Balancing Act Between Shock and Art

MOVIE REVIEW
August Underground's Mordum
 (adult content) –     

Genre: Horror
Year Released: 2003, 2023 Unearthed Films Blu-ray
Runtime: 1h 21m
Director(s): Jerami Cruise (as Cruise,) Killjoy, Michael Todd Schneider (as Maggot,) Fred Vogel (as Fredenstein,) Cristie Whiles (as Crusty)
Writer(s): Killjoy, Cristie Whiles, Fred Vogel, Jerami Cruise, Michael Todd Schneider, Allen Peters
Cast: Fred Vogel, Cristie Whiles, Michael Todd Schneider, Jerami Cruise, Killjoy, 'M.' Kadath, Erik Schultz
Where To Watch: available October 10, 2023; pre-order now, click here www.unearthedfilms.com, www.mvdshop.com, or www.amazon.com

My review of AUGUST UNDERGROUND here: www.ohmr.themailnewspapers.com/a-gritty-realness-in-every-frame

RAVING REVIEW: Permit me to usher you into the continuation of the disturbing universe created by Fred Vogel in AUGUST UNDERGROUND'S MORDUM, where your innate, dormant curiosities are not merely exposed but mercilessly stretched and scrutinized. Here, we delve into a visual horror that binds the sinisterly regular with the barbarically terrifying, showcasing a spectacle that dances macabrely on the edge of the dark and secret. Vogel pushes the boundary, painting a canvas of moral obliteration, where the observer becomes a participant against their will.

Submerging into the dark pools of AUGUST UNDERGROUND'S MORDUM, the viewer is entangled in a molded nightmare. Vogel discards conventional story arcs and customary horror tropes. Narratives are violently splashed upon the screen, each scene tackling its sinister cruelty and moral decline over its predecessor. The twist, however, lies not in the explicitly displayed but in the sinisterly concealed, making you question why you’re along for this nightmare and how far you’ll push yourself to watch.

The characters, saturated in horrific deeds and moral corruption, persistently gnaw at our senses through a wicked familiarity disturbingly resonant with real life. Their actions push us toward contemplating this world's dormant, dark potentials. With a silent, subtle prod, Vogel seems to imply, “Monsters reside not just on screen, but within us.”

Amid the chaos, the aesthetic selection in AUGUST UNDERGROUND'S MORDUM acts not just as a stage but ascends the grotesque spectacle into an experience. The choice of a visually degraded quality, reminiscent of video recordings from the 80s/90s, intensifies the authenticity, making the horrors portrayed subtly credible and chillingly conceivable.

AUGUST UNDERGROUND'S MORDUM seemingly teeters on the brink of being a mere shock spectacle, expertly assembled yet void of intrinsic themes. Vogel perplexes the viewer here, as the blatant carnage appears detached from the socio-political narratives demonstrated by directors such as Pasolini and others who have created films with intense shock factors.

In navigating through the ethical dimensions of filmmaking and viewership, AUGUST UNDERGROUND'S MORDUM obliges us to traverse a territory where the boundaries between exposing human malevolence for analysis and merely showcasing it for shock value blur. The interaction with such cinematographic brutality propels us into a moral dilemma: whether to introspect upon the human capacity for cruelty or to test our tolerance against a torrent of barbarity.

Ultimately, AUGUST UNDERGROUND'S MORDUM haunts long after the visual experience has subsided. This dark journey, though cruel and sadistic, forces a reflection not merely upon cinematic malevolence and ethical limitations but also on the sinister depths of human nature and curiosity, wrapping the viewer in an icy, everlasting contemplation of their own moral and ethical orientations within a world capable of materializing such horrifying events.

Bonus Materials
– NEW! Audio commentary with Jerami Cruise and Ultra Violent Magazine's Art Ettinger
– NEW! Interview with Fred Vogel
– NEW! Interview with Jerami Cruise
– NEW! A Family Affair Of Love And Hate: An Interview With Michael Maggot
– NEW! Mordum Lives
– NEW! Zoë Rose Smith Interviews Fred Vogel (BLU-RAY ONLY)
– NEW! Snuff Purgatory: Severed Cinema interviews Fred Vogel (BLU-RAY ONLY)
– NEW! The Most Disturbing Scene
– NEW! Remembering Killjoy
– NEW! Mordum Screening (Flashback Weekend 2004) (BLU-RAY ONLY)
– NEW! Stephen Biro Interviews Jerami Cruise
– NEW! Art Ettinger And Allana Sleeth Interview (BLU-RAY ONLY)
– NEW! Dave Parker Interviews Fred Vogel (BLU-RAY ONLY)
– NEW! Rue Morgue Disciple Bts Gallery
– NEW! Sickcess: A Necrophagia Mockumentary (BLU-RAY ONLY)
– NEW! Sickcess Trailer (BLU-RAY ONLY)
– NEW! Slit Throat Demo (Flashback Weekend 2004) (BLU-RAY ONLY)
– NEW! Zombie Demo (Flashback Weekend 2004) (BLU-RAY ONLY)
– NEW! Extensive Photo Gallery
– Original Audio commentary by Toetag
– Rue Morgue Disciple' Necrophagia Music Video
– Deleted and extended scenes
– U.S. Premiere 2003
– Original Animation Trailer
– Photo Gallery
– Trailers
– Reversible Cover & Slip Cover

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[photo courtesy of UNEARTHED FILMS]

MY SAG-AFTRA STRIKE STATEMENT:
As an advocate for creators, actors, and writers, I firmly stand with SAG-AFTRA in their current strike. The entertainment industry is built on these individuals' extraordinary talents, and their contributions must be appropriately recognized and rewarded. They deserve fair compensation, sensible work hours, and respect for their creative rights. I believe in the power of unity and collective action, and I'm steadfast in my support for their fight for better working conditions and fair remuneration. Together, we can shape a more equitable future in the entertainment world.

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About Post Author

Chris Jones

OverlyHonestMR@gmail.com

https://mailnewsgroup.com/ohmr/

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