I was interested to rewatch V/H/S 2 because I didn’t initially enjoy the movie as a whole when I watched it. The segment that always stuck with me was “Safe Haven” and that’s mostly because cults always get me. Rewatching it so close to the first one helped me appreciate the frame narrative since it ties them together. I also think that I’m in a much more positive mind set watching the movie which helped me actually enjoy it as a whole. The frame segment has a completely different feel than the first one. It doesn’t have the mean-spirited voyeurism feel. That comes from following a private investigator and his girlfriend rather than a group of fuckheads, which is the best blanket term for the group.
“Phase 1 Clinical Trials” is a really interesting take on a ghost story. The way that technology is used in connection with the spirit world isn’t something that I’ve seen before or since. “A Ride in the Park” is another interesting take on something this time it being zombies. I was surprised by how emotionally invested I got considering how little time we get to spend with the main character. The ending for the segment really sets it apart from other zombie stories.
“Safe Haven” is really the segment that stands out for me. I feel like anything I would say about it would not do it justice. I would gladly watch a full-length movie based on the segment. The last segment “Slumber Party Alien Abduction” is one I have mixed feelings about. I like it quite a bit but the way it ends with Tank the dog dying makes me turn against it at the very end. I do know that was made into a full-length movie that just premiered at Fantastic Fest this year. My only hope is that if there’s a Tank the dog in it he survives the movie.
The effects in all of the segments of V/H/S 2 are outstanding. I don’t want to say that the effects are better than the first, but they are just as good. The way that the effects are used give the stories that extra punch. I think I might like V/H/S 2 more than the first one upon rewatching them. I don’t know if that’s a concrete thing, but I do know that I like it a lot more than I originally did. I give V/H/S 2 9 VHS tapes out of 10.