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August Underground: Mordum (2004)
If you are any kind of a hardcore horror fan you've been exposed to trying to uncover films that show about the most shocking images you've ever seen. Well if that is your bag then this is a movie you must see. Although it's not exactly what I look for in a movie, there is certainly something here for extreme gorehounds. If you are unaware of what these films are all about you really should know what it is before you get into it. In 2001 the people at Toe Tag Pictures made a film that would mark their place in the horror industry known as August Underground. This film was made to simply be nothing more than a disturbing look into how serial killers act. Now it's nothing like Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, or any of the self titled movies about real life murderers. It's suppose to be just like you found a VHS tape containing murders without credits, music, or any type of normal narrative that a horror film would have. Basically you are seeing vile, brutal murders in the way that the killers themselves would want you to see. So I have to warn you, this is NOT for everyone. As a matter of fact, the AU series (there is also one that was just released called AU: Penance) includes some of the most shocking imagery I've ever seen in anything. Some have cited this movie as genius, and others simply as cinematic trash. Although I'm not the biggest fan of AU in the world, I certainly understand the concept and felt that the idea behind it was important, relevant, and necessessary. Unfortunately I don't know if I can say the same for Mordum.
Mordum starts off with a camera peeking though a keyhole showing a man having sex with someone. You find out through the yelling of the cameraman that it's a brother and sister, and they are coming along for the ride o carnage this time around. It's really hard for me to get into specifics about the film without totally ruining scenes, but it's easily one of the most mean spirited films I've ever witnessed. You see plenty of grue about, along with just about every taboo you can think of displayed before your very eyes. So basically not something you'd be watching on a Saturday afternoon over grandma's house. That is unless you have a grandma that has an insatiable appetite for some really depraved shit. You see people getting hit with hammers, all kinds of necrophilia, rape, rampant nihilism, evisceration, humiliation, castration, and much more.
As far as the technical aspects go, it's hit and miss. At times I reveled in how much it looked like it was shot on a shitty video camera from the early 90's. Other times I was nauseated by the fact that the camerawork is purposely bad for added effect. The film is basically shot in natural lighting and that gives it a grim, realistic look that is about the perfect way to shoot this movie. The gore is also top notch as the Toe Tag crew is one of the best special effects houses in the entire world at this point and time and they are only getting better (see AU: Penance, and The Redsin Tower). The acting is pretty convincing as Fred Vogel stars playing the baby faced killer, Christie Whiles plays one convincing female killer, and Michael Schneider plays one of the more demented people I've ever seen in anything. He's like a haywire combination of Charles Manson and Jesus, to the point where in one scene where he's defiling a corpse and staring in the camera in one of the most chilling moments I've ever seen in my life. The main problem with Mordum though is the fact that a lot of the killings are really tedious and drawn out. To the point where it makes you want to stop watching the movie. Now, I'm not saying that what you are seeing on screen is any less effective, it does get slow and boring in parts. But strangely enough I found myself enjoying the scenes where the group is just kind of hanging out with each other. Although strange, it's weird to see characters of the such acting around "regular people". You even get a cameo in the film from Bruce Lentz as the crew enters a video store that I happen to visit in the Pittsburgh area quite frequently called Incredibly Strange Video. Also you'll see a scene or two with Ultra Violent Magazine's Art Ettinger as well.
Overall, I found Mordum to be one of the most disturbing films that I've ever seen. Now, that doesn't necessarily make it good, just effective. I found myself bored with it at times and totally disgusted in others(but in a good way). But my biggest problem with the movie was how over the top it was. I totally understand that these three people were about as crazy as you can be, but at times it was so ridiculous that it really took me out of the situation. Unfortunately I would say that the effects are better this time around, but overall the first AU installment was much better. Be careful if you seek out this film, it would be worth a rental (if you could even find it anywhere to rent, because I KNOW you aren't getting this at any chain store) but I certainly wouldn't plop down a chunk of cash to buy this.
Rating - **
-Ed Demko
