Quadruple Bill Mini Musings: Tapes, Politics, Cars, and Hotels...

V/H/S:
What's it about?
Anthology horror in which a group of burglars search for a specific videotape inside a creepy house where a dead guy sits before a stack of televisions and VCRs. Various gruesome and chilling tales ensue.
Who would I recognise in it?
Erm...
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
The biggest problem with VHS is that the majority of the male characters are absolute arseholes at best, and flat-out misogynists at worst - within seconds we have no care whatsoever for the wraparound characters, so why should we give two hoots for their survival? Is the film itself misogynist though? No - while there is a propensity for female nudity, there's a fair amount of naked male flesh to boot, and the female characters tend to be smarter and wittier than their male counterparts.

Click "READ MORE" below for more VHS, plus some politics, cars, and ghouls...
What's also distracting is the whole VHS angle - this appears to be present day, and yet the wraparound gang of burglars use old VHS cameras to record their exploits (why not an everyday HD handycam, or even a mobile phone?) ... and what's more, why would a web chat end up recorded on a videotape? It's a bit distracting - but if you let that go, the grungy aesthetic works well - indeed, for aficionados of the VHS era, the familiar sounds of ejected tapes and VCR motors whirring provide a nostalgic thrill.

From a collection of directors - the biggest name of which is Ti West ("House of the Devil") - the quality of each vignette varies in terms of plot, dialogue, and presentation. There are moments of dunderheaded dialogue that come off as nothing short of amateurish and slap-dash, while at other times the characters feel entirely real (such as in Ti West's creepy 'Second Honeymoon' segment, or the final story in the movie concerning a merry band of partygoers experiencing a haunted house). At 112 minutes, it's probably one segment too-long - with the 'webcam' sequence being the one which is most awkwardly-placed ... it has inventive and chilling moments, but it stands out far too much from the rest of the film to feel cohesive.

All-in-all it's a mixed bag - there's some genuine chills, thrills, and creepy scares - but there's also some god-awful dialogue, wooden performances, and a somewhat clunky sense of pacing. The presentation is fantastic, as is the idea of a collective of horror filmmakers experimenting, and there are numerous about-turns that provide welcome surprises throughout ... far from perfect, but certainly memorable in spite of its flaws. Good.


The Campaign:
What's it about?
Jay Roach directs this sloppy comedy about a localised political race in small-town-anywhere America, corrupted by big money, trash talk, and punching babies.
Who would I recognise in it?
Will Ferrell, Zack Galifianakis, Dan Aykroyd, John Lithgow, Jason Sudeikis, Dylan McDermott, Brian Cox.
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
There are scattered pieces of biting political commentary, but the movie prefers to slum it with lowbrow - and not even funny lowbrow - moments of verbal and visual crudeness. I'm a fan of both high and low humour, but in this instance it all feels rather lifeless for the majority of the scant - but deathly-slow - running time. A few stand-out bits, but nothing enduring - this is Roach, Ferrell, and Galifianakis on cruise control. Alright.


Cars 2:
What's it about?
Mater steals the show as he accidentally gets himself involved in an international spy story concerning an evil group of 'lemon cars' who wish to take down alternative fuel forever.
Who would I recognise in it?
Owen Wilson, Larry The Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, John Ratzenberger, Cheech Marin, Bruce Campbell, Lewis Hamilton, Eddie Izzard, and more (voices).
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
It says a lot about the main character from the first movie that he's relegated to second place by the previous film's goofball oddity. Cars was a weak entry from Pixar, who unfortunately seem to be resting on their laurels these days - up-coming Planes doesn't hold any anticipation, while Brave was enjoyable but not-too-memorable, and Monsters University is getting mixed reviews ... likewise, Cars 2 is Pixar on an off-day. The logic of the world is still as confusing and distracting as ever, but it looks marvellous. The story is fairly simple, but concise and direct, however there's generally more focus on action than comedy - although Mater's promotion to first fiddle gives the film a goofier and more entertaining edge than the original film. It's a shame though - Cars 2 lacks the usual Pixar fizz and emotional core (think Finding Nemo, Up, or Toy Story 3), or the relentless mix of spectacle and comedy (think The Incredibles, WALL.E or Monsters Inc) ... while it's a step-up from the first entry, it's simply a bit disappointing from a company so well known, and highly regarded, for it's stunning output. Alright.


Hotel Transylvania:
What's it about?
Dracula builds a hotel resort for all his monstrous cohorts that is isolated from humankind, who just want to burn them all at the stake, but with his daughter's 118th birthday looming - and an accidental human tourist thrown into the mix - Daddy Dracula can't keep the human world at bay any longer.
Who would I recognise in it?
Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Steve Buscemi, and many more (voices).
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
The film kicks off in high gear from the get-go, and with a rushed opening ten minutes, the viewer is left disorientated - the set-up feels slapped together in a rush - but once the film settles down, a clearly defined story, with the usual family-friendly moral purpose, comes into view. It's perhaps a little paint-by-numbers in the story department, but the conviction to having fun with horror carries the film throughout - 2012 was a good year for family-friend horror (ParaNorman, Frankenweenie, and this). Packed with on-screen action that looks 3D even in 2D, and chock-full with ghoulish chuckles, Hotel Translyvania is a fun old time indeed - albeit a little on the 'light bite' side. Good.