Shudder Saturday: V/H/S/99 (2022)

I'm not sure how others feel about it, but I am happy that the V/H/S horror anthology movie series has been allowed to go on for as long as it has, and long may it continue. After my disappointment with the third instalment, everything else so far has kept me very entertained, and it's almost as if each one now keeps trying to just get a little bit weirder and wilder, with the emphasis more on fun than nerve-shredding horror. 

We get five tales of terror here. First up is "Shredding", written and directed by Maggie Levin. This is all about an amateur band that decides to break into an allegedly haunted, abandoned, music venue and upset some spirits by rocking out on the stage. Then it's "Suicide Bid", a Johannes Roberts-helmed story of a young woman who reluctantly agrees to be buried alive in order to be accepted into the one and only sorority she has applied to join. "Ozzy's Dungeon" (directed by Flying Lotus, who co-wrote it with Zoe Cooper) is all about the host of a children's game show being tortured by the parent of a child who was seriously injured trying to complete the final challenge on his show. "The Gawkers" (directed by Tyler MacIntyre, who co-wrote it with Chris Lee Hill) has some young men trying to spy on an attractive new neighbour . . . with complete ignorance of the danger they will find themselves in. And then, last but not least, Joseph and Vanessa Winter (aka the Deadstream people) give viewers "To Hell And Back", which is basically summed up by that title.

The only reason I won't name-check everyone onscreen here is because there are too many people to consider, as is often the case with anthology movies, but Ally Ioannides, Steven Ogg, and Melanie Stone were the highlights for me. Ioannides plays Lily, the young woman desperate to join a sorority in "Suicide Bid", Ogg plays the host of "Ozzy's Dungeon, and Stone has a lot of fun as some kind of hell imp in "To Hell And Back". I must say, however, that it's great to not want to single anyone out in a negative way. The shooting style, and ridiculousness of everything, helps, but there isn't anyone here stinking up the place.

Two tales here stood out for me, and those were "Suicide Bid" (Roberts is someone I think always deserves more love from horror fans) and "To Hell And Back" (Joseph and Vanessa Winter really underlining their emergence as names to keep an eye on). "The Gawkers" ranks just below those, boosted by a finale that makes use of a classic monster in a fun and interesting way. Then it's "Shredding", a fun start to things that is undermined by the overuse of the VHS stylisation, and "Ozzy's Dungeon" brings up the rear, although it's still perfectly enjoyable.

Even people who are used to me being quite vague in my movie reviews may feel that I have given away even less than usual here. I am erring on the side of caution, but every part of this film is more enjoyable for the fact that you can quickly figure things out as things unfold. You know that the people involved want to revel in the chance to cut loose and throw around a decent amount of insanity and gore, and every little twist or tweak is always in service of the fun factor.

If you already like this series then you should enjoy this latest entry, particularly if, like myself, you have enjoyed the revival of some modern horror anthologies that seemed destined to end on a low note some years ago.

7/10

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Shudder Saturday: Deadstream (2022)

Joseph Winter, who co-directed and co-wrote this film with Vanessa Winter (the two being husband and wife), stars as Shawn Ruddy, a disgraced online personality who is desperate to get his video channel making good money again after being forced into a time out, due to a specific incident that becomes clear as the movie plays out. In order to come back with a bang, Shawn places himself in an allegedly haunted house, deliberately trapping himself inside and aiming to show himself being scared in a way that will guarantee his live-stream as an unmissable event.

I have seen people describe Deadstream as being very much like The Evil Dead blended with the "found footage" style, and I don't entirely disagree with that description. The main character is teased and tortured in a way that you could easily imagine also happening to Ash. I've also seen people criticise the film for moments that show the main character seeming racist and/or privileged and insensitive. I disagree there. Not that the character ISN'T a bad person, he clearly is, but that is part of the point. He is someone who gave a grovelling apology because he had to, in order to get his "brand" back on track, but he has never really thought about the impact of his foolhardy actions. And even when he has a moment to be a bit more genuinely remorseful, when he decides that things are so bad he may as well aim to be more open and honest than usual, he drops the ball by tying his apology to a lame attempt to appeal to a demographic that he clearly doesn't really care about. The script hints at all of this throughout, because we're shown Shawn being thoughtless and insensitive, at best, from the very beginning.

It's the script that I am going to praise first. The Winters know exactly what they are targeting, and they hit a bulls-eye every time. Ruddy is the kind of over the top, loud and lively, internet personality that you can find on every other YouTube channel. He doesn't like anything, he LOVES IT. He doesn't really want to create anything other than traffic and monetisation for his videos, despite interacting with those who view and comment on his work. The backstories are also nicely crafted, for both the house and Ruddy himself, and the format feels well-handled, with the camerawork being controlled by someone trying to deliver what he claims will be the most cinematic streaming experience possible (even down to supplying his own horror movie soundtrack from a small tape player). The film posits Ruddy as the main character, but it never tries to show him as a hero, or even someone who is any good. Because he isn't.

Mr. Winter is excellent in the main role, on screen for the majority of the runtime. He knows exactly how energetic and good-humoured (and inauthentic) his character should be, allowing the cracks to show frequently enough to make any third act revelations satisfyingly unsurprising. Viewers sense something darker in the details to be revealed, which is much better than having an ending that attempts to pull the rug from under everyone's feet. There are a number of other performers, many of them under some great make up, but the other one to praise is Melanie Stone, playing a young woman, Chrissy, who locates Shawn and wants to keep him company during his stay in the haunted house. Stone is enjoyably impish, and comes in at just the right time to save viewers from becoming exhausted by Ruddy's schtick.

A seemingly silly film with a few serious points to be made, this is horror as absolutely rollicking entertainment. It is, first and foremost, all about entertaining viewers, and the film-makers find a real sweet spot by mixing in a number of perfectly-executed scares with some tension-relieving laughs. It IS a horror comedy, but the fact that I forgot to specify that until now is a testament to how well the comedy is used to simply make the escalating horror and madness bearable.

8/10

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