To compliment the stand-alone version of V/H/S/ 99, RLJ Entertainment has offered up a steelbook edition that still mirrors the same bells & whistles as the original version, but packages it in a fashion that should make those of us who like a little “flash” to our physical media compilations. Let’s take a dive into this one and see if it can hold its blood…I mean water.
In all honesty I’ve lost count how many “V/H/S/” presentations there have been, but my favorite of these groupings is still “V/H/S/ 2” – sadly, it seems like with each new addition under the scope the stories have become a bit more stale, but hey – I’m always up for some fresh yarns to be spun. Right off the bat we’re treated to “Shredding” – a short about an aspiring punk-rock band titled R.A.C.K. that makes the ever-so-wise- choice to break into a now abandoned nightclub that had previously burned down, killing all the members of an all-female band. So, our less-than-intelligent group of musicians decides it’ll be harmless fun to mock their deaths, and their penance will come in spooky, supernatural measures – this one was fun, but it seemed to drag on far too long.
Next up on the slab was “Suicide Bid” – it’s about a group of sorority sisters that welcome their new pledge by burying her in a coffin, and when a flash-flood washes away the casket, only to be discovered shortly afterwards, empty…let’s just say that the results are lackluster – if you’ve got even the slightest case of claustrophobia, this one will give you a solid case of the short-breaths. We then traverse onto “Ozzy’s Dungeon” – a demented take on a children’s adventure game show – only bright spot here is the work done by Steven Ogg (The Walking Dead) in his role of the lunatic emcee. As the theme goes here – somewhat fun idea, but it drags on much too long for generic entertainment.
A bunch of “Jackass” wannabees make a half-hearted bid to deliver the “Peeping Tom” treatment to their shapely neighbor, but the backfire is catastrophic in “The Gawkers” – this specific quickie was fun, and surprising in a few ways – one of the better displays in the film itself. The movie wraps up with “To Hell and Back” – a botched seance sends a couple directly into Hades on the eve of the millennium, and the race against time is on – make it back to Earth or reside in Hell for all eternity…what a way to spend New Year’s Eve! This one was the top-notch production out of all the stories – great gore, creepy atmosphere and an overall tidy way to mop things up.
As far as the steelbook is concerned – the main image is the same as the standard Blu-ray release, only glossier and more pronounced in detail. Special features are also exactly what you’d find in the standard version – at the end of it all “V/H/S/ 99” will have a special place in the hearts & minds of the hardcore devotee to this franchise – worth a discounted snag if you can find one.
At the tender age of 6, Matt was indoctrinated into the horror genre by his mother, who asked him to sit down and watch "The Exorcist" with her - ever since then, it's been a blood-soaked, neon-lit, fever dream of an existence. "You don't make horror...horror makes you."
(Can't remember who came up with this quote, but he was probably off-kilter like I am).
