V/H/S/2 Blu-ray
V/H/S/2 [DVD+Blu-ray+VHS Tape] -Really comes with VHS copy
This is an updated version of a previous review of the digital release.
A new anthology collection of found footage, with a central story of a stupid couple breaking into a house for a tape. They shouldn't have, but hey their stupid and we need a small premise for this anthology to start. Since it's a sequel, there's more of a rush to get into the anthology films and are their some nice ones in this collection.
The best way to review the movie is to classify the worst film in the anthology and the best. Along the way you'll encounter boobs, techno music and men in their underwear that shall creep you out.
Spoilers
Phase I Clinical Trials
A seemingly normal douche gets an electronic eye, with it he sees dead people. The weakest film in the anthology. You'll hate the main character and you'll hate the mysterious girl who finds him at his estate overlooking the city. Hey, maybe the budget could have been spent on a hospital or lab that would have looked rich enough to put in an electronic eye. Even a college campus would have been better. No, you get a crappy doctor's office for putting in a robotic eye.
You have a first person perspective as your seeing the footage from his robot eye, which has some nice touches here and there like seeing dead people and electronic feedback. A few special effects and annoying girl who is just completely unlikable, but is in it for some boobs to be in the short.
A Ride in the Park
A man goes for a ride in the park with a camera on his head. He gets bitten by a zombie and becomes a zombie. Instant classic, simple fun. Taking the premise of the first person camera and doing a good job with it, unlike Phase 1, with a much more simple concept of someone turned into zombie. Watching his transformation, his first bite and taking damage all a treat for the eyes. They even threw in a birthday party, intermixing the footage from a handheld camera from the party. Fast and fun and a better connection to the character than the douche from the first film. You feel sorry for your zombie by the end of this one.
Safe Haven
Cult with some dark plans invites a camera crew in on their last day. A nice set-up at some sort of a boca bar with the cult leader sets the creepy mood.
Blown away by this one, it easily could have been a feature length film with more build up. We see the lost footage left by the crew from a Satan worshiping cult. Many great homages to classic cult films and demonic films of the past, yet still has original dark humor. When the end times come the ritual suicide by the group has them saying, "Amen" to gunshots to the head. Little sick nods to something going wrong with the cult leader taking away young girls purity. You have a wonderful performance by the before mentioned totally creppy cult leader. His hand movements in a preliminary interview already have you questioning what's wrong with him. Little hints along the way should easily have you figuring out some surprises if you've watched other horror films. Great ending with a perfect dark joke.
Slumber Party Alien Abduction
You were thinking of high school girls from the title? No, foor young boys, one of which has an older sister and her boyfriend are having a fun weekend alone without their parents. Dirty and childish jokes cover their weekend until night falls, jokes like seeing her sister doing it. There's also a cute little canine with a camera attached to his collar. Horrifying aliens descend and start abducting everyone. Moments of terror and surprise as you're running away with the kids from whatever these weird aliens want. The aliens are a take on the grey type commonly found from other science fiction with huge open mouths. A great, "wait ,what was that moment" early on and some great lighting elements and tight spots constrict you from time to time.
End of anthology reviews
Jason Eisner’s ‘Slumber Party Alien Abduction had the highest production value and the concept of aliens was just enough of a twist to grab me. Those who didn't need to come back for the sequel are the people producing it. I would have much more preferred the quartet of directors of Radio Silence who did "10/31/98" in the first film then Adam Wingard and his Phase I Clinical Trials, though he does a good enough job with the main story concept of two idiots breaking into someone's home. Other reviews might say the sequel is better with the more experienced directors at the helm. The ideas and concepts of the first film are simply top notch new horror. Don't compare the two, just hope more diverse directors join the anthology and the producers stay out of putting their own films in it. I can compare the two and we are getting less films this time around, quality over quantity?
The Blu-ray versions gives you both the unrated and rated versions with a huge amount of extras showing you how the films were made. If you're a fan or want to know how they pulled off some of the tricks you'll want to see those extras.
This is perfect to watch with friends for the upcoming Halloween season. Sitting back and then rating them one by one. It brought back the horror anthology proper. The mess that is the ABC's of death is more of a joke and can't compare to films like this. Stuff that fills real, because you grew up with footage looking like that, footage that you could have found.
The Blu-rays were provided by the publisher for review.
