COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - THE PROFANE EXHIBIT (UNEARTHED FILMS BLU-RAY)

The diversity of talent and ideas is one of the greatest strengths of the horror genre. For those who are too squeamish, there are plenty of alternatives that favor suspense over swathes of blood and guts. For those who enjoy something more transgressive, there are a multitude of options that will challenge your resolve and mettle. There’s also a lot in between those extremes that never veers too far into one side of the spectrum or the other. For the most part, anthology horror films tend to fall in that middle ground or more to the side of less extreme than more. Sure, some segments in movies may be grosser than others, but there aren’t many anthologies focused on more extreme horror creators. Well, there is one, and it has been left in the gray area of film availability ever since 2013, “The Profane Exhibit.” And leave it to our sick friends over at Unearthed Films to carry the torch of transgression proudly as they bring this lost anthology film to Blu-ray for the first time. Is this anthology worth the wait, or more filler and less killer?

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

Ladies and gentlemen! My fellow creatures of the night! You are invited to join us on a perilous journey into the land of the damned. Please ensure to keep your limbs safely inside the speeding vehicle at all times, for what you are about to witness is a dangerous miracle of the macabre. Ten renowned horror movie directors from all over the world have recreated their most gruesome dreams and frenzied nightmares for your viewing displeasure. Your ticket entitles you to enjoy a surfeit of screams, palpitations, and gut-wrenching violence - the like of which has never before been seen by man or beast. Watch your step, don't look behind you, and try to keep your eyes open because you are about to witness…”THE PROFANE EXHIBIT.”

HOW IS IT?

There is a point in “The Profane Exhibit” where Clint Howard slowly and casually undresses before mounting a young woman he has kept in the basement. It is implied that this woman is either his daughter or a young woman who he and his wife (played by Caroline Williams) have kidnapped and kept as their daughter. It doesn’t matter which of these scenarios is accurate because they are both pretty grim and the entire point of this short in “The Profane Exhibit” is to highlight something profane. As defined by Oxford’s Dictionary, “Profane” is defined as “to treat (something sacred) with irreverence or disrespect.” To that extent, the previously mentioned segment and the entirety of “The Profane Exhibit” can be considered a success as each story touches on taboos and extreme horror in ways that defy decency for the sake of shock value. Like any anthology, there are peaks and valleys, but overall “The Profane Exhibit” is a fascinating entry in the anthology horror subgenre if you have the stomach for its transgressions. 

It’s probably some kind of record, but there are 10 different directors and stories within the 108-minute runtime of “The Profane Exhibit”. If one were to break that up evenly, it’s just under 11 minutes per segment even if there is variance in length for each segment. That’s not a lot of time, nor is it a little, to tell an effective horror story. Hell, many short filmmakers do more with less time, so the impressive list of directors attached sets relatively high expectations for the whole thing. Starting with the best segments, the introductory one, “Mother May I” from Anthony DiBlasi is easily one of the most effective, even if it ends too abruptly. Weaving in a tense tale about an all-girls religious school and a masochistically evil head nun. Sadly, it ends right as things start to ramp up. “Tophet Qurom” from effects maestro Sergio Stivaletti is one of the longer and weirder segments with bloody mayhem to spare, despite a very Italian-style story full of ambiguity and logical leaps. “Mods In Tabula” is one of the most effective, and sinister segments from Marian Dora showcasing a wartime story and the evils of fascism made startlingly real. Finally, “Sins of the Father” by Nacho Vigalondo is obtuse to start, but as things become more clear it is one of the more unique and inventive takes on trauma and revenge, which also needed a bit more room to breathe.

As is the case with every anthology, not all of them are winners. With 10 segments in total, the standouts were stellar, but the rest left either a lot to be desired or disgusted by. “Hell Chef” from Yoshihiro Nishimura is kinetic and frantic with a vibrant visual style and very quick, jump-cut style editing. It’s fine, just hard to connect with outside of the visuals and some of the humor. “Basement” from Uwe Boll is the segment referenced in the first paragraph where Clint Howard rapes a woman in his basement. It figures that someone like Boll would do the absolute bare minimum to offend and do so without any hints of style or auteurism. Boll has always been a bit of a hack, and this segment is a perfect example of that. “Bridge” from Ruggero Deodato (RIP) is more like a hiccup than a full-on segment as it clocks in at under 5 minutes and not much happens, seriously. Two kids go to cross a weird bridge and some other woman is on it too, that’s it. “Goodwife” from Ryan Nicholson (RIP) is something, and if you know the kinds of movies Nicholson is known for you won’t be surprised here. There’s a good idea in here about a neglected wife trying to connect with her serial killer husband through his hobby of murder, but the emphasis on cruelty and degradation makes it more obnoxious than poignant. “Manna” from Michael Todd Schneider is visually interesting, but narratively hollow. It amounts to a strobe-laced tour through a weird S&M club, and while not bad it’s also more avant-garde than narrative. All in all, despite some of the stinkers, the diversity of this anthology is its greatest strength. Some stories cut off too soon, but there is a lot of talent here on display and even the worst segments have some redeeming value (except Uwe Boll’s).

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

“The Profane Exhibit” is presented in 1080p HD with varying aspect ratios that switch between 2.35:1 and 1.78:1. Given the film was released in 2013 and produced around the same time, it is unclear if any restoration has been done for this release or not. Regardless, the color quality is just fine, and while some darker scenes are a bit brighter than expected it isn’t going to take anyone out of the viewing experience because of it. Images from this release are seen throughout this review and below.

HOW DOES IT SOUND?

In the sound department, there is only a 2.0 PCM English audio track with optional subtitles in English and Spanish. The sound quality is fine, but it is a bit disappointing that there is only a 2.0 track included and not something more substantial. The soundscape varies from quiet, tense moments to more action-oriented sequences that could’ve benefitted from some surround sound work. The dialogue comes through clearly and is equally balanced with the rest of the music and diegetic sound so nothing overpowers other elements.

ANYTHING SPECIAL?

Considering the expectations surrounding this release, Unearthed Films once again give us sickos what we want by offering a full roster of special features commissioned for this release. One of the first ones we watched was Tiffany Blem Interviews Amanda Manuel who was the driving force behind the original creation of this anthology. She reminisces on how she got into horror, as well as the movies that inspired her to become a filmmaker. Even more interesting was that this anthology could’ve been much bigger had all the filmmakers they reached out to responded. As Manuel puts it, some of them got back to her and others did not, but they had enough to fill out the runtime. The interview is just over 10 minutes so we don’t get anything super deep, but the surface-level questions and answers are nice.

One of the most obscure of the filmmakers included is Marian Dora, who isn’t an actual person but rather a pseudonym for an unknown German director who is the mad genius behind the anthology’s most provocative segments, “Mors En Tabula.” In Ten Years Later by Marian Dora, we are treated to a series of interviews with the cast and crew of the short as they talk about the experience of making the short and some of the themes touched on in the film. One of the most grim aspects of the interview is the revelation that Dora doesn’t use fake blood, but real blood on his sets. He also directs as mysteriously as his persona presents with the script being kept a secret and often changing dynamically while on set. The actors reflect on the experience, and the resounding theme is that this was a challenging shoot because of how Dora works and the conditions under which he likes to film. A full list of special features included in this release is listed below.

Bonus Materials

• Audio Commentary by Director Michael Todd Schneider and Producer Amanda Manuel and Ultra Violent Magazine's Art Ettinger

• Tiffany Blem Interviews Jeremy Kasten

• Tiffany Blem Interviews Uwe Boll

• Tiffany Blem Interviews Amanda Manuel

• Tiffany Blem Interviews Michael Todd Schneider

• A Mini Documentary 'Ten Years Later' by Marion Dora

• Awakened Manna

• Footage from the World Premiere

• Gallery

• Trailers

LAST RITES

“The Profane Exhibit” is like any anthology, a mixed bag, but what makes this one stand out is both the volume of segments as well as the diversity of the stories and filmmakers. Considering the long, hard road this film had to reach to get this kind of wide release it should be an essential part of any horror anthology fan’s collection!

THE GORY DETAILS

Thank you to the fine fiends over at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy for the crypt! The Profane Exhibit, is available NOW and can be purchased via MVD DIRECT!

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