Episode 39 - Night Slaves/Cold Night's Death

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Episode 35 - Alligator Composite (1980/2015)

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Episode 04 - 3:15 (1986)

 

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Episode 02 - Long Weekend (1978)

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V/H/S 2 (2013)

Since 'The Blair Witch Project' broke box office records back in 1999 it seems like everyone under the sun has tried to put their own spin on the found footage sub-genre. From zombies and ghosts to Sasquatch and Nessie; pretty much every producer could put in a little financial backing and receive a pretty solid ROI.  The truth is that most of these films were shoddily put together with little foundation of creating an entertaining film.

Last year, horror website Bloody Disgusting ventured into the original film department with their horror anthology release, 'V/H/S'. The film fared rather well in terms of audiences and critics, so inevitably a sequel would manifest itself in no time. I enjoy the first film immensely as it was a fresh take on the tired found footage formula, but I did have my issues with the film. The wraparound story of the group of men trying to search for a wanted tape was the first films biggest downfall, as the acting and characters weren't anything to envelop the stories in-between. The other issue, as with any anthology movie, is that you're going to be left with films you really like, maybe some you're impartial to, and others that you just didn't care for at all. A lot of people didn't seem to enjoy the Ti West offering in the last installment, but I enjoy a slow burn.

As with the previous 'VHS' film, the sequel starts off with a wraparound story to envelop the found footage horrors. This time round we follow a group of private investigators who are sent to find a woman's missing son. As they enter the apartment, they find TV sets stacked in a wall with dozens of VCRs and tapes haphazardly strewn about the room. As one investigator goes searching through the house, the other starts looking through the man's tape collection.

Now here is where I should provide details of all the tapes that are viewed, but that would take away from the fun of the film. Each of the four stories are so different, but compliment each other rather smoothly. The basic premise for the films are: Ghosts ('Clinical Trials'), Zombies ('A Ride in the Park'), a cult ('Safe Haven') and an alien abduction ('Slumber Party Alien Abduction'). Whereas the first film had a few mediocre segments this sequel finds all the right beats from the first one, and amplifies them to the umptenth degree. Laughs, gore and atmosphere are all present in each segment, and the crowd I saw it with was laughing and screaming the entire time.

Honestly, I'm pretty hard pressed to find any issues with 'VHS 2'. It was exactly what I wanted from a sequel, and had a great sense of fun with each offering. The directors involved all did a wonderful job of staying within the horror genre, but allowing for comedic elements to ring throughout to offset the violence and scares. I don't even have a favorite segment, but if there was one that the audience seemed to respond to the most it was Gareth Evans 'Safe Haven'. This is the gentlemen who directed last years fantastic 'The Raid'.

While found footage may not have been reinvented with 'VHS 2', it certainly was well crafted in how to entertain an audience. For whatever faults there may have been in the previous installment, all have been eradicated with this new outing. The best thing about a budding franchise like 'VHS' is that it's a venue for up and coming directors to showcase their talents in a condensed form. They can churn out one a year like any other horror franchise, but the difference here is that we'll never see the same movie twice.

'VHS 2' will be released by Magnet Releasing on VOD July 6th with a limited theatrical run July 12th.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Trash Bags

'Crossed: Dead or Alive' is the future of creative control.

Outside of the weekly updates on the live show, it's rare that we cover our love of comics on The Trash Pile. Both Jason and I have been reading and collecting comics for upwards of 20 years, and our love of horror translates to comics as well. One of the premier destinations for modern horror comics is Avatar Press. Avatar was started in 1996 by William Christensen and has released everything from Tim Vigil and David Quinn's 'Faust' to the expanding universe of Garth Ennis's 'Crossed'.

I was exposed to 'Crossed' at the very beginning thanks partially due to the extremely graphic covers and amazingly detailed illustrations by Jacen Burrows. Even with the visceral gore on the pages, it is only through the words of creator and writer Garth Ennis that this fantastical story comes to life. Many have known Ennis's work through amazing books like 'Preacher', but 'Crossed' was different.

For those unfamiliar with the source material, 'Crossed' tells the story of a world turned inside-out. A disease infects millions, and unleashes their wickedest desires. From murder and rape to cannibalism and torture; the disease unleashes the beast within.

Throughout print series like 'Family Values', 'Psychopath' to 'Badlands' and the webseries 'Wish You Were Here', the story of the Crossed has gone gangbusters. With the success of 'The Walking Dead' on AMC, it was only a matter of time until someone thought that 'Crossed' would be a good property to turn live-action. It's hard to imagine any major film studio or television network (even HBO) would air such vile and deplorable material. Thankfully, Mr. Christensen decided that too was the case, and has decided to put ownership squarely in the hands of the series creator, Garth Ennis.

Starting sometime this spring, Avatar will be holding a fundraiser to finance the epic undertaking that would be whole season written and directed by Ennis. This won't be Ennis's first foray into filmmaking, as he had created a film prequel to one of his other Avatar series, 'Stitched'. While I haven't been able to track down a physical copy yet, I am very interested in seeing how Ennis transitions from page to screen.

With the monumental task that is a whole web series, there will also be a coinciding comic that will take the story further. This is absolutely unprecedented as far as I'm concerned as I have not seen nor heard of a title that transitions between live-action series and comic book. The idea is so fantastic that I'm surprised that one of the heavy hitters like DC or Marvel hadn't thought of it first.

Avatar Press is the premiere stop for mature comics, and with the massive goal that they have set forth to allow for a cross media title is just amazing. With the increased interest in horror titles since 'The Walking Dead' hit it big, I'm sure that 'Crossed' will have a faithful fan base. Make no mistake though, this will push all boundaries of taste, decency and morals. You have been warned.

Crossed: Dead or Alive