V/H/S (2012)

Number Rolled: 81

Movie Name/Year: V/H/S (2012)

Genre: Independent

Length: 116 minutes

Rating: R

Affiliated Companies: 8383 Productions, Bloody Disgusting, The Collective

Executive Producer: Tom Owen, Zak Zeman

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, David Bruckner, Tyler Gillett, Justin Martinez, Glenn McQuaid, Radio Silence, Joe Swanberg, Chad Villella, Ti West, Adam Wingard

Writer: Brad Miska, Simon Barrett, David Bruckner, Nicholas Tecosky, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Radio Silence, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillet, Justin Martinez, Chad Villella

Actors: Calvin Reeder, Lane Hughes, Kentucker Audley, Adam Wingard, Simon Barrett, Hannah Fierman, Mike Donlan, Joe Sykes, Drew Sawyer, Jas Sams, Nicholas Tecosky, Joe Swanberg, Sophia Takal, Norma C. Quinones, Drew Moerlein, Jeannine Elizabeth Yoder, Jason Yachanin, Helen Rogers, Daniel Kaufman, Chad Villella, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillet, Paul Natonek, Nicole Erb

Found footage is watched by a group of thugs hired to steal a VHS tape from an old man.

I want to start off by saying that I hate shaky cam. There’s nothing more annoying to me than sitting through an hour or more of someone seizing while holding a camera. It makes me dizzy and I avoid it like the plague.

Unfortunately, I cannot avoid the V/H/S series.

Suggestions for the V/H/S series come in almost once a week. So, all of them will see my list at some point.

Although the movie had that “filmed by a masturbating monkey” quality to it, I have to admit that it was a story that was probably best told through that method. Without the shaky cam, it just wouldn’t have been as scary. It needed that first-person aspect.

I wasn’t fond of the framing device used. To be honest, the movie was almost confusing at first because of it. Luckily I went into V/H/S knowing it was an anthology, so I was able to work it out quickly it enough.

The independent stories, however, were pretty good. All of them seemed to have that unpredictable quality that I adore. I was also happy to see that the segments did not have that ABCs of Death quality to them, despite two of the directors, Adam Wingard (You’re Next, A Horrible Way to Die, The Guest) and Ti West (The Sacrament, The Innkeepers, Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever), having been involved in that infamous project.

In the end, I have to give the movie credit. Shaky cam be damned, the stories were pretty good.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 55%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 41%

Netflix’s Prediction for Me – 4.1/5

Trust-the-Dice Score – 3.5/5

P.S. More scenes during the credits.

Movie Trailer: