My Review Of “The Collective: Vol. VI”

“The Collective Vol. VI” held it’s premiere at Days Of The Dead festival recently and soon to be hitting street release. The new collection features a lot of the film companies that we have all come to enjoy seeing in this unique anthology series. This time around the directors were given the challenge of creating a short film with the concept of fear. ..

...These 10 macabre slices of perspective are very individualized visions of horror. I was a bit disturbed to see how much of the concept of “what fear means to me” seems to revolve around a misogynistic interpretation through the lens of torture-porn. Not that there isn’t a place for that sub-genre in horror because it is a proven and well deserved medium of expression-as long as it expresses some artistic merit and social justification (does it highlight social inequalities or express a victims need for justice?). There are a couple of non-specific genre shorts that just speak to the general horror concept of fear-“spooky tales” but for the most part this collection really speaks more to the community of exploitation, gore-craven, psychorama crowd.

“Speeches” is a surrealistic nightmare that plays of fear of public speaking with a healthy dose of survivor’s guilt/personal hell thrown in. The short is mournful, visual aesthetics filled with emotionality. It uses a real world moment of tragedy and twists it into a groundhog-day stilled, sinister-vision experience. It is haunting and at moments seems practically avant-garde. The short is sort of requiem of guilt and questioning to the point of fear. “Speeches” was a nice way to start off Volume VI and really sets the tone for this more creation of horror that is man which is a theme that seems to run throughout this Volume-save a couple of the shorts.

“Edible Love” was a bit bizarre. The life in ruin aspect of the story I got but the whole fucked-up family dynamic within the this short seemed a bit extreme. I know there are some fucked-up families out there because I have read about theme I just never connected with them personally and watching those types of horrors play out on film is always a bit uncomfortable for me. That being said-this short film plays with modern experimental expressionism stylistically and leaves the final outcome a surprise which I found enlightening because I have often wondered if those very minds existed out there beyond the standard romanticized cannibalism. And hey-the catalyst by which she receives her fantastical wish is a bit of a hottie.

“Play Me” is a straight up fantasized torture-porn piece that I could not finish. It is a bit more snuff that I am comfortable with or ever could find artistically of value to horror film making. I know that seems prejudice but I can’t help it. This came off as more of a romantic visualization of a psycho’s fantasy for me to handle.

“Insomniac” is a nice little slice of psycho-noir that plays on what fear? I didn’t really get that part of the story unless it is my own fear now that people who can’t sleep are probably out there just dying to get homicidal on some ass!  The expressive avant-garde aspect of this short film is something of a different matter- I really liked the whole frustration-rage component of the protagonist. I am noticing a lot more films that come at story telling from the psychopaths point of view. I still am not sure if this was more of a self expressed cathartic piece or if the lady really did become homicidal in her bout with insomnia. So I guess the fear lies somewhere between those to aspects of the story.

“I Am No One” is a fictionalized documentary following a moment in the life of a young serial killer. It comes off very organically believable. At times I thought maybe there where some “not so believable moments” in the title characters portrayal but not enough to make this short film seem hokey. The really cool part of the film is the notion that people like this really are roaming around our society with this very outlook on life playing “red rover” in their psyches. And the dead guy in the tub! Looked a bit too real! Great special effects on that part.

“Security Violation” is a fear driven moment that seemed to skip the actual fear. I have the fear because lately more home invasion films have put it in me but in this short the fear would have come from the victim who was more of a stage prop in this little psycho ballet. It was still a very disturbing piece and as an actor, the guy playing victim has balls to be that trusting of someone to wrap them in plastic and duct-tape their ass. Not sure I wouldn’t have wanted to film the very real elements of fear from the resulting reaction of that moment. There’s your fear! See that is why I don’t allow myself to enjoy torture porn! I might find I enjoy it too much!

“Devotion” is more my speed. The short film focuses on extreme fanaticism and fear driven loyalty to religion. Oh you crazy cult leader-homicidal maniac you! This one is 90’s grunge-horror meets 70’s grindhouse. It was visually twisted and powerful. It doesn’t play out much story but the scene we are shown in this psychodrama is chilling and almost surrealistic mind-fuck macabre. Kind of like if Charles Manson would have been inspired by Alice-In-Chains instead of the Beatles.

“Trepidation” is totally a fear driven short that I am very familiar with-the fear of something that may happen. I live that shit. This one doesn’t really built to any real chilling moments or true moment of horror. Most of the fear comes verbally thanks to dialogue and not actual scenes of horror. It is more a little play with phobias. Fears of basements and closets. Total Freudian expressionism. The think that had me from moment one is the 80’s video style the short was shot in, I love the retro nostalgia of that whole visual aspect. It was a cute short film but nothing epic really happens and it kind of just fades away.

“Mercy” is more modern stylized horror that deals with abduction, man as a tool for personal gain, lack of human compassion and oh-yeah a deathly fear of small-cramped spaces-at least where the victim in this sorted tale is concerned. Kind of a really quick nightmare ransoming off a kidnap victim that ultimately doesn’t pay off. The short didn’t really offer much on creative style of surprise. Actually it really didn’t affect me much at all.

“Skeleton” is back to the spooky little moral concept that I really dig in modern horror. That not quite real, fantasy where by supernatural means justice is dealt. All be it a twisted justice dealt out from the mind of a pre-teen outcast bordering on anti-social behavior.-but justice still the same! It is a fun black-n-white joint that finishes off this anthology perfectly. More of a “reap what you sow” aspect than a straight forward fear component but still I enjoyed it. It was simple and devilishly sweet.

For the most part “The Collective: Vol. VI” is 40/60 for me. 40 to the good as far as my personal enjoyment based on direction, style and story creativity. This series of short films is not as great as some of the previous volumes – Vol. I IV and V come to mind when I think of this anthology collection on the whole. Still several of the shorts in hear are worthy and depending on your view of gritty, torture-porn elements of horror and exploitation, this Volume could very well appeal to a broader audience. It isn’t my favorite in the series but it is still a pretty cool anthology that shows why I have come to anticipate each “The Collective” volume as they reveal themselves.