Ever since the “The Blair Witch Project” fooled and captivated horror-seeking audiences everywhere, found footage movies have been all the rage. From the “Paranormal Activity” series to “REC,” it seems as if every October a new one is being released. But as any horror movie buff knows, not all of these are made equally.
“V/H/S” straddles the line between good and laughably average. Its peaks are truly frightening, but the occasional lulls and frustrating plot holes sour the entire experience.
“V/H/S” is a horror anthology comprised of five short stories tied together with a found footage story arc. All of the stories were created separately by different directors and compiled together.
The main story “Tape 56,” directed by Adam Wingard (“You’re Next”), tells the story of a group of young men who film their illegal exploits for money. A friend of the group approaches them, saying he knows a man who will give them even more money if the group breaks into a house and recovers a specific VHS tape. Members of the group play a couple of tapes while searching for the correct one in a house that is not as empty as it appears.
The tapes range from creature features, home invasions and haunted houses. Ti West (“The House of the Devil,” “The Innkeepers”) was the only director whose story did not include blatant paranormal activity.
A twist on the classic home invasion plot, West’s story “Second Honeymoon” follows a young couple on a road trip down south. After settling in at a dirty motel, the couple is bothered by an uninvited guest who films them while they sleep. Like “The House of the Devil,” West’s short story has you waiting until the last moments, where everything that could possibly go wrong does so in the most unexpected way.
“Second Honeymoon” is a bright spot in the anthology. Unlike some of the other shorts, West doesn’t waste the audience’s time or over use the magic provided by CGI.
“Amateur Night,” directed by David Bruckner (“The Signal”), also stands out from some of the other shorts. When a trio of men go out on the town with a pair of spy cam glasses, they pick up a girl who isn’t quite human. Bruckner takes no prisoners with his short. It’s over the top in a way that’s both delightful and horrifying to watch. Although the beginning party scenes drag on a little too long, the rest of the short is very fast-paced.
Joe Swanberg’s “The Sick Thing That Happened To Emily When She Was Younger” has interesting points, but the incredibly vague ending makes it difficult to discern exactly what’s going on.
Likewise, “10/31/98,” directed by the group Radio Silence (comprised of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Justin Martinez, Tyler Gillett and Chad Villella), stirs interest with a malignant house but falls short due to its predictability and laughable CGI.
“Tuesday the 17th” by Glenn McQuaid (“I Sell the Dead”) explores the interesting idea of a killer you can’t see, but it’s boring and forgettable upon execution.
“V/H/S” is a fun movie to watch in preparation for Halloween, but it doesn’t compare to other horror movie classics like “The Blair Witch Project,” “The Shining” or “Halloween.” Classic and cult horror films challenge the genre and leave large traceable marks on the movies that follow them. While the anthology concept is unique, “V/H/S” doesn’t challenge many horror stereotypes. The characters are still frustratingly naïve, women are either sex kittens or just pure evil, and blood and guts make up a large part of the scares.
thescene@theeagleonline.com
