The stakes were raised pretty high with August Underground’s Mordum, so Toe Tag Pictures decided to go just a little bit further when they released August Underground’s Penance in 2007. The lovely folks over at Unearthed Films are now bringing to a close the August Underground trilogy with this release.
It’s a tough film to review in certain respects, and audiences will walk away either fully satisfied or completely disgusted. For most, it will end up being a little bit of both. Penance is a disc loaded to the gills with nasty bits as well as a plethora of information that will give audiences and fans a deep understanding of what was trying to be achieved with the evolution of these films.
Peter (Fred Vogel) and Crusty (Cristie Whiles) have no intention of giving up on their lust for human life. They continue to torture their way through victims until their bloodlust is satisfied. This time, they’re looking for penance through their actions, but is there anyone or anything that can give it to them?
The first two films felt like extensions of one another, building off some gross-out moments, constantly trying to outdo themselves. With August Underground’s Penance, it feels more like growth. The premise remains the same, but it feels more polished from a filmmaking standpoint.
As far as the story, it’s not just an endless parade of violence and nauseating gore. This time out, there’s much more character work. Our two killers, played hauntingly by Fred Vogel and Cristie Whiles, are much more fleshed out. It takes you into a darker place when they begin to spin out of control, and as weird as it may sound, you’re connected to them in a way, making their tale far more tragic.
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The gore is still there but feels more essential to the story, so for me, Penance is the strongest film in the series. It’s more disturbing in the way Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer was and is a mentally exhausting ride. I also found it interesting to find an appearance by Merle Allin (brother of infamous, late punk icon G.G. Allin) and his band The Murder Junkies.
This two-disc set features a new original stereo mix, new commentary by EFX artist Jerami Cruise, producer Shelby Vogel, director Fred Vogel, and Ultra Violent Magazine’s Art Ettinger, another new commentary from Vogel and editor Logan Tallman, new interview with Logan Tallman, commentary by Toe Tag, a previous commentary from Vogel, a documentary called Disemboweled: Behind the Bile, this includes a commentary as well, a roundtable, more interviews, extended scenes, deleted scenes, music video, trailers, photo gallery, outtakes, and more. The second disc is the DVD with a fraction of the special features.
The final film really goes for broke, and while I appreciated the gore of the first two films, August Underground’s Penance is disturbing on another level, and that’s not easy to achieve.
Check out the trailer on YouTube.
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