After watching the first part (Z/L/O, 2012), I had an unpleasant impression. Having found out that she had sequels, I decided to watch them all and became even more disappointed.
Boring, uninteresting, meaningless – those words that describe each part of this series well (including “Z/L/O 99”).
Could future films be more interesting? I hope so.
“Z/L/O 99”, as well as all the previous parts, is not surprising: neither the idea, nor the plot, nor visual effects, nor the soundtrack, nor the atmosphere.
Main line:
In this part there is no end-to-end story as such. One of the stories will be an offshoot of the main one.
1st Short Film:
"Crushing"
Punk rock bands visit the death site of another aspiring punk band.
Boring.
2nd Short Film:
"Application for suicide"
A freshman wants to join a prestigious women’s society at her university, but for this she needs to pass the test.
This story is one of those that interest from the very beginning, despite the banal plot and simple idea. It is a shame that this type of passages throughout all parts of "Z / L / A" the most is 3 - 4 stories.
There are no visual effects here, as in most stories, but you do not pay attention to this due to the atmosphere of the passage and the desire to know how the test will end.
3 - and short film:
"Ozzy's Dungeon"
About what? At a children's show, an accident happens that changes the lives of Donna and her family.
It’s an interesting idea, but the way it was implemented ruins everything. The ending, as in most stories, claims to be something global with meaning, but in the end it turns out quite the opposite.
4th Short Film:
"Watchers"
A few friends are watching the girl.
It's been a long time. Most of the history is talking. Then simultaneously comes the development of the plot, its culmination and denouement.
5th Short Film:
"To hell and back again."
When filming the ritual of calling a demon, operators go to hell.
The beginning and the end of the story are well shot, but what happens in Hell spoils the whole impression: Hell itself, demons, atmosphere, blood, chains, etc. - look as artificial as possible, from this the whole story turns out to be uninteresting.
The overall impression of Z/L/A 99, as with all previous parts, is negative. There is nothing in any of these parts of the Z/L/A series (yet) to cling to. There is no desire to look further, to find out how it will end, and then to reconsider.
After watching the next part, I was sure that “this one will be definitely better than the previous one”, but as a result again:
4 out of 10
Well, I reached the last, at the moment, the fifth part of the beloved series V/H/S. I think by the color of the review you guessed that I didn’t like this part, let’s look at why.
As with the rest of the franchise, the stories are quite original, but the implementations get worse and worse, piece by piece. Here and the development of stories, too crumpled and predictable, and special effects are very weak. None of the stories interested me or remembered. It’s sad to realize that the series is sliding further down in quality with each new film. The alarming bell was already in the third part, but there was still hope, especially after the controversial fourth, which at least had a chic plot about robots. But the fifth put everything in its place. It was the same with the series “Paranormal phenomenon”, where subsequent parts only parasitized the popularity of the original.
In general, this is a frequent phenomenon in modern cinema, when the first film turns out to be a masterpiece, and its numerous sequels, although they have a much larger budget, but in fact, are created only to lure money from the audience. But with the V/H/S series, it just had to be different. After all, there are several stories in each part at once, each of which has its own separate director. Yes, there may be bad stories, but not all at once! In the fifth part, it is precisely the case when all stories do not even reach the estimate of “average”.
It can not but upset the lack of the main plot component that would unite all the mini-stories, as was the case in all previous parts. A very strange decision to remove this moment, because it was a key feature of the entire franchise.
I don’t know what to praise this part for. Except for the excellent acting and selection of actors in general. I will especially highlight Meloni Stone as Mabel from the fifth story, a very colorful and memorable character, besides very cute. And the other characters are very alive, this saves the picture from a complete failure in my eyes.
Summing up, I have to state the fact that the series very much lowered the bar of quality below average. Is there any hope of returning to the origins of the first two parts? I heard that the next part of the series, called V/H/S 85, has already been announced, and it’s kind of even shot, just not out yet. Of course, I would like to see a qualitative return to the origins of the first two numbered parts, but I have a bad feeling. In any case, it is too early to say, but about this part I said everything.
4 out of 10
Despite being more stable, I liked this series less than the others. Too much thrash no longer frightened, but laughed. As if they wanted to shoot a normal horror, and it came out in the style of Sinister Dead 3, but not on purpose. But I still like the idea. If I had to arrange a horror movie marathon at a party, I would choose a series of evil.
The film also has a central branch, but for some reason it is not very attached to the rest of the episodes. And there's no integrity in that. The central film is the funniest. Cartoon with toy soldiers, filled with treshatina and battles with monsters. Further by episodes: the story of young punks who decided to play in a burned-out club, where other punks once died, but it was not necessary to disturb the demons from hell, the episode about a girl student who was buried in the coffin of a classmate, allegedly for a student rite and naturally something went wrong, then the series about a thrashing children's show, where the winners can make a wish from some mystical creature Ozzy, clearly associated with otherworldly devilry; during the competition, the girl breaks leg, and her relatives decide to take revenge on the next one, who is fatally connected to the next episode.
You can watch it all only by an amateur I horror tresha and not without a sense of specific humor. What I can't do for everyone.
First, I want to mention a very important detail. New people worked on this part again, namely: several girls, a rapper, and 2 people who understand something in cinema.
Shredding.
A banal fairy tale about a punk rock band that is not asked to enter. Weak scenario, everything is predictable and transparent from the first seconds. Interesting production and memorable monsters will not be here. The episode didn't remember anything. Stupid kids caused evil with very cheap makeup. These are not some interesting creatures like “Rat-Man” from the beautiful past part, but simple, ugly zombies. It turned out a weak passage fragment that was not remembered. There is nothing more to add to it.
Suicide Bid
The second trivial fairy tale is about a loser girl who wants to score points in front of “cool girls” to join their dubious club. From the conditions: lie in the coffin for the night. Of course, all this ends with a real otherworldly threat in the form of... Some trivial monsters again. No more, no less. I don’t know how else to comment. The makeup is cheap, as if it was not changed much from the previous episode, just changed the actors. There are no surprises or memorable scenes. Liters of blood and kilograms of meat are also gone. Simple and mediocre.
Ozzy's Dungeon
The children's show, in which the children after the obstacle course must get to Ozzy - the wish-maker, ends with a severe open leg injury to one of the participants. Trauma destroys the girl’s life, and many years after the closure of a dangerous and poorly organized show, the angry mother of the victim recalls everything to the host and apparently the organizer of the show. Again, nothing to remember, again everything is very ordinary and ordinary. No impressive effects, no interesting scenes. The third in a row empty.
The Gawkers.
A group of teenagers in an attempt to spy through a webcam for their beautiful neighbor find out that she is not a simple American beauty, but a real beauty. He's not human. Basically, this is just another old fairy tale in the manner of zero. Evil takes a minimum of screen time. This fragment turned out to be atmospheric, the beginning of the two thousandth is well transmitted, there is a good, but short CGI visual and that’s all.
If it were in one of the first three parts, it would be more appropriate. After the last part, it looks very mediocre.
To Hell and Back.
The best episode of this part. Two friends film a witch ritual in late 1999. Guys are skeptical about what is happening until they miraculously end up with a camera in hell. Next, in principle, follows an interesting storyline, there is an affair, there is a curious, albeit a little cheap hell and in general a fascinating ending. Again, had this episode been in one of the first three parts, it would have been concise and fitting. There are even remarkable demons, monsters, martyrs. With visuals and imagination in this fragment, things are really better. Hell is low-budget, but it is very uncomfortable and gloomy. However, as before, the level of "94-ki" is not reached and the more often they will not jump.
As a result, we have a passing part, inferior in all aspects to the previous film. Which, of course, as a devoted fan of the franchise, makes me sad. "VHS 94" came back after a long pause and got hooked, hooked. It was clear that the last picture was painstaking work, work with the soul. Each episode was unique, unlike the previous one. Each episode clings to a visual series, an idea, a production. Everything looked fresh, unusual and new. Such a bar could not but cause high expectations, especially since the crew stated that the “99” will be the best part of the franchise. Alas, "VHS 99" - a dummy and a passerby, filmed by very dubious people.
To sum up, the series clearly went the wrong way. It remains to believe in the best, but now, despite the furor of “94-ki”, preparing for the worst in a possible next part. That's too bad.
The weakest part of the series. I used to think that the second part is the weakest, but in comparison with this creation, the second is a masterpiece.
3 out of 10
An introductory and very comedic sketch about ' weekdays' toy soldiers ends literally in the middle of a word:
1) ' Grinding'. This segment tells about a punk band shooting a rather extreme video for fans, while infiltrating the music club, where three years earlier there was a terrible fire. And all would be fine, but this location was the place of death for four members of the rock band ' Cats-Bitches' who became victims of a massive stampede that occurred as a result of the fire. Of the positive aspects, I note a good musical series performed by the band 'K-c', as well as quite high-quality makeup. But the story itself is pretty raw and simple. 5 out of 10
2) ' Suicide claim' A young freshman dreams of joining the sisterhood 'BetaSigmaEta'. But a prerequisite for her is to spend the night in an empty grave in one of the city cemeteries. Filled with alcohol, the cheering cheers of her future sisters & #39, a young girl before the test learns the mystical story of Guiltine, who mysteriously disappeared from the coffin during a similar mission. Of course, in the future everything goes absolutely not according to plan. Claustrophobia this part of the anthology will taste. 6 out of 10
3) ' Ozzy Underground' A children's TV show is overgrown with a huge scandal when during the performance of the contest (obstacle strip) one of its participants mysteriously receives a leg injury that causes irreparable harm to health for the rest of his life. Her parents, unable to accept such injustice, kidnap the host of the TV show. And now he has to go through his obstacle course with blackjack and... In general, this segment has a very interesting ending, the plot twist of which is impossible to predict. Oh, sorry about Ozzy. 7 out of 10
(4) 'Zevaki' A group of teenagers begin to follow the sexy neighbor of one of the guys. And it would be fine, but we all know that women clearly do not like excessive attention, especially when their little secrets come out. Quite a simple sketch, with an obvious reference to Greek mythology. 5 out of 10
5) 'To hell and back' The final sketch of the anthology, in a rather cheerful vein, tells about a group of documentary filmmakers who decided to film the ceremony by calling the demon Okabon. And of course (no one doubted), everything goes again not according to plan, and this pair of observers goes straight to Hell. Very high-quality locations and tolerable makeup of demons makes this story very, very entertaining. There are no cool plot delights, but what is happening is really interesting to watch. P.S. Mabel is a charmer. 6 out of 10
So, 'Evil 99' still slightly inferior in the qualitative presentation of composite segments, its predecessor. In this almanac, almost all stories are predicted except for the third, and something bright / new absolutely can not boast. But in principle, my assessment also remains positive.
Less than a year later, enterprising studio husbands sawed down another part of the franchise. VHS99, you can portend the end of an era - the nineties are coming to an end, the zeros are smoothly soaking in a decade. A new era, music, fashion, movement, hangouts, and of course visual hypostases of evil. So on the way?
Novella first: Punky in the basement.
They're not punks, though. So-teenager group of informals, including one mall-goth, (a subtly noted example of a subculture that originated in those years), a guy with a camera and a passion for skateboarding, a girl on vocals, and a drummer of Indian origin. The informals are always looking for adventure and find it! Deciding to record a div clip in an abandoned building where another girl punk band is rumored to have parted ways with fans and life. The ending is a little predictable.
The segment delivers an abundance of references to informal hangouts of those years, a suitable sound in the spirit of Misfits, and of course an abundance of screams, innards, and morality, that no matter how cool you are, but repulsed punk was not - the dark forces do not care about it, they will come and take what they want. This is the case.
Novella take two: Sisterhood.
One intelligent girl aspires to join an elite student fraternity. Full of female moments of a bike with an instructive hint that the weak can not be offended. Kakbe delivers by revealing the theme of female rivalry, and the relationship between females in the format of young years and sadistic pranks. Mysticism of revenge, where else without it.
The third story: Ozzy's Underground.
A fierce banter over children's entertainment shows. I’ve always thought of this as a schizoid topic, and the authors share the same view. The story of one family, which decides to inflict an act of revenge on a greedy TV presenter, flows into the fuss of demonic fervor in the best traditions of revenge films, and at a certain point the segment gives snuff aesthetics with the addition of African-American. Which makes this novel doubly frightening. For what could be worse than black revenge?
Novella fractions four: Peeping.
It's not about Tinto Brass movies, it's about a gang of teenagers from the suburbs. A new roommate with the appearance of a porn model, a handheld camera, puberty, and a desire to copulate. One bad thing - the hike for the first sexual experience turns out to be the worst epic fail for applicants. In my opinion, the segment is interesting again because of the playing of elements of an era where the final monster is the perfect chord to complete. The disadvantage of the novel is its predictability, as if it immediately becomes clear that good should not be expected from the fatal beauty, but again all the shortcomings are overseen by the originality of the presentation.
Novel Five: Coven.
A couple of unlucky cinematographers get to the celebration of the new year 2000, everything would be nothing, but to document our guys will not be a feast, and the ritual of calling demons.
I liked this part more than anyone else. The demonic world, strange creatures in the spirit of Clave Barker, man-made effects, an atmosphere of oppressive darkness, and otherworldly forces that literally crush their power. Throughout history, I could not escape this action. Every minute a new monster appears, followed by stifling hopelessness and then another demonic phenomenon. A kind of satanic action non-stop, with all the gargoyles of the world of darkness, and this is wildly cool I can say, especially considering that all the effects are made extremely simple.
Conclusion: The franchise is to be, young directors are just arriving in the genre, which means we are waiting for the sixth and seventh sequels. Those who want to shoot short meters on horror theme will not go anywhere, the cult status of the film is already there, and variations on the theme of infernal manifestations through the medium are a great many, ranging from abstract delirium, ending with classics, and references to the bones of eminent creators. So, you should be.