DVD review: August Underground's Mordum (Video 2003)

The sequel to the cult classic August Underground, is a character study in the sick: an amoral, putrid, masturbatory fantasy. The found footage contained in August Underground's MORDUM documents extreme deviant sexuality, torture, and murder, while unfolding a classic tale of a man and woman in love. However, the woman cannot give up her other lover, who also happens to be her younger brother. Exploiting the trio of killers and their deviant ways with issues such as child abuse, incest, rape, and their effects on the human psyche, August Underground's MORDUM will vomit all over you and leave you for dead. August Underground's Mordum is written by Jerami Cruise, Killjoy, Michael Todd Schneider, Christie Whiles and Fred Vogel who is the director and plays on of the main characters. The shaky camera work, the grainy and damaged picture makes it uncannily realistic. The film takes place in a non-linear form. The acting is convincing, this film has more characters and more of a plot than the first film. Cristie Whiles deserves special recognition, she´s truly great as the psychotic Crusty. August Underground's Mordum shows violence for what it is, instead of glamorising it, it is shown as dirty and vile. And there are a lot of truly nasty and disturbing scenes, for instance a guy raping a dead girl in a bathtub and a decapitated baby in a trash can. The gore make-up fx, all practical effects, is very good and looks incredibly realistic .
This review is based upon the DVD release from Toetag Pictures.
Rating: 6 out of 7. Even if one might have thought that it couldn´t be worse than August Underground the sequel is actually better made and even more dark and disturbing. August Underground's Mordum makes uncomfortable viewing and it´s almost unbearable to watch. August Underground's Mordum could actually be one of the most disturbing films made. Recommended only if you like truly extreme cinema, all others should stay very far away from this.

/JL