V/H/S (2012)

When a group of misfits are hired by an unknown third party to burglarize a desolate house and acquire a rare VHS tape, they discover more found footage than they bargained for.

Directors:

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, David Bruckner

Writers:

Brad Miska (concept), Simon Barrett

Stars:

Calvin Reeder, Lane Hughes, Adam Wingard

5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Calvin Reeder	...	Gary (segment "Tape 56")
Lane Hughes	...	Zak (segment "Tape 56")
Kentucker Audley	...	Rox (segment "Tape 56")
Adam Wingard	...	Brad (segment "Tape 56")
Frank Stack	...	Old Man (segment "Tape 56")
Sarah Byrne	...	Abbey (segment "Tape 56")
Melissa Boatright	...	Tabitha (segment "Tape 56")
Simon Barrett	...	Steve (segment "Tape 56")
Andrew Droz Palermo	...	Fifth Thug (segment "Tape 56")
Hannah Fierman	...	Lily (segment "Amateur Night")
Mike Donlan	...	Shane (segment "Amateur Night")
Joe Sykes	...	Patrick (segment "Amateur Night")
Drew Sawyer	...	Clint (segment "Amateur Night")
Jasper Sams	...	Lisa (segment "Amateur Night") (as Jas Sams)
Nicholas Tecosky	...	Bartender (segment "Amateur Night")

Storyline

A POV, found footage horror film from the perspective of America's top genre filmmakers. A group of misfits are hired by an unknown third party to burglarize a desolate house in the countryside and acquire a rare tape. Upon searching the house, the guys are confronted with a dead body, a hub of old televisions and an endless supply of cryptic footage, each video stranger than the last.

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Plot Keywords:

found footage | anthology | female nudity | male nudity | death | 

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Taglines:

This collection is killer.

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for bloody violence, strong sexuality, graphic nudity, pervasive language and some drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 September 2012 (Russia)

Also Known As:

Tape 56

Filming Locations:

Woodbury-Story House - 2606 N. Madison Avenue, Altadena, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$36,402, 7 October 2012, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$99,770, 11 November 2012

Company Credits

Production Co:

8383 Productions, Bloody Disgusting, Studio71

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The word "fuck" is said around 240 times.

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Goofs

On the "10/31/1998" segment when the guys are heading over to the Halloween party, the cars on the highway are obviously more modern for the late 1990s - early 2000s; a Ford Edge is also visible.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Rox: Back up. Back up, back up. Turn around, turn around.
Gary: Oh, yeah.
[the men wearing masks drive by a couple walking, then the men get out of their vehicle to confront the couple]
Brad: [the cameraman tells the other assailiant] Show her tits! Ha ha ha! Whoo!
[the cameraman notices the boyfriend of the girl charge after them]
Brad: Oh, shit! Run, run, run! Go, go go!
Gary: [the camera cuts to the footage afterwards of the men destroying a building] It's cool, huh?
Fifth Thug: Hell, yeah!

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Alternate Versions

The 10/31/98 segment has an alternate ending, where the guys cheat death by escaping from their car.

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Connections

Followed by V/H/S Viral (2014)

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Soundtracks

The House Always Win
Written and Performed by Aristocrats
(segment "Amateur Night")

User Reviews

v/h/s (2012)

I love found-footage films, especially when they are done well. I also love horror anthologies withe some of my favourite TV shows being The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and Tales From The Darkside. The two joining together for V/H/S was a very exciting idea and gave me very lofty expectations. I was amazed to find that for the most part they were met. V/H/S sees a gang of guys break into a house in order to steal a video cassette for blackmailing purposes. Once in he house they find a huge collection of videos, each one showing a different tale of horror. The first is the story about a couple of girls picked up from a bar and recorded secretly on camera glasses. This is probably the scariest tale with some very disturbing imagery. I still can't get the look of a certain character out of my head. In it's short running time it also hits upon some emotional notes that I wasn't expecting. Perfect effects and nailbiting tension make this a great start. Video number two sees a couple on a road trip who are secretly filmed at night. The idea of an intruder watching you at your most vulnerable is nerve-racking. Story number three was my least favourite but was still mostly effective. It was let down by cheesy dialogue that over explained the details of the plot. The effects here were again very well done with a sickening look at an eyeball sliding out of a socket. Story number 4 is shot through Skype and has the biggest ambitions in terms of plot. I would like to see this again as I didn't enjoy it at first because of a terrible performance from the male lead, but there is a reason for this which makes sense after viewing. The final tale is a haunted house film that builds up incredibly well. It starts with an empty house and moves towards all hell breaking loose with some of the most flawless effects I have ever seen. Each story was interesting and most importantly it kept to the rules of found-footage. Everything appears as though it was done in-camera. It's left me thinking about the stories and getting my imagination to work overtime as not a lot is explained. The only real let down was the wrap-around that tried to connect these stories. It really didn't work and just made the film a bit too long. When I buy this on DVD I am pretty certain I will be skipping those parts. Hope we see a V/H/S 2.