Directors: Radio Silence, David Bruckner, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, Ti West, Adam Wingard
Screenplay: As above plus Brad Miska, Nicholas Tecosky, Simon Barrett
Starring: Calvin Reeder, Lane Hughes, Kentucker Audley, Adam Wingard
Year: 2012
Language: English
UK rental release: January 2013
IMDb
LoveFilm
Rotten Tomatoes
We're nearing the end of the filmbore horror season now. Our fifth and penultimate entry is another misunderstood indie film of recent release.
No compendium of horror movies is complete with the staple sub genre of
portmanteau. We've received many anthology movies over the years like the chilling British classics from Amicus Productions in the 60's and 70's to the more renowned 80's efforts like Twilight Zone:
The Movie and Creepshow. And now, the modern portmanteau has had a face lift
in the indie multi-directorial scare-fest, V/H/S
A group of lads out for petty crime also fill their time with creating scuzzy sex films in a "happy slapping" format: they grab strangers out-of-the-blue and lift the lady's tops on camera to sell for money. They have no shame and are destructive in their very nature.
One of the gang members knows of a job that will make them a lot more cash than their reckless home movies can, and in just one night! The must break into a remote house and locate a mysterious video within. They
have no idea what is on this tape but know that they'll be well paid
for retrieving it.
They continue to film the events and manage to invade the house in question. During the first few minutes of searching they find a room with TVs
stacked against a wall, lighting the space with their images of static,
while a dead man bears witness in an armchair opposite.
Disturbed by their discovery, most of the
group investigate the basement for more tapes, while our camera man waits in
the room with the corpse and peruses some of the videos strewn before
him. But with so many to choose from, which does he watch first?After selecting a cassette he slots it into a machine and presses play.
They manage to meet some women in a bar, and get considerably drunker as the evening wears on. Yet, one of their new found female friends is acting very
peculiar. This odd lady takes a fancy of our spec's wearer and he takes
her back to their motel along with the other girls. It's not long, however, that he'll find out the
secret behind her strange behaviour.
Firstly, I just want to ask that if you decide to watch this, please be
patient and give this picture a chance. If you're open minded enough this film
may surprise you in parts. I wasn't expecting to like it that much (which
is a rare feeling for me, as I try not to prejudge a movie before I
see it) but I was pleasantly taken aback by this picture.
In V/H/S we are presented with six short films - five connected by one core story in the usual style of the portmanteau - shot on a mix of film and HD, with a blend of digital effects which are subtle and look quite real. This is refreshing these days, what with the farcical,
blatantly obvious computer generated efforts in more recent horrors. I also like how the quality of each video segment alters each time, bringing further
authenticity; some are soaked with old-school grainy flecks, others flirt with
the clarity of high definition.
These difference may exist, by accident, due to the crew selected. Instead of one director handling the whole anthology, instead each chapter is handled by a different helmer, with directing quartet, Radio Silence (consisting of Matt Bettinelli-Opin,
Tyler Gillett, Chad Villella, Justin Martinez) complete the compilation
with their Halloween based effort.
They are given the chance to run amok with stupefying concepts and adventurous plot lines. Stories are concentrated, bringing sturdy plots to each vignette. It's
good that unknowns, wanting to flaunt their wares, were given the
opportunity to craft something unique here, as better known filmmakers
may have been reluctant to share strong ideas in a portmanteau piece in
fear of drowning amongst the flock. Each director takes a risk with
their respective chapters, allowing their outputs to appear audacious,
defiant and unexpected.
There's real originality in each of these pieces, if all a little out of balance at times, yet I feel this shake up between stories strengthens the movie with its unease. In fact, the anthology concept itself is put to good use here with a literal reason for chapters. The multi-video premise allows each director to experiment a little and to tamper with different genres. Not only do we witness some good homage to different horror houses, but we also get good cocktails throughout (for example, paranormal body-shock, or cabin-in-the-woods techno
killer). These crazy mixes of sub-genres helps to bring an extra flavour to the movie and it's great to have
these fusions within the overall blend of found footage and portmanteau.
That said, it will not be to everyone's taste. It does have "cult film" written all over it but this isn't always a good thing. The rapid switches between chapters and the lengthy run time (nearly two hours, which is long for an anthology piece) may be off putting for some also. However, I feel that what severely polarises views is its substance. It's brash in it's vulgarity and completely unfazed by it's flaunting nature.
It's fearless in its fearful content. Whatever your view though, you also have to admit that it holds some serious horror mastery. At points, it's incredibly creepy amidst the normality it presents. It feeds you some good chunks of terror when it desires and there are some parts that are successfully scary, which is a great achievement when
considering the small budget it was made from and the limited time each story has to be able to build
the necessary tension.
It's dark, it's rude and it could offend; those averse to nudity, gore
and stark realism will be shocked by some of the footage, hyped up by
the fact that this is in the home-video style. However, if your stomach
is strong and your heart is incorruptible then this brutal horror
compendium might just tickle your tracking. Amidst the brave, dark and depraved is a fun movie for those with the stamina for it.
Check some reviews and you'll see that the ratings are questionable.
Yet, check some other articles, including those on horror specialist sites, and
the scores are more promising. This is because V/H/S is for horror fans
only. With great nods to modern movies of this genre (especially of the
found footage variety) it's a reminder that great horrors can be made
without the need for an endless stream of remakes.
I
must admit that overall this movie doesn't stand tall against some of
the other films I generally select for my website. However, I have to
acknowledge both the bravery and conceptualisation of the tales in this
unusual anthology. Big steps were attempted at telling some original
stories, and for that reason alone I have to stand by the film. V/H/S
deserves to be on filmbore amidst some great films purely for it's guts!
Don't forget to leave comments below, tweet me @filmbore or post on my Facebook page here.
Alternatively, you could contact me directly about this film or my other reviews on pickoftheweek@filmbore.co.uk
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