V/H/S 2 (2013)

Running Time: 96 minutes

Release Date: June 6 2013

Review by: Stacey

 

Nowadays it's not often enough that we see a sequel sort of outdo it's predecessor but V/H/S 2 (previously titled S-VHS) definitely did just that.  It was crazier, gorier, and all-around violent as fuck- and it ruled.

 

 Just as the first one, V/H/S 2 contains four segments with a fifth one being the frame story for the film.  Titled "Tape 49" and directed by Simon Barrett, the wraparound segment follows two private investigators who are hired by a college student's mother to investigate his disappearance.  After sneaking into his home, they discover a bank of tv's and VHS tapes everywhere.  Larry (Lawrence Michael Levine) decides to investigate the house further leaving Ayesha (Kelsy Abbott) to sit down and watch some of the tapes, including one that the missing college student has made himself.

Phase I Clinical Trials- directed by and starring Adam Wingard (You're Next, VHS).  Right off the bat it's an interesting story.  After suffering an eye injury in a car accident, Herman (Wingard), is testing out a new ocular implant that also will record his every waking moment and start making him see some pretty spooky shit.  This was a fresh spin on a ghost story with plenty of jump scares.  Not one of the strongest segments of the bunch, it's still really fun and totally creepy.

A Ride in the Park- directed by Eduardo Sanchez (The Blair Witch Project, Exists) and Gregg Hale, this segment is a zombie story shot from the POV of the zombie, which had the potential to be really awesome.  I say that because it's probably my least favorite out of the segments.  There was nothing absolutely awful about it, but I just found myself totally disinterested in the segment.  It did boast some great gore scenes and a particularly somber ending.

Safe Haven- directed by Timo Tjahjanto (The ABC's of Death "L is for Libido") and Gareth Huw Evans (The Raid), this is hands down my favorite segment of the entire film- hell, the entire franchise.  A news crew infiltrates the Paradise Gates cult to film a documentary about them.  In the middle of an interview, the bizarre leader, "Father", announces that it's "the time of reckoning" and batshit mayhem ensues.  No, really.  Like, there's a fucking birthing of a Baphomet.  This segment took a sharp left turn into crazy town and it was awesome.  The longest of the segments, Safe Haven had a lot more room to develop its characters and story.  This is one that I would have wanted to see made into a feature length film.

 

Slumber Party Alien Abduction- directed by Jason Eisener (Hobo with a Shotgun), this wins second favorite in my heart.  If you know me, you know my extreme love for anything extraterrestrial related.  After the adults of the house leave, a group of kids are spending the day filming their shenanigans (with the majority of the segment being filmed by a camera mounted to their Yorkie, Tank's, back.)  Come night time, there's loud noises, power is cut off, and boom...fucking aliens start wreaking havoc.  The aliens were genuinely frightening (they looked like they were modeled after the Grey aliens) and the insanely loud noises that accompanied the scenes with them really set up the manic tone of the segment.  It definitely wasn't the most original story out of the group, but it was the most fun out of the segments for me.

 

With the film coming back to the end of "Tape 49", while being a lot more entertaining than VHS's wraparound, it left us with more questions than answers.  It was going in a cool direction (the segments watched in a certain order could turn you into something other than human?) but was never fully explained.  At least it left us on a gorey, fun note.

That being said, VHS 2 is far superior to its predecessor due in large part to better quality camera work, more polished directing and more effective storytelling.

4.5/5 wallet eating zombies

Check out the trailer here!