that just drags .

degennaro and his cast and crew have brought to life the ideal love child of multiple gimmicks and the end result is much greater than the sum of its parts . smartly written , believably acted , and deftly crafted , found footage 3d is funny , smart , and scary as hell . when you get the chance , you need to see this movie .

day 7 – derek forces andrew to rig a 3d surveillance camera using two gopros , even though it makes no narrative sense .

midway into the movie , i forgot i was watching in 3d . not because it became a naturally seamless part of the presentation , but because there ceased to be anything of import occurring within that third layer . outside of obligatory first act goofs like water spray , items , and hands making accordion moves toward the lens , “found footage 3d” neglects that last part of its title as the movie rolls forward , which wouldn’t be too big of a deal if it wasn’t the whole hook .

that said , i did see some great stuff , mostly at festivals ( of which i attended 10 this year , thanks to found footage 3d ) . i like to include festival movies on my list because i think it’s good to make people aware so that you can catch them in their general release . here’s the best of what i saw in 2016 :

steven degennaro : the original idea , which didn’t involve 3d at all , was born when i realized that in 2012 ( when i wrote the first draft ) , the found footage genre was rapidly heading toward the same morass of mediocrity that the slasher genre had been mired in in the early 90’s when kevin williamson wrote scream . and yet , despite a number of ( absolutely terrible ) straight - up spoofs of found footage , no one had yet attempted the post - modern , scream - esque version of the genre . so i decided i was going to take a crack at it .

as always , screening info and tickets can be found on our screenings page . enjoy the show ( s ) !

at this point , horror has gotten so " meta " that there ' s nowhere to go but where found footage 3d goes , which is meta upon meta . ( a character even remarks , " nice , that ' s very meta . " ) if that sounds annoying , thankfully it is not . the film , in the early going , is cute with its exploitation of cliches and horror movie tropes without going too far overboard . that said , once the real horror of the story kicks in , this angle doesn ' t exactly matter anymore . found footage 3d ultimately reveals itself to be all too faithful to the genre it ' s initially satirizing ; it ' s not too meta to avoid the found footage characteristics we ' ve gotten so used to . it ' s like scream or behind the mask in that sense ; it ' s a send - up of a subgenre while also quite responsibly checking off all the required boxes . only problem with that , for me , is that i like slasher movies a lot more than i like found footage movies , but if you ' ve got room in your heart for at least one more paranormal pov flick , this one should suffice .

when he ' s hired to document the behind - the - scenes action of the low - budget horror movie spectre of death ( " the first 3d found - footage horror film " ) , an aspiring filmmaker packs up his camera and travels with the film ' s crew to a creepy cabin in the woods . but as interpersonal issues threaten to topple the endeavor and the production spirals out of control , the fictional evil presence in their film begins appearing in the behind - the - scenes footage . if he can ' t figure out how to stop it , it just may find its way into the real world . they know how to make a found footage movie , but do they know how to survive one ?