Yikes, this is a rough one, so let me start by telling you that this review is totally different from my other posts on here due to the fact that nothing funny will probably come out of this one (assuming that you've at least chuckled while reading my other posts). Snuff (2008) was a pretty unsettling and interesting look at the myth of the snuff film, an urban legend that has been around for decades. This really was a well thought out documentary, really covering all the areas of the snuff subject and venturing into areas that really raise questions about the dark corners of the human psyche.
For those unaware, a snuff film is a film where a murder is captured on film, usually involving violent torture and sexual acts. In addition to some pretty disturbing footage and a jarring analysis of the twisted thinking that would avtually drive someone to commit such an act, this documentary tries to uncover any evidence that may be out there proving that these films in fact do exist. It's a scary world folks, and in this world, where money can get you basically anything, it would not surprise me if the snuff film is as real as the war in Iraq.
Speaking of war, one of the better strengths of this film were when the filmmaker (Paul von Stoetzel) and the interview subjects put the idea of what exactly is a snuff film under the microscope. The definitions vary from subject to subject, but some pointed out that maybe war coverage, especially the stuff from Vietnam and more recently, the onslaught of videos on the internet from the current war, could be considered snuff. Think about the horrible beheading videos that surfaced some years ago (which unfortunately do make a brief appearance here), those can be considered snuff to some, although the general definition would exclude these videos, because they were not created for profit or with the intent to get someone off, but all that is debatable. What is snuff? Does it exist? Who the hell would be sick enough to actually be involved at any level with this shit? I'm not sure, but this documentary is probably a good start to help you make up your own minds. All in all a decent documentary, considering that the stigma with the subject matter might make it a little difficult to pull off.
For those unaware, a snuff film is a film where a murder is captured on film, usually involving violent torture and sexual acts. In addition to some pretty disturbing footage and a jarring analysis of the twisted thinking that would avtually drive someone to commit such an act, this documentary tries to uncover any evidence that may be out there proving that these films in fact do exist. It's a scary world folks, and in this world, where money can get you basically anything, it would not surprise me if the snuff film is as real as the war in Iraq.
Speaking of war, one of the better strengths of this film were when the filmmaker (Paul von Stoetzel) and the interview subjects put the idea of what exactly is a snuff film under the microscope. The definitions vary from subject to subject, but some pointed out that maybe war coverage, especially the stuff from Vietnam and more recently, the onslaught of videos on the internet from the current war, could be considered snuff. Think about the horrible beheading videos that surfaced some years ago (which unfortunately do make a brief appearance here), those can be considered snuff to some, although the general definition would exclude these videos, because they were not created for profit or with the intent to get someone off, but all that is debatable. What is snuff? Does it exist? Who the hell would be sick enough to actually be involved at any level with this shit? I'm not sure, but this documentary is probably a good start to help you make up your own minds. All in all a decent documentary, considering that the stigma with the subject matter might make it a little difficult to pull off.
2 comments:
Oh man.....
Well yeah it's true that their has never been a "snuff" film found, it has to exist, like you said. Considering the real reported stories of Cannibalistic Suicide and ritual Death Rites around the world ( I'm looking at you Germany) it could happen and probably has.
Geez... just watching Mark Rosen's reaction kind of scared me the most.
See, the thing about Mark Rosen is...the more I look into this film the more it kind of bugs me. He seems to be acting in some scenes and add to that the fact that the guy doesn't seem to be attached to Texas Chainsaw in anyway wherever I look, so right off the bat there's a little shadiness to the film. I enjoyed it, but the more I read up on it I find it to be less and less of a doc and more of a decent episode of Forensic Files.
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