Aftermath/Genesis

Descanting the Insalubrious
Courtesy of Unearthed films, this DVD is a complete and essential package for those wanting to explore the works of Spanish cult director Nacho Cerda. We get all 3 of his short films and a boatload of extras to boot. But before you read any further, I will issue a warning. If the sight of blood makes you the least bit queasy, do not view “Aftermath”. If you see yourself as some sort of hot-shot horror aficionado because “I dig gory films such as Dawn of the Dead and Evil Dead” then stay far away from this, because you won’t be prepared for what’s about to unfold on your screen. Why would I go out of my way to watch something like this? Well for two major reasons 1) I’m a hardcore horror fanatic whose always looking for something to push my boundaries and 2) because these films are a prime example of DIY filmmaking, beautifully made despite a micro-budget and by a director who refuses to compromise his style and vision for the hope of...

Some say we're born into the grave
The subject of death is rarely exposed or investigated with any sort of tangible certainty. Possibly in an effort to diminish its ominous threat, the topic is often ignored. Or sometimes it is romanticized, with fabrications of some angelic getaway just waiting for us. But, in reality, it is a looming question mark that has no definite answers.
Nacho Cerda is a courageous director that doesn't back down from these notions. This release actually has three short movies

~Awakening--This is only like 7 minutes long, and it deals almost entirely with spirituality. It is beautifully shot with kind of a twilight zone feel.

~Aftermath--It deals with the physicality of death. It is extremely grotesque, plus the special effects are incredibly realistic as some cadavers get sliced up and some...uh,...sick stuff happens. Really sick.

~Genesis--This final one deals with the emptiness that is left behind after a lover passes away. This guy has some...

Fear of nihilism.
Aftermath (Nacho Cerda, 1994)

Nacho Cerda's infamous short (half an hour) film Aftermath is a love-it-or-hate-it affair. Unlike most films of this stripe, it's not an easy split; you can't simply say that gorehounds and perverts will like it and everyone else won't. And that should clue you in that there's something beyond gore, necrophilia, and a really twisted (but damned funny) punchline going on under the surface here. This is where the split occurs; if you can grok what Cerda seems to be saying, and you've got a strong enough stomach to take it in the way Cerda dishes it out, you're probably going to like this. You may never watch it again, but you can appreciate it on some level.

Aftermath takes us behind the scenes at a medical examiner's office. I want to say here that it's not your normal medical examiner's office, but we don't know, do we? One way or the other, however, the guys who work here are just plain scary. In the first of the two extended...

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