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The Profane Exhibit – Unearthed Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Canada/Italy/Germany/Spain, 2013
Directors: Jeremy Kasten, Uwe Boll, Ruggero Deodato, Anthony DiBlasi, Marian Dora, Ryan Nicholson, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Michael Todd Schneider, Sergio Stivaletti, Nacho Vigalondo
Cast: Christine Ahanotu, Stephanie Bertoni, Jennifer Bliman, Tara Cardinal, Thomas Goersch, Mel Heflin, Clint Howard, Tina Krause, Monique Parent, Eihi Shiina, Josh Wasylink, Caroline Williams

Release Date: September 24th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 109 Minutes 52 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 English/Japanese/German/Spanish
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $39.95

"Ladies and gentlemen! My fellow creatures of the night! You are invited to join us on a perilous journey into the land of the damned. Please ensure to keep your limbs safely inside the speeding vehicle at all times, for what you are about to witness is a dangerous miracle of the macabre. Ten renowned horror movie directors from all over the world have recreated their most gruesome dreams and frenzied nightmares for your viewing displeasure. Your ticket entitles you to enjoy a surfeit of screams, palpitations, and gut-wrenching violence - the like of which has never before been seen by man or beast. Watch your step, don't look behind you, and try to keep your eyes open because you are about to witness...'The Profane Exhibit.'" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

The Profane Exhibit comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.4 GB

Feature: 30 GB

The source looks excellent; colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English, Japanese, German, and Spanish. The audio sounds clear, balanced, and robust when it should. Included are removable English subtitles for the whole film, removable English subtitles for all languages not English, and removable Spanish subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include image galleries with music from the film playing in the background, a trailer (1 minute 51 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with editor/director Jeremy Kasten (20 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with director Michael Todd Schneider (13 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with director Uwe Boll (12 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with screenwriter/producer Amanda Manuel (10 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Awakened Manna is a featurette about this segment and The Profane Exhibit (23 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles), a featurette titled Sergio Stivaletti's Tophet Quorum (14 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), a featurette titled 'Ten Years Later' by Marian Dora (14 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and German with non-removable English subtitles for German), World Premiere interview with Michael Todd Schneider and Amanda Manuel (13 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), World Premiere Q & A with Michael Todd Schneider and Amanda Manuel (34 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Michael Todd Schneider, Amanda Manuel and Ultra Violent Magazine's Art Ettinger, and a slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

The Profane Exhibit is an anthology horror that contains ten segments by ten filmmakers. Though many of these segments have connected to others thematically, it is their in-your-face depiction of violence that binds them. That said, these segments are filled with gore, sex, and depravity.

Mother May I: A demon-possessed nun abuses young girls.

The Hell Chef: A woman uses her culinary skills to help another woman make a meal out of her boyfriend.

Basement: An incestious father keeps his daughter in the basement to shield her from the dangers of the outside world.

Bridge: Two children threaten anyone who dares to cross a bridge.

Tophet Quorom: A woman distressed after losing a child at birth discovers a sinister secret lurking in her family's cellar.

Goodwife: A faithful wife’s reaction to discovering her husband is a serial killer revolts him.

Mors in Tabula: A skilled surgeon tries to save a gravely ill young boy.

Sins of the Father: An elderly father has the tables turned on by his son, who recreates the room where his father abused him years before.

Manna: After fulfilling their carnal desires, the members of a BDSM club eat their victims.

Amouche Bouche: A man’s death is told in reverse.

The strongest segments are The Hell Chef and Tophet Quorom, while the weakest are Bridge and Amouche Bouche. In the case of these latter two, they are dialog-free, and there is very little in the way of an actual story. The Hell Chef is by far and away the most fun; its premise is absurd, and its carnage is cartoonish. Tophet Quorom has the strongest narrative, and its gore special effects elevate it beyond the other segments.

The main draw for most viewers will be The Profane Exhibit’s extreme moments of carnage. Unfortunately, many of these segments are very short, and they lack resolution. Over a decade ago, I became aware of The Profane Exhibit's existence. Since then, it has been greatly hyped as a must-see for extreme horror cinema fans. That said, considering the reputation of the directors involved, the result is a massive letdown.

The Profane Exhibit gets an exceptional release from Unearthed Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of extras.