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| Images courtesy of Unearthed Films |
August Underground (2001) is one of those films that is defined by word-of-mouth and rumors. When it came out, the internet wasn't as all-encompassing as it is now; things were still spread manually, passed around in niche underground networks. The internet was still in its "wild west" phase, where you could see almost anything with zero oversight or moderation. In my early twenties, I was sucked into dark rabbit holes, perusing websites like eFukt, Ogrish, Consumption Junction, and Rotten.com. On these sites, you could see actual death mixed with extreme movie clips, and it was hard to tell what was real or fake. August Underground was a snapshot of this era when artists were experimenting with blurring the lines between fantasy and reality.
There is no narrative in August Underground, as it intends to emulate "regular" people recording things for their personal collection. The video follows Peter (played by the director, Fred Vogel) and his chatty unnamed buddy and cameraman. It pulls zero punches and immediately drops the viewer into a fucked up situation: a woman is tied to a chair in their basement and is being brutally tortured by the two men. They have murdered her boyfriend and spend most of their time degrading her and laughing about it. The SOV aesthetic and well-executed amateurish editing go a long way to sell this as a realistic situation in which two nerdy losers have discovered that they enjoy inflicting pain on others. The environment has a small-town vibe, perhaps a commentary on the suburban ennui that can lead to boredom and mania.
Nowadays, True Crime is a trendy hobby, with numerous miniseries on Netflix and thousands of podcasts dedicated to it. YouTubers film themselves putting on makeup while chatting about cases, savoring each gruesome detail, and centering their personalities and brand around it. Even with all of this attention, there is still a disconnect from the brutal reality of the violence and death in these cases and the extreme suffering that these genuine people went through. Although August Underground is over twenty years old, it still holds power by showing the grim reality of what "True Crime" is actually about. It's not glamorous and seductive; it's two maladjusted dorks who are making poop jokes while murdering innocent people. It's a subversion of serial killer tropes, taking away the cool factor and mystique and showing it for what it really is. This movie puts you front and center and rubs your face in the blood, puke, shit, and piss.
Since it's shot on video, it's harder to make out what is going on (probably for the best), and there are many long takes where there isn't much going on. Structurally, this doesn't always make for scintillating viewing, but astute viewers can glean tidbits about the characters from these extended scenes. The two characters in it have Beavis and Butthead energy so the tone is a bit goofy at times; it’s disarming and makes the torture scenes more jarring when they do happen. The main character trait one can pick up on for Peter, at least, is that he is a raging narcissist, even going so far as to wear a shirt with his face on it during one of the torture sequences. Oddly, even though there is a lot of nudity, there is very little sexual violence shown, seemingly one of the few concepts considered taboo even for these psychopaths. The practical gore effects are excellent and will have any viewer squirming in their seat.
It is difficult to say if this film is "good," but it is intriguing as an experiment in depicting transgressive elements. Found footage films were finding their footing and audience at the time, and Fred Vogel decided to explore the limits of the genre almost immediately, forever establishing the film in infamy.
Extras: There are a ton of extras in this release, and I personally enjoyed the commentary with Art Ettinger and Fred Vogel. They have great chemistry together, and Art has great insights into the underground film scene at the time of the film's release.
Unearthed Films Extras:
NEW Original Screener Version (BLU-RAY ONLY)
NEW Audio commentary by Actor/Director Fred Vogel and Ulta Violent Magazine's Art Ettinger
Audio Commentary By Fred Vogel With Actors Aaron LaBonte & Ben LaBonte
Audio Commentary By Actor/Director Fred Vogel
Audio Commentary By 'The Killer'
NEW 10 Questions with Fred Vogel
NEW TOETAG Masterclass: From Storyboard To Screen
NEW Dave Parker Interviews Fred Vogel (BLU-RAY ONLY)
NEW Dave Parker Interviews Fred Vogel & Mike Watt (BLU-RAY ONLY)
NEW Revisiting Infamy: Severed Cinema interviews Fred Vogel (BLU-RAY ONLY)
HAMMER TO THE HEAD: A Closer Look At August Underground
August Underground On Location
August Underground Behind The Brutality
August Underground 'Too Real For Comfort' An Outsiders Perspective
An Introduction By Director Fred Vogel
Photo Gallery
Trailers
--Michelle Kisner