V/H/S: Viral

Just when you thought the found-footage horror genre had run its worn-out course, the "V/H/S" anthology series trudges along with a third installment. Having never watched the previous two films, I assume that "V/H/S: Viral" follows the same formula: A central story is surrounded by other disparate segments with the inevitable wrap-up in the end.

"Vicious Circles" starts it all off with a frantic tale of an ice cream truck getting pursued by the cops on the streets of Los Angeles. A couple gets involved in the mayhem by following the action where, among other gruesome items, someone falls from a bridge while trying to film the pursuit.

Next up in this four-story anthology is the most entertaining segment, "Dante the Great," presented in a humorous tone and surrounds a magician and how he uses black magic to his advantage. "Parallel Monsters," about a man who finds a portal to another dimension and "Bonestorm," a zombie tale with skateboarders, don't live up to the promise of their inventive titles.

Half of the time with "V/H/S: Viral," I found the shaky camera shots distracting and uninvolving. I'm also not sure how the whole VHS scenario came into play.

At least the Blu-ray has some nifty special features to choose from. There's a story called "Gorgeous Vortex" that was deleted from the final release and gets tacked onto the end of the final credits; it really belongs in the bonus materials department. Multiple commentaries, behind-the-scenes, and photo galleries complement each segment, while separate interviews with cast and crew can be enjoyed. AXS TV also presents a five-minute promotional short called "A Look at V/H/S: Viral," and it's all a viewer needs to watch instead of the 80-minute running time of the film.

"V/H/S: Viral"
Blu-ray
www.magpictures.com