Streaming and downloads are fine for Minimalists but how can you really own a movie until it’s sitting on your shelf for nosy visitors to judge and define you by?
Video cassettes are dangerous – especially if a dusty box-full of them falls on your head when you’re rummaging through the attic – and V/H/S takes us back to the days when terrifying box art damaged childhoods, when James Woods morphed into a human video recorder and Sadako crawled all the way from Japan, straight out of the TV and into your living-room.
V/H/S is an anarchic, schizophrenic horror showcasing promising young directors with a mixed-bag of shorts tied-up with a warning – if you must break into a dead guy’s creepy home don’t watch his videotapes.
Like all anthologies the quality varies and the tonal shifts are disorienting but, on the plus side, nothing outstays its welcome long enough for you to question why anyone would convert their phone footage or Skype conversations onto clunky old video cassettes.
The best found footage movies find innovative ways to incorporate the act and products of filmmaking into the plot itself; so a seemingly routine teen slasher becomes sharp and memorable through clever use of that familiar and idiosyncratic chewed-tape distortion. Meanwhile, Generation YouTube Trick or Treaters disrupt a dubious ritual yet continue to record the mayhem and danger – laughing when they ought to be screaming.
V/H/S is a perfect combination of old school and experimentation in search of stronger themes. The miscreants in the opening are suitably punished for their criminal misuse of technology and most of the stories are driven by strong female protagonists but these are issues left hanging in the wake of a simpler urge to shock and entertain.
Sequel S-V/H/S is scheduled for a July 2013 release and with lessons learned, a bigger budget and more of what works we could be looking at a five-star follow-up.
Verdict ~ A rich and diverse eye assault of memorable images to leave you pondering. Yep, there’s still life in the old tape yet!
*WARNING* Red Band Trailer, not for little eyes!
Related articles
- V/h/s (whyamimrpink.wordpress.com)
- Sadako 3D Jumps Out onto DVD and Blu-ray (dreadcentral.com)
I’ve always found it interesting that my old videotapes last longer than DVDs. Most of them still work, only a few are mouldy. The only problem is my VHS player no longer works. Some of my new DVDs are already scratched despite uber careful handling, some came damaged already when bought brand new. The ones in DVD rental shops all skip. In a way, though clunky, tapes are a more lasting technology. Plus, in terms of spookiness, they really are the classic. I mean, have to seen a movie where someone goes into someone’s TV harddrive when they break into their house, to see what they have TIVO’d. or whatever you call it these days? Maybe there is and I just haven’t seen it.
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That is so true. I have one box full of damaged DVDs that don’t work and at the same time several boxes full of VHS tapes that still work perfectly. Unfortunately VHS player doesn’t work anymore ;-). Oh, I also skip DVD rentals, since there is nothing better then frozen screen in the middle of the movie.
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I love the way VHS tapes line the shelves like books. VHS is to film what vinyl is to music… maybe we’ll see a retro revival!
I rent DVDs from Lovefilm these days and I must say I very rarely receive a faulty disc but they are very fragile.
Thank goodness for cinema posters because I would hate to see the cover art die out. xx
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Liked this film quite a bit. I liked all the stories to varying degrees, except the wrap around story of the jerks who are looking for the tapes in the first place. Loved the visuals in the last story with the floating doors and stuff.
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This was one of the best horror flicks I’ve seen in a while. I’ll be keeping an eye on all those different directors.
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Love Ti West’s, House of the Devil, it has a definitive late 70’s early 80’s style (doesn’t feel the need to put unrealistic action in every second and there’s no explosions at the end.), but, I didn’t like The Innkeepers all that much.
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Yeah, me too! The Innkeepers got great reviews but I didn’t know what the fuss was about.
I reaquainted myself with Evil Dead last night – preparing myself for the remake x
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Oh, uh…. don’t read my reviews yet, total spoilers! I watched the original after seeing the remake. I’m preparing to post; Evil Dead 2013 Review – part 3. It may be up by 2morrow.
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Oooooooo, I can never resist a naughty spoiler 😉 Hopefully make it to the cinema this weekend x
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I’m glad you liked this! A lot of people don’t, and the ones that don’t seem just not to get it at all, and especially not to notice the humour. (By the way, the official explanation for the Skype conversation on tape is that the collectors trade analogue because they want to stay off grid. Take that or leave it!) I was about to say I had no love or nostalgia for VHS at all, but thinking about it I’m not sure that’s true. I do miss taping late-night stuff off TV. I don’t miss VHS though. I was a very early DVD adopter. Never looked back!
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I like The Collector’s preference for analogue – it makes sense within the confines of VHS-world, which is good enough.
I confess I switched to DVD too and stopped adding any actual physical discs to my collection a while ago.
I used to love going to the video library and choosing tapes as a kid. I could easily spend half a day browsing and it always felt like you had something precious in those massive boxes. I think they have a particularly nostalgic smell too, like books.
I actually kept one of my old VHS tapes which I use to chock one of the sash-windows open in my apartment! Now that’s up-cycling 😉
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