V/H/S/99 (Blu-ray SteelBook Review)

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

The latest entry in this horror anthology film series, V/H/S/99 now sets the segments in the glory days of the late 1990s on the verge of Y2K. With a new slate of writers, the segments in this latest entry look to evoke the feeling and atmosphere of 1990s pop culture and horror. The films reference Nickelodeon, The Craft, Heathers, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, among other significant cultural points from the era. In the segment “Shredding” a punk/grunge band break into ruins and meet their demise where the same happened to a previous band. “”Ozzy’s Dungeon,” the best entry in the anthology, apes the tween gameshows from Nickelodeon, right down to its own version of green goo. During a harrowing obstacle gauntlet, one of the contestants severely damages their leg, causing a parent to seek revenge on the host. “Suicide Bid” finds a college girl taking part in a claustrophobic sorority pledge being buried alive in a coffin, when things go horribly wrong, and she faces a supernatural threat. In “The Gawkers” two teen voyeurs find the girl next door is more than she seems. Finally, in “To Hell And Back,” two filmmakers document a summoning ritual on the eve of Y2K and are transported to a demonic realm.

While the concept for this franchise entry sounds good on paper, especially for any Gen-X’rs out there who lived through the 1990s, the anthology does not deliver. The horror is not there. There is more gore that is not really shocking, nothing very scary, and stories that quickly lose their steam. They do a great job in giving each segment its own look within the confines of the retro look, but that is about as good as this gets.

The Video

The segments in V/H/S/99 are shot on various cameras in various formats and meant to evoke vintage, mostly analogue 1990s era video. This does not make for the best, most reference quality imagery, but it is what it is. The 1.78:1 AVC 1080p encodement mostly stays out of the way, but that is not saying much. Do not expect much but take it for what it is, a retro-style flick with plenty of VHS “noise” and anomalies purposely placed throughout.

The Audio

The lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is also not anything groundbreaking. It offers some mild ambience in the surround channels, but the dialogue many times is presented with a “low quality microphone” quality.

The Supplements

The bonus features include an audio commentary and various deleted scenes for each segment that do not elevate them much. There is also a lengthy NY Comic Con panel.

• DVD with Feature Film in SD and Bonus Features
• Exclusive Panel from Reedpop’s New York Comic Con (1080i; 00:51:21)
• Ozzy’s Dungeon (1080i):
  • Deleted Scene 1 (00:00:22)
  • Deleted Scene 2 (00:01:02)
• Shredding (1080i):
  • Deleted Scene (00:00:20)
  • Bitchcat Music Video (00:02:28)
• The Gawkers (1080p):
  • Deleted Scene (00:00:42)
  • Bloopers (00:01:11)
  • Camera Tests (00:02:13)
  • The Making of Medusa (00:01:09)
• To Hell and Back (1080p):
  • Raw Footage (00:07:35)
  • Location Scouting (00:02:11)
  • Storyboards and Blocking Rehearsals (00:04:53)
• Gag Reel (1080p; 00:02:15)

The Final Assessment

The best part of this entry in the V/H/S franchise is the gorgeous SteelBook artwork. Things rapidly go downhill after that. Horror completists may still want this but it is ultimately forgettable.  

V/H/S/99 is out on Blu-ray SteelBook May 23, 2023 from RLJE Films.

• Rating Certificate: Not Rated
• Studios & Distributors: Bloody Disgusting | Cinepocalypse Productions | Cook Filmworks (segment “To Hell And Back”) | Winterspectre Entertainment (segment “To Hell And Back”) | Shudder | RLJE Films
• Directors: Flying Lotus (segment “Ozzy’s Dungeon”) | Maggie Levin (segment “Shredding”) | Tyler MacIntyre (segment “The Gawkers”) | Johannes Roberts (segment “Suicide Bid”) | Joseph Winter (segment “To Hell and Back”) | Vanessa Winter (segment “To Hell and Back”)
• Written By: Zoe Cooper (segment “Ozzy’s Dungeon”) | Flying Lotus (segment “Ozzy’s Dungeon”) | Chris Lee Hill (segment “The Gawkers”) | Maggie Levin (segment “Shredding”) | Tyler MacIntyre (segment “The Gawkers”) | Johannes Roberts (segment “Suicide Bid”) | Joseph Winter (segment “To Hell And Back”) | Vanessa Winter (segment “To Hell And Back”)
• Run Time: 109 Mins.
• Street Date: 23 May 2023
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Video Format: AVC 1080p
• Primary Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH