In the grand tradition of the sequel trying to out-do its predecessor, August Underground's Mordum, does one better by out-doing pretty much anything else you'll see when it comes to sheer sleaze, degradation and complete nastiness.

When I initially tried to bring a copy of this movie into Canada, our customs opened my parcel and watched the tape. I can imagine their jaws hitting the floor at what they were watching. Needless to say, I did not get the tape, but a "Notice of Dentention" as the video was sent to Canada's capital city (Ottawa) for examintion to see if this was indeed real snuff - I'm not kidding.

More of a refinement than a continuation, August Underground's Mordum trims a lot of the fat that bogged down the original August Underground, turning it into a non-stop attack on the viewer's senses and stomach. Director of the original AU, Fred Vogel, is joined this time around by a gang of sickos (Cristie "Crusty" Whiles, Jerami Cruise, Michael T. Schenider and Killjoy of the gore-metal band Necrophagia) as they engage in one vile act after another - all resulting in the death of their captive human slaves.

Eating maggots from what looks like a be-headed/rotted baby's corpse, stabbing a girl in the stomach and removing her intestines to use the gaping wound to have sex with, forcing a beaten man in a coffin to cut off his own penis with scissors and constantly puking on their victims are just a tiny snippet of what you'd see. Shot in the same gritty home video camera style with virtually no plot whatsoever and utilizing some pretty well done and real looking make-up effects, August Underground's Mordum to the naked (and even seasoned) eye is the closest you're going to come to seeing real snuff without it actually being so.

I can't stress enough that this is NOT for the casual horror movie fan but for those who's tastes lean toward the more extreme side of cinema. Even then that audience will probably have to work themselves up to seeing this. And believe me, if you think you've seen it all, you haven't. A shockumentary, pseudo-snuff, gorenography, whatever you want to call it, August Underground's Mordum not only pushes the boundaries of bad taste but gives them the middle finger in the process.

While it still comes off as too outlandishly offensive at times, it's a vast improvement over the original August Underground, if only for doing "wrong" even more wrong than before. Most will find this completely overboard and depending on the viewer could enhance or damper how much of it they take seriously. Either way, it's not a movie you'll likely to forget once you've seen it. You'll either think think it's a masterpiece of extreme horror or the most offensive piece of trash you'll ever witness. Since I've sought out to see every movie that's ever been proclaimed "the most disturbing movie of all time", I honestly can't say I find it offensive but for what's it's trying to accomplish - to disgust and offend 99.9% of the population - I can honestly say I've seen none better.

If you do feel inclined in seeing what many (this time legitimately) say could possibly be the "most disturbing movie of all time", you can go to Toe Tag Pictures for ordering information. It may sound cliche, but you've been warned. (Derek Carlson, 4/18/04)

Directed By: Fred Vogel, Cristie "Crusty" Whiles, Michael T. Schenider, Killjoy, Jerami Cruise.
Written By: Fred Vogel, Cristie "Crusty" Whiles, Michael T. Schenider, Killjoy, Jerami Cruise.

Starring: Fred Vogel, Cristie "Crusty" Whiles, Michael T. Schenider, Killjoy, Jerami Cruise.