Apparently, I like watching found footage films because I enjoyed this new entry into the subgenre. V/H/S/99 is the newest film in the series. The fourth or fifth film in the V/H/S franchise (which I didn’t even know was a franchise until today), it showcases five short stories set during the year of 1999.  

“Shredding” is about a bratty punk rock band that breaks into the ruins of an abandoned art collective that burned down. That fire had resulted in the death of the rock band that had been playing there at the time. The current band makes the bad decision of dishonoring the memory of their dead predecessors.  

“Suicide Bid” follows a college girl who is desperately trying to gain entrance into a particular sorority. She does what is called a suicide bid meaning that she only applies to that sorority, forsaking all others. The nasty girls from that sorority grant her admission pending a very horrific hazing ritual. 

“Ozzy’s Dungeon” is a homage to all of those children’s game shows. It’s obviously a parody of “Legends of the Hidden Temple.” And that’s hilarious to me because I grew up watching that show. The story is that a kid who injures herself while going through one of the competitions and ends up losing. The family decides to seek revenge against the game show host. 

“The Gawkers” is a lesson in why you shouldn’t film people without their knowledge. Some teenagers figure out that you shouldn’t spy on the girl next door. 

“To Hell and Back” is a story about two filmmakers who are documenting a demonic summoning. The witches that are performing it accidentally send the filmmakers to hell. In order to get back, they have to trust one of hell’s natives to guide them back. 

Overall, this film was pretty good, and it captured the style and vibe of what it meant to live in 1999. It really felt like you were watching a VHS tape, something that I didn’t think I would enjoy but I did.

31 Days of Horror Rankings: 

1. Deadstream (2022) 
2. Willy’s Wonderland (2021)  
3. Grimcutty (2022)
4. Smile (2022)
5. V/H/S/99 (2022)
6. Watcher (2022)   
7. The Spine of Night (2021)
8. Mad God (2022)
9. She Will (2022)
10. Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
11. Escape Room (2019)
12. We Have Always Lived in the Castle (2018)
13. The Cellar (2022)  
14. The Last Rite (2021)
15. Revealer (2022)  
16. Sissy (2022) 
17. Halloween Ends (2022)
18. Mr. Harrigan’s Phone (2022)
19. Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1982)
20. The Collingswood Story (2002)
21. Werewolf by Night (2022)
22. Firestarter (2022)
23. The Bunker Game (2022)