VHS Viral (2014) - Various

VHS: Viral, the latest film in VHS horror anthology series, tries to step outside the box, compared to its predecessors, using a centeralized story that loosely links the various segments to one and other.  It attempts this using a police chase, that involves a deranged ice cream truck driving through downtown Los Angeles that captivates the attention of everyone.  Dozens of fame-obsessed individuals flock onto the streets, attempting to catch a glimpse of the carnage on their phones, hoping it leads to the next viral video.  The resounding effect - many of these individuals become the stars of their respective videos, as they have to face their own death.  After VHS 2 delivered a much strong horror anthology than its predecessor I had high hopes that this thrid installment would further the trend.  Unfortunately that is not the case, with Viral being a step-back for the franchise, with many of the segments being nothing more than mildly amusing.  Obviously the quality varies in any film of this sort, but outside of a fun, albeit silly, segment about a warped magician "Dante the Great', VHS Viral simply never was able to hold onto my attention throughout its running time.  None of the segments in VHS Viral are bad per se, just nothing we haven't seen before, providing very little in the way of scares or tension.  My biggest problem with this film in the series is it relies far too much on shock value and gore as opposed to creating atmospheric tension and geniune horror.  VHS VIRAL isn't a bad film, but it signals the tired nature of this franchise. 

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