If you've been hanging around these parts recently then you've probably caught my reviews of Astaroth Entertainment's true gore vids Faces of Gore (review here) or their outrageous feature flick The Necro Files (review here). Well, when they asked me to take a look at a few of their fetish videos (fantasy rape and death) I said...sure! I didn't say yes because these types of vids are necessarily my bag or because I was indeed interested in turning over a new leaf. I said yes because I like to consider myself to be an extremely open minded individual and if anybody could get to the bottom of this underworld of bizarre fetish madness and report on it rather honestly (and I would hope interestingly), it would be me (are you buying this? Nah, neither am I).

Let's get something out of the way right from the get go. These pieces are most certainly not for the masses. Just because you're a fan of horror don't mean jack in an instance like this. These vids cut right to the chase and are extremely violent, sexual and degrading. If you're not in the right frame of mind, these videos (or this article for that matter) could easily offend and possibly place you in an angry email writing kinda mood. I get enough emails as it is, therefore, if this topic doesn't interest you, please move onto something else. However, if you are morbidly curious or genuinely interested in the subject matter at hand, then please by all means read on.

OK, we're almost there folks, promise. My experience with the world of erotic / horror / fetish up until this point had been minor at best. This isn't to say that I didn't know anything about the world or was unaware of the fact that it even existed, because I did. I'm fully aware of the fact that there are these shot on video fetish flicks that incorporate chloroform, strangulation and all manners of torture, rape and fantasy death situations. That's right, I knew that this world existed, but my exposure had been minor at best up until this point. At the request of Astaroth Entertainment, I dug into 4 of their titles. The brave may now enter, while the weak will want to turn and run. We'll start off with a brief description of each DVD and its content.

The first two vids are pure and simple examples of fantasy rape/death. The first I checked out is entitled Stalked and Raped Vol 1: I am Going to Rape You. Directed by the female lead Amber Thirteen (oddly enough) the film features a young woman (Amber Thirteen) who returns home to a nice warm shower. What she doesn't know is that she's being watched (he watches while she masturbates in the shower to be exact). Her stalker uses the steamed mirrors to scrawl out the words I Am Going To Rape You, and he does just that after the young lady emerges from her bathroom. There's strangulation, rape and he finishes her off by gouging her privates with his knife. The second film entitled Gravedigger: Slaughtered Sluts Vol 1 features a couple of women in 6 different scenes of torture, humiliation, rape and death. One young woman is abducted in a parking garage only to be tied to a chair and violently raped with a gun. Most of the remaining scenes involve young women showering or bathing with the gruesome finale of either a slit throat or a nasty stabbing.

The next couple of vids are entitled Witch Torture and are slightly more cinematic than the first two. Part 1 is called Curse of the Inquisitor and involves a young woman who's transported back in time only to be tortured and ravished by...yup you guessed it, an inquisitor! The young lady is whipped, violated from behind with a cross, strapped into a device that pokes spikes through her breasts and finished off with a slit throat. The second volume called The Mark of Satan features two girls being tortured one by one. The first young lady (Amber Thirteen once again) appears briefly at the beginning of the first Witch Torture and is ravished while tied to a cross. The second girl is taken in a similar manner to the young lady in the first Witch Torture - she's whipped, raped, etc. you get the idea.

OK, let's break it down. What these vids do is basically eliminate the middleman, allow me to explain. The violent footage found within these vids are really a throw back to the exploitation days of yesteryear. While the footage of torture, rape and bloodshed may still be quite disturbing to some, for a seasoned cult film fan, this will most likely not seem so foreign. Let's face it, I've seen a fetus ripped out of a pregnant woman's vagina and a young woman vaginally raped with a spike in Cannibal Holocaust. I've seen a vagina brutally mauled in grotesque and close-up detail in Patrick Still Lives. I've witnessed a penis that is chopped off and eaten while a young woman is hung with hooks from her breasts in Make Them Die Slowly. There is so much violence and disrespect shown towards women in Bloodsucking Freaks I wouldn't even know where to begin! (I could start with the woman who's ass is used as a dart board!) Do I even need to discuss the fantasy schoolgirl rape videos that come out of Japan? My point is that the subject matter or "deplorable" violence may not be so foreign after all, it's just that we cut to the chase with these fetish vids and skip all of the foreplay and chitchat. Bascically, the folks that are after these types of vids get exactly what they bargained for, and they get it pretty damn quick.

Now - I can hear the puritans screaming at the top of their lungs, "The violence towards women is despicable!" or "The people making and starring in these films are sick and probably rape for real!" etc. etc. blah, blah, blah. One thing we have to remember is that this is all pure fantasy! We're all adults right? If I make a film that centers around a bank robbery, does that mean that I am indeed a bank robber? Will I turn into a bank robber for watching? NO, stupid! If you don't want to watch, don't! But please, for the love of god and all that is holy, don't cram your bible in my face and tell me (an educated adult) that I shouldn't watch or should be ashamed for watching. The people in and behind the scenes of these videos are all willing participants and as you'll see in a bit from my description of the behind the scenes footage, appear to be actually having a good time while making them! I am now stepping down from my soapbox, thank you.

From a technical standpoint, these are really well made shot on video short films. Each of the four features I looked at run about a half-hour (give or take) and features inventive lighting and editing, original scores, decent special effects and surprisingly effective performances. The Witch Torture videos even add to the mix some nifty sets and costumes. The point is that there is obviously a lot of time and effort put into each of these films, much more than one would expect, which in turn translates to added value for the fan. While each of these films feature extreme sexual violence, there is no actual penetration visible. Also of note is the fact that these are all DVD-R's so if you are indeed interested, you'll have to check for compatibility with your player.

Each disc features extras including trailers or clips from other vids. The Witch Torture DVDs also feature behind the scenes segments that run just about a half-hour total. If anyone questions the level of participation of those involved, these behind the scenes segments will answer ALL. Everyone on set is joking and laughing - despite the morbid subject matter, all involved appear to be having a blast.

It's plain and simple here folks - Astaroth Entertainment is serving a niche market and from what I can tell, is serving it quite well. The subject matter is what it is and if it's not your thing, so be it. However, if you're a fan of fantasy death or looking for a starting point (or if you're possibly even falling in love with Amber Thirteen - as I may be) then your ticket may just be with Astaroth Entertainment and their line of Erotic Horror fetish vids (www.erotichorror.com) ADULTS ONLY!!