"August Underground"
review by Diablo Joe

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"August Underground"


Soon to get the royal Blu-Ray treatment from Unearthed Films, 2001’s extreme horror film “August Underground” is a brutal, unflinching portrayal of a serial killer, his documentarian buddy, and their unfortunate victims. Coming years before the genre tag of “torture porn,” Fred Vogel’s directorial debut—the first of what would eventually become a trilogy—is undoubtedly a film that fits that description.

There is no plot to speak of. The movie opens with Peter, played by Vogel, inviting his video camera-toting unnamed pal (voiced unseen by co-writer Allen Peters) into his basement to view his latest two victims. The pair humiliate and torture the woman, and Peter dismembers the male, taunting the woman with his grisly work. The rest of the film consists of similar segments, broken up by random vignettes, the most merciful being a trip to a pork slaughterhouse and processing facility. From innocent convenience store customers to a pair of prostitutes, anyone is game for Peter’s viciousness. All of it is gleefully documented by his giggling friend.

Following just on the heels of “The Blair Witch Project,” Vogel’s film makes apt use of its “found footage” aesthetic. The shoddy, badly recorded video lends the film an unsavory sheen of filth while covering any tell-tale signs that the movie is anything less than reality. The result is a film that could almost convincingly stand in for a genuine snuff film. It’s no surprise that Canadian border authorities once seized the film and its director.

Aiding this convincing sense of realism are the utterly naturalistic performances from all of the cast, especially Vogel and Peters. It’s truly disturbing how both seem to take genuine joy in the savagery their characters engage in. It's either acting at its most all-consuming or the pair’s more unpleasant tendencies exposed for all to see. While the mayhem and gore are unquestionably staged, many of the more humiliating things Peter subjects his victims to are not simulated. It's hard to imagine what it must have been like for the other cast members (including Vogel’s brother) to participate in these scenes.

At 70 minutes, one would think that the short runtime would seem merciful. In truth, the brutalities onscreen seem to drag on much longer than they really do. Part of it is likely due to a desire to see the pair’s cruelty over and done with, but much of it has to do with the two main characters.

Vogel was inspired by “Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer,” particularly the video shot within the film by its characters. But Peter and his pal are far from Henry and Otis. They are like a couple of immature frat boys, oh too eager to take advantage of a passed-out coed or a chance to harass a kid with special needs. They’re the guys who think it’s funny to kick a bum into a hospital bed or punch an old lady. Aside from the sadistic murders, their behavior is all too familiar, but true-to-life doesn’t automatically equal interesting. No matter how savage and violent, much of the film often becomes drawn out, advancing into numbing dullness, especially an overlong encounter with a pair of prostitutes that is more tedious than prurient.

While a lot can be said for the unflinching portrayals, the unsettlingly believable performances, and the disturbing realism, much of “August Underground” falls victim to a misplaced desire to be all bite and no bark. Suppose it had concerned itself, even just a little, with developing something more than its litany of atrocities. In that case, it may have had more to say that simply being an audacious litmus test for the staunchest fans of extreme horror.

This devil of a reviewer gives “August Underground” 2.5 out of 5 imps.