There just isn't a way to explain how horrible this is. And by horrible I mean gory. There is literally blood and guts everywhere. Word to the directors, the shock value of shooting people in the head, digging an eye out of it's socket, pulling someone's intestines out, etc. loses it's impact after you done it fifty times. This anthology is not scary in the least. The wraparound story and the first three stories are grotesque beyond words. If you think splattered brains, severed body parts and puking up blood make for a fright, this is for you. There's an abundance of shaky cam as would be expected when everything is captured first-person (or first-dog). This whole affair is like watching someone play "Call of Duty" or if you're older, "Doom". About the stories, then. First off, forget the wraparound, it's indecipherable and lame. The first full tale is called "Phase 1" and it's about a guy who gets a bionic eye and starts seeing dead people. It's not too gory but it's loaded with jump scares which again are not scary. Overall, it's not awful but it's forgettable. Story number two is called "A Ride in the Park" and it features a camera mounted on a zombie. If you are kind enough to have read anything that I've tried to write in the past, I think zombies are boring. These zombies do the same thing as every other zombie does, they eat people. They do that here in typically gory fashion. And that's about it. "Safe Haven" seems to be the entry that many consider the high point of "V/H/S 2". It's about a cult that just happens to have their Jonestown moment as a documentary film crew is interviewing their leader. This one's not about showing you intestines and assorted innards, it's about gushing blood and splattered meat. Frightening, huh? Finally, a short called "Slumber Party Alien Abduction" plays out exactly like it's title suggests. This is the high point of the movie because it had a couple of subtle 'did-I-just-see-something' moments that the others did not. When the chaos happens, it's loud and frenzied but it's not a bloody mess. The shaky cam was kind of annoying because it couldn't offer a bigger picture of the otherworldly danger. If you are sensitive to gore, do not watch this movie. If you are okay with it, then "V/H/S 2" is a little better than the average 2013-era Horror flick.

This did very little for me. It is not scary. Gory? Sure. Cheap nudity? Yep. Scary? Not in the least.

To my pleasure, the second installment of the anthology is an improvement! The wrap-around story still goes on about the right order to watch the tapes but is again rather weak (and the silliest in the logic and acting departement). I certainly wouldn't mind getting to see a couple more tapes until this one is resolved. Adam Wingard does a modern ghost story which has it moments but is a bit predictable, the Blair Witch guys give zombies a heart, Jason Eisener does a tad too weird "Slumber Party" (poor doggie) and well: Gareth Evans (The Raid) and Timo Tjahjanto (Macabre) steal the show. The way the shit blows up is similar to the haunted house story in the first one - just a lot more evil (I can forgive some convinient POV shots and the black-eye stuff). It's also the goriest which is certainly Timo's bidding. Mind you, this is an assault of modern horror stories and less of a thoughtful experience. It's very much a playground for found footage horror.

3 Thoughts After Watching ‘V/H/S/2’: 1. This sequel took everything that was wrong with the first one and completely fixed it. This is a solid horror anthology worth recommending. 2. I wish the central story provided more insight into the lore of the tapes, and wasn’t just used as a vehicle to tell the tales. Still, this is a major improvement from the original. 3. Was there anything especially groundbreaking here? Not really. _(Though I’m not sure I’ve ever seen the POV of a zombie before.)_ But I would say all the stories were equally entertaining, well-acted, and there was a decent variety.

Satisfied my POV cravings... For now... Here's hoping VHS 3 is around the corner.