Director(s) – Jeremy Kasten (The Dead Ones, Devil in the Details), Uwe Boll (House of the Dead, Rampage), Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocause, Deathcember), Anthony DiBlasi (Last Shift, Malum), Marian Dora (Voyage to Agatis, Blight of Humanity), Ryan Nicholson (Torched, Gutterballs), Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Dragon Chef, Meatball Machine Kodoku), Sergio Stivaletti (The Wax Mask, Dogman’s Rabies), and Nacho Vigalondo (V/H/S Viral, Collossal)
Starring – Christine Ahanotu (The Reunion, The Mojave Sisters), Didac Alcaraz (Trash Ninjas, Something Huge), and U. Bernard (Morbid Montage)
Release Date – 2013
Rating – 2/5
Blu Release – 3.5/5
For years I’ve heard talks about the extreme horror anthology The Profane Exhibit from genre fans who get off on films like August Underground and the Vomit Gore series. At one point in time I wasn’t interested at all in the project because these types of films don’t appeal to me. While I love gore and blood, most extreme horror flicks focus too much on gore and trying to be edgy instead of giving viewers a decent story.
However, that changed when I saw that director Ryan Nicholson was involved. What films of his I had scene I thoroughly enjoyed. I kept an eye on the project and after a few years it was evident that it found itself in distribution hell. That was until recently when Stephen Biro announced that he was releasing the film, eleven years after completion, on blu and DVD. I reached out to them and they were kind enough to send a copy my way. I want to thank Unearthed and MVD for sending this one over!
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a group of the world’s wealthiest and depraved who get together to tell stories that is not for the faint of heart. These stories range from a serial rapist, an evil surgeon, a doctor who has turned his back on his oath, and many more. **Spoiler Alert**
I went into The Profane Exhibit knowing absolutely nothing about it aside that it was meant to be an extreme anthology featuring some of the world’s most popular underground filmmakers at the time. I don’t mind extreme horror if they have more to them than gore and “shocking” scenes. The Profane Exhibit did have some solid enough stories but I still found myself very underwhelmed by a film that, honestly, was not as gruesome as I was expecting.
The acting in this one is actually very well done in every segment. Typically, an anthology with segment from various filmmakers usually features inconsistent acting. However, that is not the case here. Each segment features some serious acting from various walks of life and experience. I was honestly impressed in this regard.
The stories for this anthology are where the film lost me. Some of them are extremely slow paced and dull while others are in your face and action packed. Segments Mother May I?, Bridge, Tophet Quorom, Sins of the Father, and Mors in Tabula are extremely dull in my opinion and while they may showcase some great effects, the are unable to hold the viewer’s attention with lack of storytelling. On the other side of the same coin, segments Basement (from Uwe Boll of all people), Goodwife, and Manna are very enjoyable but you have to make it through the other segments to enjoy them.
Finally, this film has a lot fantastic practical effects. While some of the segments use more blood and gore than others, they all have amazing looking effects that rivals anything you’ve seen before or since. Overall, The Profane Exhibit had some amazing gore but the overall film was a huge let down. I love Unearthed Films and can recommend dozens of other releases of theirs to check out but this is not one of them. Skip it.
Special Features:
Audio Commentary by Director Michael Todd Schneider, Producer Amanda Manuel and Ultra Violent Magazine’s Art Ettinger
World Premiere Interview
World Premiere Q&A
‘Ten Years Later’ by Marian Dora
Sergio Stivaletti’s Tophet Quorum
Awakened Manna
Tiffany Blem Interviews Michael Todd Schneider
Tiffany Blem Interviews Uwe Boll
Tiffany Blem Interviews Amanda Manuel
Tiffany Blem Interviews Jeremy Kasten
Galleries
Trailer
