If you're not weary of the found-footage horror genre, you could press "play" on this film, an anthology of five shorter films in which various acts of horror, violence, supernatural weirdness and nakedness are caught on film. The five films, directed respectively by David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg and Radio Silence, are introduced via a clunky framing device — a sixth film by Adam Wingard — in which some goofballs are hired to break into the house of a dead guy and find a certain videotape. They find a stack, five of which they play. (These are VHS cassettes that play back contemporary movies in which we see people using digital cameras and Skype, but whatever.)
How much you'll like this film depends on your tolerance for: lots of screaming; poorly lit and herky-jerky camerawork; stories that stop and start without much sense; and, as mentioned, the gimmick of found footage, which too often seems like a handy excuse not to bother with dialogue, plot or technique. (Dude, the films were all messed up like this when we found them!) Nor were any of the films particular scary or unsettling. (Honestly, how can I get my unsettling on when the shouting and shrieking never stops?) But if you're a fan of this genre, and dig the evergreen appeal of boob shots and disemboweling, it's a six-pack that might deliver a mild buzz.
