Madness of Many - An interesting look at life, death and rebirth
Single Disc Regular Edition
Released by: MVD Entertainment Group
Release Date: January 26, 2016
Production Year: 2013
Region Code: 1
Running Time: 1:12:05
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0
Video: NTSC Anamorphic Widescreen
Subtitles: None
THE FILM - [ 2.5 / 5 ]
As the back of the cover states, the film depicts the psychological journey of a young woman named Victoria. Since her childhood she has been sexually abused by her family. One day she decides to escape but the world is against her and she soon finds herself cast into an inferno of torture and punishment. This causes her unimaginable suffering but she also comes to understand the true meaning of her existence
Most horror fans will not find "Madness of Many" very appealing in any shape or form. It's not a Hollywood film for one and it is certainly not something your local movie theater would ever think of showing. This is the sort of film you might have spotted on VHS back in the days of mom and pop video stores during the 80's. Something independent, very independent as in maybe something only available in that region or state. People may have even mistaken parts of it for a snuff film.
The movie makes a solid effort to assault the senses. At times it is so gritty and dirty you might feel inclined to look away, turn it off or even feel the need to take a shower after watching it. If you are the squeamish sort that is bothered by blood, guts or vomit, you may find yourself peeking through your fingers several times. For a super low budget independent film, the special effects are quite good, some are even great in my opinion. The gutting and organ removal scene looked amazing.
Kasper Juhl wore many hats during the production of this film including serving as the director, writer, editor, producer, special effects make-up artist and also served as cinematographer and actor for some scenes. So yeah, that is a lot of work and kudos to him on his efforts!
AUDIO - [ 3 / 5 ]:
The film features a Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track which sounds good for the most part. It won't blow you away but it does its job. As director Kasper Juhl mentions during the commentary, the sound in the film is recorded via the camera only. So if at times it seems a little uneven, that could be the reason. I personally did not have an issue with it. I did turn the volume up a little louder for the film as well as the commentary track but that's not exactly something to complain about.
VIDEO - [ 2.5 / 5 ]:
"Madness of Many" comes to DVD courtesy of Unearthed Films and MVD Entertainment Group. The film is presented in NTSC Anamorphic Widescreen with a 2:35:1 Aspect Ratio. The video quality does have issues like banding but this is not your typical film with a large or even decent sized budget. This is real indie film-making where it is more like no budget rather than low budget. With that in mind, it's really not that bad and honestly it may even work in the films favor considering the dark subject matter and look of the film.
SPECIAL FEATURES - [ 2 / 5 ]:
Audio Commentary with director Kasper Juhl - Mr. Juhl provides some insight in to what inspired portions of the film as well as talking about production related stories pertaining to what is happening on the screen at the time. There are many brief but quiet moments throughout the commentary but that can often happen without a moderator to toss questions as the participants. I enjoyed this commentary because Kasper Juhl comes across as a humble and honest filmmaker. He's very aware that films like this are often met with a love it or hate it attitude and he's fine with that as he explains during the commentary.
Unearthed Films Trailer Reel - There are a slew of trailers included on the DVD or to be more accurate, 15 of them for your viewing pleasure.
IN CONCLUSION:
The film is available in a regular edition, which is what we reviewed, as well as a 3-Disc Ultimate Edition limited to 1000 copies that includes a lot more extras and a CD soundtrack. I think this is one of those films where the trailer will let you know if it is something you will enjoy. However if you are tired of the same old thing or want to try something new that you can tell your friends about because they most likely will scratch their heads upon hearing the title, this might be what you're looking for. If you would like to learn more about the film you can also visit "Madness of Many" on Facebook.
OVERALL RATING - [ 2.5 / 5 ]