Inhalte(1)
Eine Anthologie von Horror-Episoden, die durch eine Rahmenhandlung verbunden werden: Auf der Suche nach einem vermissten Schüler brechen zwei Privat-Ermittler in dessen Haus ein und stoßen auf eine umfangreiche Sammlung diverser VHS-Videokasetten. Jene haben es in, oder besser auf sich. Angesichts des grauenhaften Bild-Materials erkennen sie, dass es ein dunkles Motiv hinter dem mysteriösen Verschwinden des jungen Mannes geben muss. Der erste Verdacht einer Verbindung zwischen Band und Tat entwickelt sich. Das Material auf den Bändern setzt seinen Zuschauern schwer zu und gestaltet eine Welt der Gewalt, wie sie manche nur schwer verarbeiten werden können. Genau vier Tapes führen sich die Detektive zu Gemüt, eines schockierender als das andere. Dadurch driften die Ermittler tiefer in die Materie als ihnen lieb ist... (Verleiher-Text)
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Der rote Band-Trailer und die Zusammenstellung der Regisseure versprachen einen besseren Horror-Spaß. Die Fortsetzung ist im Grunde dasselbe wie der erste Teil. Zwei starke Segmente werden von zwei schlechteren ausgeglichen, die außerdem von einer überflüssigen Unannehmlichkeit umrahmt werden, die sie zusammenklebt. Ich halte den ersten Teil für den schwächsten, in dem Wingard das oft verwendete Thema der Organtransplantation verwendet. Ich habe mich am meisten auf Eiseners Variation von Unheimliche Begegnung der dritten Art gefreut (im Trailer sah es wirklich beängstigend aus), aber es leidet unter unübersichtlichen nächtlichen Szenen. Sánchezs schwarzhumoriger Blick auf die Zombie-Epidemie auf der anderen Seite der Barrikade ist viel besser. Qualitativ gesehen gewinnt jedoch letztendlich das dritte Segment der Schöpfer von The Raid und Macabre, das nicht nur übersichtlich ist, sondern auch Spannung, Gore und zum Schluss eine (un)angenehme Überraschung bietet. Als Gesamtpaket also ein besseres Durchschnittsniveau.
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Unlike almost all the reviews from film festivals so far, I don’t think V/H/S/2 is such a great step forward in terms of quality compared to V/H/S. Perhaps my expectations were too high and I was hoping for an absolute. The resulting impression is just as positive as the first part, although this time the anthology doesn’t feel as balanced. Those who weren’t happy with the first one, likely won’t be too keen on this one, either. And whereas the previous one ended with the best story, this one ends with the weakest. Otherwise, a few words about each segment: Tape 49, the story that frames all the rest, is about two detectives looking for a missing student. In most anthologies, the framing story is a necessary evil, and this one is no exception – unremarkable, but does the job. 60 %. Phase I Clinical Trials is not even found-footage, but a look through the eyes of the protagonist (a robotic eye, actually), who is haunted by ghosts. Decent pace, a couple of very scary scenes, but also rather unconvincing when it comes to the acting. 80%. A Ride in the Park is a fairly original and entertaining zombie story from the point of view of one of the infected. It wouldn’t work as a feature film, but as a 20-minute short it’s fine. 80%. Safe Heaven is hands down the best of the lot. Tjahjanto and Evans pull all the stops and unleash a demonic sectarian hell that at times made my jaw hit the floor. Pity that final shot, it feels laughable more than anything, which isn’t an ideal way to finish an otherwise perfect horror short. 90%. Slumber Party Alien Abduction is about a group of teenagers at home who are attacked by a group of aliens. The interesting premise and the decently scary scenes are ruined by the fact that you can’t see anything, mainly because everything takes place in the dark and most of the time a dog is carrying the camera (!!!). 60%
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V/H/S/2 ranks among those rare anthology films that rely on certainty rather than on a mix of newcomers and renowned established filmmakers. The originators of the project were dissatisfied with the basic stylistic requirement, which consists in filming from the first-person perspective and thematising the recording medium, as was the case in the preceding “VHS” horror-movie format. It is apparent that the next criterion for the individual filmmakers was that their contributions should also be entertaining and have an imaginative or innovative concept. Paradoxically, this setup further escalates the competition between the individual segments, as the strengths of the individual filmmakers are made apparent in their degree of imaginativeness. The biggest fiasco is the overarching narrative, which is hindered by the fact that it should provide some kind of framework for the otherwise entirely unrelated and fundamentally different segments. But the idea that the other segments are VHS tapes played by private detectives in the apartment of a deranged student fascinated by recordings of death as they investigate his disappearance doesn’t make much sense. It is an extremely absurd notion that someone transferred the segments shot on miniature digital cameras and portable HD cameras to the old VHS format. Due to the fragmented nature of the narrative, which is interrupted by the other segments, the filmmakers could do nothing more than exploit the unpleasant atmosphere and rely on scares. The first coherent segment, by the emerging directing star Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett, co-screenwriter of Wingard’s recent feature-length films, is a bizarre variation on The Eye, which gets extra credit due to its humour and ridiculously literal grasp of the “first-person” concept. This is followed by a segment from the creators of The Blair Witch Project that finally takes the camera out of the hands of protagonists facing various monsters on the opposite side of the barricade. Though it’s not anything groundbreaking, it is a perfect treat as a humorous gore show with a single idea that sets it apart. The absolute highlight of the anthology is the third stand-alone segment by Timo Tjahjanto, one-half the Thanatos promising Indonesian duo The Mo Brothers, and Gareth Huw Evans, director of The Raid. Starting out as a news report about a fanatical cult led by a deviant, their story proves to be an ingenious game played with viewer expectations. Furthermore, it is the only segment in the whole anthology that doesn’t use the presence of cameras as merely a formalistic quirk or as a means of enhancing the scares, but instead as a narrative device. And thanks to the fact that there is a full range of lenses instead of just one camera, the filmmakers have the possibility to work more with the pacing and suspense. Evans clearly shows here that even if he runs out of ideas for action and fight movies, his creative abilities will definitely not be exhausted. The last part is simply just a superb exercise in camerawork and setting up the mis-en-scén that shows off the staging skills of Jason Eisener (Hobo with a Shotgun), but it doesn’t offer anything more tangible than formalistically refined chaos.
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What ultimately saves the film is the fact that there are scenes here that are gritty, surprising, and unafraid. It's not very explicit in terms of nudity, although it's true that the individual stories didn't really call for it and it would have been unnecessary. The gore is sometimes absolutely great, but I wasn't particularly blown away by the actual films themselves. At times, I felt like the screenplay wasn't really the focus at all. Even the overarching storyline doesn't really stand out in that regard.
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Galerie (19)
Photo © Magnolia Pictures
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