Here we are! Another of an increasingly large pool of low-budget horror anthologies, this one will be wonderful to only a select few, all those lovers of Campy B-Movie Horror. At it's heart, it is a black comedy. So don't take it too seriously.
Inside of this anthology we find acting that seats itself somewhere between awful and meh. It's good enough - most of the time - to not immediately turn it off, but it's terrible enough to question why you're sticking it out in the first place. But before we can even consider that question, we must also wonder how we could allow ourselves to become engrossed in such a mediocre script. Truth is, we probably can't feel that engrossed by the script and acting alone, and instead must become captivated by its dark humor and campy charm.
Whether blind to its charm or not, one will surely notice that stunted pacing and vapid story-telling really bring this film down, especially when paired with stilted performances - you can literally see jump cuts to the actors waiting for their cue to begin a scene.
Sound design is actually pretty decent, especially in the mixing. The music and sound effects very rarely compete with the dialogue of the actors. Perhaps it's from the bottom of the barrel, but it's still a selling point. Of course, the host of the Doors is another story altogether. You could've easily convinced me that his voice was actually just an overlay of Goron sound effects from Ocarina of Time. Go ahead, turn the volume down a bit and then listen to him. I'll wait.
That said, I must commend them for such a unique approach to anthology horror. On paper, they actually had some really cool ideas (Door 3 is hilarious) for some of their vignettes. With better production value, and perhaps a higher budget, this anthology could have really tapped into its potential.
We are treated to 4 different vignettes with a Wraparound story. Below are brief Plot Summaries:
Wraparound:
When a group of young'uns hit up a video store for some Friday night fun, the store clerk offers them an extra special VHS tape to try out, on the house.
First Door:
One of our movie-goers finds herself transported into a horror movie, fighting for her life as a barbarous, belligerent redneck heathen and his twisted brother set their sights on her.
Second Door - Ghost Car:
After a run-in with the law brings his character into question, our hapless hero finds himself on the hunt for a haunted car.
Third Door - Dingus of Death:
Doomed on arrival, one of our friends finds himself amongst colleagues in the middle of some questionable experimentations.
Fourth Door - Dead Ending:
Surviving the Third Door, our remaining protagonists are then dropped into the next Door together. When one of them receives a phone call, the duo are catapulted into a steady downward spiral of genre-mixing madness.
