COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - LA PETITE MORT (UNEARTHED FILMS BLU RAY)
As a student of horror history, I am fascinated with the relationship between genre trends and the zeitgeists that inspire them. The connection between society, current events, cultural trends, and more influences the kinds of films we see, and this applies to more than just horror films. However, in horror films, we get the rawest and most violent interpretations of those influences. One such example is “torture porn”, which dominated the start of the new millennium. Some have argued that the increased violence being portrayed, and allowed, in cinemas was a reaction to a post-9/11 America where violence was an everyday part of daily life. If we follow that thread and think about the kind of violence we see portrayed in film and television today, it starts to make a lot of sense that the emergence of violence as a default in American society has fundamentally changed our appetite and tolerance. Even in the early days of a post-Hostel horror world, there were imitators domestically as well as internationally that were also trying to push the envelope with mean-spirited graphic violence. For this entry of the crypt, we travel to Germany for UNEARTHED FILMS' newest BLU RAY release, LA PETITE MORT. Is this Hostel-inspired Germanic gorefest another poor carbon copy or is it worthy of its own tortuous praise?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
They are no more than 10 hours away from summer, sun, and beaches. Simon, his blind girlfriend Nina, and vivid and fun-loving Dodo are on their way to Mallorca. Having to change planes in Frankfurt gives them enough time for a sightseeing tour through the city. After being robbed by a stranger they coincidentally end up in the 'Maison de la petit mort' a place where sick and twisted games of a perverted high society take place. Lady Boss Madame Fabienne and her psychopath 'daughters' Dominique and Angelique run the club where brutal torture, thrill kill murders, and the deranged fantasies of incurably sick minds are daily business. Will there be any chance for an escape...?!
HOW IS IT?
I’ve long held that shock value alone cannot make a film interesting. When it comes to torture porn, shock value is germane to the sub-genre, hell, it’s defined by it. But the best examples in the sub-genre know how to layer in more depth and have something to say. LA PETITE MORT is not that deep. In fact, it bears no shame in being a straightforward mean-spirited story that offers little more than a series of gory set pieces with a loosely adorned plot. To that end, it is effective in being what it sets out to be, but if you’re not a fan of this extreme sub-genre LA PETITE MORT isn’t going to change your mind either.
The story is basically the same as HOSTEL, but far more focused on sexual violence as a means of torture. Some of this has to do with the film's antagonists preferring their victims to be female and having a certain disdain for those of the male persuasion. Not only do the tormentors find females more sexually attractive, but they also seem far more inclined to play with them rather than outright slaughter the men they come across. The thing is if you’re watching a movie like this you’re already prepared for the plot or lack thereof, and so what really holds this all together is the violence. Thankfully, LA PETITE MORT wastes little to no time getting to things relatively quickly. At a brisk 77 minutes, this means most of the film is doused in screams and blood which should satisfy gorehounds enough to muster through some of the films glaring faults. It isn’t just a lack of plot that hurts LA PETITE MORT, but also the lack of interesting and developed characters. One could argue that character development is less necessary since most of these characters will die, but I would push back in saying that interesting characters are what make torture porn effective or not. If we don’t care what happens to them, how are we supposed to feel tension or fear for them?
What LA PETITE MORT does get right is the gore. Even though it doesn’t have the polish of something more commercial like HOSTEL, the gore is extremely effective and properly gross in parts. There is a certain eye-gouging scene that would give Fulci a run for his money, and even if it doesn’t deliver compelling characters or narrative, it does deliver buckets of blood throughout. One thing to mention, even if it isn’t obvious to those unfamiliar with UNEARTHED FILMS’ releases, is that LA PETITE MORT is extremely violent and uses a lot of quick-cut style editing which can be disorienting. If you are sensitive to this kind of erratic editing style, or you simply are sensitive to more extreme horror content, you may want to be wary of this one. For all others, it really depends on how much you like the torture porn genre. If you watch them all, this will be good for you, and if you couldn’t care less this likely won’t make a convert out of you.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
UNEARTHED FILMS presents LA PETITE MORT in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and overall the film quality is decent. It’s hard to tell if the film was originally shot on early digital or 16mm since there is a dusty aesthetic. Still, the picture quality is above average and likely better than the DVD release. Screenshots from this release are used throughout the review as well as below:
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
Nothing special to report in the sound department as UNEARTHED FILMS provides a 2.0 PCM Stereo track alongside a commentary track. The film has English subtitles since the language on the audio track is German. I’m glad to see subtitles on this release, even if they are out of necessity, and overall the PCM audio is just fine for LA PETITE MORT. It’s clear and loud, but not overbearing.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
For die-hard fans of LA PETITE MORT, UNEARTHED FILMS provides heaps of special features to take you through everything from commentaries to behind-the-scenes making of documentaries. For the purposes of this crypt review, we started with the 51-minute “Making of La Fame De Mort”. This is a loosely edited series of clips taken during the filming and production of LA PETITE MORT. These kinds of “making of” documentaries are less driven by narration and more like home videos, which makes it hard to invest in the personalities and people behind the production. That said, those who just like seeing how movies are made in the rawest form will get a lot out of this.
The other special feature I took in was “Interview with Olaf Ittenbach”, who did the special effects for the film. It’s a very informal interview, likely taken in-between shots during a break at 7 minutes long it’s brief and somewhat inebriated. One interesting tidbit that Olaf drops early on is how leaving out meat for a few days helps to simulate body fat better, which they used in one of the scenes. It’s the kind of thing that you’d never know had no one told you, and you’re also afraid to ask how they know what looks best. Olaf has done a lot of effects for films like these and has even directed some of his own along the way. It’s interesting to hear him describe the shallowness of the genre, but at the same time, you can tell there is a deep admiration for the art of shocking people with good effects. A full list of special features included with this release is listed below:
Making of La Fame De Mort
Commentary with Marcel Walz
Interview with Marcel Walz
Interview with Olaf Ittenbach
Deleted Scenes
Stills Gallery
Trailers
LAST RITES
LA PETITE MORT’s appeal is likely limited to those who flock to the torture porn genre, and those that do will enjoy the great practical gore effects hopefully enough to forgive the lack of character or plot development. Nevertheless, UNEARTHED FILMS have another stacked release on their hands for fans who adorn their shelves with the more extreme sides of horror.
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy of LA PETITE MORT for the crypt. LA PETITE MORT is available NOW via MVD DIRECT!
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