COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - AUGUST UNDERGROUND'S PENANCE (UNEARTHED FILMS BLU RAY)
Up until recently, most horror trilogies happened by accident. While it is easy to believe that filmmakers have plot lines that run many sequels deep at the ready, most of the time trilogies are simply the byproduct of market demand. That is not to say that horror trilogies are lesser-than because of this, but it does often mean that the through lines are somewhat haphazard and the lore is shallow. In some cases, trilogies much like horror anthologies are uneven. Take the most recent Blumhouse/Universal Halloween trilogy. By all measures a financial success, but from a critical perspective there are wildly varying opinions on all three films, most notably the last two. While not all trilogies are created equal, some are far more cohesive, and the least likely to be mentioned is the August Underground series. Now that the third film, August Underground’s Penance is out on Blu-ray / DVD from Unearthed Films we can see how the tale of Peter and Crusty ends. Is this trilogy a threesome worth having, or just another ménage à pew?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Penance shows the dark decline of the two nameless killers from the previous films as they continue to videotape their madness on their path to destruction.
HOW IS IT?
The August Underground (AU) films are some of the only films in the horror genre that are beyond comparison. Sure, other films go for the faux-snuff and dangerous look, that AU pioneered, but none have the distinct feel that these films do. So much of that is a credit to Fred Vogel’s vision for the films and the arcs that these characters would eventually go through. On the surface, these are extreme horror films pushing the limits and blurring the lines between entertainment and taste. Looking deeper yields an appreciation for the subtle commentary about the pursuit of provocation is a dragon one will always chase. And how that pursuit and descent into depravity is ultimately a self-destructive endeavor. Then again, this could just be a gore flick. Penance is the final entry in the infamous series (see our review for AU and AU Mordum) and it is easily the most somber and most brutal entry in the entire series.
Peter (Fred Vogel) and Crusty (Chirstie Whiles) are back again to take viewers on the most horrifying reality show of all time. The couple is back and this time with far better video equipment as there is a noticeable upgrade in the visual quality and clarity. This aesthetic change doesn’t deter from the experience, and in many ways is in alignment with the period of release so it adds to the general authenticity of the experience. While it may seem like more of the same in regards to extreme sexual violence, over-the-top gore, and vertigo-inducing camera work Penance is far slower than the last two films as more time is spent to see Peter and Crusty doing more pedestrian things like going to concerts and shooting shotguns. This is not to say we don’t get our fair share of rough sex and harsh language, but more that there is an equitable balance between the amount of time spent with the couple doing seemingly normal things versus the time spent with them doing awful things. And the things they do this time are some of the worst seen yet.
While there are seemingly fewer scenes of outrageous violence that these films are known for, it does have some of the most disturbingly realistic depictions of violence seen thus far. Some of this is in the form of visual effects which have to be a combination of both real and artificial organs, while other scenes are more affecting due to the sheer setup. It should go without saying at this point, but these films are never recommended to anyone who may find the content triggering. Such is the case with the Christmas home invasion scene which is probably the least bloody of them all, but by far the most chilling. And yet, in scenes of such deep disgust, there are shades of commentary about our characters that speak volumes about their decay. For the first time across these three films, we start to see how this way of life is not just destroying other people, it is also destroying the characters themselves. They are without punishment or consequence, and yet they are both utterly miserable with each other and themselves. It can be hard to pick up on this given how visceral the content is, and you’d be forgiven if you still felt that these were nothing more than transgressive films to trigger people with, but you’d also be wrong. Penance is a fitting conclusion to a series that has no equal. These are films that are not for everyone, and that’s okay, but writing them off as nothing more than shock value couldn’t be farther from the truth.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
As mentioned in the review, Penance has a noticeable upgrade in overall picture quality for the last film of the trilogy. This doesn’t change the overall experience of the film in any meaningful way despite the previous two films having a very hard VHS aesthetic, and in many ways is fitting given this was released in 2007. Unearthed Films once again do a great job with the new Blu-ray transfer presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Images from this release are seen throughout the review and below.
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
There are two audio options this time around, and one of them is brand-new to this release! Included alongside the original mono audio track is a new 2.0 Stereo Track taken directly from the original sound mix. This is the option used for the review, and it sounded great with the dialogue coming through clearly and the screams being balanced enough to not completely blow your eardrums out. It is a solid inclusion and option for those who want something more robust than the original mono track.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
Unearthed Film has consistently delivered outstanding new and legacy supplemental features for their AU releases, and Penance definitely carries on that tradition! Alongside legacy content from the long OOP release like Disemboweled: Behind The Bile Documentary and accompanying commentary are a slew of new interviews with Fred and other members of the crew. One of the first interviews we checked out was the 14-minute Editing “August Underground’s Penance”: An Interview with Co-Editor Logan Tallman which was jam-packed with fun stories and history. Logan was a huge fan of Toetag and even tried to help spread the films on forums, but Fred wasn’t too keen on this despite his good intentions of giving more people access to films he loved. Logan kept in touch with Fred and ultimately won him over and began working with him to learn visual effects for his filmmaking endeavors. Fred was keen to give Logan a shot, so he let him direct both of the “Hammer to the Head” documentaries for the first two films, and eventually a spot co-editing Penance. Logan has some great stories so this summary isn’t even the tip of the bloody iceberg.
The next feature we watched was one we loved on the two previous Unearthed releases, The Most Disturbing Scene. This time Fred talks over the Christmas Home Invasion scene on audio commentary while the scene plays out. It’s interesting to hear him reflect on these films, especially since he admits to not having watched them recently until he was making these special features. Even though he is set aback by the violence and harshness of it all, he also recalls fondly how much he loved making these movies and how dedicated the cast was to them too. Despite how awful the things happening are, everyone Fred talks about had a deep connection to them and Toetage and did this because they wanted to be a part of it. Fred also talks about how the home invasion in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer was what he was hoping to outdo here, and we are pretty sure he did full stop. Lastly, Fred spoke about the prep required to do this all in one take. Given this is a 13-minute scene with lots of things happening it really is impressive that the combination of prep and improv yields such believable results. A full list of special features included in this release is listed below.
Bonus Materials
NEW Audio Commentary with Jerami Cruise, Shelby Vogel, Fred Vogel, and Ultra Violent Magazine’s Art Ettinger
NEW Interview with Fred Vogel and Zoë Rose Smith
NEW Voyage to Perdition: An Interview with Fred Vogel
NEW Interview with Fred Vogel and Dave Parker
NEW Interview with Jerami Cruise
Audio Commentary by Toetag
Audio Commentary by director Fred Vogel
Disemboweled: Behind the Bile Documentary
Audio Commentary on Disemboweled: Behind the Bile Documentary
Extended & Deleted Scenes
‘Poppa Pill – The Murderer Is Back’ Music Video
‘Rue – The Locust’ Music Video
Still Gallery
LAST RITES
August Underground’s Penance is a more intentional and grounded experience that serves to elevate the shock and horror, while also adding more depth than the previous two films. What it trades in depth it exchanges for pace, but overall this is a fitting and violent end to this truly one-of-a-kind trilogy.
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends over at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy for the crypt! August Underground’s Penance is available NOW and can be purchased via MVD DIRECT!
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