August Underground: Limited Edition – Unearthed Films (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 2001
Director: Fred Vogel
Writers: Allen Peters, Fred Vogel
Cast: Allen Peters, Fred VogelAnnMarie Reveruzzi, Aaron LaBonte, Ben LaBonte, John A. Wisniewski, Alexa Iris

Release Date: August 15th, 2023
Approximate running time: 71 Minutes 1 Second
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Stereo Englis
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region A/Region 1 NTSC
Retail Price: $39.95

"Imagine walking down the street and finding an unmarked VHS tape. Curiosity piqued, you take it home and pop it in. What starts off as two men screwing around with a video camera quickly transforms into an ultra-realistic torture sequence where the unidentified psychopaths tape their exploits as they torment and violate a woman tied to a chair. The devastation of your morals continues throughout the entirety of the footage, while subtly revealing the killer's shattered pasts via the interaction with their victims and each other." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video:

August Underground comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.5 GB

Feature: 14.3 GB

The source for August Underground is never going to look pretty; it was shot on video with the intention of looking like amateurish found footage. That said, I see no need to score or further describe this transfer since the screenshots below give a clear indication of what to expect.

Audio:

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in English. The audio, just like the video presentation, is intentionally rough around the edges, and an English subtitle track would have been greatly appreciated.

Extras:

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a trailer (2 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a photo gallery, a web promo (58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival documentary titled August Underground 'Too Real For Comfort' An Outsider's Perspective (101 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), three archival featurettes: August Underground On Location, August Underground Behind The Brutality, and Hammer to the Head: A Closer Look At August Underground (66 minutes 50 seconds - total running time of these three featurettes, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Revisiting Infamy! Severed Cinema interviews Fred Vogel (38 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Dave Parker interviews Fred Vogel (46 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Dave Parker interviews Fred Vogel and Mike Watt (67 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), TOETAG Masterclass: From Storyboard To Screen (6 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), 10 Questions with Fred Vogel (12 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), original introduction by Fred Vogel (1 minute 20 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), August Underground original screener version (69 minutes 59 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Fred Vogel and Ulta Violent Magazine's Art Ettinger, an archival audio commentary with Fred Vogel, an archival audio commentary with Fred Vogel, and actors Aaron LaBonte and Ben LaBonte, and an archival audio commentary with ‘The Killer’.

Other extras include reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to the first pressing), and trailers for August Underground's Mordum and August Underground's Penance.

Included is a DVD that has everything the Blu-ray does except these two extras: Dave Parker interviews Fred Vogel, Dave Parker interviews Fred Vogel and Mike Watt, and the original screener version.

Summary:

August Underground was the directorial debut of Fred Vogel, who went on to direct or co-direct eight more films. Including two more August Underground films, August Underground's Mordum and August Underground's Penance.

August Underground is an extreme horror that employs the found footage cinematic technique. When it comes to a narrative, it is actually a collection of random moments of brutality and carnage. Everything about August Underground screams DIY, no-budget cinema. With its only strength being its gory special effects. That said, August Underground is a nasty, in-your-face gut punch that most viewers will not be able to stomach. Ultimately, despite its many shortcomings, August Underground is a film that lives up to its infamous reputation.

August Underground gets a definitive release from Unearthed Films.

Written by Michael Den Boer