Quick Reviews: Galaxy of Horrors

With all the focus on Outer Space and Horror right now, I might as well do an Outer Space Horror Anthology Film...

In Deep Space, a man is stuck in his Cryo Pod.  The A.I. won't let him out and tries to calm him by endlessly-playing Sci-Fi Horror Shorts.

Yes, that is the Framing Device.  Yes, it is silly.

There are 8 Stories, so I really can't go in-depth on them here (especially if I want to avoid SPOILERS).  So here is just a taste...

- A tale of a contaminated future.
- A tale of a strange, possibly-living Computer.

- A tale of a man with a curious phone app a la Siri.  Can he trust it?

- A tale of people trying to create life differently in a bleak future.
- A Terry Gilliam-esque tale of a linked-in future where transactions can be fatal.

- For an Alien connection, a tale of intrigue in Deep Space on a floating ship (also in B&W for no reason).

- A tale of weird creatures revealing themselves in a future Nightclub.
- A tale of a woman drifting in Space where the destination may be worse than her current location.

To find out how these all work out, watch the Film.

Well, it is what it is.  Anthology Films are a tricky thing.  Have too many parts and they end up being too loosely-connected and random.  Have too few parts and each one is never quite the right length.  As this one goes, there are really too many for my taste.  The biggest problem is just how vague the Theme is.  This is just Sci-Fi Horror.  Some are set in Space, while some on Earth.  Some are in the far future, while some are in the vague present.  Some have Aliens, while some just have Technology.  The individual parts are all so different that this hardly feels like a Film.  Having said that, most of the individual parts are pretty interesting on their own.  With a different connection and some variety in the wraparound part, this could definitely work.  As it is, Galaxy of Horrors is a mish-mash that never quite gels.  Just to add to the connections, here's something a la Star Wars...

The Anthology format and randomness of the tales keeps it from building momentum.  The individual parts will either work or fail you on their own though.