THE HORROR VAULT

An anthology of low-budget horror shorts from various directors, THE HORROR VAULT doesn't have a linking frame or theme as such, it simply presents each of its 9 abridged tales in quick succession.

Before the film starts proper though, we're presented with mock trailers for the fake films "The Executionator" and "Satan Claws". If anything, these combined provide a hint at the only theme consistent throughout the ensuing content: variations on popular 70's grindhouse conventions ("The Executionator" is a scratchy action thriller a'la Robert Rodriguez's "Machete" preview at the start of PLANET TERROR; "Satan Claws" is a glossy homage to the festive-based slashers BLACK CHRISTMAS, CHRISTMAS EVIL etc).

Once the garish animated opening titles have passed, THE HORROR VAULT begins for real with "When John Met Julia", directed by Kim Sonderholm. Stylishly lit and making good use of interesting camera angles, this is visually slick if a little shallow in terms of content.

Julia (Claire Ross-Brown) is picked up on a street corner one night by seemingly nice guy John (Sonderholm). However, Julia is suspicious of John's kind gesture and gets him to pull over on a deserted stretch of road. She then wastes no time in stabbing John in the balls (ouch) and chasing him into the street as he attempts to escape, knifing him repeatedly. It's a vicious attack that John, unsurprisingly, doesn't survive.

But in true CREEPSHOW style, John later returns from the dead to have his revenge on Julia at bedtime. The finale is weak and predictable but it's mild fun getting there.

Next up is Mark Machillo's "Delusion" which, stylistically, is the compendium's highpoint. It's a beautifully shot black-and-white affair, set in the 1940's, with great attention to costume detail and period design. Even the performances are mannered in a very deliberate old-Hollywood style.

The story concerns Flynn (Jonathan Trent), a wealthy playboy who attends a posh dinner party hosted by old friends. But all is not well with Flynn - he is disturbed by the details of his mother's mysterious death. And it's this paranoia that develops into quiet psychosis as "Delusion" reaches it's polished yet sadly under whelming conclusion. Still, on a visual level, it manages to feel quite grand in scale and as a result this is a standout.

The third offering is "Alone", wherein 22-year-old Ellen (Mandy Amano) stays home alone in her sorority house one night, the voice in her head desperately trying to convince her to relax - there is no-one outside trying to break in.

But Ellen's fears appear to be confirmed when a plain-clothed policeman (or is he?) knocks on her door, telling her that a killer is on the loose in the area and that she must go with him for her own safety. Unconvinced that the policeman's identity is genuine, Ellen refuses to leave and slams the door on him. But … is that wise?

This is quite tense in execution, a well constructed if thoroughly conventional nod towards the countless "hell comes to your house" films of the 70's (WHEN A STRANGER CALLS; HALLOWEEN, etc). It's keenly lensed with lots of wide shots filled with dark corners and backgrounds - director Kenny Selko clearly revised his genre before shooting this. All in all, a solid effort (although the "twist" ending can be anticipated from a mile away).

"Dead To The Word" follows, a video mockumentary by Russ Diaper offering an insight into how the FBI may have interviewed notorious serial rapist and killer Ted Bundy (Diaper).

Reasonably well acted and undeniably the most sombre offering here, with the interview snippets being intercut by flashbacks of Bundy raping and murdering a couple of his victims, this ends with sobering onscreen text offering us a few well-known stats about the mad buffoon.

It's grim, but curiously not as effective as it should be. Perhaps it's because of the over-exposed look of the video interview footage. Or maybe it was the clunky, unconvincing dialogue.

The fifth film is another effort from Sonderholm: "Mental Distortion". An Irishman wakes one day in his flat to discover his girlfriend naked and dead in his bathtub.

After trying unsuccessfully to resuscitate the woman, the man attends her funeral and things look very glum for him indeed. That is, until he bumps into an old friend - an attractive blonde - who clearly takes an interest in him and agrees to meet up with him. She pops round his flat one evening and the truth behind the earlier "mishap" finally transpires.

Not as slick or as colourful as "When John Met Julia", "Mental Distortion" is however mildly diverting thanks largely to the inclusion of a fair bit of female nudity.

Next up is "Disconnected", from co-directors Josh Card and David Boone.

Black-and-white photography, sharp editing, quick cuts and a banging Industrial soundtrack make this immediately recall TESTUO: THE IRON MAN.

In "Disconnected", Adam (Adam Boone) is tied to a chair and tortured in a large abandoned warehouse. His suffering includes having his fingers chopped off, getting kneecapped and having a drill rammed through his feet. Adam has no idea why he's being tortured, but understands it has something to do with his girlfriend (Kelly Fagin) - who he can hear screaming in the background.

Mean-spirited and tightly presented, "Disconnected" is good if brief, and builds effectively towards an agreeable punchline.

The seventh film is "The Demon" from Thomas Steen Sorensen, in which a sharp-dressed businessman (Martin Frislev Ammitsbol) picks up a female hitchhiker who may or may not be a demon.

Unconventionally plotted, with non-linear editing and some bizarre visual ideas, "The Demon" is odd but undeniably atmospheric.

Gabriel Dowrick's "Echoes" swiftly follows, a colourful if grainy short depicting a man (Sean Seauthorp) who awakens to find himself handcuffed to a bed. Filled with shaky camera motions and religious motifs, this succeeds in eliciting a fair amount of tension as things just get worse for the poor guy.

Finally we have J F Wenner's "Retina". This observes blind Shelly (Rachel Grubb) who lives with her sister Katie, both of whom receive an unexpected visitor round their flat one afternoon.

Could it be the zombified David (Josh LeSuer), who Shelly has always accused Katie of murdering? Whoever it is, things aren't going to end well.

Grainy, dark and very effective in its lo-fi black-and-white presentation, this is a fitting end to the anthology that visually recalls both ERASERHEAD and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. With zombies, victims bleeding from their eyes and a final shiver-inducing scream in the dark, it's eerie stuff. Very satisfying.

The collection is, like every horror anthology, wildly uneven. Put together by Sonderholm, it's interesting to note that his offerings are two of the weakest entries here. Although none of the 9 shorts are essential viewing, "Retina", "Alone", "Disconnected" and "Delusion" definitely show signs of huge potential from their makers.

The film is presented in a non-anamorphic 1.78:1 aspect ratio which for the most part is excellent: sharp, bright and clean. Occasionally images get grainy or over-exposed, but that's more to do with the various mediums used by each filmmaker. It's a good transfer.

The English 2.0 audio is solid and audible throughout, with no hiss or dropout.

Static menus include a scene-selection menu allowing access to the main feature via 15 chapters.

The only extras on the disc are trailers for CRAIG, DEADLY PURSUIT, THE HORROR VAULT, BRUTAL INCASSO, DOD VID ANKOMST and A VIKING SAGA.

For the curious, those who can forgive the limitations of low-budget filmmaking, and those with a particular penchant for horror anthologies, THE HORROR VAULT is certainly worth a look. It's no SMALL GAUGE TRAUMA, but is interesting nonetheless.

Look out also for THE HORROR VAULT 2, promised in the closing credits as being due December 2008.

For more information on both volumes, visit www.thehorrorvault.net.

Review by Stuart Willis