Atroz:
Limited Collector's Edition (2015/Unearthed Films/MVD Visual
Blu-ray w/DVD & CD Soundtrack)
Picture:
B/B- Sound: B/B- Extras: B Film: C
Lex
Ortega's 2015 Mexican Underground horror film Atroz (which
means Atrocious in English) is a down and dirty ride and isn't for
the faint of heart. The film was no doubt inspired by underground
filmmaker Fred Vogel's August Underground Trilogy in the way
that the kills are depicted with a harsh video recording, making the
effects look and feel more realistic. If you haven't seen those
films and you like this, I would highly suggest checking them out.
Produced
by Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocaust), the film is a mix of
found footage and cinematic narrative that tells the story of two
serial killers who get captured after a car accident and videotapes
of their grisly crimes are discovered at the crime scene. Amongst
the victims of their crimes are a transvestite prostitutes and a
stripper, both of which are tortured to death in down right dirty
ways. Through the tapes we discover that one of the killers was
abused heavily by his parents (who he later murders), while the other
one is just a downright sicko.
There
are many beats in the film that are explicitly effective, namely one
murder is acted upon out of revenge against the killer's parents.
What holds the film back is its murky and often times confusing
narrative, with an ending that makes little to no sense. Hailed as
the most intense gore film in Mexican history, the film shines in its
gory moments but seems to lack everywhere else.
Presented
in 1080p high definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and
a lossy Mexican Dolby Digital 5.1 track in Spanish, the film looks
and sounds fine on Blu-ray disc. One of the biggest drawbacks are
the English subtitles, which are often delayed from scene to scene,
which makes watching key moments of the film aggravating. Many subs
are also misspelled, which will aggravate some.
There's
also a standard definition version of the film with a 1.85:1
widescreen aspect ratio and the same lossy Mexican Dolby Digital 2.0
Stereo track with English subs on DVD that looks and sounds fine for
the format but doesn't have the texture or detail that the Blu-ray
does, obviously.
Extras
include...
Atroz:
Original Short Film
Crowdfunding
Video
Behind
the Scenes: Music and Sound Design
BTS:
Practical Effects
BTS:
Production
Unearthed
Film Trailers
BTS
Image Gallery
CD
Soundtrack (as noted above)
Collectible
disc packaging/artwork
A
gorefest with some good beats and decent production values, Atroz
is a step above most underground films but narratively, not impactful
enough to become a cult classic.
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
