Film reviews: V/H/S | American Mary

By SIOBHAN SYNNOT
Published on 13/01/2013 00:00

This is yet another horror based on “found footage”. It’s a nifty way of avoiding expenses like stars and supports poor lighting and limited effects because, of course, everything is supposed to look crummy.

V/H/S (18)

* *

This time five directors are brought together for a compilation of shocks, all supposedly collected on one VHS tape found in a dead man’s house. Among its niche delights are creepy goings-on in a motel room and a bunch of teens who clearly learnt nothing from The Blair Witch Project. Some of the segments are more successful than others, but all of them could do with better actors. And a tripod; two hours of shaky cam makes it very tempting to press “eject”.

On selected release from Friday.

American Mary (18)

* * *

After the triumphantly perverse Dead Hooker In A Trunk, writer-directors Jen and Sylvia Soska return to offer omnivorous horror fans more squirms by way of an impoverished student surgeon (Katherine Isabelle) who goes into business doing work for those whose taste in body modification runs to the baroque. This won’t break the Soska sisters out beyond their current nerd following, but they have a twisted spark that makes them worth keeping tabs on in future.

Glasgow Film Theatre, today only.