MayhemPaul

Recently got to see Hi 8 and I really enjoyed it. The whole VHS boom currently happening in fan circles escapes me in some ways. I do love the box art on those old VHS titles, but the quality is terrible and I cannot justify paying 80 dollars for an old tape that probably won't play much longer. Hi-8 was born out of a love for the time when VHS ruled the world, when distributors really needed product. So much that the majors and the minor studios could not keep up. So something strange happened... the fans got some cameras and started making films themselves! This resulted in the Shot On Video boom of the late 80s that lasted about 10 years before it all went to hell and VHS went the way of the Dinosaurs.

This anthology brings together some of the big names of the Shot On Video boom. It also brings in some newer guys who were inspired by the original Shot on Video directors. The end result is entertaining, though not 100% satisfying, with a few missed opportunities. Lets get the good out of the way first, the segments by Ron Bonk, Todd Sheets and Tim Ritter and all excellent no matter the format. Ron Bonk's segment had me laughing out loud, for all the right reasons, while still having some gory fun and a few scares. It plays with genre rules in a fun way, while staying true to them. Todd Sheets has been truly been making the most of his comeback. After a serious battle for his health, Todd has bounced back and his segment was the surprise of the whole film for me. Incredibly well made, with a riveting story crammed into 8 minutes or so. Out of everyone represented I can see perhaps the most artistic growth in this segment. It hits all the right buttons and seems like it could have been at home in Creepshow. Tim Ritter's segment is twisted, gory and the sleaziest of the 3. It tosses what we know about serial killer films on it's head and has a great time doing it. Not as over the top as Killing Spree, but it works hard to entertain. Just make sure the kiddies are in bed.

The segment by Brad Sykes is truly well made and intriguing until the last 5 minutes, and I have to admit, I got lost. I won't give any spoilers, but the end just did not make sense to me and failed to wrap up the story in a cohesive way. There's a segment by Tony Masiello that was inspired by the SOV films of yesterday, even using the names of directors like Sheets, Bookwalter, etc. I enjoyed it very much and you could tell Tony went to some effort to recreate the lighting and overall "vibe" of those early VHS movies. Donald Farmer has done better work than this but it is still amusing... I only wish that nagging girl would have gotten what she deserved. I had never heard much about Marcus Koch or Chris Seaver and their segments were very interesting to me for that reason.

Marcus has a group of people trapped in a garage during what I assume is some kind of alien outbreak or invasion or something and it would work a bit better with a stronger cast, but as it is, I enjoyed it for it's energy and the end is a riot. Chris Seaver created the one segment that I just didn't really grasp. While many in the audience laughed out loud, and one or two jokes even made me chuckle, the feeling I got was that it was a wasted effort. Not much story, it may have all been improvised, and the theme of rape for humor was lost on me and the friends I was with. It also was the least polished of the work on display, with bad sound and camera-work. maybe it was intentional, but it just didn't fit with the rest.

It's a bit uneven, like most anthologies made today, but I sure liked it a hell of a lot better than VHS, VHS 2 and that over-rated ABCs of Death mess. I recommend it for people feeling adventurous, for fans of the glory days of VHS gore and for people looking for a truly independent film experience that doesn't suck!

There is one amazing segment of VHS 2 that has to do with a Cult. It is frenetic, gory, has a great story and makes the most of the "found footage" format. If the rest of the film had lived up to this one sequence, we would have had something special. It's better than Part One in most aspects, though I did like a few moments in that film.

Timo Tjahjanto really blew me away - his segment is imaginative and has some real shocks crammed into it's short running time. Some of the camera work is a bit too shaky as people run around, but I was able to get around that due to the intensity of the story. Out of the remaining short films, we get a return to full on Shaky Cam with Edwardo Sanchez (Blair Witch Project). Truthfully, Edwardo has ALWAYS got to shake the camera like he's in a runaway car or something. He seems to think this is a STYLE. I must argue the point. True artists do not need to shake a camera like a fool to get an image to move someone. Argento, Carpenter, Bava. Masters of the art. Dean Cundy would never run around like a fool, shaking his camera at every object he can find, disregarding the basic rules of directing at will, and no real professional should allow camera-work like this. What an artistic stretch for Edwardo. Next time just throw the damned thing on the ground and drag it around with a rope.

There are a few other sparks. Jason Eisener makes the most of his segment by having some real fun with it and throwing in an Alien Invasion that is both scary and funny. And I really enjoyed the basic idea and most of the execution of Adam Wingard's segment. Still, too damned much shaking here.

I am not sure I understand it really - why so much shaking in these "Found Footage" atrocities? I mean, the old camcorder videos that my family made at Holidays and on Vacation never looked like this. Grandpa tried to keep the camera still. I never actually have seen a home movie like these. Not even on old Super 8. Have you? Eyestrain central. For part 3, maybe they can just go to an old amusement park and give us a POV of the rides or jump out of a plane while filming. At least there'll be a legitimate reason for it being so damned shaky. I think I'd rather watch "HI-8" again.

One thing that jumps out at me when watching movies like this one, Italian Horror films have the best music. Haunting melodies that engross the viewer and pull you into the film. House By The Cemetery is no exception. This story of the Haunted Freudstein House is made all the more memorable and creepy thanks to the music. Some of the acting is a bit stilted here, possibly due to the horrible dubbing of the children. Little Bob may be voiced by the worst dubbing actor in cinema history. It actually hurts the film. I suggest watching the original Italian language version if possible. A bunch of standout gore scenes and a thick atmosphere really help to make this one a classic, and the story is pretty good, keeping interest until the end. The ending itself is a bit of a head scratcher, but I am sure there is some deep, metaphysical meaning that I just don't get. Overall, a good film, and a great addition to any Horror collection.