V/H/S/Mixtape Review
Another year, another entry into the V/H/S franchise via Shudder. This marks the ninth entry in this franchise and the sixth entry to be released by Shudder. This year’s entry had the theme of music, rhythm, and audio as elements of horror.
Gwar Is… (Frame Narrative) - Flying Lotus
I call it a “frame narrative,” but it’s probably the least narratively functioning story of all the films in this franchise. Essentially, it features the band Gwar popping in V/H/S tape after V/H/S tape, subjecting us to the horrors, but there’s no real story. And through it all, Gwar do very Gwar things. All I’ll say is the less Gwar, the better.
Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance - Renee Zahn
A puppet show from the 80s or 90s that had a one-season run is getting a revival this time with CGI. So a team has to come in and scan the puppets in order to get started, but the puppets don’t want to be scanned/replaced.
Barbara Crampton was having fun. It’s a good start to the movie and starts where you’re not sure where things will go; when things let loose, it’s a good time. A fun entry into the franchise.
3.5/5 Stars
Another Cabin - Flying Lotus
A stop-motion film about a giant monster attacking a cabin in the remote woods with a grandmother and grandson in the cabin.
Truly, I don’t know what the hell this was. It’s like three minutes and makes no sense and is weirdly sexual in a gross way. I’ve just never been on Flying Lotus’ wavelength with their V/H/S Shorts.
1.5/5 Stars
Heartbeat - David Moreau
A couple of Youtuber/influencers are out in Eastern Europe looking for a remote military base to go exploring as part of their YouTube channel. Of course, what they come across, they are not ready for.
Head and shoulders above the rest of the shorts in this anthology film. The sound design is incredible and disturbing. A well-crafted horror short that makes great use of a minimal budget and sound effects. Also, it always works to make your protagonists in a horror film be annyoing YouTubers/Influencers.
4/5 Stars
Premature Burial - Tobias Forge
It’s essentially a music video. Tobias Forge, who helped found the band Ghost, was a part of the Swedish heavy metal band Repugnant. He revives and recuts their song “Premature Burial”. I didn’t get much out of this, but the homage to the 80s/90s music videos was cool.
3/5 Stars
The Music of Mr. Sze - Ernest Dickerson
Yes, the man behind the film Juice makes this horror short about a film student renting a room in a house filled with characters none stranger than Mr. Sze.
An elderly man who plays different stringed instruments through the night. The film student decides to make a documentary about Mr. Sze and discovers far more than he bargained for.
I enjoyed this one if it is a bit light. The premise is cool, but I wish it wasn’t so CGI-heavy in the end.
3.5/5 Stars
Deathtone - RZA
A music producer takes her father’s advice regarding creating the perfect song literally, with horrifying results.
I had hopes that with the Wu-Tang Clan leader at the helm, this would be fun. And it is fun for a bit, but gets too goofy for its own good. Is it worth sacrificing yourself for art if your art is trash?
2.5/5 Stars
Overall, this is way more of a mixed bag than the last few entries. I think there’s only one truly memorable short to come from this batch. The next installment is already in production. V/H/S/SCP.
SCP (Special Containment Procedures is a wiki-based collaborative fiction project launched in 2008. Within the project's shared world, the SCP Foundation is responsible for capturing, containing, and studying paranormal, supernatural, and other mysterious phenomena (known as "anomalies" or "SCPs"), while also keeping their existence hidden from society.
I’d be lying if I said I understood this. I want to say it’s like internet creepypastas. It’s being produced by A24 with an October 2027 release date. So I’ll see you next year with a hopefully theatircal release.
