V/H/S Halloween Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: An anthology of Halloween-themed horror shorts presented in found-footage style.

Review: Time to mess up my order of reviews yet again. I have covered the first three entries in this series, but, despite seeing every installment, I never felt inclined to review the rest since they're hit or miss in quality. As such, this is technically part 8, however, every entry is a standalone anthology so it hardly matters when, or if, I review any given film. Anyway, this particular movie is meant to solely focus on Halloween which spices things up a bit. And, yes, there was a Halloween-themed segment in the first "V/H/S" titled "10/31/98." Let's see how this entry holds up collectively against that one, really cool segment.

Wraparound/Diet Phantasma: For what it is, I actually thought this was one of the better wraparounds in the franchise. You get plenty of gore as scientists are trying to perfect the formula for a new soda, diet Phantasma. With each failure, the test subjects are torn to pieces, possessed, or exploded. What makes this work is how straight they play the story despite it being a ludicrous scenario about trying to use real ghosts as an ingredient. The final result is that everything goes to shit just as they perfect the formula and put the soda into production. The film closes out by showing us the cornball commercial advertising the soda. The marketing actually fits the kind of shenanigans that would have been put out in the early '90s.

Coochie Coochie Coo: This segment is both dumb and creepy at the same time--what a line to balance. Two punk teens cause mischief while trick or treating despite being warned about "mommy" that will get them. Of course, they come across "mommy" who lures them into her house. I really loved the shot of a creepy hand beckoning them into the darkness; great use of lighting. Unfortunately, the ghost should have been creepy but, instead, comes off as goofy with her turning people into babies or something. The two teens get what's coming to them and join the ranks of captured kids stuck in this house forever. Eh, it's not bad for what it's worth. There was simply too much wasted potential to make this genuinely scary.

Ut Supra Sic Infra: The meaning is "as above so below" which I'm not sure how that connects to this segment except in the most literal of senses. Welp, anyway, police interrogate the likely killer of a Halloween massacre, but they cannot explain all the details so they take the suspect to reenact the scene of the crime. Now at some haunted house, the guy explains the events of the story to the police. We learn that they summoned demons or spirits or whatever that possessed the suspect and he killed everyone, ripping their eyes out. As you might guess, this happens once more to the police when forcing the guy to reenact the crime. I did like this segment despite little explanation. There is great tension, and the gruesome nature of the kills makes you want to find out what happened. 

Fun Size: This was, without a doubt, the dumbest of the stories. It's trying too hard to be funny when it's plain old retarded. I don't want overly comedic segments in a horror anthology; you can have fun with the material without things being a complete joke. Anyway, we get another instance of people too old to trick or treat that get punished for ignoring the "take one" candy warning. The group is pulled into some cartoonish dimension where their body parts are cut up and turned into candy--the same bizarre candy that was in the dish where they ignored the warning. There are some trickster monsters in this dimension--which I suppose are meant to be funny--which makes things feel like low-budget, pothead Willy Wonka shit. Everyone dies, however, the segment ends with a couple kids and their mom walking into the same fate. Dumb.

Kidprint: Back in the day parents would have videos of their kids made so that they could potentially use them if you ever went missing or were kidnapped--give them to the police or news. A little paranoid, and a dash of creepy, but, yes, people did do this once upon a time. I even had one of these tapes made of me! Well, in this segment, kids are disappearing and we see things from the perspective of the guy who owns the electronic store producing said tapes. As it turns out, one of the guy's employees is the killer, cutting up the kids right there in the store after hours. What hurts this segment is how dumb the main guy is when stumbling across the killer. Like, dude, what does it look like is happening?! Likewise, the killer framing the main guy is moronic since, at the very least, the cops will think there is an accomplice still out there or that they got the wrong guy. Still, this was an okay story all things considered.

Home Haunt: At last, someone goes balls to walls! For the final segment, a family has been creating a small haunt each year which is contrasted with previous years when the son was little and into it. Currently, he's a bratty teen who doesn't want to participate, but this year the dad wants to up the scariness. Stealing some strange record from an antique store, the dad inadvertently activates a spell that brings his haunt to life. The decorations and props manifest into reality and begin a gory dismemberment of the patrons in the best of ways. Sadly, when things are at the absolute most chaotic, the story ends with the monster on the entrance sign coming to life. Dang nab it, right when things were getting good! This was the best entry and left the movie on a high note.

Overall, this was one of the better installments in this franchise. Most of the stories are good with only one real stinker. The wraparound was also one of the better framing devices, although, none have compared to the first "V/H/S." Another thing that helped this movie tremendously compared to the rest was having a primary, unifying theme. Yes, "Beyond" had an alien theme, but there were still segments that deviated from said theme, messing up that film's flow. In this instance, they got all the directors and writers focused. Now, don't get me wrong, the go-to Halloween anthology will probably always be "Trick 'r Treat," but this will serve as a decent alternative. Check it out.

Notable Moment: As previously discussed, in the "Coochie Coochie Coo" segment, when the hand comes out of the shadows to lure the girls in. It's that perfect level of ominous and creepy you want.

Final Rating: 6/10 

The Barn: Part II Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: Three years after the last massacre, a sorority creates a Halloween haunt that inadvertently summons the demons back once again.

Review: The first entry was a lot of fun despite the low budget and flaws, however, I think they missed the mark the second time around. I was hoping production value and the scope would be bigger and badder--maybe even touch on the apparent devil coming up from hell--but we get a cheap time skip to brush over part one's ending. Lame. Making matters worse is that none of my complaints about the first movie were addressed. For example, the demons are able to punch your heart out of your body on a whim, yet, the characters are holding their own in a fight?! In the first movie I assumed shenanigans like this could be explained by being in a costume in order to play into the rules of Halloween. Guess not.

Things aren't all bad; let's address the positives. You still get plenty of carnage candy. I'd have to actually count up the bodies to compare, but, needless to say, a shit ton of people are killed this time around too. The quality of the gore is on par with the first except more instances of half-assing. I was expecting this aspect to be taken up a notch, but I'm fine with what we got. The only part that felt like a genuine evolution was the three main demons fusing into one big monster toward the end. We do get some titties, there was a goofy charm to some of the characters which was amusing, and, of course, there was an ample amount of cameos from horror icons; my favorite was Doug Bradley, playing the grandpa that was mentioned in part 1, discussing the urban legend that started all of this.

Where this entry truly falters is in regard to the story. It's simply weaker in general, and moving things up in time to the early '90s was never utilized. The main guys from part 1 are also written out of the story for the majority of the running time; one shows up around 50 minutes or so in and the other literally shows up in the last 2 minutes. Now, they do hint at them being turned evil potentially, especially considering the final shot, but that doesn't have an impact on the plot until maybe part 3 that is apparently in the works. I know I shouldn't expect a lot from an indie movie, but a sequel is the time to unleash and go balls to walls!

Overall, if you liked part 1, you will probably enjoy part 2. It's not quite as good, but it does manage to deliver on the parts that I think fans will want the most. For me, I anticipated improvements to the story and effects which didn't come--disappointing for sure. Leaving out the previous leads was another bad decision that led to shitty writing and shenanigans of the non-fun variety (my least favorite form of shenanigans). Last, Halloween wasn't as important in regard to the rules and way that the demons functioned which is probably the most egregious of the missed opportunities. Oh well...let's see if part 3 can bring it all together.

Notable Moment: When the one guy dressed as a pumpkin dies. I swear, this guy maybe has 5 seconds of screen time, but his line delivery is so bad it's amazing! It gives off "hey grandma, we need you to be in our movie" vibes.

Final Rating: 5.5/10 

Haunt Season Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: A masked killer is picking off hapless victims working at a local haunt leading up to Halloween night.

Review: So this is obviously shit...buuuut...there is a layer of charm I wasn't expecting. Shocking, right? I've reviewed movies about haunts, countless masked killers, and like 80+ movies about Halloween (no exaggeration)--we aren't exactly covering new ground here. Yet, somehow, the quirkiness of the characters and their corny banter was amusing enough to keep me engaged. Even the killer--whose identity is criminally easy to guess--is over the top enough to get a chuckle out of me.

Realistically, "Haunt Season" is far, far from a Halloween classic in the making, but it does possess that fun-factor that is hard to capture. The kills are plentiful with a good balance of camera trickery and genuine gore effects to bring everything to life. It's quite clear the budget was peanuts, but the crew impressed me with old school ingenuity. The characters are both dumb and amusing at the same time, however, the film contains enough self-awareness to deliver on the kills and in quick succession. I don't know, there is this surreal aspect--like I'm finally experiencing a story with the sensibilities and mindset of Gen Z or something. I looked into the abyss, and it certainly stared back.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not hyping this movie up. The story is by-the-numbers bull shrimp, the killer's motive is nonsensical given the context of the movie, a significant portion of the acting was hard to endure, and there is an entire host of problems from technical to story structure. Despite the overwhelming flaws and no budget, I still enjoyed this for what it was. I understand others will not share my appreciation for the charm-factor, but writing goofy, offbeat characters with natural banter is hard to do. Should I create a new category for movies like this--amusing garbage?

Notable Moment: When the one guy gets a hole chainsawed through him, and then the killer shoves his hand through the wound. Funny scene and cool enough effect.

Final Rating: 5/10 

Night of the Reaper Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: A small town sheriff follows the trail of a serial killer just as this killer stalks the babysitter watching his son.

Review: First and foremost, this is NOT a Halloween horror movie. It vaguely takes place around Halloween time with decorations in the background, but no one mentions the holiday, trick or treating, or anyone seen dressed up. Since many reviews described the setting as taking place on Halloween, I figured I might as well cover it now. Over the years, I've reviewed movies that half-ass included Halloween into the story hoping it'll get a little more attention this way, but, realistically, this movie didn't need it--it's actually pretty good.

So what are you really getting here? On the surface, "Night of the Reaper" looks like another cookie-cutter slasher, however, it's not at all as you might imagine. The story is told from two characters' perspectives as they overlap on one, crazy night--forcing the audience to wonder where this is all heading. I must admit, the filmmakers had me convinced the main girl would be the Reaper. There are plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing, and the audience's expectations are thoroughly toyed with; this is, by far, the film's strongest aspect. The way all the events come together--the meaning behind each detail--is ultimately satisfying. Also, the usage of the 1980s as a setting is becoming overdone, but it works in this instance.

There are obviously aspects that don't work. The main chick pushing 30 and playing a teen was a bit jarring; she looked like she could be my mom! I'm still not sure how the one guy's head exploded but okay. The Reaper's motive is not as crucial to the plot as other masked killers, but it still had me rolling my eyes with the cornball, edgy response. The ending is wrapped up a little too neatly, but that is probably another reason why the story is set in the '80s in order to remove the pesky forensics of modern tech. There are other little flaws here and there, however, the film is competently put together in most regards.

This isn't a traditional slasher since most kills are seen after the fact, but the mystery as to what is going on is presented so excellently you won't even notice. Of course, it's easy to see inspirations all throughout the runtime from other films in the genre. Regardless, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up liking this little movie. I do think you could view this as an honorary Halloween horror, but it really didn't need to incorporate that aspect just for advertising purposes. In spite of this, I won't recommend this for a Halloween night viewing but certainly see this in the days leading up to it!

Notable Moment: When the sheriff is interrogating the Reaper's accomplice. You don't know for sure this guy is involved in the killings yet, but, when the sheriff gives out a fake compliment, you see the accomplice flash a tiny smirk. Thumbs up for that small detail in the acting.

Final Rating: 6.5/10 

Warning: Do Not Play Review

 

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: A rising director, desperate for ideas, investigates rumors of a film supposedly created by a ghost.

Review: This could--no, should--have been better. The basic premise is interesting and held near endless potential for scares. Unfortunately, the ball is severely dropped somewhere around two-thirds of the way into the movie. There are three, central plot beats to the overall story and each is unexplored and structured weakly. Likewise, there are numerous other films that "Warning" draws inspiration from, and, yet, the filmmakers did not capitalize on what came before; forget about improving on said ideas. Hell, the characters even discuss seeing "The Exorcist" as this life-altering moment and that never amounts to anything nor acknowledged ever again.

First, I want to say the main character (not her actress) looks, and dresses, a lot like a girl I used to date. Scary. Anyway...what is working here? As mentioned, the story line about the director looking for ideas, stumbling across this tale of a movie that killed people at a screening, and a ghost being the creator--this is all good stuff. The first 30-40 minutes provide an intriguing setup and make the audience want to see this movie so scary that it's been banned, turned almost into an urban legend, killed people, and is such an evil force that the director of the movie scans the internet to make sure no one posts even a clip from it. Yes, it's supposed to be that intense. To the credit of "Warning," the hype is presented well and pulls the viewer in. Other than the ideas at hand, the technical aspects are decent enough--solid cinematography, acting, and music. I wish I could say more positives, because this isn't a bad movie by any stretch of the imagination.

Okay, how did the filmmakers fail with such an easy layup? The biggest offense is that the haunted movie itself is nothing more than the director filming his crew before and during their deaths to the ghost. That's it? That's the best the writer could come up with? Bro, why the fuck was anyone losing their mind during the initial screening then?! This ain't "Cigarette Burns" here! Don't even get me started on the lame ass ghost. Not only is she obscured the entire time (probably because her makeup effect was shite!), but we know absolutely nothing about her or why she'd want to help that director make a movie. So, she's--what--dollar store Sadako? And this ghost spent all of 10 seconds messing with the director before he went crazy and decided he was okay with his crew dying? Am I missing something? The entire third act makes little to no sense since the main chick did not even watch the full ghost movie, and she decides to let her friend die...why exactly? And then the ending scene implies that the main chick is possessed or something? What? We get little backstory on the main chick other than some vague abuse and attempt at suicide, we get jackshit on the director and his crew other than they're film students, and we get fucking no backstory on the ghost other than she died on set! Oh, gee, wow, thanks for such insights. Actually, the thing that probably aggravated me the most was yet another instance where there's a shadow on the wall in the shape of the ghost and it doesn't come to life! Why do filmmakers keep doing this if they aren't going to actually deliver on this scare?!

Needless to say, "Warning" is a major disappointment. It's not bad--don't get me wrong--but man, oh man, the potential was sitting right there and somehow it was squandered. The first half especially is exciting, and it's why I'm even angrier that that the movie fails to deliver, not only the goods, but a proper execution of its premise. Sure, the movie is competently put together, but I can't go beyond a middling rating given the levels of disappointment, the stupid ending, and how little ends up being explained or even addressed in a satisfactory manner. If you're still somehow curious about watching this despite my gripes, check it out, but most definitely keep your expectations in check.

Notable Moment: In the opening sequence when Mi-jung is chased out of the movie theater. This was a nice way to start things, but, realistically, why was Mi-jung dreaming about the ghost before even learning about her existence?! Plot hole?

Final Rating: 5.5/10

Cursed (Japanese 2004) Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: Various characters are pursued and killed by the spirits haunting a convenience store.

Review: First, I need to acknowledge that this film goes by like 3 other titles which is confusing enough, however, there is also the Wes Craven movie about werewolves from the same year. Sheesh. Okay, setting that nonsense aside, what are we actually getting here? Coming from the heyday of Asian horror, this film is so close to being a forgotten gem, but, unfortunately, an aimless story and weak ending hurt the final impression. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of positives here--the opening sequence is especially effective in capturing your attention and wastes no time kicking things off. No...what hurts is that the characters are too nonchalant about the horrors they experience, and there is no resolution for the most part; it's like we're missing half of the final act or something.

The best way to imagine this film is if "The Grudge" took place at 7-Eleven (or whatever convenience store is popular). Something I found intriguing was this idea that the ghosts functioned quite logically: if a customer rings up a price that is superstitious (like 666 or 999) you either die or get tricked into killing someone. As a secondary consequence of this haunting, the employees become...well...cursed as misfortune comes their way or they're semi-possessed. This presentation of dread establishes a creepy atmosphere as characters are always on edge and sense something is not right. When a character does bite the dust, the scares are surprisingly well done. You're not going to be blown away by originality or anything, but I thought the filmmakers did an excellent job while only once using a long-haired ghost girl; and she was pretty cute--can come out of my fridge any time!

The other aspect that is a tremendous plus is the pacing. Far too often do film's dick around, and, considering the ADHD generation we're in, "Cursed" will hold your interest. I shit you not, 90 seconds into the runtime and we have a poor schoolgirl dying, and that's after she tries to warn her friend (and the audience) that there's something not right with the store. Admittedly, there are a handful of slow parts when characters discuss the haunting (which I'll come back to), but, for the most part, we are jumping from one set piece to the next in quick succession. Even if you think the scares are weak, you will appreciate the abundance of them and how each one tries to do something unique. The last positive I'll mention is that Japanese quirkiness that is hard to describe--that innate weirdness that is oozing from the story.

So what is holding "Cursed" back from being a J-horror legend? As mentioned, there is this aimlessness to the events--almost as if this is a slice of life story except with killer ghosts. It's hard to adequately express, but if the characters aren't that bothered by what's happening, it's hard for the audience to care. Even if we take some crazy, old lady's word as gospel for the origin of the haunting, the main characters kind of shrug their shoulders and carry on. Yes, the main girl, Nao, does save her co-worker and they leave, but are you really free from the ghosts after that? And the lady from corporate...she's just, what, gonna keep doing the inventory?! I'm not saying we needed someone trying to burn down the store or something that dramatic, but at least have closure for each of the survivors or have them killed off. Another major issue is the low-budget, made-for-TV production value. It doesn't necessarily bother me, but there is a lack of polish that differentiates this from the likes of "Ring" or "The Grudge."

"Cursed" is a mixed bag for me. Sure, I enjoyed it--found myself captivated even--but I'm a big fan of this era in Asian horror and can overlook much of the shenanigans. There's a bit too much action and not enough substance. Focusing solely on the Nao character probably would've created a through line that this film desperately needed. There is much to praise, however, there is this hollowness to the experience whereby I'm left wanting more. Still, given the slick pacing and fun scares, I would still suggest fans of the genre check this out.

Notable Moment: While the opening kill does a lot to suck the viewer in, I thought the coolest scare was the figure appearing within the curtains at the one chick's apartment.

Final Rating: 6/10

The Deep House Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: Two adventurists attempt to explore a preserved house under a lake that is obviously haunted.

Review: "The Deep House" is better than reviews would have you believe, but it squanders the potential it had to be something extraordinary. It's a shame, because the core plot about the house is interesting and could have been vastly expanded upon. It's hard to explain--it's as if the filmmakers were rushing the story along when they could have taken their time to build up the tension. After all, being under water already established suspense, and, without the credits, it's like an 80 minute movie. Still, I can appreciate how much was accomplished with this little film.

What works here is the incredible set design complemented by the intriguing story line. There's almost an allure--a curiosity to the story line to see what they do with the material. So many movies use the idea of a metaphorical, haunted house in (fill in the blank); like "Event Horizon" is a haunted house in space. Here, it's literally a haunted house under water! But that's kind of the issue unto itself--there's no meat to the story beyond that simple premise. Two characters, who are what we might call urban explorers, are led to this mysterious house when seeking out content to post online. They dive under a lake, explore the house, and things go wrong when they're supernaturally trapped inside the house. There was endless potential to make things creepy given the eerie setting, however, the haunting aspects crank up too quick due to a self-imposed time limit by the filmmakers showing the oxygen count of the two leads. We needed better pacing to allow for the ideas to better cook. Things like the the chandelier turning on should have come sooner before the audience saw a single ghost running around. I'm not saying we aren't given any tension--it's there--but the characters should have seen more warning signs telling them to leave.

Another major drawback is the ending. It was clearly foreshadowed from the onset with the main girl lying about how long she could hold her breath, but it doesn't change the fact that it's depressing knowing if she had just calmed down a little more she would have had enough oxygen to make it to the surface. With that said, I would have rather she made it to the surface and be taken out by the guy that led them to the house; he was the son of the ghosts anyway and this would have given him more of a purpose in the story. Speaking of which, a family of serial killers was a lame reveal, and the connection to the town being flooded was too incidental rather than a part of a cohesive idea.

I know this review probably comes off more negative than positive, but "The Deep House" is a decent movie with a lot of technical accomplishments and a fun, engaging story that pulls you in. I do think people should give this film a try despite the flaws, because it's short, gets right to the point and doesn't waste your time. Sure, most of the other major aspects can be on the mediocre side, but that doesn't make the movie bad by any means. I can see there being a level of disappointment--especially after the bleak ending--yet that doesn't hold things back.

Notable Moment: When the sister comes out of the movie screen. Cool, and sudden, scare, although, it would have been better if it was presented supernaturally rather than physically.

Final Rating: 6/10

Urban Myths (Korean 2022) Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: An anthology film comprised of 10 stories that showcase all manner of psychos and the supernatural.

Review: Yes, another anthology film. No, you're not experiencing deja vu when I repeat the same complaints. In this instance, "Urban Myths" tries to use quantity to hide the weaknesses of the individual tales that, when combined, are underwhelming. There is one standout segment, but even that story completely fumbles the landing. Well, let's not beat around the bush any longer and see what we're getting this time around.

Tunnel: I'd love to say things start off strong, but, alas, this was as lame as it gets. There is an attempt to build up tension with a nervous guy hiding something from the police. This is fine, however, all we learn is that he accidentally killed some girl walking in the road...I guess. It doesn't matter, because our guy goes apeshit, screaming at the girl's ghost until she appears and beats him to death. Doesn't this kind of defeat the purpose of a vengeful spirit if she can simply appear and beat you to death hours(?) after dying? Wouldn't a better approach have been to make the guy go crazy in front of the cops or something? Whatever, dude.

The Woman in Red: If this tale was nothing more than a kill sequence from a feature-length film then I'd have no problem. Unfortunately for us, all we get is some bitch seeing the ghost of a girl she and her friends used to bully...I guess. Long story short, the ghost kills the bitch as we realize she's picking off the bitches from a high school photo we see. It's not that this is terrible unto itself, but we've seen this setup performed a thousand times by now.

Tooth Worms: This is a goofy tale, but I will admit it went in a direction far, far from what I was expecting. A germaphobe dentist attempts to treat a patient with a strange ailment. Drawing upon old folklore regarding the idea of worms infesting inside your teeth, the dentist becomes practically too scared to extract the alleged parasites. You might be wondering where this story is heading--maybe some kind of gross out body horror? Nope. What if I said zombie apocalypse? Bingo. Magically, these worms infect the patient to such a degree that he transforms into a zombie that spreads these zombie-worms with each bite until everyone is becoming zombies within minutes. Hey, I'll give the creators an A for creativity at the very least.

Necromancy: I've discussed the "friendships" of Korean girls before, but I think this time it's safe to assume the characters here are actual lesbians. Cutting to the chase, one of the girls commits suicide, because other people suspect their relationship or there was an off-screen rejection. Regardless of the motive, the girls made some kind of pact to resurrect the other should anything happen. I do like the buildup to this ritual, but the ghost ends up looking like something out of the shitty "Resident Evil" sequels rather than a proper spirit. The living girl failed to notice that in order for the ghost to come back she must "eat" her...which she does. The tale ends with the resurrected girl somehow becoming one with the other girl in an almost pretentious way. Eh, this was okay for what it was, and I liked the atmosphere.

The Wall: In a nutshell, this was an interesting idea ruined by a nonsensical, retarded ending. Some guy moves into an apartment whereby the neighbor is always hitting the wall, keeping the man up. Our main guy eases up on his annoyance when he sees it's a younger woman that he thinks is into him. So, instead of freaking out over the knocks, he tries to ask the woman out by knocking back. As you might easily guess, the woman is not doing the knocking and stands him up for the date. Wandering into the woman's apartment next door, he notices weird things going on which leads him to tear down the wall on his side of the apartment, revealing two dead bodies. Right when things are about to get interesting, our man is magically pulled into a portal. The end. What the fuck was that shit? I hate when I'm minding my own business and a portal just opens up to ruin my day.

The Closet: It's more of a cabinet, but to each their own. Well, this is, by far, the best segment in this series. It does all the things you'd hope from a short as far as getting to the point and having great atmosphere and suspense. Sadly, they dropped the ball with an ending that makes no sense and is both rushed and stupid. A woman notices that someone is giving away a cabinet for free on some app. Ignoring the danger signs, this woman meets the guy giving away the cabinet and goes into his apartment. Luckily for her, nothing happens but he does give off creepy vibes. Getting the cabinet to her apartment, the woman quickly becomes convinced that it's haunted as shifty things begin to happen including the door opening on its own. Rather than--I don't know--getting rid of the thing(!) the woman attempts to purify the spirits which appears to backfire. Right when things are really getting intense, the woman inspects the cabinet only to discover our creepy buddy from earlier was hiding inside a hidden compartment all along! This is shot so perfectly and makes for an excellent jump scare. Things, however, go off the rails after the woman stabs the bastard a shit ton and he magically survives and yanks the woman under the bed before the segment ends. I guess the guy was Michael Myer's Korean cousin or something. Setting aside the stupid way the events resolve, this was the kind of tale I wish comprised the entirety of this anthology. It was good enough to stand on its own, that's for sure.

Ghost Marriage: I've covered this concept before in other horror movies--typically involving ghost brides specifically. In this instance, I was hoping for some kind of Korean spin on things, but, nope, that's not what we get. All that really happens is some guy gets tricked into becoming the husband to a dead chick when he thought he was getting a cushy job. Is it too much to have both?! The story doesn't even emphasize why this is a bad thing or really explain much of what is happening. Oh well.

The Girl in the Mirror: This is probably the worst tale of the bunch. Some narcissistic chick will seemingly do anything to get attention online. Out of the blue she begins to see some kind of supernatural entity scaring her. After acting like a big bitch at home, this ghost or whatever comes out of her phone and kills the girl. Mmhmm. Bro, you have got to do better than whatever the hell this was supposed to be.

A Mannequin: Once more, this was an intriguing setup that falls off a cliff by the end. Two guys working at a warehouse are weirded out by the mannequins they're storing. The older guy tries to scare the other one by discussing the idea that you don't need to be worried about being short a mannequin but rather being scared when there's more than you started with. This I like. Idiotically, we go in a different direction with an online legend about people with mannequin faces which our main guy just so happens to come across right after hearing about it for the first time. This is like if you just found out about UFOs and then two seconds later you're abducted by aliens. It's just plain stupid. Worse, all that happens is the main dude is chased around a bit, seemingly kills a mannequin person, and then he transforms into one himself. The end. Just...why?! The beginning had promise and they kept showing some yoga mannequin that could have been the primary antagonist. Ugh, what a disappointment.

Escape Games: What I find most amusing about this tale is that this killer escape room experience is right in the middle of a shopping center next to a pizza place. It's like--imagine getting a slice of pizza and just wandering over to the escape room and dying two seconds later. I get the idea this slight detail was not factored into the editing of this story! Anyway, three friends that are supposedly experts on escape rooms are invited to some exclusive one. There is an attempt to make things creepy, but it felt so rushed given the time allotted for each tale. At the end, the characters all seemingly die despite two of them being alive mere seconds before the one guy enters the last room. Funny how that works. So, no, we do not end things on a high note.

Overall, this was a mediocre set of stories. While I can appreciate the instances of originality and creativity sprinkled about, fundamentally, the majority of the segments fall short. Yet again, there is no wraparound or overarching theme to pull the stories together in a meaningful way; this hurts an anthology so much in my book. As is the case with every other anthology I've reviewed, if there's a particular story that catches your eye then seek it out, but I can't necessarily recommend wasting your time with the movie as a whole.

Notable Moment: During the "Closet" segment when the guy appears in the cabinet. You know something is going to jump out, but the filmmakers effectively toyed with the expectation of what exactly was going to jump out. Gotta give credit where credit is due.

Final Rating: 5.5/10

Tastes of Horror Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: An anthology of weird horror shorts, allegedly, based off some webtoon series.

Review: The first thing I want to acknowledge is this whole idea of a webtoon series that inspired this movie. Yeaaah, I can't find that. If anyone knows where I can view these let me know! Well, supposedly, the best segments from that series were selected for feature-length. Let's just say if these were the best I'd hate to see the worst. More precisely, these tales are on the bland and aimless side of things. In fairness, the stories are shot well and competently put together...they're just weak and have little to no payoff. Allow me to demonstrate.

Ding-Dong Challenge: Starting things off is probably the most straight to the point entry. Three girls, that are aspiring dancers, notice an up and coming pop star appears to have copied her moves from a mysterious video online. It's not completely clear, or something was lost in translation, but if you do the dance in the haunted video accurately you're wish is granted, however, if you screw up, the ghost comes out of the video and kills you. I think that's the right interpretation of what we see. So it's hinted that the pop star getting famous had her wish granted, and the other girls attempt, and fail, to replicate the dance except one. When this girl is the last alive, seemingly having her wish granted, you think we are about to get the epic finale, but then it just ends. Okaaaay. I mean, the girls are cute and the ghost was pretty cool, but, ultimately, it's missing a final act and conclusion. Nevertheless, it's not a bad way to start the film.

The Prey: As with the first story, this second tale has an intriguing setup that goes nowhere and ends abruptly too. A girl trying to get grades good enough for medical school is beat by her mom and taunted by her sister for continued failures. One day, a ghost or demon of some sort appears to the girl promising good grades if she offers up animal sacrifices. Sure enough, the girl makes these sacrifices and begins to ace all of her exams. Later on, after having a Walking on Sunshine-esque montage, the girl realizes she needs a sacrifice asap, but the rabbit she planned to kill was returned. Uh oh. So she decides to, as one would naturally do, immediately spiral into a crazed, homicidal madness. She kills her sister, followed by her mom, and then--big shock--the segment ends out of nowhere. Did she even pass the last test?! Don't leave me hanging! Once again, what was the point? Who or what was this ghost-thing? It honestly would have made more sense to just say she snapped one day rather than this nonsense with supernatural elements. The main girl was really cute at least.

Jackpot: For our next tale, a guy that has won a ton of money gambling is hiding out at a seedy hotel while thieves are hoping to get their hands on those winnings. Contributing jackshit to the plot, the hotel is haunted, and the main guy sees ghost periodically. If these spirits connected in any way to the story I'd be okay, but, they don't, so what was the point? Through a series of zany antics, the hotel burns down, the main guy stays to burn too, and no one gets the money. Yes, you could argue the ghosts, who were suicides, wanted him to join them but that's a bit of a reach; maybe I missed something. Regardless, I wanted to like this entry for the goofiness and originality, but it's so hard to overlook the lack of a payoff in most of these stories.

The Residents-Only Gym: When this story starts, you might be like me and see a toned-up chick running on a treadmill and smile. Yes, here we go, boys! Unfortunately, this is probably the worst segment of the bunch. Long story short, the gym at some apartment building is haunted by a chick who died there due to the landlord's bitchiness. One dumbass tenant decides to ignore warnings not to go in after a certain time, runs into the ghost, barely survives, and still goes back later to get killed. Good job. At the end, the son of the landlord just has to use this gym too and dies. I guess that's a payoff to a degree, right? It just felt like they wasted the setting, and why would this ghost want to kill any random sucker simply trying to stay in shape, huh?!

Rehab: Moving along, we have a woman who was in some kind of accident that then wakes up in a weird room. The woman's memories are hazy as she's greeted by the one crazy bitch from "Squid Game." We learn the woman is in some kind of bizarre rehabilitation experiment whereby she needs to complete tasks in order to live. There is a level of pretentiousness here that is annoying as we learn the main chick has, seemingly, had her body donated to science after that accident at the beginning. Her brain is hooked up to machines and her consciousness is accidentally put into mice or something to that nature. Up to this point every tale had ghosts so for things to suddenly go sci-fi felt off. Maybe this should have been segment 2 or 3 to fix the flow; this is especially true given that the final story is grounded in reality.

Gluttony: Wrapping things up is probably the only, legitimately, entertaining story of the bunch. Two competing streamers in the mukbang scene have a beef after one was called out for being a fake. For those that don't waste their lives online, mukbang videos are just people eating ridiculous quantities of food, but they aren't necessarily competitive eaters. As an aside, the main chick is way too good looking to be eating that much food, however, I do approve. Anyway, these two once had an eating contest to prove they're for real resulting in the smaller girl being exposed, humiliated, and, as we come to learn, beat up by the main chick. The two decide to have a live-streamed rematch eating 5 large meals. Of course, this is a plot of revenge by the humiliated girl who, not only out-eats the main chick, but poisoned her as well. We then discover she had surgery done to make her stomach enormous. While there were no scares here, the weird-factor was interesting and original. Also, the main chick looked sexier the more unhinged she became!

So what are you really getting here? Well, there's no wraparound to tie things together, the themes are all over the place, and there's no consistency in tone or structure. Other than a guy watching the mukbang stream in the "Jackpot" segment, nothing links these stories together so that you'd know they came from this anthology; I've discussed this problem with numerous anthologies I've reviewed over the years. Other than that complaint, there simply isn't much going on here in general. The stories aren't bad, but they aren't good either--just okay. If any segment attracts you then, by all means, check this out, but I believe there are better alternatives out there, many of which I've covered previously.

Notable Moment: In the first story when the one girl has her eye ripped out. This was effectively executed and looked quite painful and grotesque.

Final Rating: 5.5/10