V/H/S/99 2022

In the opening gambit of “The Gawkers,” Frame One unfolds as a meticulously crafted stop-motion sequence depicting World War II’s gritty battlefields. The camera pans across a somber landscape, where weary soldiers (led by Johnson, whose own demons threaten to consume him) fumble with their assignments, their anxiety palpable as they steel themselves for the horrors to come. Suddenly, Johnson’s pent-up frustration boils over, and he takes the reins of a tank, unleashing a torrent of destruction that claims four unsuspecting comrades. The video feed falters, momentarily revealing glimpses of scenes from other films in the franchise - a clever nod to the blurred lines between reality and fiction. This jarring interlude sets the tone for “Shredding,” which promises to be a visceral exploration of chaos and disintegration.

In this eerie and intense sequence, the punk rock quartet R.A.C.K. - comprising Rachel, Ankur, Chris, and Kaleb (Jesse LaTourette, Keanush Tafreshi, Dashiell Derrickson, and Jackson Kelly, respectively) - embarks on a daring adventure to explore the notorious Colony Underground, a former music hall that had been ravaged by a devastating chemical fire three years prior. The site is eerily significant, as it was once the stage where punk band Bitch Cat met its tragic demise in a chaotic stampede that took their lives.

As they venture into the abandoned venue, Ankur’s apprehension grows, fueled by his superstitious fear of the supernatural bhuta - a malevolent entity believed to possess anyone who desecrates its resting place. His unease is playfully dismissed by his bandmates, but not before he warns Rachel about the impending doom that may await them.

The group’s carefree revelry takes an ominous turn when they recreate the infamous Bitch Cat stampede using gelatin-filled inflatable sex dolls depicting the deceased punk band. However, their mirth is short-lived, as a distorted voice booms from above, commanding them to leave the stage. The camera captures the gruesome moment when Kaleb is killed by the creature and his lifeless body splatters blood everywhere.

Pandemonium erupts as Rachel and Chris flee in terror, pursued by the vengeful bhutas - revealed to be the resurrected Bitch Cat. Chris’s desperate attempt to escape ends in tragedy, as he’s brutally murdered by Bitch Cat, who tears open his abdomen and devours his organs.

As the tape glitches and cuts to black, Ankur finds himself alone and hiding from the wrath of Bitch Cat. With a desperate bid to protect himself, he throws salt at one of the bhutas, melting a portion of her face. The camera then cuts to an off-screen moment where Ankur meets his own demise, leaving Rachel as the sole survivor.

In a chilling finale, Rachel attempts to escape the venue but is ultimately caught and torn apart by Bitch Cat. The reanimated remains of R.A.C.K., now possessed by Bitch Cat, come together to perform one of their old songs on stage, as the tape’s dark magic comes full circle.

As the cinematic canvas unfolds, a lone warrior descends from the skies, his parachute billowing outwards like a majestic bird in flight. His gaze scans the desolate landscape below, locking eyes with the enemy forces - a relentless horde of Axis soldiers, their steel armor glinting menacingly in the fading light. As he takes stock of the treacherous terrain, a peculiar sight begins to take shape on the makeshift set: a patchwork of construction paper fragments morphs into an imposing behemoth, its fiery plumage blazing with an otherworldly intensity. The soldier’s instincts scream warning, but it’s too late; the mythical creature, now a towering inferno, unleashes a fiery wrath upon him, consuming all in its path as the scene dissolves into chaos.

As college freshman Lily (Ally Ioannides) sets her sights on membership within the esteemed Beta Sigma Eta sorority, she embarks on a high-stakes recruitment journey by making a bold “Suicide Bid” - submitting only one bid for the coveted spot. This calculated risk may ultimately prove costly if rejection comes knocking. Miraculously, Lily’s efforts pay off, and she’s invited to join the sisters for a night out in town, where they initiate her into their ranks with a series of surreal challenges. Annie (Isabelle Hahn) and the sorority’s inner circle guide Lily through an otherworldly hazing ritual, culminating in the dare to spend the night entombed within a coffin at the local graveyard - a eerie homage to a long-dormant urban legend surrounding Giltine, a freshman who 20 years prior had also succumbed to such a challenge. As the sisters regale Lily with tales of Giltine’s macabre fate, they reveal that his spirit is said to haunt the underworld, eternally searching for a companion to join him on the other side.

As Lily prepares to seal her own fate within the coffin, one of the sisters offers her a parting gift: a mysterious box containing an unknown token of reassurance and a camcorder to capture her ordeal. But as she settles in, the group’s collective performance begins to unravel, replaced by an oppressive atmosphere of claustrophobia and fear. Lily’s initial bravado gives way to rising panic as she becomes convinced that the coffin is alive, responding to her distress with an unsettling symphony of knocks and scuttling sounds.

As the darkness closes in, a deluge of rainwater inundates the coffin, threatening to engulf Lily within its watery grave. Just as all hope seems lost, a creature emerges from the depths of the coffin, its grotesque form descending upon her like a vengeful specter. The next morning, the sorority’s members return to the graveyard to find the flooded grave and an empty coffin - a haunting reminder that some secrets are best left buried.

That night, as the sisters slumber, they’re awakened by the realization that they too have become entombed in coffins of their own. And when they finally emerge into the flickering light of day, they’re confronted with the terrible truth: Lily, now a ghoul, has risen from her own tomb to exact a chilling revenge upon them. With an unholy grin, she offers them as sacrifices to her new ally - Giltine, whose malevolent presence hangs over their gathering like a dark and foreboding shadow. As the sisters scream in terror, Lily’s monstrous form closes in, ensuring that their fate will be forever entwined with the dark forces they’ve unwittingly unleashed.

Here is a rephrased version of the section:

As the sun dips below the horizon, casting a somber glow over the desolate landscape, the marauding monster emerges from the shadows. The soldiers, valiant in their determination to repel this behemoth, engage it in a fierce battle for survival. Amidst the chaos, a gruesome spectacle unfolds as another mother - her eyes fixed with an unblinking stare of malevolence - seizes one of the soldiers and tears him asunder, leaving naught but a mangled torso behind. The two remaining soldiers attempt to rally their fallen comrade, assuring him that he will persevere despite his mortal wound. Yet, in a cruel twist of fate, their words are rendered hollow as the soldier’s life force ebbs away, leaving only the haunting silence of death. As the last rays of daylight fade, one of the survivors wanders off, lost and forlorn, into the dark unknown.

Here is the rephrased section:

Ozzy’s Dungeon, a once-popular children’s game show, was a seemingly innocent program where young contestants embarked on physical challenges in pursuit of their deepest desires. Hosted by Steven Ogg, the show would award the winner a chance to meet Ozzy and have their wish granted. The first challenge, “Pop the Balloons,” began with a boy sharing his aspiration to become the most renowned basketball player ever. However, his agony was palpable as he struggled through the ordeal. Following this, Donna, a spirited contestant from Detroit, emerged victorious in the subsequent challenge, “Catch the Meat.” Her wish, however, remained unspoken as the show transitioned to contestants dancing and celebrating their triumphs. The final challenge, an unbeaten test of endurance, found Donna and another contestant, Timmy, navigating treacherous orifices filled with rice, jello, stomach acid, intestines, and feces in pursuit of their ultimate desires. But in a shocking turn of events, Donna’s leg was brutally crippled by Timmy, splattering blood across the set and ultimately leading to the show’s cancellation.

Years later, after Ozzy’s Dungeon had been taken off the air, its former host found himself trapped in a dog cage in the basement of Donna’s mother, Debra (Sonya Eddy). Debra, driven by a desperate desire to escape the poverty-stricken neighborhood she called home, had groomed her daughter Donna to win the show at any cost. With the help of her husband Marcus (Jerry Boyd), their son Brandon (Charles Lott Jr.), and Donna herself - now confined to a wheelchair with an injured leg that was rapidly decaying due to gangrene - Debra set out to torment the host, forcing him to endure deadly versions of the show’s challenges.

Their reimagined “Pop the Balloons” challenge saw Brandon donning a helmet adorned with knives and impale it into the host’s abdomen. The revamped “Catch the Meat” challenge had Donna hurling raw chicken at the host as he struggled to catch it in his mouth. And for their final test, Debra prepared a gauntlet of orifices filled with glass, urine, and actual feces, culminating in a gruesome punishment that left the host tied to a pole, vulnerable to the sulfuric acid that Debra threatened to unleash upon him.

However, the host possessed knowledge that could grant Donna her heart’s desire. The family, along with their captive host, embarked on a journey to the Ozzy’s Dungeon studio, which was now guarded and off-limits. As they traversed the set, they eventually stood before the large wooden door that supposedly led to the dungeon. Upon entering the cave, they discovered Ozzy situated on an altar, surrounded by Debra and others dressed in attire reminiscent of the show’s contestants.

As Donna approached Ozzy, she was granted her wish, but at a terrible cost. The creature birthed by Ozzy’s convulsions proceeded to fire a beam from its eye at the host and the family, melting their faces. The tape ended with Donna beaming mischievously at the camera, her sinister intentions and twisted desires revealed in all their glory.

As the narrative unwinds its tendrils, a peculiar phenomenon comes into focus: the Gawkers, an enigmatic collective of curious onlookers who converge upon the scene like moths to a flame. Their fascination with the unfolding drama is palpable, as if they’re drawn to the very fabric of reality itself. With eyes agog and faces frozen in rapt attention, they become unwitting participants in the grand tapestry of storytelling, their collective gaze imbuing the proceedings with an air of anticipation and tension.

Here is a rephrased version of the given section:

Brady (Ethan Pogue), a teenager with a passion for stop-motion filmmaking, spends his free time capturing intricate battles between toy soldiers with his brother Dylan’s (Luke Mullen) camera. However, when Brady attempts to capture a tender moment between two figurines, Dylan bursts into the room and commandeers the device, using it to practice cheesy pickup lines on his friends Kurt (Tyler Lofton), Mark (Cree Kawa), and Boner (Duncan Anderson). The group’s dynamic shifts as they exclude Brady from their activities, viewing him as an outcast. They embark on a series of pranks, including decorating Boner with a penis drawing and convincing him to apply cream to his privates, before showcasing their skills at the local skatepark.

As the teens continue to push boundaries, they stumble upon a peculiar patch of snakeskin in a nearby field, which sends them into a frenzy. The group’s mischief reaches new heights as they attempt to capture secret footage of two girls and later discover Sandra (Emily Sweet), an enigmatic blonde who has moved into the house across the street from Brady and Dylan’s residence.

The yard of Sandra’s home is adorned with stone busts, which seem to hold a mystique that draws the boys in. From Brady’s window, they capture Sandra washing her car, only to be interrupted by a deliveryman bearing a Macintosh computer. As Brady becomes fast friends with Sandra, who invites him into her home while he attempts to master rollerskating, Dylan is left seething with jealousy.

The group pressures Brady for information about his newfound friendship with Sandra, and he reveals that she has invited him to help set up a new webcam. Despite reservations, Brady agrees to assist and returns to Sandra’s house under the guise of setting up her webcam. Though he nearly gets caught, he manages to install spyware on her computer, wracked with guilt for violating Sandra’s trust.

Unbeknownst to Brady, Dylan and their friends have been secretly watching Sandra as she undresses, only to be horrified when they discover that she is a gorgon. Sandra appears to sense their presence through the webcam and leaps from her window to confront them at their house. One of the friends attempts to call for help, but Sandra attacks them, killing Kurt, Mark, and Boner.

As Dylan flees in terror, Brady returns, apologizing for his role in betraying Sandra’s trust. However, she remains unforgiving, turning Brady to stone before petrifying Dylan as well. With the camera still stuck in Dylan’s hand, Sandra approaches it, her gaze fixed on the frozen duo, as the tape comes to a halt.

As Audie Murphy (Audie Murphy) embarks on a perilous journey through the treacherous landscape of war-torn Europe, he finds himself ensnared in a desperate bid for survival. The rugged and battle-hardened soldier is forced to confront his own mortality as he navigates the treacherous terrain, dodging snipers and navigating minefields with unyielding determination. With each step, Murphy’s resolve hardens, tempered by the unforgiving crucible of combat, as he fights to stay one step ahead of the enemy and emerge victorious from the very depths of hell.

As the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, 1999, videographers Nate and Troy find themselves entrenched in a world of darkness and deceit. The seemingly innocuous assignment to capture the New Year’s Eve ritual of a coven of witches has morphed into a descent into the very depths of hell. Initially, Nate’s skepticism towards their enigmatic clients is palpable, but as the ceremony unfolds, the duo is drawn into a vortex of supernatural intrigue. The witches’ promise that the veil between Earth and Hell will be at its thinnest at midnight sparks an air of foreboding, foreshadowing the horrors that await.

As Ferkus, a malevolent entity with a penchant for disrupting the coven’s rituals, makes his presence known, Nate and Troy are dragged beneath the altar, their camera capturing the chaos as they’re whisked away to the underworld. The cavernous landscape before them is a veritable graveyard of demonic activity: twisted bodies, treacherous traps, and an atmosphere thick with malevolent energy.

It’s here that they cross paths with Mabel, a tormented soul trapped in this realm, whose ancient wisdom and hatred for Ukabon, the demon they seek to appease, becomes their only hope for escape. In exchange for writing her name in the witches’ spell book, she agrees to guide them through this treacherous terrain.

As the clock ticks closer to midnight, Nate and Troy’s bickering over their predicament serves as a stark contrast to Mabel’s solemn determination. Their journey culminates in a confrontation with Ukabon, surrounded by a cult of masked demons, who are hell-bent on entering Kirsten’s body. A desperate battle ensues, and though the duo emerges victorious, they’re left reeling from the loss of their guide, Mabel.

With time running out, Nate and Troy leap into Ukabon’s cavernous stomach just as the ritual reaches its climax. They successfully return to Earth, but not without Nate finding himself trapped in Kirsten’s body. The witches’ fury is palpable as they exact revenge on the duo before their own argumentative squabbles consume them.

As the tape ends, a dying Troy uses his last vestiges of strength to etch Mabel’s name into the spell book, sealing her fate and ensuring that she’ll finally find peace in the afterlife.

As the cinematic tape rewinds to its preceding segment, the unsettling tableau of Dylan and Brady’s petrified forms comes back into view, their stone bodies frozen in perpetual stasis as the camera’s battery finally succumbs to exhaustion. Meanwhile, the credits roll out, accompanied by the cackling incantations of the witches as they reprise their dark ritual, this time targeting Mabel with an eerie specificity that suggests her return to the mortal realm is all but imminent. The ritual’s ominous undertones are only amplified by the cryptic conclusion, which finds Brady’s video feed capturing a fleeting glimpse of a soldier on reconnaissance duty, unwittingly foiled in his mission when he gets brutally crushed beneath the treads of an approaching tank - a chilling harbinger that may well be the handiwork of none other than Johnson.