AUGUST UNDERGROUND TRILOGY (AU, MORDUM, PENANCE) Round Table Discussion

HORROR 101 with Dr. AC

AUGUST UNDERGROUND (2001) d. Fred Vogel (USA) AUGUST UNDERGROUND'S MORDUM (2003) d. Fred Vogel (USA) AUGUST UNDERGROUND'S PENANCE (2007) d. Fred Vogel (USA) Inspired by the videotaped home invasion scene from Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and the documentary aesthetic of both Man Bites Dog and The Blair Witch Project, makeup artist-turned-writer/director Fred Vogel elected to burrow below the surface of human depravity for his 2001 debut feature, August Underground. Playing the lead character (Peter) himself, Vogel takes the viewer, or perhaps kidnaps is a more appropriate word, on a journey alongside a thrill killing monster who seeks to match his damaged psyche blow for blow against an unsuspecting world. Two sequels followed, August Underground: Mordum and August Underground: Penance, each more damaging in their own way than their predecessor. Over the past two decades, thanks to publications like Ultra Violent and Rue Morgue, as well as tireless hours on the convention circuit, August Underground and Vogel’s production/distribution company Toe Tag have carved out an avid, rabid fan base for their particular brand of confrontational horror. They are a legendary success story in the realm of DIY regional filmmaking, and now, thanks to Unearthed Films’ recent Blu-ray sets of all three August Underground films, they are ready to be discovered by a new generation. Question is, as it has always been, are horror fans ready for what lies beneath? Join AC and his amazing panel of guests Art Ettinger (Ultra Violent Magazine), S.A. Bradley (Hellbent for Horror), Michelle Kisner (The Movie Sleuth), and superfan Allana Sleeth as we chat about these notorious bad boys of horror. Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!