The 13th annual Halloween special discusses the new film 'VHS Halloween' that premiered on Shudder on October 3rd. This film continued the franchise trend of featuring found footage-style shorts, each centered around a Halloween theme, further invigorating the anthology horror series. 'VHS Halloween' contains a wraparound segment titled 'Diet Fantasma', directed by Brian M. Ferguson, mimicking classic taste test commercials but with a violent twist, inducing laughter from the audience.
The anthology kicks off with a segment by Anna Zlokavic, portraying teenagers on a potentially last trick-or-treating venture, encountering a mysterious entity. Paco Plaza directs 'Utsupra Sik Infra', a more somber narrative revisiting a crime scene, lauded for its practical effects. 'Funsize' by Casper Kelly brings humor with teenagers breaking candy rules, leading to chaos and great enjoyment among viewers.
Alex Ross Perry’s 'KidPrint' presents a darker, intense narrative about child safety amidst a serial killer scare, contrasting the lighter tone of preceding segments. Micheline and RH Norman wrap up the film with 'Home Haunt', combining horror and comedy as a cursed record turns a father-son Halloween tradition into chaos. Overall, 'VHS Halloween' exemplifies effective horror storytelling, maintaining audience interest through dynamic filmmaker contributions and a cohesive Halloween theme.