Traces of Death I & II Review: Navigating the Grisly Realms of Shockumentary Cinema from Brain Damage Films!
As I’ve said before, throughout the history of VHS, to DVD, to downloading and streaming, many have gone on journeys seeking the “Holy Grails” of extreme films — real life snuff films. Do snuff films exist? Yeah, but are illegal to have, due to torture and such, however those seeking to peek at dead bodies, well, there’s a whole lucrative subgenre out there.
Some people love a good documentary of dead folks, y’know? Why do many watch the aftermath of an accident or some kind of homicidal act? In movies it all began with the Mondo flicks, then after the infamous Snuff arrived to fake everyone out, Faces of Death did a clever thing — it combined some genuine death footage alongside staged, almost comical scenarios. It was purely sheer entertainment but lasting in the memories of thousands of kids sneaking a look at a tape that they shouldn’t.
The gateway opened if your idea of snuff videos is cadavers, hell, welcome to your paradise. Along came the Traces of Death movies. Like the later, Rare: A Dead Person series (see review for Rare: A Dead Person part 1 here and part 2 here), plus Death Scenes (see review of Death Scenes here). There are also many more I’ve reviewed on Severed Cinema (yeah there’s at least a hundred more I haven’t). They all rightfully claim complete authentic footage from beginning to end. Mosaics of news footage, crime scene photos and films, atrocious accidents, and endless processions of macabre death.
By my side sits a fellow sick fucking nutter, my Partner in Gore, Willow. When we first got together, she proclaimed a love for the extreme and the disturbing. I showed her the above mentioned, Rare 1 plus The Killing of America (see review here), one of my favourites. She was fascinated. Since then, we’ve viewed many sights, however we both agreed that Traces of Death (especially part 2) brings something special. Hence, this review is for the original duo in the series. Next, we’ll cover the last three together.
What you tend to find is a lot of stuff you see elsewhere, from R. Budd Dwyer to presidents getting shot at, to questionable animal attacks, but with Traces of Death I and II, aside from Budd, there’s a whole load of new shit which made us smile.
“Welcome. You are about to enter a realm of the unimaginable….” rumbles our host, Damon Fox (aka Brain Damage) with utter drama. There follows a complete warning of what is to come, whilst shots of cadavers flash across the screen. Brain Damage Films have obviously transferred from VHS sources because the quality is varied but let’s be honest, the original footage wouldn’t be hi-def anyhow, and this makes it all grubbier. Love it.
A photo of a shotgun suicide then an array of gun victims onslaught us, courtesy of police crime snapshots. Footage of cops shooting it out plus explosions going off. Y’know, I’ve seen a lot of real death shockumentary stuff, yet I hadn’t seen any of this before (many volumes on the market are slapped together compilation tapes of others). Oooh, guerilla warfare executions.
Broken shattered lifeless forms litter roadsides for a compilation of vehicle deaths similar to Rare: A Dead Person. Worth noting must be the ultra-creepy electric music which adds so much atmosphere to what feels like overall a forbidden secret you’re watching. This is fantastic.
Next up we have a drowning victim followed by a shocking live pig tied down being blow torched until the skin blisters. Its screams are unbearable. We did not understand. What the fuck? Obviously not for food. An experiment? Afterwards Wikipedia revealed that yes, the footage was of military scientists sourced from another compilation called, True Gore.
Then it’s back to pics of dead folks This time gnawed by rats, polar bears, and cats. Rather diverse is Traces of Death I. “This woman passed away in her home only to have her trusted dog make a meal out of her face.” Indeed. There’s a savage dog attack, hound vs. animal control officer, then a lengthy montage of corpse eyes.
Oooh that music though, funky electric ‘80s TV music style but then later a disco sounding Phantasm thing. Of course, every shockumentary snuff video must have an autopsy. The footage is hardcore, likely would have provoked reactions at the time. We see guts, spine, the whole nine yards, and the obligatory human brain.
In Gorezone issue 33 (2014) producer, Darrin Ramage states there was in that era around three to four hundred people around the world who shot footage of atrocities. “They would be at the right place at the right time.” thus selling their films to television networks, etcetera. This was way before smart phones and such. Of course, the news shows couldn’t show everything so shockumentaries picked up the graphic and brutal complete unedited footage. Darrin also states that sometimes Traces of Death would be used by firefighters and ambulance drivers to show training classes what to expect. In fact, shockumentaries have been shown in attempts to “scare straight” young offenders.
Throughout there is loads of ‘80s and ‘90s race car collisions with each other, spectators, and random shit. Some not too bad, others insane and totally fatal. Stunt guys also appear, yeah, again resulting in sometimes broken limbs or concussions. Others are instant destruction of the human body. Operations are all over the place. Nothing is simulated, all is real (aside from a questionable tourist being eaten by lions, again this has been grabbed from another source).
Now then, if show stealer one was the autopsy, well along comes showcase two — sex change op from man to woman. “Cross your legs, kiddies.” says Mr. Fox with obvious glee. We end with jet crashes, bullfighting deaths, stadium riots, suicides, plus of course the unfortunate poster boy for many shockumentary flicks, R. Budd Dwyer. It’s longer in this one, then repeats in slow motion. Worth mentioning there’s a rare appearance by Ilse Koch.
Traces of Death II, my word. Willow and I definitely agreed afterwards that this one easily enters running in the top three of all time. There’s something really unique to it. Could it be the death ‘n’ thrash metal soundtrack? Bands like Grave, Morgoth, and Unleashed absolutely annihilate eardrums. Old school! We were banging our heads like Beavis and Butthead whilst witnessing sheer pandemonium and gore.
“The very definition of shockumentary. An unflinching view of life’s horrors which takes the viewer to the outer limits of his brief and fragile existence.” goes the intro which raised a protest from Willow. “Sexist! I’m a woman and I love this shit. They assume the viewer is a man!” Fair point. Again, there’s a brilliant warning of the contents — not for children or the squeamish. Like Traces of Death I, the material will be explicitly graphic and not staged.
Damon Fox has totally changed his approach to his narrative. Over-the-top horror host voice along with cackles. Fucking cool!! We begin with a body laid out for autopsy again… Oh shit wait up! Drug smuggling. Bags of cocaine are removed from inside the cadaver. Piles of warzone corpses seem even more amazing accompanied by old school death metal, seriously.
Gunshots, a bomb disposal going bad, people jumping from burning buildings — some in painful slow motion. Wow, this is brutal! There’s the hanging of Ibrahim Tarraf we’d seen elsewhere. Bullfighters and blood thirsty crowds get mauled by bulls which made me smile. Rodeo accidents happen. “He bounced to the beat.” laughed Willow — she’s evil. Fights, punches, a protester burning alive (seen in a few other compilations) riots, all this to plummeting metal!! Aaaah yes!!! Relentless, none stop madness.
A tight rope walker gingerly straddles above a street then falls to his death. Our narrator is quite gleeful over the fella’s fate. Then he states, “Never ever piss off Haitian warriors.” Some eye watering torture and penis abuse follows.
What more can we say? It’s near enough all here: assassinations, crashes, body parts, shootings, nip and tucks, stunt bike fuckeries, shark attack, a rapist having his dick cut off whilst his victims watch, oh yeah and for “equal opportunities” a female to male sex op.
The quality and amount of footage is extraordinary for its era. Traces of Death II throws in an outstanding time lapse speed up rodent decay. “It’s a mosh pit of maggots,” I said as hundreds writhed to the metal. Yeah, we couldn’t stop laughing for a while.
Both run at around one and a quarter hours, delivering ridiculous amounts of death scenes. However, it’s Traces of Death II that wins out because it’s demented in its pace without becoming ludicrous.
Brain Damage Films has put out all five volumes as a box set with no extras however who cares? If you’re into this genre honestly, it’s of no consequence. Traces of Death I and II areboth no nonsense, brave, and merciless films made before the rise of the internet.
Traces of Death I
Directed by: Damon Fox
Written by: Damon Fox
Produced by: Damon Fox, Darrin Ramage
Editing by: Dennis Deroche
Music by: Damon Fox
Cast: Damon Fox (Narrator) Bud Dwyer, Emilio Nunez, James Vance, Terry Rossland, Ricky Rudd, Ilse Koch
Year: 1993
Country: USA
Language: English
Colour: Colour, Black & White
Runtime: 1h 15min
Traces of Death II
Directed by: Damon Fox
Written by: Damon Fox
Produced by: Damon Fox, Darrin Ramage
Editing by: Dennis Deroche
Music by: Grave, Unleashed, Asphyx, Unleashed
Cast: Damon Fox (Narrator) Jeff Doucet, Anwar Sadat, Karl Wallenda, Eddie Sachs
Year: 1994
Country: USA
Language: English
Colour: Colour, Black & White
Runtime: 1h 14min
Distributor: Brain Damage Films
