Sex Murder Art

The films of Jörg Buttgereit, it must be emphasized, are not for everybody. Situated on the extreme fringe of the horror genre, they traffic in subjects and imagery that most viewers will find offensive, even repulsive (of course, Buttgereit argues that his work is intended not to glorify violence but to show its awfulness). This comprehensive set contains four of Buttgereit's films, remastered in HD: Nekromantik (1987), about a man who indulges in necrophilia and eventually kills himself; Der Todesking (1989), an anthology of seven shorts dealing with suicide and murder (reviewed in VL-9/15); Nekromantik 2 (1991), a sequel in which the erstwhile girlfriend of the dead necrophilia aficionado exhumes his corpse (for, ahem, obvious reasons) before moving on to a second guy, with bloody results; and Schramm (1993), which uses wild camera moves to explore the mind and actions of a serial killer. All were made on shoestring budgets, and the relentless gore and nudity on display are somewhat mitigated by the gritty images, although some would argue that the unsettling effect of the films is actually enhanced by the technical crudeness. Cult Epics has certainly done Buttgereit proud, loading Sex Murder Art with extras, including audio commentaries, brief intros for each film, a Q&A with the filmmaker, “making-of” featurettes, short films by Buttgereit, outtakes, a music video, photo galleries, and—most notably—the hour-shy documentary Corpse Fucking Art on Buttgereit's first three films. Also included are two CDs with film soundtracks, and an illustrated booklet. Given the subject matter, this set cannot be recommended for general audiences, but Buttgereit does have a unique voice, and this could appeal to hardcore fans of what might be called alternative horror. Recommended, with the noted reservations. (F. Swietek)