V/H/S/94 Blu-ray Review
“V/H/S/94” is for fans of the horror franchise.
“V/H/S/94” marks the fourth installment in the V/H/S horror anthology movie franchise. In this entry, there’s a Jennifer Reeder written and directed wrap around story titled “Holy Hell” that involves a SWAT team raiding a warehouse only to find VHS tapes and cultists. After that, there are 4 stories which are as follows:
“Storm Drain” written and directed by Chloe Okuno- A news reporter (Holly) and cameraman (Jeff) do a story on a local legend by the named of Rat Man. As they embark down a dark storm drain, they discover that the legend is true and that it might be some sort of religious order.
“The Empty Wake” written and directed by Simon Barrett- Hailey is hosting and recording a wake for a deceased man named Andrew, but it turns out that Andrew might not be dead.
“The Subject” written and directed by Timo Tjahjanto- A mad scientist (Dr. Suhendra) kidnaps humans and turns them into cyborgs. The plot focuses on 2 of his disturbing experiments- Subjects 98 and 99. While all of this is going on, the Police are searching for the deranged Doctor, but finding him may prove fatal.
“Terror” written and directed by Ryan Prows- An extremist militia group is planning to blow up a Government building by weaponizing a kidnapped vampire’s blood, but their plan may backfire completely.
To me, there’s a simple formula for a successful horror movie. It should be dark, scary, atmospheric or disturbing but it always has to be fun. “V/H/S/94” is rarely fun. In fact, it’s borderline unpleasant. The grim tone frequently puts a damper on the whole proceedings. Yes, the franchise has always been hit-and-miss with its segments and this sequel is certainly better than “V/H/S: Viral,” but the violence and gore here starts to feel punishing to the viewer. I’m a longtime supporter of horror anthology movies and series as it showcases both creativity and filmmakers, but this one left me cold for the most part. With that said, fans of this franchise may find much to admire here.
As for the segments themselves, “Holy Hell” is a sloppy wrap around while “The Empty Wake” is too simplistic for its own good. “The Subject” is wild and evokes “Tetsuo: The Iron Man,” but it’s an uncomfortably bleak tale. “Storm Drain” might be the best of the lot here despite a rather goofy ending. Chloe Okuno relies heavily on atmosphere and it works. The story grabs you from the get go and seeing how it eerily unfolds is effective. “Terror” deserves credit for focusing on something that is not explored in cinema enough- militias. Ryan Prows does a commendable job lampooning militia mindsets while also delving into vampire mythos and providing a deliriously violent tale involving karma.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.78:1 1080p. How does it look? The picture quality is irrelevant since it’s going for the VHS style (although it doesn’t always succeed in doing so).
Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Again, the sound quality isn’t going to wow you but it does the job.
Extras:
* Commentary on “The Empty Wake” segment by Simon Barrett.
* 5 deleted/extended scenes
* Full-length “Veggie Masher” commercial from the “Storm Drain” segment.
* Behind-the-scenes image gallery
* “San Diego Comic-Con Panel Interview”- A half-hour Comic-Con@Home 2021 panel hosted by Fangoria Writer Richard Newby with Josh Goldbloom, Brad Miska, Simon Barrett, Timo Tjahjanto, Chloe Okuno, Ryan Prows and Jennifer Reeder.
* A 24 minute “Behind-The-Scenes of V/H/S/94” featurette with set footage, interviews, and discussions about the segments.
* “V/H/S/94 Special FX With Patrick Magee”- A behind-the-scenes look at the Raatma, Face Melt and Vampire FX.
* A quick look at the “The Empty Wake” Visual FX.
* An insightful and talkative Boo Crew Podcast hosted commentary featuring Brad Miska, Josh Goldbloom, Jennifer Reeder, Chloe Okuno, Simon Barrett, and Ryan Prows.
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