Exploring August Underground’s Modrum: Review of the Colossal Limited Collector’s Edition Blu-ray from Unearthed Films!

In the early ‘90s a film series swept the underground by storm. A quick mythos surrounded the series as being genuine snuff films, straight out of Japan. Even prominent actor Charlie Sheen was a believer and contacted the MPAA, the MPAA then contacting the FBI, and eventually the truth surfaced that they were merely films with authentic makeup effects. Time has passed and the Guinea Pig films have returned in resent years with the American Guinea Pig series from Unearthed Films.

The original first two parts of the Guinea Pig series, Devil’s Experiment and Flower of Flesh and Blood, used to rein champion of the brutal underground horror genre, with no other outrivaling it. That is until Fred Vogel and Allen Peters set out to create the ultimate pseudo-snuff, but anti-serial killer film, to portray serial killers as being despicable, rather than media superstars. This film was August Underground (review of the August Underground Collector’s Edition Blu-ray from Unearthed Films here). Now some 20-years-later Unearthed Films delivered another jam-packed Blu-ray release. This time with the second instalment August Underground’s Mordum, which quite potentially rivals them all is sheer chaos and brutality.

This time around Mordum follows our hero from the first August Underground, Peter Mountain (Fred Vogel), now accompanied by friends with the same thirst for torment and anguish. The film opens with Vogel’s character progressing through the house with his cam, finding Crusty (Cristie Whiles, August Underground’s Penance) fucking her brother, Maggot (Michael Todd Michael Todd Schneider, The Profane Exhibit) as the viewer can see from the keyhole. The two (Peter/Crusty) seem to be an item so a verbal battle starts and the character of Crusty cuts her stomach with a razorblade. Once the bickering deteriorates the two begin their night of mayhem.

Jump cut to the next sequence of footage (edited akin to any other homemade video) the couple enters a junkie’s home with the intent to collect. Vogel’s character finds his victim and much like the Cannibal Corpse song ‘Hammer Smashed Face’ he’s writhing on the floor seconds later. With Crusty as the cameraman, she captures the deed and lurks around the house to find another poor soul — sitting on the floor adorned with vomit sits another junkie, needle still attached to the vein that ended his life. It’s probably for the best for all involved — now the duo doesn’t need to kill this guy. Once the house has been investigated the two return to the body whose skull is bashed in where one of the funniest parts of this video nasty takes place. The tone of the film is dark and malicious, but various aspects of the writing and situations jump out, and one cannot help but chuckle from beneath the darkness of the film. When Vogel’s about to disrobe his body for more effective and trouble-free chopping, Crusty is quick to taunt “You wanna touch dick all the time!” and a high school scrap ensues between the two before Vogel can start the dismemberment. The rest of the film has other “found footage” and continues with this nonlinear structure.

The movie unfolds with Crusty engaging in unsettling behaviour, showcasing her penchant for self-harm to Maggot. In one of the multitude of disturbing sequences in Mordum, she cuts her scarred arm with a knife. The duo proceeds to release a bound and masked woman from a long-concealed box. In a shocking turn of events, Maggot assaults the woman while Crusty not only cheers him on but also torments the helpless victim. After Maggot completes his horrific act, a male captive is released from another box. Crusty and Maggot coerce him into performing a gruesome self-inflicted penis removal using a tiny pair of scissors, sealing him back afterward. The appalling scene continues as Crusty imitates oral acts with the severed member before subjecting the female victim to further violation with it.

Similar to the immersive approach seen in August Underground, Mordum delves into the everyday lives of its trio of killers. The narrative expands with a chilling juxtaposition of seemingly mundane activities, such as dining at restaurants, attending a concert, and frolicking in the snow, all intertwined with their sadistic rituals of torturing unsuspecting victims. The film transcends traditional horror tropes by providing a disturbing glimpse into the killers’ normalcy, blurring the lines between the banal and the horrifying. Notably, the character Killjoy from Necrophagia becomes an ominous addition to this malevolent trio, participating in their activities, including a visit to a tattoo shop. Killjoy’s integration into the group further amplifies the sense of terror, as the boundaries between the ordinary and the macabre continue to blur, creating an unsettling and nightmarish experience.

August Underground’s Mordum is a hateful, mean-spirited endurance test. Back in the day the film’s predecessor was the first movie where I felt like I shouldn’t continue watching. Even movies from the simulated snuff sub-genre such as Guinea Pig films, Devil’s Experiment, Flower of Flesh and Blood, or even Mermaid in a Manhole didn’t hit this hard. The vision of that girl tied to a chair in a basement plastered with pornography, covered in her own bodily waste, and mutilated as her tormentors have their way with her as they giggle manically, left a distressed and empty feeling. I kept questioning if I was watching a genuine snuff film or not. Lucky for me the caption ‘Property of Absu Films’ (the company before Toetag) kept appearing on screen from time to time to assure me, it’s only a movie, it’s only a movie, it’s only a movie…

Mordum, this time around, surpasses the original in the shocks and gross-out department. Think of the grossest most upsetting act possible and Mordum has it – forcing a man to castrate himself with mini scissors (as mentioned above), vomit degradation with taunting, making love to entrails, or a maggot ridden baby torso in possibly the most gruesome set design in a low budget horror film in in decades. But the most unsettling sequence (which is far too real for comfort) shows Schneider’s character as he defiles a young girl’s corpse in the bathtub while Crusty films, adding “You don’t have to worry about growing up now sweetie.“

A film like Mordum doesn’t come along very often. Not too many filmmakers have the balls to give their all to mindfuck the viewer in such a disgusting way, or even have the talent or ability to pull it off believably. Mordum backs down for no one. Toetag Pictures have gone further than any other independent company (or mainstream for that matter) to show what hasn’t been done before. Regardless or not whether you are into this type of film, the August Underground series are an important foundation for modern independent horror. A film doesn’t need to be as extreme as this or follow a nonlinear structure to be appreciated but look at the practical special effects and the performances from the actors or willing participants. All parties involved are completely convincing throughout Mordum, which is what is lacking in the underground scene. Mainly we get non-actors (friends of Toetag). With Mordum, the cast and crew are willing to do whatever it takes for the camera. And with the quality of FX for a budget of around $300.00 US it’s no wonder the film won best makeup at Calgary’s Exofest back in the day.

Unearthed Films presents August Underground’s Mordum on region free Blu-ray with a full frame 1.33:1 in AVC 1080p resolution. The visual presentation is true to the original mini-DV source material. The audio is presented in LPCM 2.0. For the most part the sound can be heard clearly and effectively.

This colossal release offers a literal buffet of special features, including an exceptional new commentary track featuring insights from Art Ettinger, the Editor of Ultra Violent Magazine, and special effects maestro Jerami Cruise. In this insightful commentary, Jerami delves into the dichotomy of real and fake within the film, sharing his experiences as a former traveling puppeteer. He emphasizes the importance of always using a safe word and casting friends to push boundaries beyond what a hired actor might permit. Jerami’s significant role in maintaining the believability of the scenes is highlighted, and an intriguing piece of trivia surfaces — the bathtub girl is a prop from Jack Nicholson’s movie The Pledge, a detail that adds an extra layer of cinematic intrigue. As it turns out, Ryan Nicholson, the filmmaker, was a makeup effects supervisor for the same film. Cruise’s artistic prowess comes to the forefront as he describes the meticulous process of assembling, painting, and adding details to the girl prop, resulting in some of the most obscene and disturbing scenes in cinematic history. Art Ettinger’s frequent presence on set adds another layer of interest to the interview, providing a firsthand account of the filmmaking process. Lastly, the revelation that there is footage after the credits encourages viewers to stay tuned in.

The disc also has a previously released informative and thorough commentary tack by the Toetag team with Fred and Shelby Vogel, Cristie Whiles, and Jerami Cruise, which is interesting to hear from their prospective from so many years ago.

‘Mordum Live’ (4:40) shows Fred Vogel’s introduction talking about Mordum being the birth of Toetag and shares his thanks to the fans.

‘The Most Disturbing Scene’ (5:12) has Vogel discussing what he feels is the most disturbing scene in the film — the climax, and the difficulties involved.

‘Remembering Killjoy’ (5:50) has Vogel paying tribute to Killjoy and discusses how the two met and the evolution of their friendship and how a music video for Necrophagia evolved into what August Underground’s Mordum is today.

‘A Family Affair of Love and Hate: An Interview with Maggot’ (33:45) is an interview conducted by Nathan Home of Hardcore Core Productions with a rather subdued Michael Todd Schneider. The interview also contains some behind the scenes footage and the music video for the song ‘August Underground’ by The Ravenous featuring Killjoy and Autopsy’s Chris Reifert.

‘Stephen Biro Interviews Jerami Cruise’ (12:02) features an enthusiastic Cruise discussing being behind the camera and behind the scenes. He discusses his favourite FX scene in the film and also the budget being a mere $300. He also discusses breaking 18 obscenity laws in communist Canada.

‘Art Ettinger and Allana Sleeth Interview’ (11:24) has the couple discussing being on the set of Mordum where Crusty and Maggot stayed in character and the ensuing chaos.

‘Zoë Rose Smith Interviews Fred Vogel’ (42:46) presents a fun interview where Fred discusses a variety of topics, one of which was his reaction to how shaky the film was and his realization that it was important to the chaos onscreen. The film didn’t have a script, and everyone just ran with the scenes. There are plenty of great anecdotes here.

‘Dave Parker Interviews Fred Vogel’ (42:36) has Fred touching on the clash of personalities between him and Maggot and how at the first test screening of the film where Fred didn’t feel it was the August Underground’s Mordum he wanted. Maggot’s version was more sexual. At one point Dave proposes the question did Fred ever think about dropping a copy of Mordum to Allan Peter’s house, the estranged camera man in the first film, which is quite humorous.

‘Snuff Purgatory: Severed Cinema Interviews Fred Vogel’ (56:39) is my contribution to this release, where Fred and I discuss more of the troubling aspects of filming Mordum and the previously tumultuous relationship between him and Schneider.

‘Necrophagia – Rue Morgue Disciple Promo Video’ (3:23) is a music video where zombies invade a house.

‘Sickness: A Necrophagia Mockumentary’ (38:03) is Fred Vogel’s mockumentary on Necrophagia in Europe.

Rounding out the extras are photo galleries, deleted scenes, footage from the USA premiere, as well as footage from the Mordum screening at Flashback Weekend in 2004, a ‘Slit Throat’ and ‘Zombie’ demo, an animation for Mordum, and trailers. The artwork for the blu-ray also contains a slipcover with new artwork, as well as a reversible cover with classic Toetag artwork from the original DVD release of the film.

In essence, whether Mordum elicits a visceral response that turns your stomach, plunges you into a state of distress, or paradoxically stirs a masochistic fascination, it undeniably evokes powerful emotions. Acknowledging that Mordum may not cater to every viewer’s taste, it has garnered its share of admirers. The Blu-ray/DVD Limited Collector’s Edition from Unearthed Films stands out as top-notch, offering a comprehensive package for those who appreciate the film’s distinctive impact.

Directed by: Fred Vogel, Jerami Cruise, Cristie Whiles, Michael T. Schneider, Killjoy      
Written by: Fred Vogel, Jerami Cruise, Cristie Whiles, Michael T. Schneider, Killjoy
Produced by: Jerami Cruise
Cinematography by: Fred Vogel, Cristie Whiles, Michael T. Schneider
Editing by: Fred Vogel, Jerami Cruise, Cristie Whiles, Michael T. Schneider
Music by: Impercept, Gorelord, Superfollider, Necrophagia, Wurdulak, Bippy, NCO, Porcelain Maggot, Slave Pig
Special Effects by: Jerami Cruise, Fred Vogel, Cristie Whiles, Michael T. Schneider, Ryan Nocholson
Cast: Fred Vogel, Cristie Whiles, Michael T. Schneider, Killjoy, Art Ettinger, Jerami Cruise
Year: 2004
Country: USA
Language: English
Colour: Colour
Runtime: 1h 21min

Studio: Toetag Pictures
Distributor: Unearthed Films

BLU-RAY SPECS:

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 16:9 1080p HD MPEG-4 AVC
Region: A
Audio: English, 2.0 LPM

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:

– Audio commentary with Jerami Cruise and Ultra Violent Magazine’s Art Ettinger
– Audio commentary by Toetag
– Interview with Fred Vogel
– Interview with Jerami Cruise
– Interview with Michael Maggot
– Interview with Fred Vogel and Zoë Rose Smith
– Snuff Purgatory: Severed Cinema Interviews Fred Vogel
– ‘Rue Morgue Disciple’ Necrophagia Music Video
– Sickness: A Necrophagia Mockumentary
– U.S. Premiere 2003
– Mordum Screening (Flashback Weekend 2004)
– Slit Throat Demo
– Zombie Demo
– Original Animation
– Deleted and extended scenes
– Photo Galleries
– Trailers