MOVIE REVIEW: V/H/S HALLOWEEN

 

A collection of Halloween-themed videotapes unleashes a series of twisted, blood-soaked tales, turning trick-or-treat into a struggle for survival.

Director:  Anna Zlokovic, Paco Plaza, Casper Kelly, Alex Ross Perry, Bryan M. Ferguson, R.H. Norman

Cast: Samantha Cochran, Natalia Montgomery Fernandez, Teo Planell, María Romanillos, Lawson Greyson, Riley Nottingham, Jenna Hogan, Jake Ellsworth, Stephen Gurewitz, Carl William Garrison, Jeff Harms, Noah Diamond, Sarah Nicklin

Release Date: October 3, 2025

Genre: Horror

Unrated

Runtime: 1h 55m

Review:

The eighth installment of the V/H/S franchise opts for Halloween specific theme which should be a perfect fit for the anthology, but the shorts are mostly underwhelming and undercooked.  

 

The wrap around device, Diet Phantasma, written and directed by Bryan M. Ferguson has a fun 80s aesthetic which works in its favor until each sequence becomes increasingly repetitive as the film goes on.    

The first short, Coochie Coochie Coo, written and directed by Anna Zlokovic is a solid start by using a well worn haunted house trope and setting up funhouse of gross outs and jump scares.  It may not be groundbreaking, but its effectively constructed story makes it feel like one of the more well rounded entries in the film.  

Ut Supra Sic Infra directed by Paco Plaza of [Rec] fame offers an intriguing set up but plays out in a surprisingly paint by the numbers set up and payoff.  It doesn't help that the characters are all logically challenged as they place themselves willingly in situations that result in fatal situations.  Paco Plaza is one of the most established directors in this volume which makes this short rather underwhelming and disappointing.   

Fun Size, written and directed by Casper Kelly, is one of the goofiest entries here which delivers a handful of gory laughs thanks to the zany set up and murderous mascots that pursue our hapless quartet of drunken trick or treaters.  This entry would have benefited from a bit more world building to flesh out the concept of Fun Size's world since there's painfully little offered up.  

Kidprint, written and directed by Alex Ross Perry, is far and away the darkest and nastiest short in this volume as it deals with a child serial killer in the 90's.  Taking some real life inspiration from Blockbuster's Kidprint which was supposed to serve as real life footage of your child in case they were abducted or went missing.  This short takes that concept down a dark path with little held back in terms of violence against children and gore.  There's a solid kernel of an idea, but it moves too quickly through the reveal with the back half just being relentless gore before its cynically ironic ending.  

The final entry, Home Haunt, written and directed by Micheline Pitt-Norman and R.H. Norman offers initial promise with its retro aesthetic that's quickly jettisoned once it moves to the present day.  The story is fairly straightforward with things playing out in a fairly predictable manner.  There are some fun, over the top moments but ultimately it doesn't leave much of a mark.  

Overall V/H/S Halloween feels like a rushed, step down from the previous entry V/H/S Beyond which was far more consistent than this entry which is a real shame. 

C

MOVIE REVIEW: [REC]³ GENESIS

ON DEMAND IN THEATERS

[REC]³ GENESIS




The origins of the demonically possessed that inhabit the apartment building from the first two [REC] movies is explained in this prequel from director Paco Plaza, one of the two co-directors of the series. His twice-over collaborator, Jaume Balaguero, returns to helm [REC] Apocalypse, the conclusion to the first-person action/horror franchise. Diego Martin and Leticia Dolera star. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Paco Plaza

Cast: Diego Martín, Leticia Dolera, Javier Botet, Mireia Ros

Release Date: Sep 07, 2012

Rated R for some Language and Strong Bloody Horror Violence

Runtime: 1 hr. 19 min.

Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

[REC]³ Génesis is the third entry in one of my favorite horror franchises around. The first two films delivered a visceral punch that hard to match. Their use of the first person POV worked for the series incredibly well giving it an immediacy and tension that made it stand out from the rest. The first 20 minutes or so play out much like the first two films until director Paco Plaza literally knocks the camera out of the actors hand and changes the perspective along with the general tone of the film. It’s jarring and sure to make some fans of the series question this entry. Taking a more comedic and traditional tone, the third film is still visceral and full of gore and scares but it’s far different from it’s more serious in tone predecessors. Once the turn occurs the film will either win you over or turn you off entirely. Your enjoyment of the film will depend entirely on how much you are willing to accept this version of [REC]. To their credit the 2 leads do fine work with Leticia Dolera, a more attractive Shelly Duvall, leaving the biggest impression. Dolera has some of the better “hero” shots throughout the latter part of the film. Dolera and Martin are given a fairly weak script which doesn’t allow for much in terms of characterizations but by the end of the film I still found myself invested in their story, a testament to their work. [REC]³ Génesis won’t be for everyone and might even turn off some fans of the franchise but it’s still an enjoyable if more traditionally shot zombie film.

B-

[Trailer] [REC]³ Génesis

After I finished watching [REC]2 I was just begging for a 3rd part, thankfully we’ll be getting one!

The teaser trailer for the 3rd part seems to be taking a different approach from the first 2 films but this still looks like an excellent addition to the Spanish horror franchise, hopefully we in the states won’t be left waiting for years like with the 2nd part…..

MOVIE REVIEW: [REC] ²

ON VIDEO

[REC] 2



Picking up just a few short minutes after the first film left off, Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza's adrenalized action horror sequel follows a heavily armed SWAT team and a tight-lipped medical officer as they venture into the quarantined tenement building to uncover the origins of the bizarre outbreak. Their helmet-mounted cameras capturing every nerve-shredding moment of the mission, the team must fight for their lives when they're beset by rampaging victims of the demonic virus. Now, with each new attack, the infection grows, and the horde gains power. Should the virus somehow manage to spread outside, the result would be a disaster of apocalyptic proportions. But there's still hope; the medical officer seems to know something about this infection that he hasn't yet shared with the others. Somewhere in the building, an antidote to the virus waits to be discovered. But in order to find it, these terrified soldiers will have to fight their way through a true hell on Earth. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Directors: Paco Plaza, Jaume Balagueró

Cast: Jonathan Mellor, Ariel Casas, Alejandro Casaseca, Pablo Rosso, Manuela Velasco

Release Date: Jul 09, 2010

Rated R for Strong bloody violence, disturbing images and pervasive language

Runtime: 1 hr. 25 min.

Genres: Drama, Horror, Suspense/Thriller

REVIEW:

Jaume Balaguer and Paco Plaza's follow up to their dizzyingly wonderful first person zombie film [REC] is more a continuation than a straight up sequel. Picking up just moments after the first one ends, the directors continue the look and film of the first, via a SWAT team this go around with helmet cams. The multi camera aspect presented this go around is effective in giving the audience a different perspective during action sequences that get you even more close and personal during some of the encounters, it’s a great effect even if it feels like a video game from time to time. The story itself is beefed up, giving us more information on what’s going and what’s caused the whole thing all with a decidedly more religious and supernatural tenor. It works well since it’s something that was hinted at near the end of the original film. A minor issue comes about halfway through the film as the directors decide to stop everything and retrace the steps of another group from the very beginning. It’s not the best decision because it kind of kills the flow of the film. While the entire sequence is interesting there’s only very little of consequence that happens. Once this storyline catches back up it continues it path providing enough scares, thrills and surprises to make any horror fan happy and hoping for a third go around.

B+