A moderately successful "found footage" horror anthology!
Every year there is buzz about the next great horror film. One year it was Martyr's, one year it was Serbian Film, y'know the must see horror pics. So the movie that was getting the biggest amount of hype this year was V/H/S. It's not half bad, well maybe half of it is bad. I would say that all of the shorts here are competently done, but some suffer storywise. And it's been awhile since a decent horror anthology has come out. Most of the time you just think about Creepshow. It is kind of hard to beat after all. So let's take a closer look at these shorts.
I struggled with how to review this. Most of the shorts are not that long and almost any amount of description just ruins the plot. I will say that I thought the first "official" short and the last "official" short are probably the best of the bunch. Ti West does the "Second Honeymoon" skit, which I thought was typical for his stuff. Like all of his films, the "big reveal" is usually just a "that's all"? I guess you could say his stuff just doesn't do it for me, and this short is no different...although aside from the first segment this is by far the bloodiest and most graphic. It just involves a couple on a honeymoon and a mysterious stranger that comes knocking at the door. While I would say that what happens is horrific, I wouldn't necessarily catagorize this as "horror" per se. Most of it is just the guy trying to get the girl to agree to sex on film. It takes awhile to get going. While I will say I didn't see the ending coming, I just wasn't that blown away by it either. Standard stuff with a mildly shocking ending.
The next skit "Tuesday the 17th" doesn't fare much better. It's just about some kids going to some lake that apparently has a history of violence. There is some horsing around and mucho shaky-cam (I'm kind of sick to my stomach as i'm writing this), and then people start to die. There is an effect on the tape that I just didn't get. This segment was not scary at all, but fairly gory. Also, the acting is not up to par with the other ones. Think of it as "found footage" Friday the 13th I guess, but a heck of a lot shorter.
Next up "The sick thing that happened to Emily when she was Younger". This is by far the weakest of the skits. The actress can't even act that scared, and I thought that the reveal was kind of stupid. Basically a girl is talking to a doctor (she is in love with?) and it appears that her apt is haunted. She contacts him at night when the weird things start happening, so he can get them on tape. Like I said, things are not what they appear to be. Emily suffers bruises and the like when she sleeps, and constantly tells her beau that she thinks she is being haunted. Eh...
Much better are the two I think are the best. "Amateur Night" and "10\31\98". In Amateur Night a group of guys get the idea to make their own amateur porn video, so they go scouting the local bar and pick up two girls. One of the girls Lily, "just keeps saying" to one of the guys, "I like you". Also, this clip is kind of clever as his glasses are the actual recorder...so we see everything through his eyes. This is also the most hard R of the whole anthology, as there is plenty of nudity (both male and female). I almost thought of it as a horror version of Porky's...but it worked for me. The special effects are nicely done once the blood starts flowing, and there is a surprise ending.
The last sort "10\31\98" is the next most clever. In it a bunch of guys are on their way to a costume party, and arrive to find an empty house, with a sinister secret being held somewhere in the house. There are a lot of cool effects in this piece, and even though I kind of figured out the reveal beforehand, it was still fairly shocking. The acting is not half bad here either. And then we have the wrapper video "Tape 56", and this is the worst of them all in terms of acting especially. Basically we see a bunch of guys raising havoc and doing stuff like assaulting a girl in a parking garage and exposing her breast We then find out they were paid a lot of money to break in an old man's house and steal a video tape. And of course even though they think they are safe, they are not. But the acting is really weak in this segment, phoning it in.
So, in summary this is a decent found footage horror anthology. Some of the stories work better than others, but there are a lot of horror staples here as well. Exposed breasts, nudity, gore...V/H/S has you covered in that department. It would have scored higher, if not for the 3 subpar skits that almost look out of place here.
But, if you are just itching to watch a horror anthology and don't mind massive amounts of shaky cam, then this might be one worth the video rental. But, there is no reason to get this on Blue Ray...as it doesn't make VHS recordings look any better...
7.5 out of 10
And so ends my blogging for now. I really enjoy finding good horror films that have been overlooked, or that have not had much exposure, and I would say that I have found some real gems here. Several of these films I would not mind seeing again with someone that hasn't seen them, just to see their reactions to certain troubling scenes. I think Borderland was the most disturbing to me though...that film was bleak with barely any humor at all....and had some really fine performances. I'll never look at Sean Astin as a friendly hobbit again. But, please avoid Midnight Movie. If you want 80's cheese, then check out Bloody Birthday. And The Reef is great if you are afraid of sharks, or just want some nail biting suspense. The Loved Ones fills the torture porn category nicely and was also one of my favorite of these films.
I may still keep this blog around and review movies from time to time. If I update it, I will post it on Facebook so you all know. I want to thank everyone that supported me through this, and all of the viewers. I know I need some work on structure for the reviewing, but I think i'm off to a good start. Feel free to leave comments on any good horror movies you have seen lately. Although Halloween is now officially over, my love for the horror film goes all year round. Thanks again for the support! :)
Sincerely,
mtaffer
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