Mary Whitehouse, You’re A… is co-directed by Alexander Churchyard and Max Davenport from a script written by Churchyard. Best friends Mark (James Hamer-Morton) and Evan (Ross Howard) spend their days watching horror films. They want to rewatch The Evil Dead but get some sort of ritual tutorial instead. This leads to some undead mayhem.
Hamer-Morton and Howard share brilliant chemistry. They ensure Mark and Evan feel like lifelong pals while hitting every comedic beat pitch perfectly. Without a doubt, this is the funniest story in Video Shop Tales Of Terror, and that is due to the perfect cast. Beyond the jokes, the directing feels like Rami through and through, complete with a stop motion hand that needs to be seen to be believed.
Thomas Lee Rutter is responsible for the Day Of The Stranger, which is terrible in almost every way. Yet, somehow, his segment in Video Shop Tales Of Terror, These Burnt Children, is the crown jewel of this anthology. The segment follows Ron Baylis (Cy Henty), a junk food director whose unproduced films begin to haunt him. Ron, “an artist, a man of integrity,” seeks revenge after being wronged by lowly producer Benny (Philip Andrew Rogers).
While there is an unnecessary fart joke, this is an ingenious story. Henty is excellent in the role, selling the creepy happenings well. The grimy look of everything helps the creep factor immeasurably. I wish this were longer because I loved spending time with these insane characters.
“…the wraparound ends the entire anthology on a high note.”
The final tale of Video Shop Tales Of Terror is Vergessen, written and directed by Michael Fausti. Kitty Smith (Dani Thompson), Ilsa Lall (Ayvianna Snow), and Dyanne Thorne (Roe Haven) are posing as high-end call girls for the Nazis. But in reality, they work for an intelligence agency and are part of a “honeytrap” to ensnare the villains of the Third Reich.
There’s no dialogue, just a sultry voiceover explaining what is happening, sort of. Vergessen is one of the trippiest segments around, but it works. The visuals are epic in scope, and the story is fascinating, even if it doesn’t always add up.
Then, of course, there’s the wraparound, whose point emerges just before the credits roll. It is eerie and intense, prompting a rewatch as soon as possible to see all the clues laid out earlier in the film. While not a segment outright, the wraparound ends the entire anthology on a high note.
Video Shop Tales Of Terror may not be flawless, as not every segment works. But most of the shorts are quite entertaining. The best ones use the brief format to focus on style and atmosphere. If one wants to laugh and be scared, this will make for an enjoyable watch.
"…brings together some of Britain's most interesting independent filmmakers."
