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V/H/S/94

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V/H/S/94
A screaming woman is presented as glitchy footage, with a stylized distortion coming out of her eyes and mouth.
Promotional release poster
Directed by
Written by
  • Jennifer Reeder
  • Chloe Okuno
  • Simon Barrett
  • Timo Tjahjanto
  • Ryan Prows
  • Steven Kotzanski
Story by
Produced by
Production
companies
Distributed byShudder
Release dates
  • September 26, 2021 (2021-09-26) (Fantastic Fest)
  • October 6, 2021 (2021-10-06)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • English
  • Indonesian

V/H/S/94 is a 2021 American found footage horror anthology film, and the fourth installment in the V/H/S franchise. The film originates from a screenplay written by David Bruckner, and Brad Miska,[1] with segments directed by franchise returnees Simon Barrett and Timo Tjahjanto, in addition to newcomers Jennifer Reeder, Ryan Prows and Chloe Okuno. The overarching plot follows a police SWAT team who stumbles upon a sinister cult compound and its collection of VHS tapes.

Following the series' cult origins around film festivals, V/H/S/94 had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 26, 2021,[2] and was also screened at Beyond Fest on October 4, 2021. The film was released as a Shudder Original Film via horror film streaming service Shudder on October 6, 2021.[3] Later that month, Shudder announced that V/H/S/94 had become the platform's biggest movie premiere ever, with "record-setting viewership numbers"[4] until 2022, when it was surpassed by its sequel, V/H/S/99.[5]

Plot

[edit]

The film's segments are presented as a series of cassettes found by the members in the frame narrative ("Holy Hell") as they advance through an warehouse containing remnants of a cult mass suicide.

"Holy Hell" (Prologue)

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A woman dressed in clothing inhales a vapour being emitted by a substance on her hands. The woman counts down from ten in a voice as another woman passes behind her. A team raid a warehouse during what is believed to be a bust. They find a jet behind the warehouse. A voice emanates from the speakers: "All are welcome. All are watching. Tonight is the night you've been waiting for. Track my signal. The signal is the stimulant. The signal is the sedative. The signal is salvation." They discover multiple rooms with sets displaying static. They spot a man sitting in one of the rooms, but they realize he is dead, with his eyes gouged out and the substance dripping onto the floor.

The team enters the room seen in the tape and encounter more cultists. Slater orders to search the floor with team while the remaining officers keep going as one of the televisions begins to play a newscast.

"Storm Drain"

[edit]
  • Written and directed by Chloe Okuno
  • "The Masher" commercial directed and edited by Steven Kostanski.

Channel 6 reporter Holly Marciano and her cameraman Jeff are filming a story about the Rat Man. The duo descend into a drain, where they find several encampments. They are approached by a man covered in slime. Holly tries to interview him, but they attempt to flee. They are captured by other residents of the sewers.

They are taken deeper into the sewers by the dwellers. The minister of the church appears and announces that a order will soon begin. He then summons the Rat Man, which is revealed to be a creature dubbed "Raatma" that he and the other dwellers worship as a god. Raatma proceeds to vomit liquid, which the minister pours over Jeff's face. Holly is then brought before Raatma.

The film returns to the newscast, where Holly's co-anchor explains that she was rescued from the drain and has returned to work at the Channel 6 station, though Jeff is still missing. Holly gives her report. She vomits the liquid on his face. Holly finishes her report.

"Holy Hell" (Interlude 1)

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The officers go deeper into the building and come across a room set up to look like a church, with a screen at the front and mannequins in the seats. The screen begins to play footage from a home.

"The Empty Wake"

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A woman named Hailey is assigned to host a wake for a man named Andrew Edwards, whose family has requested that the service be recorded during the night. Hailey's boss Ronald and another assistant leave the building for the night. A thunderstorm begins outside, causing the power to flicker. Hailey then calls her friend Sharon. Hailey calls Tim and says that she thinks Andrew may still be alive. Tim quells her worries by explaining that the body is most likely releasing gases that are causing the noises. The building begins to lose power. A man arrives to the wake, during which Hailey allows him to pay his respects. Gustav thanks Hailey for the opportunity and leaves.

Sharon reveals to Hailey that Andrew had committed suicide by leaping from the roof of a church while he was shouting gibberish. The power cuts out again. The casket suddenly jerks in her direction. Hailey discovers the doors are chained shut. She finds the casket tipped over and empty. She is attacked by Andrew's corpse, but it cannot see her. She finds the top of Andrew's head. Hailey is able to distract Andrew by playing music via control, but Andrew's eyes lock onto her. The storm strikes the home as the camera cuts out. Hailey rises and crawls through the window and into the area.

"Holy Hell" (Interlude 2)

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The officers discover parts strewn across the floor and upside-down crosses hanging from the ceiling of rooms. They plan to exit the building. A television begins to play footage from a laboratory.

"The Subject"

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A man wakes up to find his body gone and replaced by legs. He falls from his restraints and catches fire, which is soon extinguished by Dr. James Suhendra. He carries out a lobotomy on a woman with the initials S.A. and sedates a man after he wakes up early. Subject 98 is equipped with blades for hands, and S.A. becomes a cyborg that responds to speech. The rest of the tape is presented from her point of view. James celebrates S.A.'s success as a report states that a rash of disappearances are driving wedges between the police and the public. James is suspected of kidnapping his patients, and S.A.'s self is shown onscreen.

S.A. wakes up during the procedure and hits James, before attempting to undo her restraints. James beats S.A. repeatedly with a tray, and her life drops before he is interrupted by a knock at the door. James throws a blanket over S.A. as the officers break in as the tape cuts to the feed of Jono. The police shoot him dead, and begin hunting the lab for survivors. They discover S.A., and argue over whether she should be killed or kept alive as she is not classified as human anymore, despite technically being a survivor. A blackout occurs in the lab, and Jono witnesses S.A. escape, but does not say anything.

Another officer attempts to shoot the lock and free the group, but triggers an explosion. An alarm begins to sound and James's plan begins. James states that his creation is his alone, and that those who try to take it from him shall die. Jono and the commander survive after the commander hurls a grenade at 98. S.A. comes to and flees through the building. She then falls through a hole in the floor into a room, where she finds blueprints for her parts including an cannon. She approaches a mirror, and sees her form for the time. S.A. finds and equips the arm and fights her way through the building. She discovers Jono behind a door, and spares him after he begs for his life and promises to help her out of the lab. Jono grabs a gun and shoots the commander dead before being attacked by Subject 98. S.A. uses the last of her strength to tear out 98's brain. She collapses next to Jono, and her battery dies. The tape cuts to a camera, which shows S.A. standing up on her own accord.

"Holy Hell" (Interlude 3)

[edit]

It is shown that Nash and Petro have killed Gary & kidnapped Spivey. Nash states "Forever starts right now". Slater pages his teammates over his radio, and Petro states that he should try not to lose his head. Slater collapses and enters a trance in front of one of the screens, which proceeds to display footage of a enclosure.

"Terror"

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  • Written and directed by Ryan Prows

The Militia are a white supremacist group that are plotting to blow up a building in a bid to "take back America". It is shown that they live in a compound in a area somewhere in Detroit. The compound has a room for cameras, as well as a room covered in crosses. A man is chained up and kept prisoner. Bob and Chuck enter the room. The man pleads for his life, and Greg shoots him at range. The film cuts to one of the group's videos, where Greg explains that the group intends to purge evil from America.

Members of the group set out in a car and drive past the building which they plan to blow up. Slater from the segment arrives to supply guns and ammunition to the group. It is shown that the group shoot the man and siphon his blood, which becomes explosive when exposed to sunlight. The rabbit explodes. The group drink heavily and party. Bob enters the compound and visits Steve, who is sitting in the room. The head falls forward and showers Steve in blood as Bob laughs.

An bell rings and alerts the members of the group. Greg berates Jimmy, who was supposed to be on duty guarding the compound. Jimmy runs towards a body behind the truck. Crashes come from inside the compound, and the group realizes they are missing Steve. Greg calls for Steve. A member begins firing a machinegun on the compound and is shot in the head by Tom when he is unable to stop. Steve then stumbles out of the compound covered in the vampire's blood.

The members of the group vow to kill the vampire. They enter the compound and discover the creature hiding in the attic. It tears Tom's face off and Greg shoots wildly at it. The vampire kills Jimmy by slamming his head on the floor repeatedly, and Bob shoots at it. Bob is attacked by the vampire. Greg is dragged by the vampire into the cage. It then opens the window and lets in sunlight, causing the vampire to explode and the compound to be destroyed.

"Holy Hell" (Epilogue)

[edit]

The majority of the team are now dead. Slater is tied to a chair by Petro and Nash, who rebuke him for supplying the militia in the video with guns. The women explain that they are members of the cult that has been operating out of the warehouse, where they create and distribute videotapes depicting cruelty and other acts of violence. Slater is told that he will be their kill for this video. Petro and Nash believe this will be best their tape yet, with the former wondering what to call it.

Cast

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Production

[edit]

Development

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In June 2020, it was announced that a reboot of the V/H/S franchise was in development, with a fourth installment titled V/H/S/94, written by David Bruckner. The film was said to take the franchise in a different direction, with each anthology short film converging for the first time into a unified narrative. The title refers to the year in which the film takes place, 1994.[1][6] The project was a joint-venture production between Bloody Disgusting Films, Cinepocalypse Productions, Studio71, Raven Banner Entertainment, and Shudder Original Films.[3] Hangar 18 Media was brought onboard as Canadian service production company, with Pasha Patriki serving as Canadian producer.

Bruckner, who directed fan favorite segment "Amateur Night" in the original V/H/S, was set to direct the wraparound but dropped out due to commitments to Hellraiser (2022). Likewise, filmmaking collective Radio Silence (who also directed a short in the original film, "10/31/98") was set to direct a segment, but also stepped down to focus on Scream (2022).[7] Unlike the previous entries in the franchise, where each segment was shot simultaneously with different crews, the filming for V/H/S/94 was largely sequential, with four out of the five shorts (save for "The Subject") having been shot in Toronto, Canada with overlapping crews. Writers Bruckner and Barrett had prepared preliminary scripts for the wraparound plot, but those stories were ultimately cut in favor of Jennifer Reeder's script.

Filming

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Principal photography was completed during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. According to producer Josh Goldbloom, the production teams built sets in hotels and conference rooms, and "in the spirit of the series punk rock roots [they] even ventured underground into a sewer."[8]

During a Comic-Con@Home discussion panel on the film, Goldbloom added that the filmmakers had gone "very era-authentic with this iteration of V/H/S", utilizing older video equipment, physical tape transfers and digital effects to make each segment look like amateur video from the 1990s. The directors also detailed some of their influences on making each short film, citing the events and video footage of the Waco siege, O.J. Simpson's Bronco chase, the Nancy Kerrigan-Tonya Harding assault and the Heaven's Gate religious group. Directors Jennifer Reeder and Timo Tjahjanto mentioned David Cronenberg's Videodrome and infamous mondo shockumentary Faces of Death as inspirations, respectively. Tjahjanto concluded that "ironically, the latest V/H/S will probably be the grungiest looking."

In an interview for The Daily Texan, Goldbloom and the filmmakers explained how some of the segments achieved the deteriorated VHS look. The filmmakers shot their segments at 29.97 frames per second to emulate the shot-on-video aesthetic. According to director Chloe Okuno, the segment "Storm Drain" — inspired by horror film [REC] and documentary Dark Days — was shot digitally and then converted to tape and played over multiple times to purposefully degrade the footage. Director Simon Barrett explained how his short was inspired by the 1967 Soviet horror film Viy and his desire to direct a film with the premise of someone having to watch over a corpse.[9]

Marketing

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An "exclusive first look" of V/H/S/94 was uploaded to YouTube on the official Comic-Con International channel on June 27, 2021 after a roundtable interview with the producers and directors.[10] The short clip featured a portion of the segment "Storm Drain" by Chloe Okuno.

The first official still image of the film was released via Bloody Disgusting on September 9, 2021 to promote its announced world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2021.[11] A week later, IGN premiered an exclusive official trailer for the film, which was then shared by Shudder and Bloody Disgusting on their respective outlets.[12] That same month, film critics and horror film influencers were sent a care package from Shudder celebrating its "61 Days of Halloween" programming. Included in the package was a promotional faux VHS cover for V/H/S/94, with a fake cassette containing Halloween-themed candy.

On October 4, 2021 Shudder released a small promotional clip from the segment "Storm Drain" in anticipation for the film's release.[13]

Release

[edit]

The film had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 26, 2021. The screening was followed by a Q&A session with producer Josh Goldbloom and directors Jennifer Reeder, Chloe Okuno, Simon Barrett and Ryan Prows. On October 4, 2021, the film was screened at Beyond Fest on a double-bill with the original V/H/S. The screening was followed by a Q&A session with producers Goldbloom and Brad Miska, and directors Okuno, Barrett and Prows. The filmmakers showcased the practical monster costume used in making the "Raatma" creature from the segment "Storm Drain".

V/H/S/94 was released in North America, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the United Kingdom exclusively through Shudder, on October 6, 2021.[3]

The film was released to Blu-ray and DVD on April 22, 2022.[14] Followed by a release on the titular VHS format on April 26, 2022.[15]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of 66 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "V/H/S/94 gets the franchise back on track with a gory buffet of shorts that should delight horror anthology fans."[16]

Critics praised the film's gritty aesthetic, creature and make-up effects, and embrace of 1990s video culture. Writing for Dread Central, Drew Tinnin found that "There’s a great balance of technical artistry and funhouse fright that keep the momentum building through every story," summarizing that "V/H/S/94 hits the same high notes as the original entry and even has some new twists and turns of its own," and rating it 3.5/5.[17]

In a positive review, Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com said that while the film is not impervious to the "unevenness that is common to anthology horror," it nonetheless delivers "more hits than misses, and a general air of unhinged joy for the genre that these films often lack", rating the film 2.5/4 stars.[18]

Film critic Paul Le concluded that the film "proves the V/H/S movies are still in a class of their own when it comes to macabre, found-footage storytelling."[19] Adam Patterson of Film Pulse stated that "The low-definition depravity of the visuals fit nicely into the underground tape-trading scene by which the film was certainly inspired". He also compared the quality of the film's segments to those of the franchise's previous entries, affirming that V/H/S/94 "is the most consistent of the bunch."[20] Critic Nathaniel Muir praised the originality of each short film, as well as the blending of horror, science fiction and dark comedy, asserting that "V/H/S/94 is arguably the strongest entry yet" in the series.[21]

Melissa Hannon of Horror Geek Life wrote that the wraparound story was "weak," but praised the other segments. She concluded that "V/H/S/94 delivers impressive moments of horror, insanity, and gore, with some fantastic plot twists. It is sure to satisfy fans of horror anthologies, as well as longtime fans of the V/H/S franchise," rating the film 4.1/5 stars.[22]

Siddhant Adlakha of IGN was more critical, stating that "All five stories in V/H/S/94 feature a cult-like element, but only one of them feels like a true work of madness," rating it 6/10.[23] The Hollywood News' Kat Hughes praised the film's look and special effects, but criticized the pacing of some segments. She thought that the film "doesn’t quite capture that same spark that the original V/H/S ignited, but does prove that there is still life in this anthology series," rating it 3/5.[24]

Sequel

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During a roundtable interview with Dan Tabor of Cinapse News, producer Josh Goldbloom revealed that the production team "already got ideas for the next [V/H/S]" and that a potential sequel ultimately depended on the reception of V/H/S/94.[7] On April 21, 2022, ComicBook.com reported that actor Freddy Rodriguez had posted a since-deleted Instagram photo seemingly confirming his involvement in a Shudder-produced sequel.[25] The post included the hashtag #VHS85, hinting that the film would be set in the 1980s.[26]

On July 28, 2022, a sequel V/H/S/99 was officially announced. Set in the year 1999, it explores era-related themes such as the rise of DVD technology and Y2K hysteria. The film shows "the final punk rock analog days of VHS while taking one giant leap forward into the hellish new millennium." V/H/S/99 is the first sequel since V/H/S: Viral to include only newcomers to the franchise, with Johannes Roberts, Flying Lotus, Tyler MacIntyre, Maggie Levin, and Vanessa & Joseph Winter directing. It was released through Shudder on October 20, 2022.[27] It opened to positive albeit less enthusiastic reception from critics and fans alike.[28]

Another sequel, V/H/S/85, was officially announced later on October 7, 2022. The unintended leak from Rodriguez earlier that year was actually referring to that particular film, produced discreetly alongside V/H/S/99. V/H/S/85 premiered September 22, 2023 at Fantastic Fest and was met with positive reception. It was released on October 6, 2023 via Shudder.

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Credited with "anthology concept by"

References

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  1. ^ a b Miska, Brad (June 22, 2020). "Bloody Disgusting's Next 'V/H/S' Movie Rewinds Back to 1994". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  2. ^ "V/H/S/94 First Look Photo! Coming To Fantastic Fest and Shudder". Fangoria. September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Miska, Brad (August 17, 2021). "Shudder Inserts Bloody Disgusting's 'V/H/S/94' This October!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  4. ^ "V/H/S/94 Becomes Biggest Shudder Movie Premiere Ever". ScreenRant. October 20, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  5. ^ Squires, John (October 25, 2022). "Hail Mabel: 'V/H/S/99' Shatters Shudder Record and Becomes the Most Watched Movie Debut!". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  6. ^ "Variety Insight: Entertainment Data • Research Tools • Industry Directory • Film in Development • TV & Streaming Pilots • Ratings & Box Office". May 16, 2021. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Tabor, Dan (September 27, 2021). "Fantastic Fest 2021: Catching Up with the Class of V/H/S/94". Medium. Retrieved September 27, 2021.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ Miska, Brad (June 16, 2021). "Shudder Presses Play on Bloody Disgusting-Produced 'V/H/S/94' – Brand New Fourth Installment Coming This Year!". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  9. ^ Levine, Noah. ""V/H/S/94" Filmmakers talk inspiration for segments, creating the VHS aesthetic, and rat monsters". The Daily Texan. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  10. ^ V/H/S/94 | Comic-Con@Home 2021, July 23, 2021, retrieved October 2, 2021
  11. ^ Miska, Brad (September 9, 2021). "Shudder and Bloody Disgusting's 'V/H/S/94' to World Premiere at Fantastic Fest! [Photo]". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  12. ^ pm, Jesse SchedeenPosted: 16 Sep 2021 5:00 (September 16, 2021), V/H/S/94 Exclusive Trailer Debut - IGN, retrieved October 2, 2021{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ V/H/S/94 "Storm Drain" | A Shudder Original, October 4, 2021, retrieved October 4, 2021
  14. ^ Squires, John (March 28, 2022). "'V/H/S/94' Brings Raatma to Blu-ray in April!". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  15. ^ Miska, Brad (April 19, 2022). "'V/H/S/94' Recorded to VHS by Broke Horror Fan!". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  16. ^ "V/H/S/94". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  17. ^ "Fantastic Fest Review: 'V/H/S/94' is a Total Blast From Start to Finish". Dread Central. September 27, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  18. ^ Tallerico, Brian. "V/H/S/94 movie review & film summary (2021) | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  19. ^ "[Fantastic Fest 2021 Review] 'V/H/S/94' is a marked return for the anthology series". Tales from the Paulside. September 27, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  20. ^ "Fantastic Fest 2021: V/H/S/94 Review". Film Pulse. September 27, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  21. ^ Muir, Nathaniel (September 27, 2021). "[Fantastic Fest '21] 'V/H/S/94': Strongest entry yet?". Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  22. ^ Hannon, Melissa (October 3, 2021). "Fantastic Fest Review: 'V/H/S/94' will Satisfy Franchise Fans". HorrorGeekLife. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  23. ^ pm, Siddhant AdlakhaUpdated: 27 Sep 2021 6:05 pmPosted: 27 Sep 2021 5:58 (September 27, 2021), V/H/S/94 Review - IGN, retrieved September 27, 2021{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ "StackPath". www.thehollywoodnews.com. September 28, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  25. ^ "New V/H/S Film Reportedly Being Filmed for Shudder". Horror. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  26. ^ "New V/H/S horror movie may have been leaked by star". The Digital Fix. April 23, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  27. ^ "'V/H/S/99' – Shudder Presses Play on Fifth Entry in the Bloody Disgusting-Produced Anthology Franchise from Studio71!". July 28, 2022.
  28. ^ V/H/S/99, retrieved October 19, 2022
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