VHS Massacre Too

Director - Thomas Edward Seymour (VHS Massacre, Attack of the Show!)

Starring - Zac Amico (Dolphinman Battles the Sex Lobsters, Shakespeare's Shitstorm), Joe Bob Briggs (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre II, The Stand), and J.R. Bookwalter (Her Name Was Christa, The Dead Next Door)

Release Date - 2020

Genre - Documentary/Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Several years ago there was a handful of documentaries pop up that centered around VHS with a lot of emphasis on the collecting aspect.  During that time I was lucky enough to review Rewind This!, Adjust Your Tracking, Video Nasties, and Troma's VHS Massacre.  Rewind This! and Adjust Your Tracking was the best of these releases but the others were not that bad.  If anything, the others were still entertaining but a little one sided.  With Troma backing VHS Massacre it would go on to become a popular doc which would inspire a follow up.  When I heard that Troma was releasing VHS Massacre Too I quickly requested a copy from my friends over at MVD.  I was very curious how a sequel to a VHS doc was going to turn out.  Like always I want to thank MVD and Troma for hooking me up with a copy!

     The doc follows indie filmmakers, producers, distributors, and actors as they discuss the struggles indie cinema faces along with major corporation censoring and the popularity of exploitation cinema.

     VHS Massacre Too was not what I was expecting.  It's not a bad doc because I actually enjoyed MOST of the interviews but the VHS Massacre Too title is a little misleading.  The film could have easily been given a more appropriate title that fit the doc itself instead of using the title to cash in on fans of the first film.  Regardless, I liked it but it's not what you think it is.  The interviews for this one were very interesting.  Most of the interviews were very insightful and informative.  However, there were a few people interviewed that seemed like they didn't want to be there.  Their stories are rather dull and I'm confused as to why they were even asked to speak in the film to begin with.  It was great seeing movie legends like Lloyd Kaufman, Joe Bob Briggs, Debbie Rochon, and J.R. Bookwalter.  However, the addition of random YouTubers (James Rolfe excluded) and random producers makes it awkward and questionable at times.  The topics discussed are connected very well and the noteworthy guests do a fantastic job at delivering their own experiences with them.  I liked hearing about the exploitation sub-genres and the stories many of the indie filmmakers had to tell about distribution deals gone wrong and raising funds for their films.  With that being said, these topics do not really fit in with the VHS theme.  The movie would have been more enjoyable if it focused more on the indie aspect and dropped the VHS moniker early on.  Finally, the editing and transitions in this one are pretty solid.  It's a great looking doc that has great pacing and transitions between interviews and topics.  Overall, VHS Massacre Too is a solid documentary with some decent interviews.  However, it's not another VHS doc which is very misleading and some of the guests are out of place when you consider the other film legends they are sharing the screen with.  It's a lot of fun but know exactly what you are getting yourself into when you hit play.