Storyline: Shane Ryans Faces of Snuff 2016 The title serves it up without the need for dressing Faces of Snuff couples elements of the death documentarymondo film with an obvious nod to the notorious Faces of Death series with the faux snufffound footage genre that has grown into an epidemic over the last couple of decades epitomised by the August Underground series No fewer than twenty directors from around the globe contributed to this 136 minute anthology film and in an attempt to lend credence to the tagline Dozens of snuff films Which ones are real, nobody is credited onscreen This sense of unknown origins amplified by the almost complete lack of production credits is embellished by the lo fi, spontaneous, homemade quality of the footage, shot on various formats and incorporating onscreen dates that go as far back as the early 80s Grainy film stock, screen static, sound design reduced to nothing but the whirring of a projector these elements echo representations of snuff in earlier grindhouse and mainstream films like the controversial Snuff 1975 and Paul Schraders Hardcore 1979 This is perhaps most effective at the climax of the film, which features the bulk of a faux snuff film called Captains Pride Volume 33 an American short which has been in circulation for years but whose origins remain anonymous The grim tone of Faces of Snuff is offset at regular intervals by the inclusion of footage from a 1965 propaganda film courtesy of pro censorship group Citizens for Decent Literature, in which an onscreen narrator attempts to strike fear into the hearts of the righteous with his increasingly histrionic warnings of pornography depraving Americas youth Juxtaposed with scenes of graphic cruelty and sexual abuse filmed half a century later, these moments are quaintly amusing while also compelling viewers to reflect on changing standards of obscenity and censorship in the media There are also brief clips and still images of the aftermath of actual atrocities, often flashing onscreen with subliminal effect As with a film like Faces of Death 1978, well known for including an abundance of faked footage among the real deaths, we are continually manipulated into reversing the scepticism that governs when we know that what we are watching is not real The messiness of the films construction, with its sudden switches between unrelated sequences and snippets of depravity dropped in at random, strengthens this disorienting device Seasoned horror aficionados will not be fooled, however Coordinated by producer, segment director and actor Shane Ryan, the gore is often overshadowed by the kind of explicit nudity and unsimulated sex that typifies Ryans approach in his own films such as My Name Is A by Anonymous and the Porn Star Killer series, both of which lend footage to Faces of Snuff and displaces common expectations of an extreme horror film While there is plenty of graphic violence, the film was obviously never intended to compete with the likes of the first entry in the American Guinea Pig series or the trailblazing faux snuff movies the Japanese have been churning out since the 80s, like the first two instalments of the original Guinea Pig series or Tumbling Doll of Flesh 1998 Its unlikely that Charlie Sheen will be calling the FBI over this one The Could this be real quotient is further diluted by the segments that incorporate a novel twist or sting in the tail While often entertaining, this brings to mind the typical structure of anthology films like The ABCs of Death 2012, where the boundary between the end of one segment and the beginning of the next is clear, and viewers are invited to catch their breath and retune their antenna at these moments The variation in both approach and genre tropes is enjoyable, however, especially considering the films length and actordirectorproducer Ryan obviously believes length to be an asset in more ways than one, as evidenced by a nude scene in which he sports an erection you could hang a wet coat on Captains pride, indeed
How Sweet It Is (2013)
An alcoholic theater owner needs to put together a successful musical in order to pay off his mob debt, but problems arise when the wise guys want to cast their friends in the production
The Misty Green Sky (2016)
A young girl in another solar system asks an innocent question that sets off a chain reaction of adventure, destruction and tragedy
Charlottes Web (2006)
Wilbur the pig is scared of the end of the season, because he knows that come that time, he will end up on the dinner table He hatches a plan with Charlotte, a spider that lives in his pen, to ensure that this will never happen
The American President (1995)
A widowed U S President running for reelection and an environmental lobbyist fall in love Its all above board, but politics is perception, and sparks fly anyway
Doraemon Nobita and the Space Heroes (2015)
Nobita wishes to be a real hero Doraemon uses his gadget, the Burger Director to make them a real movie superhero Aron saw the five powers and abilities and asks them to help him save his planet, the planet Pokkuru After their jou
Super High Me (2007)
Stand up comedian and marijuana user Doug Benson documents thirty days of pot free living and thirty days of non stop use to compare the effects of both
Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran (2018)
Ashwat Raina and his teammates arrive in Pokhran to re conduct a confidential nuclear test, where they face challenges from the American Lacrosse satellite and local spies
Trapezohedron (2016)
A young woman is mailed a mysterious DVD, which contains a snuff film of her getting murdered
The Goodbye Girl (1977)
After being dumped by her live in boyfriend, unemployed dancer Paula McFadden and her ten year old daughter Lucy are forced to live with struggling off Broadway actor Elliot Garfield, who is subletting their apartment
The Origin of Evil (2022)
A woman on the verge of financial collapse attempts to reconnect with her wealthy, estranged father and his new family
The Garden of Eden (1980)
A young pick pocket meets a sheltered teenage girl at an art museum while trying to lift her wallet He falls in love with her and lures her to deserted strip of beach where he pretends his stolen motorbike has broken down and the
Not Waving But Drowning (2012)
Leaving small town life in her dust, Adele moves wide eyed to New York City, and her best friend Sara is stuck in their boring hometown Separate for the first time in their lives, the film charts their new relationships, while be
The Gazebo (1959)
TV writer Elliott Nash buries something under the new gazebo in his suburban backyard But the nervous man cant let it rest there
Shawn Mendes: In Wonder (2020)
A portrait of singersongwriter Shawn Mendes life, chronicling the past few years of his rise and journey