The V/H/S franchise is back with its eight entry, and while this one is focused on the culmination of horror (Halloween) the comedy is more present than ever in this entry. There are five segments outside of the ‘central’ tape story and while, like with any anthology, the segments vary in terms of quality none of them are *bad* but there are some that are certainly better than others. Directors Bryan M Ferguson, Casper Kelly, R.H Norman, Alex Ross Perry, Michelle Pitt, Paco Plaza and Anna Zlokovic come together to create this new entry into the haunting VHS tapes that have scared audiences for the past 13 years, but obviously if you watch VHS tapes for 13 years – the gimmick starts to wear thin.
Sometimes these entries have a central tape that the segments tie back into, but in V/H/S Halloween there isn’t one but rather Ferguson’s entry into the tape of horrors, Diet Phantasma. This segment is foucsed on a focus group trying a new can of soda, but the can of soda contains a demon/creature that wants to kill/take over the host that opens the can. Its simple, its gnarly, it’s a good time. Anna Zlokovic’s Coochie Coochie Coo is a haunted house tale featuring two girls who cannot escape the haunted house they willing entered in hopes to debunk the myth. It’s silly, light, and a little frightening but a good starting point into the segments of the tape that certainly sets the pace and style for the entries that are going to bring the thrills and chills. Paco Plaza’s Ut Supra Sic Infra (he’s the one behind REC) feels a little further removed from REC and more on something that needed to be fleshed out more, but still packs some haunting gruesome imagery that is surely going to appease the V/H/S lovers. Next is arguably the best segment of the tape overall, Casper Kelly’s Fun Size about an interdimensional bowl of candy that punishes those that cannot follow the simple rules. It’s ingeniously fun, overtly over the top, and downright a blast making the middle of this tape a rejuvenated punch of horror comedy that will reignite the audience. After the incredible Fun Size is Alex Ross Perry’s semi disappointing Kidprint – which is about a video store making video tapes for kids in case they go missing, then they go missing putting the spotlight on the store employes. Lastly is a co-directed segment form R.H Norman and Micheline Pitt-Norman called Home Haunt which is about a husband, obsessed with Halloween trying to make *the best* haunted house for the neighbourhood, but of course comes across something unknowingly demonic and unleashes all sorts of hell upon the neighbourhood. There is something truly for everyone in the newest V/H/S tape, V/H/S Halloween.
There is a lot to love about the newest installment here, but there is also a lot of repetition. The formula eight movies in has become slightly stale, even if the segments and other tapes are always different, it’s always a mixed bag of variety, but thankfully mostly good rather than bad. This is also the funniest tape yet, maybe it has to come with it being explicitly Halloween themed or not, but there is a lot of good will being instilled here. While nothing from V/H/S Halloween may take the spots of some of the best segments, such as Storm Drain and The Subject from V/H/S 94 or Ozzy’s Dungeon from V/H/S 99 there is a lot of everything for everyone, and even the bad is still entertaining, but the good is still really good. V/H/S as a franchise has been around for 13 years, audiences know what they’re getting themselves into and what to expect, so sit back with your Halloween treats, don’t go egging someone’s house, and remember only one candy per person and enjoy V/H/S Halloween.
