Review: La Petite Mort 2: Nasty Tapes

 Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023
Images from the Internet

La Petite Mort 2: Nasty Tapes (aka La Petite Mort II)
Directed by Marcel Walz;
Matador Film; Bogatzki-movie.com Movie Production;
Unearthed Films; MVD Visual
90 minutes, 2014 / 2023
www.facebook.com/la.petite.mort.2/
www.unearthedvideo.com
https://mvdb2b.com/s/LaPetiteMort2NastyTapes/UN-1149

This is the second chapter of this German transgressive cinema directed by goremaster Marcel Walz (who as since moved and started filming in Los Angeles). In the first installment, the yucky stuff was handled by Olaf Ittenbach, who is absent this time. Still, I have no doubt that will not slow down the ultraviolence. Again, the film is in German with English subtitles. But honestly, I get the feeling, the libretto is not going to matter as much as the visual. The gore effects this time are handled by The Gruesome Twosome, and Megan and Ryan (d. 2019) Nicholson. A cult SFX wizard, Ryan also directed the likes of the Gutterball franchise, Hanger (2009), and Star Vehicle (2010). 

In the first piece, LaPetite Mort, released in 2009 (though taking place in 1998), we are introduced to the Masion La Petite Mort in Frankfurt, where travelers are tortured for the deep web viewing pleasure, as well as an opportunity for rich people to fill their violent fantasies (a la the Hostel franchise), but online. Honestly, I would not be surprised if this actually happens, but as I have never been on the dark web and have no intentions of doing so, I will never know, nor do I want to see that.

Yvonne Wolke, Annika Strauss

The new owner of La Petite Mort is sexually amorphous Monsieur Matheo Maxime (Mika Metz; d. 2017), with his two hench – er – women, brunette Dominque (Annika Strauss), who returns from the first film, and blonde Monique (Yvonne Wölke). Both could have been in the video for the Divinyls’ song “Pleasure and Pain.” They are aided by others, such as the Sexy Nurses (Gabriela Wirbel and Nicole Neukirch), the well-named Eva Brown (Bea La Bea), and Matheo’s wife, Jade (Micaela Schäfer).

In the first film, we are introduced to some tourists who end up at the Jail Bar, and how they end up in Masion La Petite Morte, as well as the follow-up. Here, there is no context, just torture broken up into segments that have title cards such as “Sushi Time” with info on the victim, and how much someone is paying to have them eviscerated. As Ralph Kramden may say, “Pins and needles, needles and pins…” Victims are of both sexes, so there is that. There are also “between” segments with testimonials from happy customers who either paid for the chance to kill, or do the body work themselves. And all of it on camera.

Micalea Schafer, Mika Metz

Much of it is from the perspective of the Web cameras, so it is nearly found footage style, but there is also some “backstage” drama with Matheo and the women who work for him. Even this internal tension is caught on video, as the characters occasionally look directly at the camera and comment.

A sort of by-product of this style is that the person watching this is not just a viewer, but is a participant of the feed.

Gabriela Wirbel, Nicole Neukirch

Stylistically, it is actually shot beautifully, focusing on the faces (or parts thereof) in close-ups of most of the characters, in a darkish, reddish tone. Also, for some reason, there is some clips of Carnival of Souls (1962) and Night of the Living Dead (1968) shown on a monitor (the former also of facial close-ups).

Each set piece has a slightly different feel, such as one called “Gasrechnung” (“Gas Bill”) which has a definite World War II feel, with Eva Brown giving herself a Hitler moustache in blood. Most of this segment is in black and white as in a Leni Riefenstahl-style propaganda film. Interestingly, there is an added censor image over certain parts of the uniforms, which show Nazi iconography. German film: detailed torture permitted, but no symbols of the “fatherland.”

Like Tod Browning in films like Freaks (1932), some odd humans are thrown into the mix, such as The Twins (Barbara and Patrizia Zuchowski). There are also some cool cameos throughout from cult genre filmmakers and/or actors, such as Dustin Mills, Haley Madison, Uwe Bowl, Mike Mendez, Adam Ahlbrandt, and Ryan Nicholson (d. 2019).

Despite splashes (drips?) of laughter in a couple of moments, everyone seems to be unhappy, be it through body dysmorphia, boredom while inflicting pain out of repetition, and of course, the subjects of the sharp objects. This is a pretty joyless film, with minimal humor, though there are some dark moments of it scattered throughout.

The first extra on the Blu-ray is the “Making of La Petite Mort 2” (13 min), which is essentially extended scenes showing more detail of some of the tortures. Then there is an “Alternate Scene” (4 min) that is the “Gas Bill” part, without the edited-out images of the Iron Cross, the “SS” Schutzstaffel logo, and of course the swastika armband (wonder if they ever play Lech Kowalski’s 1980 documentary D.O.A. over there).

The ”Behind the Scenes Gallery” (3 min) is lots of nice shots of the make-up and the cast, and I quite enjoyed it. As for the “Advert” (30 sec), I have no idea what I was looking at. Last, there are a few company trailers, as well as two from this film, and the first La Petite Mort.

As I stated in my review of the first film, “The problem with stories like this, and this is my opinion, is the plot revolves around the action, rather than the action being a result of the story…sometimes it goes beyond what even I can tolerate. If this is your idea of fun, well, please, have at it.”

I realize that this film is a few years old now, but I have to say, the whole premise of strangers being tortured for the pleasure of the rich and/or on the Net for clicks/cash, is becoming a bit cliché, and is merely an excuse for some graphic body horror. Sure, I like a bit of ultraviolence, but my tastes run more to the cartoonish violence, even when explicit, than just someone being tied up and put through the wringer. Also, I like more of a narrative than a string of events. How can one feel anything about any character if there is nothing to bolster the why, other than greed.

 MDB listing HERE

Review: Flowers

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2015
Images from the Internet

Flowers

Written, shot and directed by Phil Stevens
Borderline Cinema / Frog Militia
Unearthed Films / MVD Visual
www.unearthedfilms.com
www.mvdvisual.com

Philadelphia, where this story takes place and was mostly shot, is known as “the City of Brotherly Love.” Well, for Flowers, it is certainly not the city of Sisterly Love. The reason is that there is a serial killer on the loose who targets women in their twenties who have been “naughty,” by various means. But when most films of this type start with the women being captured, this one goes for their souls after they are already dead. This is not the first film to use this premise (Carnival of Souls [1962] and the recent Normal [2013] are but a couple of examples), but director Phil Stevens manages to take a pretty unique perspective.

Bryant W. Lohr, Sr. as killer The Exile

Over ambient sounds and music, and a lack of dialog throughout, we follow six women who have been mutilated for sexual pleasure by an older, overweight man known only as The Exile (Bryant W. Lohr, Sr.). His countenance is stoic and unemotional, his body sometimes bare (i.e., nekkid), and judging by the number of bodies his killing spree is huuuuuuge (sorry, was watching idiot Trump recently, but I digress…). But he is only the catalyst here, and not the focus. Most of the story takes place after his actions.

Of the multitude of deaths, the film focuses on six of his “flowers,” most of who disappear from their everyday lives without notice due to their marginalized status, such as sex workers or substance abusers. Each come to their after-consciousness confused, silent, and with an autopsy “Y” crudely stitched across their chests.

Each of these women ends up in a dilapidated part of a house that looks like it has been deserted since the ‘30s. There seems like there is some playing with time, such as a rotary phone and old photographs, but the hair styles and colors, tattoos and piercings tell you it’s in the present time; it’s the purgatory that is timeless.

Anastasia Blue as Flower #3

One ends up in a crawlspace under a porch full of bodies in and out of garbage bags, one in a bathroom that would make the one in Saw (2004) look appetizing, another in a kitchen, and so on. There are some consistent themes across the stories, though, such as a dead pig (especially the head), old photographs, and lots and lots of decay in the form of muck, mire, decay, and worms.

Most of the cast have no previous credits before this release, but every single one holds up fine under what appears to be quite the arduous filming conditions, such as crawling through the substances mentioned above, being nearly constantly in filthy clothes and schmutz on their bodies, and in some cases in very confined spaces. In that way, it’s a pretty disgusting and gross picture.

Being director Phil Stevens’ first IMDB indication of helming a picture, he certainly had nothing to lose by experimentation, and in this case, most of it works really well. The film is presented in a world that is drained of most color, seeped in sepia tones, to represent a different worldliness of being lost. It’s a really nice touch. The lack of sound – I’m guessing in part so he could give directions throughout – also works, as he manages to still get the story across.

This is a very slow paced film. You definitely need some patience with it, but if you do, you will find it’s worth it. Many of the shots are longer, and you stick with each of the stories for a length that you would not expect in quite a few cases. I’m not sure how much of the lack of speed has to do with Stevens or his editor, Ronnie Sorter (who directed some of his own genre films back in the VHS days), but in either case, it works for rather than against this film.

The women who are the victims here certainly are not girl next door types, and there is very little character background if at all, and yet Stevens still makes you feel for these people. Their acting also does as much in that direction, which is all the more impressive considering for most this is their first (credited) roles. The characters are put into situations where they supposed choose their actions, seemingly a few on the line with some of the “7 Deadly Sins” such as gluttony, vanity, and lust.

The film has a great look. The make-up, the way Stevens sets up the shots (all by him on a relatively steady hand-held camera), the gore and disgusting room set-ups, it all works to gnaw on the viewers uncomfortablility level (for me, it was the close-up on a real injection). My favorite shot was one of the final flower reaching into her own body cavity, as seen from the inside (a very manga idea).

There are some questions I have about the film that were not really answered in the story, such as the reason for the pig and pics (other than availability), or who goes to heaven and who ends up in hell. Also, why is Defect written on the wall in one scene (and is it read as DEE-fect, as in something wrong, or De-FECT, as in give up). Unfortunately, these questions are not answered in the two commentaries, one by director Stevens, and the other with editor and sound designer Sorter. Their talks are totally from the technical end of writing, building the sets (actually quite interesting the way they do it) and getting funding, or sound and editing (duh). Neither barely touches the storyline at all. There is a third extra track that isolates the ambient soundscape, which has a cool, only wind-through-tunnels feel.

Other extras, which are worth the time, are a 10-minute interview with our killer, Lohr, the full 14-minuite audition tape of Flower 6, Makaria Tsapotoris (who also was a major part of the production crew and Stevens’ “right-hand person,” as he describes in the commentary), 15 minutes of really interesting behind-the-scene stills, and a bunch of Unearthed trailers (including this one).

During his rambling-but-enjoyable discussion, Stevens mentions the Deleted Scenes reel…which is not included here, but in another triple-disc released version (one is the soundtrack CD) that is also available. Would have liked to have seen that, but I’m happy to have had the opportunity to see this film.

I don’t know if I would use the word masterpiece, but a successful project? Yes, without a doubt. For a debut feature, Stevens, cast, and crew did a remarkable job. There is sort of an indication of a possible sequel – and just to show you how off the wall this film is – in the opening sequence. I would look forward to seeing where they go next.