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...If I had a dime for every time I said that during this movie. :-)
I am a big fan of horror movies. I like to be scared, disturbed and taken well out of my comfort zone....for fun! :-) I do NOT like to be grossed out and offended for no reason (case in point, "Human Centipede"...zero interest in something like that). Though I prefer my scary movies to be more atmosphere and jumps than carnage, this one is an exception to the rule. It was one of the most unforgettably disturbing films (in an enjoyable way) that I've seen in a while. Though I am a fan of the "found-footage" subgenre of horror, I had pretty much written it off as something fun but very limited in potential, having hit its high points with the awesome "Blair Witch Project" and very well-done "Paranormal Activity." Then I saw V/H/S and was impressed. That led me to see its sequel, and wow...yeah, this was one messed-up, crazy, gory, wild ride.
Though I shouldn't have to say it at this point, the V/H/S films (especially V/H/S 2), though of the "found-footage" types, have much much more in common with movies like "Saw" and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" in the fact that they forego the slow burn and empty jumps for all-out violent mayhem. This is actually refreshing for this genre, as most of the "found-footage" films abuse the use of dread and atmosphere to the point where very little, or nothing, actually happens. It's not to say that this film doesn't use atmosphere and good old-fashioned low-budget scares because it does. To great effect, actually. But just when you think you've seen this plot before, all hell breaks loose and the story line gets really interesting.
I think the main difference between this and most others of its type are creativity and budget. The producers of these films approached this from some very unique angles. I mean, a zombie attack through the viewpoint of the maurading zombie? I've never seen THAT before! An alien attack through a camera mounted on a small dog? Interesting! This film is also high-budget. It is designed to expertly copy the low-budget look and feel of the genre, but make no mistake, it had a lot of money and the effects are top-rate, appearing disturbingly real as they seem to be captured on inexpensive video recording devices.
Other reviewers have listed the contents of the film, but what the hey, I like to write so I'll briefly tell you what I thought:
The bookend story, "Tape 49," gets the story started and ultimately wraps it up. Very, very creepy and atmospheric. It tells of a pair of private investigators that are sent to search for a missing college kid. They break into his abandoned apartment and find it dark but lit up with this eerie, very elaborate television/computer/VCR hookup. Searching for clues, one searches the apartment (don't do it!!) and the other watches tapes that are found, 4 of them that are the 4 stories in this movie.
The first one is "Phase I Clinical Trials." It tells of a man that receives a replacement eye for free. The catch: There is a camera in the eye to record what the eye is seeing, giving the scientists feedback on the eye's function. Agreeing to this, the man goes about his normal business at home until some very strange and creepy events begin to happen. Apparently his new eye suddenly makes a whole new world open up to him...in a bad way. This whole episode had me skeezed out because there's something about eyeballs (especially eyeballs in a horror movie!) that freak me out! But that's just me! But it was very creepy and had me jumping and on edge a lot. This one had some blood (and the ending REALLY freaked me out!), but all in all is not that gory...compared to what is to follow.
The second one is, in my opinion, one of the best. "A Ride in the Park" begins with an average Joe taking a bike ride on a serene path and recording it from his helmut. Suddenly, a bleeding woman all but runs into him, screaming about something happening to her and her boyfriend. She drops to her knees and is violently, digustingly sick. Is her illness just a side effect of her trauma? Yep, it's a side effect all right, and unfortunately, it's spreading! This one was very memorable and even has some darkly humorous moments like only a zombie flick could. It is also drenched with gore and pretty freakin scary. The ending was actually heart-felt and sad with an image that sticks with you.
The third one...Wow. What can I say about "Safe Haven." You just have to see this piece. (I have to admit that I initially was a little torn on how I feel about this. It obviously was inspired by - and is a gross exaggeration of - the Jonestown mass suicides/murders, a very tragic and unsettling chapter in American history. Because of this, a part of me didn't want to watch it. But the part of me that loves forbidden subject material won out. After all, I told myself, it IS just a movie.) This was the most unforgettable one, in my opinion. EXTREMELY creative, disturbing, violent, crazy and over-the-top. It concerns a group of young Indonesian reporters that infiltrate a secretive Indonesian cult led by a charismatic leader referred to as "Father". This one was entertaining from beginning to end, starting as a realistic investigation into a loony but generally peaceful cult and degenerating into the literal definition of Hell. Be prepared...the gore and violence is off the scale. Don't say I didn't warn you! And the ending was so absurd! I actually laughed! It was the perfect ending for the craziness that came before.
The fourth one was "Alien Slumber Party." Unwelcome aliens show up at a house where a teenager, her boyfriend, her little brothers, their friend and their dog are spending a night together without Mom and Dad. This one I thought was the weakest. It was still entertaining, and contains pretty much no gore until the very end (saddest ending EVER :-( ), and it utilized some pretty creative camera angles. But I just didn't find it all that scary.
The main thread story, "Tape 49," concludes the film really well, once again bringing in some very disturbingly realistic special effects.
This one was definitely a step up from the first V/H/S, which I also enjoyed. It has much less of the frat-boy feel to it than the original had (less topless-ness, less boys-night-out shenanigans...I mention this because I'm a woman and don't appreciate this as much), so it's certainly an improvement there. Less filler, more substance.
So I have to give this a thumbs up. Very scary, very crazy, very entertaining.
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