It’s taken me only twenty-two years, but I’ve finally seen August Underground (2001). Now that I have, I’m not sure how I feel. It’s incredibly vile and nauseating, yet at the same time, it’s a fascinating film. I’d heard all the stories, like when director/writer Fred Vogel was arrested on obscenity charges while traveling to Canada for a film festival. He was taking copies of his films over the border and was stopped.
Unearthed Films is no stranger to releasing controversial films. Unsurprisingly, they’re the masterminds behind this limited collector’s edition of the film some have labeled “the most disturbing movie ever made.”
Peter (Fred Vogel) is a serial killer who invites his friend with a camera (Allen Peters) into his home and basement. He has a woman tied up down there, and the two of them taunt and torture her in unspeakable ways. They laugh and have fun until it’s time to go out and find another victim. Their reign of terror continues to grow increasingly depraved as they move from victim to victim with no end in sight.
Will they fall victim to their own madness or continue to slaughter innocents any way they feel, trudging deeper and deeper into the darkest depths of their warped minds?
August Underground easily lives up to all of its notoriety. I feel like you’re not watching the movie but experiencing it. It leaves an empty, nauseating feeling in your stomach, and Vogel successfully crafted this nightmare. Part of its effectiveness lies within the performances. Everyone feels natural. None of the actors venture into being over the top. They play it just as freneticly as it needs to be. The effects work is stellar, and using the home video style to shoot the picture expertly hides any imperfections in them, adding to the realistic nature of the piece.
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The special edition is loaded with brand-new features and archival materials to take you deeper into the film, giving people a better understanding of what the filmmaker was trying to achieve. There are four commentary tracks, including a brand-new one with Fred Vogel and Art Ettinger. It also includes the original screener version of the movie, a feature-length documentary, numerous interviews, both new and old, trailers, and more.
August Underground left me with a lot to think about, although I’ll probably never watch it again. However, I would watch the follow-ups, Mordum and Penance. Hopefully, Unearthed Films have plans for those releases as well.
You can check out the trailer on YouTube.
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