Most anthology movies are hit-and-miss affairs, but this horror compilation is composed entirely of misses, 14 micro-budgeted shorts that offer few genuine scares, although some are certain to cause a measure of disgust. The linking device here is that each short reflects a particular phobia—some commonplace, such as mysophobia (a fear of germs), and others more unusual, like parthenophobia (a fear of virgins). One (“Nyctophobia,” fear of the night) comes from Nigeria, but the rest are Italian (six), British (four), or American (three). Regardless of country of origin, the common element here is mediocrity: in many cases the narrative is crushingly obvious (a man with a bad cold who fears taking medicine is poisoned when he finally chugs the cough syrup), and hyperkinetic editing and jagged camera angles are overused in a desperate attempt to generate chills. Some segments are marginally better than others, but the worst is certainly Jason Impey’s “Coprophobia” (fear of feces), in which a man wrestles with a combative lump of excrement for a few minutes. Not recommended. (F. Swietek)
A Taste of Phobia
Artsploitation, 90 min., not rated, DVD: $19.99, June 26 Volume 33, Issue 5
A Taste of Phobia
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