Faces of Death IV

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Faces of Death 4
Directed by	John Alan Schwartz, Susumu Saegusa, Andrew Theopolis
Written by	James B. Schwartz
Music by	James B. Schwartz
Distributed by	Gorgon Video
Release date(s)	1990
Running time	90 Min
Country	USA
Language	English
Preceded by	The Worst of Faces of Death
Followed by	Faces of Death V
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Faces of Death IV is the final, "real" sequel to Faces of Death, in that it is the last sequel to include any original footage. This was directed by John Alan Schwartz (again as "Conan le Cilaire"), Susumu Saegusa and Andrew Theopolis. John Alan Schwartz's brother James B. Schwartz is credited as writer.

1 Plot Summary
2 The Credibility Of Faces Of Death
3 The Demise Of Dr. Gröss
4 Series
5 External links

[edit] Plot Summary

There is no real plot to the Faces of Death documentaries. Much like its first three predecessors, Faces of Death IV provides over fifty gory scenes of dying, murder, accidents, police brutality, execution, cult rituals, and other macabre events. Some of these include a bungee jumping trip gone awry, a magician's fatal mishap with a Houdini trick, a mechanic who has his left leg severed by a falling Corvette, a Satanic ritual that ends in the death of 38 people, a cocaine dealer's fatal wedding, and more. John Alan Schwartz cameos yet again as an ambulance driver.

The earlier films in the series were of a more serious nature and tone, whereas this installment leans more toward camp: "Dr. Louis Flellis" sits at his desk in front of a glowing red lava lamp, with a plastic skeletal foot on the desk in front of him during introductions to most sequences. Flellis is also shown eating a plate of barbecue ribs immediately before showing slaughterhouse footage.

[edit] The Credibility Of Faces Of Death

Ever since the very first Faces of Death came out, people have been questioning how "real-life" these sequences are.^{[citation needed]} While some of these clips are historically and anatomically correct, many of them use dummies or props.^{[citation needed]} Faces of Death IV is definitely no exception. However, the Faces of Death staff admits in the credits that some of these accidents or incidents have been "re-enacted for the sake of entertainment".^{[citation needed]} It is up to the viewer to decide, however, which films are fake and which ones are real.

[edit] The Demise Of Dr. Gröss

As mentioned in the beginning of the film, the previous films' narrator Dr. Gröss is no longer with us in Faces of Death IV. This film is narrated by "Dr. Louis Flellis", played by James B. Schwartz and he explains that apparently, Dr. Gröss became so anxious trying to decide his own fate after watching so many other people die, that he ended up committing suicide. After Dr. Gröss was cremated, the only evidence that he was ever alive at all was the urn full of ashes that sit on the desk of the new narrator.

[edit] Series

Followed by:

Faces of Death V (1995)
- Consists entirely of footage recycled from previous Faces of Death films.
Faces of Death VI (1996)
- Consists entirely of footage recycled from previous Faces of Death films.
Faces of Death: Fact or Fiction? (1999)
- A mockumentary about the purported legend of Faces of Death, consisting of new interviews and footage from the previous Faces of Death films