V/H/S/94 (2021)

Good special effects. Some good ideas for the most part but let me put it this way; I will not be watching any of the other VHS films simply because the whole found footage thing has been playing to death. It was a gimmick that as seen better days.

Fmovies: "V/H/S/94" actually has some good ideas in it, so it's a shame it's borderline unwatchable. The whole shot-on-video/found footage thing doesn't really work in its favour. Most of the movie looks like it was shot through mud, and the constant use of dark environments only adds to the challenge, of course in addition to the found footage genre's customary disorientating camera work.

Probably the best story was the first one. That actually had a couple of memorable scenes, especially the last one. I have no idea what the next story was about, and didn't understand it at all. There was a lot of talking, none of which I cared to listen to, and probably too many characters. The next story at least had a lot of gore. It takes far too long to get going, with too much talking, and shots too dimly lit for me to understand what's going on. The one after that had a pretty cool idea - an immortal vampire held captive and harvested for blood, which becomes explosive when exposed to sunlight. However, again, the handling is sub-par, failing to engage the viewer's interest.

All of these stories except the first one were far too talky, had too many characters, and didn't highlight plot points well enough so that you missed them. Shame, I wanted to like it: "V/H/S/2" was great.

I've had a bit of rough time with the 'V/H/S' films. I really enjoyed the original, however both of the sequels were big let downs for me. I was hopeful that 'V/H/S/94' could learn from previous mistakes and steer the series back in the right direction. It was an improvement, but it was still far from perfect. A brief breakdown of what I thought of the individual segments:

Storm Drain - A decent way to start things off. A couple of good tense moments and a pretty messed up ending. Lives up to what 'V/H/S' segments are meant to be about, but perhaps a little forgettable.

The Empty Wake - This one I really enjoyed right up until it was revealed what was happening. The build up was so good but the actual event was just dumb and a bit let down.

The Subject - Again this is basically exactly what 'V/H/S' segments are meant to be about. Some pretty messed up stuff, but again I feel the revelation couldn't live up to the build up.

Terror - A disappointing one to finish on. There was no way to care about any of the characters and the story was a combination of boring and stupid. Definitely the weakest of the bunch.

The general theme was some good build ups without the ability to stick the landing. Overall it's better than the previous two, but it still isn't quite nailing it like the original. 6/10.

V/H/S/94 fmovies. V/H/S/94 (2021) is currently available on Shudder and showcases VHS 📼 tapes accumulated by various bootleggers to upload onto the dark web. Various military personnel and others who come upon the tapes either whiteness bad things or bad things happen to them.

This movie is codirected by Jennifer Reeder (Knives and Skin), Steven Kostanski (The Void), and Simon Barrett (Seance), among others. This picture stars Anna Hopkins (Bad Blood), Conor Sweeney (Father's Day), David Reale (Chloe), Kimmy Choi (Rising Sun) and Steven McCarthy (O Negative).

This is made up of a series of short stories with some segments better than the others. The special effects and gore in this is actually the best of the series. The first rat man storyline is pretty good but the character was a bit of a let down. The newscasters sequence in this is awesome as is the morgue scene. There's some scenes in this that are just like a video game and fun to watch. The gore is really outstanding in this in some areas; however, the last few storylines are just okay.

Overall, this is an uneven anthology that is worth a viewing. I'd score this a 6/10 and recommend seeing it once.

V/H/S franchise started during the found-footage phenomenon and has been noteworthy for offering new, up-n-coming horror filmmakers an avenue to demonstrate their creative talent. This anthology series has always been a mixed bag as a whole but there's no denying that it has a cult following. Having spawned a few sequels since its inception, V/H/S/94 is the latest entry in the saga.

The film features four short segments connected by a frame narrative that follows a police raid being conducted at an abandoned warehouse which contains remnants of a ritualistic cult mass suicide. It has a grittier, gorier & more unholy feel than its predecessors and also features shorts that are collectively in closer proximity in their tone n mood, which makes it better than its predecessors.

The first short is Storm Drain, written & directed by newcomer Chloe Okuno, and follows a news reporter & her cameraman as they investigate an urban legend. It has a grainy, dirty aesthetic that adds to its uneasy vibe, plus the film just takes its absurd premise and runs with it. The old-school creature effects are done well and it definitely evokes the early 90s feel while offering some splendid scares.

The second short The Empty Wake is written & directed by franchise returnee Simon Barrett and unfolds at a funeral home where a young woman is assigned to host a wake as a severe thunderstorm rages outside. It's a simple & straightforward segment with predictable scares that are routine and has got nothing new or refreshing to offer. But the interest doesn't fizzle out at least and that's the only good thing about it.

The third segment is hands down my favourite and single-handedly makes this sequel worth the price of admission. Written & directed by Timo Tjahjanto (The Night Comes For Us & May the Devil Take You), The Subject is a crazy blend of body horror, sci-fi & action that splatters the screen with blood, guts & metal and is crafted with glee & passion. Tjahjanto lets his love for excess take over and brings his short to life with brain & brutality.

The final short is Terror, written & directed by Ryan Prows, and concerns a white supremacist group plotting to blow up a government building and take back America. It aptly captures the brainwashed vision of such losers but is also unsettling when demonstrating their devotion to the cause. But once it escalates into a mayhem, it's just fun, hilarious & entertaining to watch and culminates on a bloody good note even if the scares are by the numbers.

Overall, V/H/S/94 makes for a better evolved & more fulfilling entry in the infamous franchise and features a better collection of short segments that keeps the entire ride tense & thrilling for the most part. The acting is all over the place but the 90s video culture vibe & aesthetics are carried out with finesse. It's the frame narrative actually that turns out to be the weakest of all but it doesn't derail the good portions. Worth viewing for madman Tjahjanto's segment alone.

I still remember the days when found footage was the next big thing. From there some directors decided to make a compilation of shorts named VHS. And it was a delight.

But hyoes are very quick outdated so today found footage and compilations are not seen that much. But it is announced, Paranormal Activity is coming back. And so everything comes back.

VHS is back, and it was a so-so for me. Everybody was talking about the longest short one with the Jakarta experience. And I admit, this is the one to see even as is starts off slowly and doesn't offer a thing except off-camera action, suddenly it moves into a ultra-gore flick. The other shorts offer here and there some scary parts but overall it was mediocre or just above.

It's not scary and doesn't deliver what i expected but yes, if you want uktra-gore it's there and grehounds will love this.

Gore 4/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 4/5 Story 1,5/5 Comedy 0/5.