Director: Michael Turney
Running Time: 84 Minutes
Starring: Andrea Figliomeni, Chrystal Peterson, Shelley Valfer, Hunter Kohl
As the opening contains sights of outdated equipment, neon titles, and a synth tune playing, Video Vision makes itself known as having an eye on a retro time long passed. The same can be said about the titular store, which employee Kibby (Andrea Figliomeni) refers to as a graveyard for dead formats. The daily drudgery of digitizing old recordings is broken up when an old VCR mysteriously appears, and begins affecting the lead. During this, Kibby strikes up a relationship with a trans man, Gator (Chrystal Peterson). While their romance seems wonderful, Kibby finds that the VCR has unleashed a supernatural force intent on controlling her body and mind.
Writer/Director Michael Turney makes interesting comparisons between the central pairing as, while Gator is transitioning into a body that he feels comfortable in, Kibby is transitioning into an analogue being. The best of genre works can mirror real-life issues through a fantastical lens, and there is a sliver of an idea in how Kibby's transformation leaves her to make comments as outdated as the technology she is becoming part of. However, the muddled execution leaves one uncertain of what the filmmaker is trying to accomplish.
The strongest elements are courtesy of the cast's chemistry, which sells the relationships in ways that the screenplay struggles to. The store's boss, Rodney (Shelley Valfer), could have been a caricature with his attempts at hooking-up at Jury Duty, yet the endearing performance imbues the character with a wistfulness that does not make him regress. Kibby and Gator are a cute pairing as they grow in understanding while their feelings intensify, although there are times when the microaggressions leave one wondering why Gator sticks around. It is also worth praising the cast for doing their best with some unfortunate dialogue.
Whether the practical effects are bringing alive complex gore or utilizing a low-fi use of analogue technology, they are deftly realized within this tale. It is all part of a well-replicated retro look that is aided by Alex Cuervo's killer score, which makes it a shame how the genre elements can feel like an afterthought. This is particularly true of Dr. Analog (Hunter Kohl), the antagonist who feels too distanced from the story to resemble an actual threat from introduction to rushed resolution. Video Vision offers a nostalgic look at an analogue age, for better or worse.
Video Vision made its International Premiere at Frightfest 2024
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