COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - AUGUST UNDERGROUND (UNEARTHED FILMS BLU RAY)
What is “confrontational horror”? It’s a term that some may be familiar with and others are befuddled by. The idea of confrontational horror is that the subject matter is intended to provoke or “confront” the viewer with visceral violence and depravity. It highlights the more primal and dark sides of human nature and puts that front and center while attempting to either make you look away or lean in. Films like LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, and even more recent films like A SERBIAN FILM all fall under the umbrella of confrontational horror because they push the boundaries of what is considered to be acceptable. These films are seldom described as “entertaining” or “fun”, but their allure is in the sense of danger and the unexpected nature of what you’re about to see. One of the most infamous films in the confrontational horror sub-genre is FRED VOGEL’s AUGUST UNDERGROUND series. Thank you to folks like STEPHEN BIRO at UNEARTHED FILMS, we now have what may be the definitive version of this classic confrontational horror film. Does the film live up to its reputation, or is it all bark and no bite?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Imagine walking down the street and finding an unmarked VHS tape. Curiosity piqued, you take it home and pop it in. What starts off as two men screwing around with a video camera quickly transforms into an ultra-realistic torture sequence where the unidentified psychopaths tape their exploits as they torment and violate a woman tied to a chair. The devastation of your morals continues throughout the entirety of the footage, while subtly revealing the killer's shattered pasts via the interaction with their victims and each other.
HOW IS IT?
There is no beating around the bush here, AUGUST UNDERGROUND is a film you’ll either love or hate. Regardless of how you feel about the film, it is undeniable how impactful it is and one can’t help but be impressed with the level of depravity and disgust that you see on your screen. Feeling more like a snuff film than a narrative one, AUGUST UNDERGROUND is a triumph for transgressive horror and arguably one of the most effective films of its kind. What sets AUGUST UNDERGROUND apart from other shock-cinema peers is the dedication to the authenticity of the experience. This isn’t a film for everyone, but it is a film that horror fans should give a chance…if of course, you can handle it.
There is no plot in AUGUST UNDERGROUND. The film plays out more like a home video than anything else, following the exploits of two friends as they parade around their town torturing people, visiting slaughterhouses, partying with sex workers, and murdering people on a whim. Make no mistake, this film will confront you from the very jump with scenes of diabolical and dastardly deviance. It is danger made visual through the medium of film, and while the content is definitely of the more extreme nature it also doesn’t deserve some of the hyperbolic posturing that these kinds of films tend to receive. Yes, what you will see in this film is at times gross and flinch-inducing, but that is just window dressing for something more important. One of the main complaints long-time horror fans have of the genre is the desensitization to violence and not being scared by much or anything seen on screen anymore. AUGUST UNDERGROUND has the potential to shake you to your core if you don’t indulge in this kind of extreme cinema, but it also is the most genuine representation of what real horror actually is. The two characters in this film are almost anonymous, and yet, we get to know them through their exploits quite clearly. Horror is a feeling as much as a genre, and the best examples of the genre make you feel “horror” by breaking through the protective layer of our suspension of disbelief to challenge our perceptions of reality by teasing the awful and terrifying possibilities seen on screen. Real horror movies should scare you, make you uncomfortable, and stick with you. Across all three, AUGUST UNDERGROUND delivers.
What makes AUGUST UNDERGROUND so effective is the commitment to the medium and giving audiences the impression that what they’re watching isn’t a movie as much as it is the greatest hits of terrible things people can do to each other. The SOV approach only helps to add to the authenticity, and it is masterfully crafted in a way that emphasizes the amateur nature of the fictional filmmaker while also being highly intentional in its delivery to the audience. Vogel uses the camera in such a way that you believe the unseen cameraman isn’t a filmmaker as much as a guy with a camera, but that also underscores how authentic this experience can feel. There is no polish here like you might find in similar found footage films, and that is because this is “actual found footage” not “manufactured found footage”. That means that the camera doesn't always show you everything, while also showing you way more than you would otherwise. Even though you know you’re watching a movie, it would be impossible not to question even for just one second that this “could” be real. The safety of knowing that the scenes in this film are not actual happenings allows viewers to absorb the content in a more metered way, and part of that has to do with the film's effective makeup and practical effects. Vogel was an instructor at TOM SAVINI’s school, and it shows in every filthy frame. Additionally, the techniques used to amplify the SOV aesthetic even further immerse you in the film’s intention; that this is not a movie, but a showreel for a couple of serial killers. AUGUST UNDERGROUND isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay, but you cannot deny the impact and importance of this film even if you despise it.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
AUGUST UNDERGROUND is intentionally low video quality to immerse the viewer in the scenario the synopsis provides. When initially released, this helped the film achieve a cult-like status, akin to the BLAIR WITCH PROJECT of faux-snuff films that emphasized the DIY and meta nature of the film. As such, UNEARTHED FILMS has preserved that here on both the DVD and Blu Ray included and the visual experience is less about quality and more about the aesthetic, so expectations should be adequately checked. Images from the Blu Ray disc are seen throughout this review and below:
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
AUGUST UNDERGROUND comes with a 2.0 stereo PCM track. Given the nature of the film’s intent, the sound is perfectly fitting and lends itself nicely to the notion that what you’re watching is a home movie and not a film production. No surround sound here, but you surely won’t be able to ignore the blood-curdling screams and pandemonium coming through your speakers.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
The original run of AUGUST UNDERGROUND DVDs has been in the hundreds on the second-hand market, and thanks to FRED VOGEL and UNEARTHED FILMS we don’t have to pay outrageous prices to get the film, and to boot these discs are absolutely loaded with newly produced extra content. One of the most entertaining is something that we haven’t seen since the DVD days, and that’s the menu. Nowadays, menus are usually static and not as interactive or personalized as they were in the heyday of DVDs. So one of the first things you’ll notice on the disc is that the menus are specially crafted to break the fourth wall. Kind of like Captain Spaulding on the HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES DVD. Given the wealth of new content, we could only reasonably review some of it, but rest assured that we will be going back for more!
The first one we took in was 10 Questions with Fred Vogel. This 12-minute single-camera interview has Vogel answering some of the most common questions he gets. These range from “Why is it called August Underground?” to “How did you make the sh*t look so real?”. This is a perfect starting point for those to take in after their first viewing and Vogel is so genuine in his responses and calm in his demeanor that one might wonder if this is the same guy who was using a severed hand to taunt a woman bound to a chair. The second feature we took in was the 104-minute feature-length interview series, August Underground ‘Too Real for Comfort’ An Outsiders Perspective. This is not a new feature, but one carried over from the DVD release. Nevertheless, this series of interviews has folks from horror media of all types as well as cast, crew, and friends talking about their experience with the film. From first-time watches to cast not knowing if what they were doing was legal, this is a fantastic look into how this film was received and why people admire it. It is fascinating to hear people talk about Vogel as “the most dangerous filmmaker” and in the same breath call him the “nicest guy ever”. This juxtaposition of brutality and kindness is common in the genre and amongst the fans, further signaling that Vogel is just like the rest of us, just with a far more twisted imagination and talent.
BONUS MATERIALS
NEW! Audio commentary by Actor/Director Fred Vogel and Ulta Violent Magazine's Art Ettinger
NEW! 10 Questions with Fred Vogel
NEW! TOETAG Masterclass: From Storyboard To Screen
New Dave Parker Interviews Fred Vogel
Audio Commentary By Fred Vogel With Actors Aaron LaBonte & Ben LaBonte
Audio Commentary By 'The Killer'
Audio Commentary By Actor/Director Fred Vogel
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
Photo Gallery
Trailers
An Introduction By Director Fred Vogel
LAST RITES
AUGUST UNDERGROUND is not a film for everyone, hell, it is not a film for most people. It is, however, an important and extremely effective film that will sit with you long after you’ve finished it. UNEARTHED FILMS have given this film the proper white-glove release it deserves to preserve the perversity of this seminal film.
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends over at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy for the crypt! August Underground is available NOW and can be purchased via MVD DIRECT!
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