This anthology sees a young couple planning to purchase an old home, but would like one last tour before the closing. They’re guided around the estate by a realtor that may have more in store than they bargained for. Searching floor by floor, they begin to discover seven tales of terror, that will leave you asking…How many stories does your home have?

Sometimes you want to watch a scary movie, but you just don’t feel like investing 90 minutes into a film you can’t be sure will hold your attention. So, why not spend 2 hours watching several short films instead? Horror anthology is one of my favorite genres, because if one segment doesn’t work out, there’s still the promise that something better could be only a few minutes away. For this reason, I was excited to check out Volumes of Blood: Horror Stories, the sequel to 2015’s Volumes of Blood, featuring much of the same talent both behind and in front of the camera. A tenuously-connected collection of 7 shorts with a fairly substantial wraparound plot that at least attempts to tie everything together, Volumes of Blood: Horror Stories is a low-budget labor of love that overstays its welcome but still manages to craft homages to the best and worst of horror that remains remarkably consistent throughout.

The first story follows a couple of bumbling small-time criminals who craft a plot to take advantage of one of their employers when they realize they’re in more danger than they could’ve possibly imagined. This makes for a strong first impression, both because it introduces a villain that proves to be one of the few recurring elements in the film and because it might be the best segment. It’s not the most unique in premise or execution, but the two leads have a strong comedic chemistry, it’s more visually distinct when compared to most of the other segments and it features some of the best effects and costuming. There’s plenty more to like from there, but I have to say, if I was just watching this movie casually and not tied to a chair with my eyes forced open (standard screening procedure here a HorrorBuzz), I would appreciate them frontloading the quality somewhat so I can at least enjoy the highlights even if I’m not willing to commit to watching the whole thing.

Next up is a segment about two horror snobs that are seen booing the previous segment, which is a remake of a classic horror movie in this universe. This one’s pretty fun. The writing is really low brow and the whole thing feels like a 00s stoner comedy, but it’s a stoner comedy about the horror community and our idolizing the past and what we grew up with while viewing modern adaptations as knockoffs that miss the point of the original. It’s all very self-aware that it’s mocking itself and its own audience as the film as a whole encapsulates so many of the tropes that its skewering. The segment that follows centers around a series of Halloween killings which doesn’t do too much outside of showcasing some solid gore, but it also starts to establish a bit of backstory that I think must be connected to the previous film (which I have yet to see) and leads into the wraparound that serves as a plot device to ease us into the segments to come.

The wraparound follows a couple on an open house tour lead by an intimidating realtor who is insistent on showing them the cellar. This is a bit of an odd one. It works well enough as a storytelling device and there is a sense of dread as you can immediately tell that the realtor has insidious motivations, but the actual narrative is a strange pissing match between him and the husband as they spend most of the time exchanging passive aggressive remarks as the whole situation becomes gradually more awkward. They go to have a look at the closet and then we fade to the next segment where an insurance salesman happens upon the house of a distressed woman who desperately tries to get him to come up to her room under the pretense that there is something dangerous in her closet. This one is definitely up there with the best segments in the film and features some of the strongest acting. There’s a nice contrast of personalities, with the girl possessing a seductive melancholy quality and the salesman being a sort of goofy sitcom straight man. His portrayal gets a little hammy, but the segment is shot well and leaves a strong impression.

The proceeding segment is apparently titled Blood Bath, which I suppose is clever enough, but I affectionately refer to it as Death Bath: The Bath That Eats. It’s about a carnivorous bath tub. I’ve always felt that there was something unnerving about malevolent inanimate objects. They might not be able to pursue you, instead lying in wait for their unsuspecting victim to fall into their grasp, like flies to a venus flytrap, or Boba Fett in the Sarlacc Pit. There isn’t too much meat here outside of that gimmick and enough blood to fill a man-eating hot tub, but that’s enough to make it an enjoyable watch.

That brings us to the final two proper segments, the first of which explores the dangers of holiday commercialism and other the dangers of bored retirees. Christmas might not be the first thing comes to mind when you think horror, but between the old man breaking and entering and people knocking on your door forcing Christmas music on you, there is plenty to fear. The latter is the focus of this segment, as a woman home alone on Christmas is haunted by a mysterious caroler who is determined to ruin her Christmas spirit. The concept of this one is a little silly, but it does some interesting things and ends up being one of the more brutal parts of the film. Finally, there’s a more comedic segment featuring a retired couple with some unique ideas about how to keep their romance alive. Good blend of comedy and gore on this one, though it doesn’t make any efforts to keep the viewer from seeing where it’s going from a mile away.

The last 15 minutes that attempts to tie together the wraparound with certain elements from the various segments goes off the rails a bit, partially because it tries to inject too much backstory that isn’t handled coherently and because the action and random stabbings of people we haven’t seen up to this point starts to grow stale. The film doesn’t so much end as it does trail off into a thought it never finishes, but it hasn’t done much to bring everything together up to this point, so why start now? One final thing I feel I have to mention is the town of Owensboro, Kentucky. Volumes of Blood: Horror Stories is set there, and if you forget that, don’t worry, you’ll be reminded every 5 minutes. Presumably local companies contributed to the film’s funding and it shows. Every inch of the film is plastered with advertisements for these companies, from most of the T-shirts advertising printing companies and a local Zombie Run to the open house being littered with signs for an Owensboro mortgage company. It’s charming in the sense that it shows the power of a community coming together to support each other, but at the same time it’s highly conspicuous and creates the impression that nothing exists in this world outside of Owensboro.

I like horror anthology. I liked this. If you also like horror anthology, you might like this as well. Compared to its peers, it’s certainly no Creepshow or Trick ‘r Treat and I’m not sure it would hold up next to something like V/H/S or ABCs of Death either, but there is enough variety and heart to satisfy those that don’t mind their indie horror on the lowbrow side.