Tag: Anthology

V/H/S/HALLOWEEN (2025)

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Directed by Alex Ross Perry, Casper Kelly, Paco Plaza, Anna Zlokovic, Bryan M. Ferguson, R.H. Norman, Michelle Pitt-Norman 

Written By: Alex Ross Perry, Casper Kelly, Paco Plaza, Anna Zlokovic, Bryan M. Ferguson, R.H. Norman, Michelle Pitt-Norman and Alberto Martini (UT SUPRA SIC INFRA)

Cinematography: Adrian Hernandez, Robert Kolodny, Owen Laird, Daniel Marks, Sean McDaniel, Powell Robinson 

Editor: Robert Kolodny, Bryan M. Ferguson, R.H. Norman, Alex Familian, David Gallart, Dylan Hoang, Sean Mark Lamb Lewis, Phil Samson 

Cast: Rick Baker, David Haydn, Samantha Cochran, Natalia Montgomery Fernandez, Elena Musser, Maria Romanillos, Almundra Amor, Ismael Martinez, Riley Nottingham, Lawson Greyson, Jenna Hoffman, Sami Nye, Stephen Gurewitz, Carl William Garrison, Jeff Harms, Noah Diamond, Sarah Nicklin 

A collection of Halloween-themed videotapes unleashes a series of twisted, blood-soaked tales, turning trick-or-treat into a struggle for survival.

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It’s that time of year where this horror anthology comes up with a new collection. Which is a nice tradition. As usually each collection every year has a theme to it usually expressed in the title. This one is similar and revolves around stories that take place in or around Halloween, though unlike some of the former entries, it’s not so much about a group finding all these random tapes and watching them or being presented to them This year‘s anthology has a background story and then just plays each short film in between the main background story. One can admit this is a yearly guilty pleasure whose quality is a roller coaster yet still enjoyable. Even though after last years entries. One was wondering was it on its last leg and run out of steam.

Still think it should be like the ABC’S OF DEATH and allow new or struggling filmmakers a chance to submit their own entries and use maybe one of two of them as segments each year. After either being voted on by fans or the producers. 

Though truthfully, this year’s anthology should have the subtitle forget those kids as this year the anthology seems to have more of a presence of children. In most of the stories and none are not sacred cows. They are is open to violence and unfortunately death as any of the adult characters.

Even though each anthology is cruel in its own way for some odd reason this year, feel a little more disturbing again maybe it’s because children can be easily as victims as anyone but also there is one short in particular that is not only uncomfortable but again so warped. 

Writer/Director Alex Ross Perry’s Entry KID PRINT was the one I was looking forward to the most and it is unforgettable, Maybe because unlike the rest of them, it doesn’t really deal with fantasy or made up monsters. It’s a little too realistic and seems like it could really happen which is why it’s a memorable and all the more powerful even though at first it starts off seemingly normal and not that special but by the end, it has totally transformed itself as like the plot it starts off so innocently and so simple, and then catches you off guard with a heaviness that you never saw coming. Which is not surprising, considering it’s done by the director from the an anthology whose work I know the most. Alex Ross Perry, who is a journeyman independent director who is not known to do genre films. Usually this seems to be his first and definitely his first official Horror film. Which seems to be an experiment and exercise while using his usual filmmaking technique of realistic stories, and a love a film, the equipment in the filmmaking techniques.

This story is Based around Kidprint was a free service offered by Blockbuster Video in the mid-1990s. Participating stores had a kiosk that children stood in front of that showed their height, and staff would use a VHS camera to record a short video of them speaking basic information about themselves. Parents would take home the tapes to use for ID purposes incase their child went missing.

Another reason why this entry is so different is Because at heart most horror stories seem to be about revenge. Setting things right in whoever’s eyes no matter what. Even if there are extremes and plenty of innocents damaged and killed along the way. When it comes to this short it ends with an injustice that doesn’t seem like it will ever get righted and in many ways. As it should have never happened and has plenty of mistakes, mishaps, wrong turns and lack of communication that ultimately leads to tragedies that by the end seem like they will continue. Which makes it all the more disturbing. 

The film is messy more emotionally with where it goes that it almost feels like a snuff film. As most of the films live up to the title more shot with home video cameras and from point of view shots commonly. 

The other stories/segments are the wraparound segments of DIET PHANTASMA. Written & Directed by Bryan M. Ferguson. Which gets repetitive, as we watch a control group taste test a new soda with ghastly results. Where each segment shows how uncaring the executive watching the results is behind it and the creative ways in which the volunteers are killed or slaughtered after drinking the soda, by the soda. 

It seems to want to be an Anti-capitalist message and dark comedic satire, but the point or ultimate jokes comes off disappointing that we went through all of that to get to this punchline. Which isn’t weak but isn’t that strong either. Though it does help tie together not only the Halloween theme inspiration but also it’s indented to HALLOWEEN 3 

The film starts of with COOCHIE COOCHIE COO written & Directed BY Anna Zlokovic. Which as usual for the franchise ends up being the most disgusting and nasty entry of the film. Here more gore wise. The film is based around two female teenagers facing their last Halloween together, who decide to go trick-or-treating and are enticed by a mysterious house and the promise of free candy. Where once they enter, they can’t seem to escape. Not only that but are chased by various seeming demented adult babies and a breast feeding phantom. 

The next segment is UT SUPRA SIC INFRA directed By Paco Plaza (Director and mastermind behind the REC film franchise) which gives the film some international flavor. Which at least I can say this franchise usually provides. this is the only tale to have a co-writer not directing. This ends up being the weakest of all the segments. The most disappointing. As it has its moments and the filmmaking is great, but the story feels familiar and like we’ve seen it before. It has interesting dressing but lacks depth or reason. Where it feels like more thought was given to the look then the actual idea. As by the end nothing is truly explained and it seems to just lay there. As it comes across as a rather basic gory ghost story 

Then we have the segment FUN SIZE Written & Directed by Casper Kelly. That plays more like a demented fantasy. Where a group of friends take more then one piece of candy from a random table of candy none have ever heard of, breaking the rules they are taken and transported to a warehouse factory. Where they find out horrifically how the candy is made. As they try to revise they are haunted and hunted by the candy’s playful mascot and his assistant. This one seems to more lean into cruel gore and torture with a more playful macabre attitude. 

Wish this shirt had more of a point other than the consequences of breaking the rules. which is the set up but then that’s it other than the carnage. 

The previously mentioned KIDPRINT plays next. 

Then the final extended tale HOME HAUNT written & Directed by R.H. Norman & Michelle Pitt-Norman. Which revolves around a man and his family obsesssed with Halloween who host a haunted house every year for the neighborhood. Looking to impress his son who is finding this embarrassing he ends up taking a record from an antique store that is off limits and the record seeks to make his attraction come to life and transport his family and all of his customers to a personal hell. That they try to escape from.  This starts off fun until it just turns more mean spirited, but next to FUN SIZE the most comedic and so called fun segments. Which might be why they feel a bit similar. This has a meta money as most of these films have practical special effects and this film has legendary special effects artist Rick baker as a cast member.

This anthology makes it through another year, but at least it leaves behind better memories than recent past entries. 

Grade: B- 

FREAKY TALES (2025)

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Written & Directed By: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck

Cinematography: Jac Fitzgerald

Editor: Robert Komatsu

Cast: Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Ben Mendelsohn, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Angus Cloud, Too $hort, Ji-Young Yoo, Jack Champion, Kier Gilchrist 

Four interconnected stories set in 1987 Oakland, CA. will tell about the love of music, movies, people, places and memories beyond our knowable universe.

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I’m Going to say this right now that this room is best to go into blind, as that is the best way to experience it, and might offer you more of a surprise or surprise is there anything. As even if you seen the trailer there’s still enough mystery to not know exactly what you’re getting into.

One thing that can be said Is that the film doesn’t really live up to its title as there are tails I don’t know how freaky they are, rather than just tales of an anthology. The film feels more like short stories, that take place around one another in the bay Oakland, California, as characters do cross paths with each other in different tails, but each one has its own kind of genre in story. It feels very Tarantino ask the light and more of a wannabe.

The thing that connects them might be violence and Oakland legends like Tom Hanks in Too $hort you are treated like legends in this film, and Too $hort has a cameo as well as being betrayed by someone else in one of the stories.

The stories here, pretty much cut and dry. They don’t offer that much in the way of surprises. One story focuses on punks versus Nazis and we get to know some of the characters involved. The next story is about two young African-American women going into a rap battle. The next story is a tale of redemption in the past in the last tail is more of a revenge tail inspired. It feels like by game of death the Bruce Lee movie.

Truthfully, the first tale could’ve been its own film in itself exploring the characters a bit more, but maybe it was in case of been there done that no not offering up as much of a diverse characters in the Punk cultural scene. 

The film fall short as it doesn’t really live up to its title and what are the stories, eventually connect your left, wanting more or expecting more from it, especially with the angle of this green substance, that really only comes into play effectively in one tale, but does work to connect or let the audience know Somethings about to happen. it’s a harbinger.

One wishes, the film was much better as it definitely has the creativity and talent involved. It just builds to a certain level and never goes past it even when it seems like it has the strength to go further and be better.

It’s around the 80s which gives a kind of a nostalgic, feel where you can look back and laugh at the fashions, but I also remember them as that was what was cool at the time as well as the culture.

The film Does offer plenty of cameos throughout the film

No, it isn’t mirable as it still keeps too similar themes but like a true short story collection, it has different types of tails where one can be more comedic. One can be more dramatic. It’s the same here, whereas one tail, or at least two tails are pure, more action territory. Another could just be a kind of a slight more success story.

Wow, the film has trouble living up to its title. It is still worth checking out.

I Grade: C+

V/H/S/BEYOND (2024)

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Directed By: Jay Cheel (ABDUCTION/ADDUCTION)
Jordan Downey (STORK)
Justin Martinez (LIVE AND LET DIVE)
Christian Long and Justin Long (FUR BABIES)
Virat Pol (DREAM GIRL)
Katie Siegel (STOWAWAY) 

Written By: Jordan Downey and Kevin Stewart (STORK) (Based on the artwork by Oleg Vdovenko) 

Mike Flanigan (STOWAWAY)

Virat Pol and Evan Dickinson (DREAM GIRL)

Justin Martinez and Benjamin A. Turner (LIVE AND LET DIVE) 

Christian Long and Justin Long (FUR BABIES)

Cinematography: Taban Basu (DREAM GIRL)

Mike McLaughlin (ABDUCTION/ADDUCTION)

Kevin Stewart

Alexander Chinnici

Editor: Jay Cheel, Tanya Chhabvia, Jordan Downey, Thom Newell, Benjamin A. Turner 

Cast: Mitch Horowitz, Namrata Sheth, Rohan Joshi, Bix Krieger, Rhett Wellington, Libby Letlow, Matthew Layton, Alanah Pearce, Thom Hallum

Six bloodcurdling tapes unleash horror in a sci-fi-inspired hellscape, pushing the boundaries of fear and suspense.

At this point these movies are a tradition, That some can look forward to and some might dread. While the films aren’t as dynamic as when they premiered with this premise. They also seemed to have lost their way. As at first it seemed like a new way to present horror and had some excitement behind it. As well as giving emerging directors a chance to tell their stories in inventive short-form ways. 

After the second film, it felt like it was losing steam and even now this film while passable. it feels a bit stale or not as dynamic. It almost feels at times like a dumping ground. These films feel like a television show that has some standout episodes but disappointing seasons. Resembling the show AMERICAN HORROR STORIES. This version’s theme as there tends to be one with each new film is Aliens. 

The first segment is STORK which is one of the most violent out of the tales the first three of the tales truly are the goriest out of them all. This story is about a group of renegade cops hunting who they believe are serial kidnappers. Though once they enter the house they see what they are truly up against. While visually gifted, it plays more like a first-person shooter video game. This seems like the most mainstream and the one that could easily be seen as a spinoff of its own    

The next segment DREAM GIRL is set in India and follows a group of paparazzi photographers trying to get photos of a new female star whose films are constantly hits. Early in the film, there is a bit introduced which makes the story seem like it is going one way, and then by the end, it goes another way, As they find out to a degree what is behind the superstar’s success. This is one of the tales that seems like it might veer away from the main theme of Aliens 

LIVE AND LET DIVE seems like it is going in so many directions. By the time it literally lands the visual effects are impressive. it offers nothing really new or different. Except to provide a slasher-type tale with excessive violence. That is ok but frustrating in the many ways it could have gone. 

 FUR BABIES is next and noteworthy as it is written and directed by Christian Long and his brother Justin Long (Yes, the one and only) Now this short film has a premise that is ghastly and a bit original. This segment doesn’t belong in this edition; its theme feels like a holdover from the last one. It also seems like it’s only here because of who made it and is a case of celebrity. As he is one of the biggest names attached to this film even as director

STOWAWAY is the true final full tale about a young woman. who is trying to do a documentary on a location that is a hotbed of alien sightings and activity. She follows the trail of the sightings. She gets all she wants and more once she makes her way onto an alien craft and it takes off and we see her having to deal with the consequences. Which mixes with a home video of her as a little girl. that portrays her innocence and wonder about what is happening to her and the changes.  

then there is the wraparound story ABDUCTION/ADDUCTION which is really a documentary presentation of an alien invader video and its veracity that only lasts a few minutes. That seems used to tie everything together.

Now while one will stay critical of this anthology. one can also appreciate them for what they present and giving independent directors a showcase. it’s also nice to have a yearly franchise for Halloween.    

Grade: C

VEROTIKA (2020)

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Written & Directed By: Glenn Danzig 
Cinematography: David Newbert 
Editor: Brian Cox 

Cast: Sean Kannan, Ashley Wisdom, Alice Tate, Kayden Kross, Natalia Borowsky, Kansas Bowling, Rachel Alig

Follows the surreal and bloody trilogy of erotic horror stories culled from Danzig’s comic.

Wow!!! I was warned about this film beforehand, but I couldn’t really have expected this. Some people, they will love this film for how bad it is. Nothing truly prepares you for this film. 

Where you have to wonder was it planned this way. As it is hard to take anything seriously. Though that might sound like fun. This is a movie that is not fun to sit through at all. Unless maybe you are just into seeing onscreen nudity. As very little throughout this movie makes any sense.

All the women in most of the roles look like professional topless or naked models. Other than making the film overtly sexual at all times 

In the first story for instance the main female has eyeballs where her nipples are why? As it is never explained and then somehow the albino spider becomes human-sized and then proceeds to murder women for no reason. He is obviously in a latex suit that looks like a bad Halloween costume. Though only strikes when the lead female goes to sleep. 

Every character in this first story has a foreign accent for no real reason and they come off as sex objects mroe than characters. As they are all scantily clad for little to no reason. 

The acting is horrible throughout like in an acting class. The bad dialogue doesn’t really help even when it includes it’s influences with many scenes where the camera just stays and lingers and the characters awkwardly stand around really doing nothing or their last action over again such as a head shake. 

There is a TV reporter who is dressed more like a private detective in the first story. Just as to why in the first story does the lead female go to a porno theater and photoshoot after her roommate is murdered. Then while at the porno theater falls asleep and is groped and nearly raped and once she wakes up just gives the guys a nasty look.

Throughout the film women are the only ones killed. Most of the characters wear wigs for no real reason. 

The film Has modern touches but an old school culture and scenery like the third last tale which is basically the tale of Elizabeth Bathory who believed that by bathing in the blood of virgins she would stay looking young forever and that is exactly what happens in the third story she picks her victims strip them (young women) then bathed in their blood in what feels like real-time. Then will slice open a throat and there to get blood sprayed on her face that is the whole story.

Any lack of nudity in the first story is supplanted in the second and third stories. Only in the second, we get another, what feels like real-time, dedicated to watching strippers do routines in a club That looks almost like a huge basement. 

This is the only segment of the film that feels serious as it is a thriller about a stripper who cuts off faces to put on her wall because she is disfigured and wears a mask when she performs. This is also one of the only segments with an actor of note Sean Kanan from KARATE KID 3 playing the detective on the case. 

I can understand this film is supposed to be more inspired by gothic old-school macabre horror anthologies but it comes across as more ridiculous than inspired. Even the first scene where we are introduced to our host seems there more to shock than to make sense.

The film is low budget and you can tell as it comes across more like a failed student film. This feels like a modern-day Ed Wood movie.

The tales don’t offer a moral or any kind of irony and definitely no twists but they leave room for the anthology host to make ghastly bad joke punchlines for the endings and not even deliver that creatively 

The only reason I could even see this film truly getting financed and recognized is that rock star Glenn Danzig directed it and seems to price the soundtrack. 

Even at 90 minutes, this film feels indulgent. It’s not even the type of film you can have fun picking apart. This movie isn’t fun to watch or sit through. This is one of the worst films I have seen this year and maybe one of the worst ever 

Grade: F