Snuff-Movie (2005)

User Rating:

4.1/10   

Director:

Bernard Rose

Writer:

Bernard Rose (writer)

Genre:

Horror

Plot Keywords:

Bondage | Webcam | Stabbed In The Belly | Beautiful Woman | Panties

Cast

Jeroen Krabbé	...	Boris Arkadin
Lisa Enos	...	Wendy Jones
Hugo Myatt	...	Leon Bank
Joe Reegan	...	Jack
Teri Harrison	...	Pamela
Sharif Rosales-Webb	...	Matt Drazin
Alastair Mackenzie	...	Andy
Lyndsey Marshal	...	X
Catalina Harabagiu	...	Youth
Viorica Voda	...	Teeth
Tudor Necula	...	Marco Arkadin
Andrew Tiernan	...	Bruce
Vlad Ivanov	...	Policeman
Luana Stoica	...	Nurse
Roxana Andronescu	...	Maid

Also Known As:

Man with a Movie Camera (UK) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, bloody violence and gore, language and some drug use.

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Ireland:18 | Australia:R (2007) | New Zealand:R18

Filming Locations:

Romania

Company:

Capitol Films

Trivia:

The walls of the mansion where much of the film takes place are decorated with posters of Boris Arkadian's fictitious films 'Premature Burial' (the clip seen at the beginning of the film), 'Pit of Death,' 'Bedlam' and 'The Embalmer.' The credits shown on the posters include not only many members of the crew, but also John Malkovich and Steven Berkoff, both of who were considered for the role of Boris Arkadin.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Dark Side of Porn: Does Snuff Exist? (#2.4)" (2006)

I enjoyed it.

This isn't a horror film as much as it is a film about horror.

In a Don Quixote-ian attempt to create features outside of the "Holywood" norm, Bernard Rose has created another horror film..but this time, it seems, with no restrictions whatsoever. This has all the feel of the classical "content" driven horror films of the seventies. Don't Look Now - comes to mind as well as other low budget thrillers that have achieved cult status. The director takes us from Hammer Horror to online snuff footage in just a couple reels. Rose has proved himself very capable of handling the genre of horror films with his extensive catalogue, including Candyman and Paperhouse.

Rose is attempting to showing us the unreality of the horror genre and all media in general. The ultimate lies that are inherent in film making...from framing a camera shot to editing to sound design they can all be manipulated to create any response desired. Our response is utter shock at the depravity of the action in this film.

At times the film becomes deprecating and so self referential that I had to laugh. Even the characters laugh at themselves at some of the references. For instance one "actor" is told he, "is the care taker." At that point he realizes the reference himself.

There is a cavalcade of characters from recent history that the film refers to; from Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski (Boris Arkadin Character) to Private Lyndie England, It seems Rose has addressed more in this movie and he's creating more questions than he's answering. Which is fine because, quite frankly, I already forgot what happened in the last "Chucky" movie.

I am glad to see a director let loose and have total control of the production. I would like to see more of it. This isn't mindless or passive theatre and it is definitely worth a more than one viewing.

It is most certainly going to be either loved or hated.