''Snuff-Movie'' is a 2005 Gothic

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

written and directed by British director Bernard Rose.

Plot

It stars

Jeroen Krabbé Jeroen Aart Krabbé (; born 5 December 1944) is a Dutch actor, film director and painter with a successful career in both Dutch- and English-language films. He is best known to international audiences for his leading roles in the Paul Verhoeven ...

as horror filmmaker Boris Arkadin, whose pregnant wife Mary was supposedly brutally murdered by a Manson-like gang of hippy psychopaths during the 1960s. An eccentric recluse, Boris makes a comeback when he invites some actors to a large mansion in the English countryside to 'audition' for his new film. Unknown to most of them they are being filmed by hidden cameras linked to a snuff website.

Cast

as Boris Arkadin / Mr. Maezel *Lisa Enos as Mary Arkardin / Wendy Jones *Teri Harrison as Pamela / Angie *

Alastair Mackenzie Alastair John Mackenzie (born 8 February 1970) is a Scottish actor and writer. Early life Alastair Mackenzie was born in Trinafour, near Perth, and educated at Westbourne House School and Glenalmond College in Perthshire. He left home at ...

as Justin / Andy / Freddy / Peter *

Lyndsey Marshal Lyndsey Marshal (born 16 June 1978) is an English actress best known for her performance in '' The Hours'', as the recurring character Cleopatra on HBO's ''Rome'', and as Lady Sarah Hill in BBC period drama '' Garrow's Law''. Biography Marshal ...

as Sandy / X / Janice *

Hugo Myatt Hugo Myatt (born 13 September 1945) is a British actor, presenter and theatre director, best known for his role as the dungeon master Treguard in the children's game show '' Knightmare''. ''Knightmare'' Myatt played the role of Treguard of D ...

as Dr. Culpepper / Leon Bank / Desk Sergeant *Tedy Necula as Marco Arkadin *Joe Reegan as James / Jack

Production

Though set in London, the movie was filmed in Romania, on a budget of £6 million.

Reception

Philip French Philip Neville French (28 August 1933 – 27 October 2015) was an English film critic and radio producer. French began his career in journalism in the late 1950s, before eventually becoming a BBC Radio producer, and later a film critic. H ...

in ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' wrote, "the movie is no fun, makes little sense and takes itself rather seriously". ''

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

'' called it a "lurid, DV-shot sleazefest... Disturbing and distasteful, and not in a good way".

Derek Elley Derek Elley (born ) is an American film and music critic and author, best known as the resident film critic for '' Variety'' until his departure in March 2010. With over 1200 reviews to his credit as of December 2014 on ''Rotten Tomatoes'', he spe ...

wrote in ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'', "Dialogue is cheesy in an unfunny way, plotting is unbelievable, even on a genre level, and performances are worthy of summer stock." ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' called it "preposterous". '' Time Outs reviewer wrote, "If there’s some fun to be had it’s in its frenzied plagiarism. It certainly fails as a thriller". ''

ScreenDaily ''Screen International'' is a British film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by Media Business Insight, a British B2B media company which also owned ''Broadcast''. The magazine is primarily aimed at those involve ...

'' was more positive: "a deliciously Machiavellian horror movie which has cult hit written all over it".

References

External links

* * * 2005 films 2005 horror films British nonlinear narrative films Films set in country houses Films set in England British gothic horror films Films about snuff films Films directed by Bernard Rose (director) Films with screenplays by Bernard Rose (director) Films produced by Donald Kushner 2000s British films {{2000s-horror-film-stub