S-VHS aka V/H/S 2

I liked the original and this one surprised me. While not every story was top notch one stands out as original and had great direction.

Tape 1-Phase 1 Clinical Trials, This was a decent Ghost Story but was not very memorable. Did have a few scares and was fun to watch.6/10

Tape 2-A Ride In The Park, This one was fun and creative. Wasn't scary but I did like the set up and actually seeing the perspective of a Zombie was real cool. It has a lot of gore and while I don't really like zombies this one was nice to watch. 7/10.

Tape 3-Safe Haven, This is the best out of the bunch. Details an investigative team going into a religious cult and the outcome is insane and over the top. Has the best pacing and while there aren't many jump scares, it really manages to creep you out the whole time through. Also it is directed by the Mo Brothers who also did the ABC's Of Death letter L which was one of the best on that horror movie and did Macabre which I will link my review to that movie in the end. 9/10

Tape 4-Alien Abduction, Most people consider this the weakest of the bunch but Tape 1 was the weakest in my opinion. This has a nice set up and the effects are good for a short. Wasn't creepy like Safe Haven but it kept me interested in till the end. 8/10

Tape 49- The main story about two private investigators watching the tapes in a house where their looking for a kid from the first VHS. It was OK and while not the best story, it did give us a reason for watching the tapes which is nice. 6/10

Overall this movie gets a 7/10. Safe Haven was great and I never knew it was by the Mo Brothers in till I watched Macabre. That was great knowing that. My link to Macabre and my review. http://imdb.com/title/tt1447791/reviews-16

Check out my review for that movie as it is my surprise of the year for 2013. If you liked the first VHS then you will like this one. I find this one to be a little better and more creative. Not sure if they will do a third one but I would be open to it.

I decided to rewatch "V/H/S/2" to introduce this series to my brother. The film takes a dark approach, almost resembling a snuff movie, but always rewards us with creative twists that pay homage to various elements of horror cinema.

The film presents four short films directed by notable names in the genre, such as Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Eduardo Sánchez, and Gregg Hale (the creators of "Blair Witch Project"), Gareth Evans, and Timo Tjahjanto.

The movie begins with "Phase I Clinical Trials," which might be the weakest of the anthology. The premise involves a man who, after receiving an ocular implant, starts seeing spirits. However, the execution falls short. The concept is intriguing, but the short is hampered by a lack of tension, as well as makeup and cinematography that fail to create the necessary atmosphere for effective horror.

Moving on to "A Ride in the Park," we see a more creative and fresh take on the zombie subgenre. The idea of seeing the world through the eyes of a zombie is an interesting twist, especially in the context of found footage. This short stands out for its originality, offering a new perspective by showing things from the villain's point of view. Unlike the generic "In A Violent Nature," which used the same formula, this entry brought something new, keeping the viewer engaged and intrigued. It's an example of how a simple idea can be turned into something good when done right.

"Safe Haven" is, without a doubt, the highlight of "V/H/S/2." This short film, focused on a bizarre and terrifying cult, perfectly captures the essence of psychological and supernatural horror. The tension is palpable, and the narrative takes the viewer on an emotional rollercoaster, culminating in a shocking ending. The cinematography, atmosphere, and performances are exceptional, creating a very bizarre mood. This segment deserves to be expanded into a full-length feature.

The final short, "Slumber Party Alien Abduction," closes the anthology with an interesting take on alien invasion. While not the most impactful, it still manages to entertain and surprise. I recommend watching it with the volume up to enhance the sensory experience.

In summary, "V/H/S/2" is an anthology that, even though it doesn't fully capture the surprise of my first viewing, still offers moments of pure horror and creativity. It's an experience that, despite its imperfections, is worth revisiting-especially for those looking for something different in the horror genre.

V/H/S/ 2 is a modern-day horror anthology featuring eclectic talent from the directors of THE RAID and YOU'RE NEXT amongst others. As with many modern horror anthologies, the emphasis is on outright blood and gore over scares, although there are attempts here to frighten as well as repulse the viewer. There are four tales in all, as well as a mildly diverting wraparound story involving a creepy old house and a VHS collection. Most of the material is shot POV style, which I enjoyed as a fan of the 'found footage' genre.

The first tale is a simple riff on THE EYE, as a guy gets a new-fangled optic implant that restores his sight but has the unwanted side effect of allowing him to see spirits at the same time. I love the introduction of the deaf girl with her own twist and this is by far the scariest of the film, with some really jumpy moments. It's all predictable, but that's okay.

The second tale is about a cyclist with a Go Pro camera mounted on his helmet. His trip through the woods is interrupted by a zombie attack, and what we get here is unending gore and bloodshed, some of the most gruesome you'll see. It's all pretty distasteful actually, and more than a little pointless.

The third story is the Indonesian one, contributed by THE RAID director Gareth Evans; as a huge fan of his films, it was the one I was most looking forward to. Evans doesn't disappoint; this is as intense as his action films, and the madcap plot line involves a doomsday cult and the birth of the Antichrist. It's exceptionally gory, delightfully obscure, and without a doubt the highlight of the whole thing.

The fourth and final story is weak by comparison. It tells of an attack by extraterrestrials on a group of redneck characters, who are all really dumb, but there's way too much of the shaky cam here and little real meat to the storyline. The dog is the most interesting character and you can guess what happens to that. V/H/S/ 2 isn't bad at all for fans of gory horror, but aside from the Indonesian segment it's all rather familiar.

V/H/S 2 manages to fix the faults of the first. It's shorter and takes the grungy, exploitative snuff film tone of V/H/S and adds more excitement and humor. The quality of the shorts this time around are much more consistent, but they are still a mixed bag. The first short "Phase I: Clinical Trials" is average at best, but it mixed in a bit of humor which I liked. "A Ride in the Park" was fantastic and incredibly unique in it's use of the first person POV. It was my favorite of the four segments. "Safe Haven" is a close second with countless WTF moments. I would have loved a feature length version of this one. The weakest entry was the last, "Slumber Party Alien Abduction". It ineffectively used loud noises and bright lights to generate scares and it just didn't work for me. The wrap around story "Tape 49" was good, but I liked the ambiguity of the first films "Tape 56" better. V/H/S 2 added fun to the series and I hope these films continue.

There is one amazing segment of VHS 2 that has to do with a Cult. It is frenetic, gory, has a great story and makes the most of the "found footage" format. If the rest of the film had lived up to this one sequence, we would have had something special. It's better than Part One in most aspects, though I did like a few moments in that film.

Timo Tjahjanto really blew me away - his segment is imaginative and has some real shocks crammed into it's short running time. Some of the camera work is a bit too shaky as people run around, but I was able to get around that due to the intensity of the story. Out of the remaining short films, we get a return to full on Shaky Cam with Edwardo Sanchez (Blair Witch Project). Truthfully, Edwardo has ALWAYS got to shake the camera like he's in a runaway car or something. He seems to think this is a STYLE. I must argue the point. True artists do not need to shake a camera like a fool to get an image to move someone. Argento, Carpenter, Bava. Masters of the art. Dean Cundy would never run around like a fool, shaking his camera at every object he can find, disregarding the basic rules of directing at will, and no real professional should allow camera-work like this. What an artistic stretch for Edwardo. Next time just throw the damned thing on the ground and drag it around with a rope.

There are a few other sparks. Jason Eisener makes the most of his segment by having some real fun with it and throwing in an Alien Invasion that is both scary and funny. And I really enjoyed the basic idea and most of the execution of Adam Wingard's segment. Still, too damned much shaking here.

I am not sure I understand it really - why so much shaking in these "Found Footage" atrocities? I mean, the old camcorder videos that my family made at Holidays and on Vacation never looked like this. Grandpa tried to keep the camera still. I never actually have seen a home movie like these. Not even on old Super 8. Have you? Eyestrain central. For part 3, maybe they can just go to an old amusement park and give us a POV of the rides or jump out of a plane while filming. At least there'll be a legitimate reason for it being so damned shaky. I think I'd rather watch "HI-8" again.