 |
| Images courtesy of Toe Tags Pictures |
In 2001, August Underground hit the underground horror scene like a nuclear bomb, simultaneously traumatizing and intriguing horror fans and critics. The mixture of SOV aesthetic and faux-amateur shooting style lent the footage an illusion of reality that was rarely seen in indie horror, and it eventually garnered an infamous reputation. Director Fred Vogel followed this up with August Underground's Mordum (2003), a work that ups the ante on every possible level, producing one of the most appalling and gruesome films ever made.
Peter (Fred Vogel) is back from the first film, and he has new serial killer partners in crime: his unstable punk girlfriend Crusty (Cristie Whiles) and her brother Maggot (Michael Todd Schneider). The movie immediately throws the audience into depravity--Peter walks in on Crusty having sex with Maggot (!), and all hell breaks loose from there. There is slightly more forward motion in the plot in this outing, as it follows the three psychos through their misadventures and torture sessions. Peter houses a white-hot jealousy of Crusty's relationship with her brother, and all three characters are various shades of fucked up.
Crusty adds an interesting feral vibe to the atmosphere. I hesitate to label it as "female energy" exactly, but it's a distinct brand of crazy that heightens the situation. She has a penchant for self-mutilation, and to be the center of her attention feels extra dangerous because she has zero regard for herself and shows even less for her victims. There are more torture scenes in Mordum, and they are much more intense than in the first film, showcasing how much the team has improved their practical effects. Shown out of context, one could pass isolated clips of this film off as real life. The sexual elements have also been ramped up, and where the original film seemed to shy away from showing such things, Mordum wallows in it. The actors do a great job selling the insanity—at times, it teeters on performance art.
After watching this film (and most other transgressive works), people's main questions are: "Who is this for?" and "Why was this made?". To answer the former question--people are inherently curious about death. Especially in the West, death is hidden from the public eye, discussed in hushed whispers, and hidden behind velvet curtains and mahogany coffins. Works like August Underground rip the sheets off the bodies and expose the darkest aspects of humanity. As for the latter question, it's a simple answer: because they can. Art shouldn't only be used to explore positive emotions--sometimes, it's therapeutic to experience negative emotions in a safe space, whether that be in a dark theater where nobody can see your face or in the privacy of one's own home.
Blu-Ray Extras:
- NEW 2023 Transfer (BLU-RAY ONLY)
- Original DVD Transfer (DVD ONLY)
- NEW Audio Commentary by EFX Artist Jerami Cruise and Ultra Violent Magazine's Art Ettinger
- Audio Commentary By TOETAG
- Mordum Lives
- The Most Disturbing Scene
- Remembering Killjoy
- A Family Affair of Love and Hate: An Interview with Michael Maggot
- Stephen Biro Interviews Jerami Cruise
- Art Ettinger and Allana Sleeth Interview (BLU-RAY ONLY)
- Zoë Rose Smith Interviews Fred Vogel (BLU-RAY ONLY)
- Dave Parker Interviews Fred Vogel (BLU-RAY ONLY)
- Snuff Purgatory: Severed Cinema Interviews Fred Vogel (BLU-RAY ONLY)
- Necrophagia - Rue Morgue Disciple "Promo Video"
- Rue Morgue Disciple BTS Gallery
- Deleted and Extended Scenes
- U.S. Premiere 2003
- Extensive Photo Gallery
- Sickcess: A Necrophagia Mockumentary (BLU-RAY ONLY)
- Sickcess Trailer (BLU-RAY ONLY)
- Mordum Screening (Flashback Weekend 2004) (BLU-RAY ONLY)
- Slit Throat Demo (Flashback Weekend 2004) (BLU-RAY ONLY)
- Zombie Demo (Flashback Weekend 2004) (BLU-RAY ONLY)
- Original Animation
- Trailers
--Michelle Kisner