The Horror Vault

Starting off with an effort to replicate the grindhouse use of "coming attractions," complete with grainy, scratched film, we expect the cheesiness to continue as the feature is not one, but nine separate horror shorts.

I am sure everyone will find their favorites in the collection, but I was particularly impressed by "Alone" with Mandy Amano as a sorority girl alone in the house with a killer on the loose. The sets and costuming were excellent and really gave a 50s feel to the story. It had a nice twist at the end.

"Mental Distortion" with Kim Sønderholm, who also wrote and directed this short, as well as the first one shown (When John Met Julia) stars with Maja Muhlack and the voluptuous Danish model Barbara Zatler. The story is really open to multiple interpretations, and I am sure each viewer will have their own.

"Disconnected" is the story of bloody brutality, but it is the twist that will have your mouth dropping open - totally unexpected.

Those are my three favorites, but the other six shorts are just as interesting and others are left to find theirs.

Overall, it's arguably a 4 or a 5; so 4.5! The quality of cinematography, lighting, sound, special effects, and acting ride a wave ranging from mediocre to amateur. It's decently entertaining if you enjoy B-Movies haha.

It's a mixed bag really, though some stories feel similar in premise. I can't say any of the shorts are particularly good, yet some are clearly bad (4th and 9th). Honestly, though, the 2nd and 3rd shorts have the highest quality and are the most put together.

Below are brief synopses of each short. No spoilers.

1. "When John Met Julia" A man driving through town picks up an attractive woman from the side of the road, but what are their agendas?

* The acting, sound, and cinematography are all noticeably better after the first short.

2. Shifting gears, this black and white film paints the tale of two well-to-do siblings at a ball. Some drama stirs up when Flynn, the brother and town superstar, begins to ruminate on their deceased mother as the night goes on.

3. "Alone" A sorority girl wakes up to feelings of unease and anxiety, wondering if she heard a noise outside or not. When a cop shows up with some startling news, followed by a visit from a fellow classmate, she has to figure out who and what to trust.

* Back to lower quality acting, sound, and cinematography for this next one. The quality here is absolute crap all-around. Yet it's still slightly entertaining.

4. "Dead to the World" (WARNING: skip if you suffer from sexual trauma) An interogation of Ted Bundy, renowned serial killer, is underway.

*The quality kicks back up a bit moving forward. Of course, not too many things can be of such poor quality as "Dead to the World." haha.

5. "Mental Distortion" A man wakes up and discovers a dead woman in his bathtub. But how did she end up there in the first place?

6. "Disconnected" After his girlfriend receives a mysterious phone call, a man finds himself in an abandoned building, victim to a man she owes money to. That ending though. Priceless.

7. "The Demon" A man in a hotel recounts interactions he had with a female hitchhiker he had picked up, as he begins to experience hallucinations that blur the real with the surreal.

8. "Echoes" A man comes to and discovers he's been handcuffed to a bed.

9. "Retina" Yeah, no clue with this one. Really, just, wtf? Lol.

I dare not even venture a guess. This one is all over the place and makes absolutely no sense.