After two volumes filled with videotape nostalgia, the popular horror series finally moves into the digital age. Following the massive success of "V/H/S 2," Miska & Co. decide to take on the viral video with Nacho Vigalondo ("Timecrimes"), Marcel Sarmiento ("Deadgirl"), Gregg Bishop ("Dance of the Dead"), Justen Benson and Aaron Moorhead ("Spring") and the results are well ... very mixed.
Sarmiento kicks off the third volume with "Vicious Circles," our wraparound segment. We meet the viral- / camera-obsessed Kevin and his girlfriend, Iris. Kevin is hellbent on becoming a viral sensation and gets his chance when an ice cream van leads the police on a high-speed chase close to his house. Kevin and Iris get a little too close to the action, and our wraparound kicks off.
From there, we move into Gregg Bishop's segment, "Dante the Great," a hokey take on a demonic magic cloak. While I admit the concept is neat, the execution comes off silly. Are we watching a documentary? Are we watching security footage? Handheld? There are so many different camera angles in this segment that it really takes away from the "V/H/S" format. While there are some great effects and major gore factor, the overly dramatic fight sequence at the end really ruined this for me. Not to mention a huge miss at a big final scare.
Then, it's back to Sarmiento's wraparound. This is where I started to worry about "V/H/S VIRAL." People were rushing the streets to get cell phone footage of this ice cream van pursuit. We follow Kevin and a few other bike riders as they pursue the pursuit ... and they keep up. A high-speed pursuit is happening and these boys are in the street, in front of the police cars. What?
I was in desperate need of a palate cleanser as I moved into the next segment. Luckily for me, the next segment belonged to Vigalondo! I don't want to give too much away about this one due to the subject matter. It's bizarre. It's glorious. It's 100% Nacho, and man, is it good! My faith was restored.
Then the wraparound circled around again, this time at a cookout. At this point, phones are starting to act like they belong in "One Missed Call." I'm not real sure what happened at this cookout but I know it ends with a grill fork in a dog head. And the dog doesn't seem to care. At this point, I was starting to think I was the one with the fork in my head.
But I still had hope. I knew my most anticipated segment was coming. And it was well worth the wait.
Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead's "Bonestorm" follows a group of skaters who travel to Mexico to hit up a secret skate spot and instead hit up a secret ritual spot for the locals. What follows is pure chaos as limbs are ripped off, skateboards are used to crush skulls and fireworks are used as ammunition. And then the real fun starts. Hands down my favorite segment of this current volume and a strong candidate to be my favorite out of all three volumes!
Most highs are followed by lows, and that's exactly what happened after "Bonestorm" comes to an end. We find ourselves with Kevin again and things are about to wrap up. The problem with that is ... it doesn't make sense. The whole wraparound doesn't make any sense. And that's the biggest problem "V/H/S VIRAL" has. It gives us four crazy segments, two of which stick the landing and two of which fall on their face.
Hopefully "V/H/S 3D" (or whatever they decide to call it) skips the wraparound aspect and just gives us four crazy horror segments.
Bonus:
My four favorite segments from the "V/H/S" series:
"Bonestorm" ("V/H/S Viral," directed by Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead)
"Slumber Party Alien Abduction" ("V/H/S 2," directed by Jason Eisener)
"Safe Haven" ("V/H/S 2," directed by Timo Tjahjanto and Gareth Evans)
"Amateur Night" ("V/H/S," directed by David Bruckner)