PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Filmmaker Olaf Ittenbach is praised by gore fans all over the world for his own films such as Burning Moon, Black Past, Premutos, Dard Divorce, Garden Of Love, Beyond The Limits, House Of Blood, No Reason and also his effects work on countless films such as la petite mort, Mutation 2, K3: Prison Of Hell, Help Me, I’m Dead, Deuteronomium and more. So it was no surprise to see that his 2015 film, 5 Seasons, is another prime example of Ittenbach doing what he does best – nonstop, well-executed practical gore effects enveloped in a twisted story of retribution.
It’s a damn shame that 5 Seasons hasn’t received a more widespread release. The rather pricey media book release is a beauty, no doubt, but it contains no English subtitles. This has caused a majority of fans to pass on making the purchase. However, I have to thank my Norwegian friend and rare underground film collector, Knut A. Myserth, for helping me to get my hands on this release. Without him, I never would have seen it, so I graciously thank him for his time and effort.
Despite the lack of subtitles, I read the plot synopsis, and 5 Seasons is fairly straightforward. Fortunately for gore hounds, the sauce is pretty nonstop and just plain nasty. What makes it all the more disturbing is that a portion of the violence is inflicted on children, so you can imagine the level of savagery and depravity the film reaches. People who say it’s one of Ittenbach’s shittiest films clearly has never seen it or doesn’t know what they are talking about. I thought the premise was extremely thought-provoking and successful on such a low budget.
The plot involves a bunch of people who take it upon themselves to avenge the deaths of their loved ones who suffered at the hands of reprehensible murderers. We see the profiles of each of the killers and what they have done before this tight-knit group abducts them and tortures them in truly gruesome ways. When you watch the killers being tortured, you feel bad until you find out the crimes they themselves have committed. I think this is where 5 Seasons works very well. Both parties kill and torture and are monsters in their own ways.
There are some familiar names involved with this project, such as A Cruel Fucking Nightmare’s Jim Aal, Thomas Ortlepp and Sebastian Zeglarski. The nonstop gruesome torture and gore galore in 5 Seasons will not only wet the appetite of gorehounds but drown it in a flood of absolute filth and destruction. 5 Seasons is for Olaf Ittenbach completists and gore lovers in general. To learn more, check out the official site for the film.
