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Amateur Porn Star Killer
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With the Grindhouse style of filmmaking turning up again in the new millennium, now being labeled as torture porn, it is becoming increasingly popular. Where in the mid 90’s, with ‘Scream’, we had the horror reinvented by Wes Craven en scripter Kevin Williamson as partly self-referential spoofs, and hard-edge suspense, some four years into the new millennium we got ‘Saw’ and it’s endless sequels. In this ‘new’ genre styled movies it’s all about endless torture and graphic violence, just for the sake of it. For me the torture porn trend started with ‘Hostel’, because ‘Saw’ wasn’t just about the torture and gore, and ‘Hostel’, honestly, was. Were these kind of extreme graphic movies were in the past only made by independent cinema for midnight theatres, now those movies are bankable with the masses. So we get every other week a new one thrown at us, straight out of Hollywood. This trend also started the French New Wave of horror movies, which goes even further in my opinion, and is much better.
But to stay in the USA, there is also a new underground movie phenomenon, which is basically faux snuff. That’s right, fake snuff films. Although there have been all kinds of movies in the past with the snuff theme included, like ‘Videodrome’, ‘Tesis’ and ‘8MM’, the faux snuff films are basically, well, snuff films. Filmed most likely just like ‘The Blair Witch Project’, only it’s about torture and killing, like a snuff film. Most infamous in this genre is the ‘August Underground’ trilogy, of which I’ve seen the first two and parts of the last in the series. Those movies are extreme to say the least, but also in parts very boring in my opinion. The first one was very interesting as a first time experience, and also the best, but the second one was really beyond depravity so that it became rather laughable. So what about a movie with a title like ‘Amateur Porn Star Killer’?
Well, the title made me think I was going to watch a really bad underground movie, but one to be enjoyed somewhat. The movie couldn’t be more different than I was expecting. Were the ‘August Underground’ films are just a long stream of graphic violence done by some total fuck-ups, ‘Amateur Porn Star Killer’ had almost zero on-screen violence. What this basically is is a psychological version of a faux snuff genre. The movie isn’t too long, around 70 minutes, which is perfect for these kinds of movies. What I read is that it was filmed in one night, mostly real-time and for the costs of $45 dollars. The movie doesn’t look expensive to say the least. It’s filmed with a cheap DV camera, and mostly takes place in a motel room. Also the movie has a very short cast list, basically two people. One actress, which does a very good job I might add, especially for such a movie, and the actor who films it al through his DV camera and is also the director of the movie, Shane Ryan. And the two work miracles with mostly just suggestion. There is no over-the-top acting involved and also doesn’t rely on extreme and sick special effects, like with the ‘August’ films, since this movie has none of it. It’s just a psychological mind game between a young girl, and what looks like a nice next-door bloke. For some it may be boring that there is almost nothing happens, for me it’s a really refreshing and interesting experience. Though the movie isn’t perfect, like, for example, the editing. Throughout the movie there are some montages of clips that looks like it came from you average erotic night flick. Which somewhat hurt the authenticity of the movie. The first ‘August Underground’ movie was better at showing itself as an authentic snuff movie. Also there are some rocklike themes in the soundtrack, which I don’t find very appropriate. But luckily most of the time there is an eerie soundscape or no music at all, which is much better.
Although the ‘August Underground’ movies push the boundaries of what is morally acceptable on film, this one is the better variation. Since it doesn’t feels forced in any place and has good turns from the two leads. Funny to hear in the extra’s that the man behind it all, Shane Ryan, was mostly inspired by the movie ‘8MM’, a movie which I though in the end didn’t have any guts. This movie has.
Recently there was also a sequel released of this film, which I haven’t seen yet but have some dubious feelings about. But if you’d like to see a more obscure and extreme movie, but one that isn’t about graphic violence, check it out!
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