SNUFF

This wild, amoral film is one of the most cynical cinematic hoaxes ever pulled on the public, and was, unbelievably, a success. Snuff debuted on screens in 1976 after several weeks of pre-release publicity which suggested that the film's carnage was genuine, real live murders caught on camera in South America, "where life is cheap!" Outraged citizens, staunch feminists and even law enforcement officials descended upon theaters that dared to show the picture, but vigorous protests and ongoing investigations only ensured sell-out crowds who had to see for themselves. What the movie-goer got was a barely-released 1971 exploitation film (originally known as Slaughter) made by the prolific grindhouse team of Michael and Roberta Findlay. The forgotten footage was dusted off by producer Allan Shackleton and a brief new conclusion was filmed that depicted the "director" of the previous 75 minutes murdering and disemboweling a female cast member. Snuff was presented without credits of any kind to further aid the suggestion that the film was indeed a criminal enterprise, though even the casual viewer will see through the scam. The gore effects of the climax are particularly juicy, but no more convincing than the average splatter opus, and the sequence is professionally edited in a manner that is inconsistent with its claims. What causes genuine discomfort is simply what Snuff is trying to achieve, convincing the audience that everything they've just witnessed is real and that there is pleasure to be gained from that belief. It's a truly ugly notion, though one that gore film buffs might want to ponder for themselves, so for them Snuff is a must-see. Disregarding the bizarre machinations of the Monarch Releasing Corporation, the original Findlay footage will entertain sleaze addicts who are already familiar with the strange, sick style of the husband-wife team. Their film (which was indeed lensed in Argentina) is chock full of hard drugs, brutal sex, casual blasphemy, and even some suggestive cow milking. The action is punctuated with transparently fake, yet still gory murders and a raw psych-rock soundtrack that pulsates with fuzz organ, inept guitar riffing and bongos. A seriously warped sense of time and post-dubbed dialogue adds an awkward surrealism, and the budget is so low that when the story calls for a scene in a police station, the Findlays just put a desk in the middle of a driveway and carry on as if nothing was amiss. While those with tender hearts should never even get near it, Snuff is compelling degenerate cinema that holds genuine historical interest for its role in helping to spread the urban legend of "snuff films," the existence of which has never been verified and remains in debate. A videotape release is now out of print, so this infamous atrocity remains obscure, but not extinct. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide

UPDATE 10-10-2006: Snuff is currently available on DVD and not difficult to find. Like you were gonna go look for it. Coward.

For a far more thoughtful piece on Snuff, click here.

Fringe Underground's History of Snuff