So, for this next article, we're going to do a double-bill of films that were given to us as screeners from TetroVideo Distribution for Marian Dora films. we'll go through them one at a time, first for The Angel's Melancholy.
Year: 2009
Country: Germany
Alternate Titles: Melancholie der Engel
Plot:
Taking a trip together, a group of friends decides to head out to a friends' house in order to relieve their memories together but the experience soon devolves into a series of abusive and demented games as they all give in to their baser instincts.
Review:
This was a brutal and devastatingly dark extreme cinema film. Among the more obvious features to like here is the ease with which it delves into forms of extreme self-mutilation, degradation, and humiliation that goes on at the cabin, which goes into incredibly dark territory rather quickly. The examination that carries on throughout the film involving the state of the human condition that’s willing to partake in this kind of behavior that the film attempts to tell is what allows the film to get away with the sexual nature of the sequences that are featured here which are quite graphic and disturbing in concept and execution, similar to the revoltingly realistic gore-effects which are a major part of the films’ success as an extreme film.
That does impact the film somewhat as the inclusion of the directionless, arthouse approach here that tries to make a statement on the different scenes. Bathing everything in a glorious technical spotlight despite seeing all the sexual activity and physical degradation that takes place here feels wholly disjointed with the egregious and unnecessary running time keeping everything going on way too long. As if that wasn't enough, the scenes of animal cruelty are just utterly repulsive and unnecessary which will be the most damaging aspect of this one more than the kind of gore and perversion on display.
And the second film, for Carcinoma.
Year: 2014
Country: Germany
Alternate Titles: N/A
Plot:
After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, a man decides to ignore all medical advice and let the cancer take over him as the days wind down and his life crumbles around him, forcing a severe reexamination of his life in order to come to terms with his upcoming death.
Review:
This was a genuinely dark and chilling exploitation effort that has a few flaws. What works well here is the generally uncomfortable experience throughout here with the willingness with the film to dwell on the extreme nature of his disease, making great use of the connection between the diseases' effect on his body with the downward spiral to his mental health. The idea of focusing as intensely and willingly as it does with the scatological references, experiences, and general interest that he develops over time with the fluids leaking out of his failing body creates such an extreme and uncomfortable atmosphere that it combines with the usual scenes of mutilation and dismemberment throughout here into a dark and depressing time. This one carries on such an atmosphere that it becomes a truly over-the-top and visually extreme effort.
However, while those elements are what make for an uncomfortable extreme piece of cinema there's also a lot that holds this back. The main issue here is the truly underwhelming storyline that could be called as such throughout here which makes for a rather dull time here. The fact that he just ignores all the treatment and goes off on his own is never explained, serving as a means just to get him out of their care but has nothing that explains why he does go off on with this journey. Being that it’s a big part of the storyline here, it’s a highly underwhelming feature much like the rather unlikable storyline involving the couple coming undone that does nothing for the film. Considering the nature of the scenes around them, the extreme filth and degradation make their sweet relationship not only stand out but just drag this down considerably. Combined with the uncomfortable nature of the film's themes and concepts as well as its visuals, these hold the film back overall.
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