Hooptober XII: 10/32

Something about the nature of horror anthologies tend to work more often than not for me, and the V/H/S franchise’s found footage aspect, coupled with an always stellar selection of  directorial artists  keep it a cut above most others in the anthology realm. I went into V/H/S/85 to satisfy one of the Hooptober criteria —1 film from a Mexican/Central American director; Gigi Saul Guerrero for the God of Death short— only having seen the first incarnation, and had no idea the universe had already ballooned up to seven entries. That being said, this viewing may also be the beneficiary of not having V/H/S fatigue quite yet, and actually has me excited to run through the rest of another decently regarded horror franchise. 

There’s the framework for some rather compelling stories laid out in each of V/H/S/85’s shorts, and I found myself routinely sucked into every tale. Having only seen the first, a grittier, more grounded storytelling aesthetic seems to be at play, while still offering up a diverse array of stories ranging from supernatural deities, to techno-horror, to an all too believable look at a culturally elite family driven by culty rituals connected through two separate shorts, and even a Black Phone connection. And they’re all connected and propped up by an intriguing sci-fi wraparound, made for TV documentary. Great stuff. 

I’ve said it before, and here it is being said again, I’m a sucker for some tasteful found footage. 
🌬️🚤🚐🩸🎥👽🛸