Welcome back to Film Gutter, and rest assured it's been a long time since I've been looking forward to dipping my toes into a movie this much. Last year I was lucky enough to catch Phil Stevens' Flowers, which no doubt you've all heard me waxing lyrical about. Flowers scored a perfect 10/10 and was my top film of 2015 here at Film Gutter. So, when I was offered the chance to watch Lung II before its official release, you can bet I snatched that invitation with both hands. Phil Stevens' second feature is a prequel to Flowers, and that's about all I knew besides two things – one, this movie didn't have any dialogue either. And two, this one was in black and white. But if this one matched up to – or even came close to Flowers – then I knew this was going to be something special.

Come on in, the water's painful...

Vile (2011)

Dir. Taylor Sheridan, USA, 88 mins

Welcome back everyone, and today we're entering some truly agonising territory. Various of our films have been painful to watch, for a whole host of different reasons, but this one is simply all about pain. With a slightly different spin on the classic captive story, this is Vile. A 2011 release that garnered a decent response on the horror festival scene, will this one live up to its name?

A film that's probably been long overdue a review, American Mary emerged in 2012 and announced the arrival of the Soska sisters to the directorial scene in a big way. This one all came about whilst the Soskas were trying to sell what would be their debut film, Dead Hooker in a Trunk, and was a movie that came together in a remarkably quick time – shot over a period of just 15 days, getting this film made at all was an achievement in itself.

Born in January 2015, Film Gutter burst onto the extreme horror scene with a host of reviews looking at some of the most disturbing and disgusting cinema out there. Now, in January 2016, Film Gutter is coming to an e-reader near you...

Yes, after a hugely successful 2015 which saw more than 40 reviews and interviews with some of the biggest names in extreme horror, Film Gutter is taking its next step with the Film Gutter: Volume 1 e-book, released by Ginger Nuts Books. With a complete set of reviews and interviews from 2015, a new introduction from the author and a host of exclusive content never to be featured on the site, this is a not-to-be missed title for regular readers of the series and any fans of the darkest fringes of horror.

Film Gutter Volume 1 includes:

Cover artwork by Phil Stevens, director of Flowers

New introduction from Alex Davis

Full set of reviews from 2015

Full set of interviews from 2015

Eight exclusive reviews (including May, Sweet Movie and many more)

Exclusive interview with Eric Falardeau, director of Thanatomorphose

Guinea Pig retrospective

Film Gutter's (much requested) top 10 most disturbing film list

All told it's 50,000 words that sums up a year exploring some of the most revolting and twisted movies ever committed to celluloid out there. What's not to like?

Film Gutter Volume 1 will be hitting virtual shelves at the end of January.

Welcome back to Film Gutter, and today we're getting into what look like distinctly treacherous waters. Marian Dora is a titan in the field of extreme horror, an elusive figure who creates work that continually pushes boundaries in a way matched by few other directors. Most renowned for his masterwork Melancholie Der Engel, we've so far enjoyed the flesh-cutting, blood-laden beauty of Cannibal and the flat-out depravity of Debris Documentar. Today's offering is 2010's Voyage to Agatis, another movie that comes to us with a fair reputation for its disturbing content. But is it going to provide a wondrous viewing journey?