The sixth installment in the long-running found-footage horror franchiseV/H/Sis about to hit a new level of intensity as it enters the so-calledGolden Age of Horror Cinema.V/H/S/85pulls from the darkest side of the era with its five unique and haunting tales told by established horror auteurs likeDavid BrucknerandScott Derricksonand relative newcomers or independent filmmakers likeNatasha Kermani. One thing that will give this entry an edge is a horrifying long-take sequence to get the blood pumping ahead of the film’s haunting conclusion. AtFantastic Festwhere the film made its world premiere, Collider’sPerri Nemiroffasked Bruckner what he could tease about the scene and the difficulties of filming it.
Long takes, or “oners” can be quite challenging to get right, but they can also elevate a film to a new level when pulled off successfully. Action franchises likeChris Hemsworth’sExtractionfilmsuse these to create dynamic, bonkers sequences that bring the viewer directly into the action as the intensity continues to climb. It’s not just action that benefits from oners though. Horror films have made great use of such shots likeStanley Kubrick’s masterpieceThe Shiningwhich slowly builds dreadwith an iconic long take showing the Overlook Hotelfrom Danny Torrance’s (Danny Lloyd) point of view as he cycles through the halls.
V/H/S/85’s seven-minute oner hardly compares tosetting Hemsworth on fire for a 21-minute shot, but Bruckner says it still took around 15 to 16 tries to get right along with a dizzying effort as the director. The result, however, is a gory and stressful scene that the cast and crew poured their blood, sweat, and tears into:
“Well, in the wraparound, towards the end of it, there is something that culminates in like a seven-minute oner. So you’ve got running, jumping, screaming, practical effects, there’s blood hitting the wall – there’s a lot happening all at once. As a director looking at the monitor, I can’t even comprehend everything that’s going down in that moment of time between action and cut. So, sometimes in the amount of time we could take to stop and talk it all through, we’d just say, ‘Let’s go again,’ and, ‘While the energy is up, what if it’s faster, harder? Let’s let’s break the moment!’ And we just push it even further. But yeah, there’s some dizzying running-around moments, not to be too specific.”
‘V/H/S/85’ Embraces the 80s With Its Stories
Bruckner directsV/H/S/85’s wraparound segment which follows a spooky research study involving a boy who becomes transfixed on his television. His work pulls together the stories ofthe four other directorsincluding Derrickson, Kermani,Gigi Saul Guerrero, andMike P. Nelsonalong with writersZoe Cooper,Evan Dickson, andC. Robert Cargillwho cover topics from a nightmarish skiing adventure to the rise of VR and horrific dreams caught on film all throughthe lens of found footage horror. Expectplenty of practical goreand unique brands of terror from theHellraiserreboot directorand his fellow filmmakers as they explore one of horror’s most distinct periods.
Emmy nomineeFreddy Rodríguezleads the diverse ensemble ofV/H/S/85alongsideJordan Belfi,James Ransone,Dani Deetté,Justen Jones,Marcio Moreno,Ari Gallegos,Forrest Hartl,Duffy McManus,Eric Pierson,Felipe de Lara,Tom ReedandVivian Morse.
The film debuts on Shudder on October 6. Check out the full interview below:
