Snuff

The phenomenon of so-called 'snuff movies' (films that allegedly document real acts of murder, specifically designed to 'entertain' and sexually arouse the spectator) represents a fascinating socio-cultural paradox. At once unproven, yet accepted by many, as emblematic of the very worst extremes of pornography and horror, moral detractors have argued that the mere idea of snuff constitutes the logical (and terminal) extension of generic forms that are dependent primarily upon the excitement, stimulation and, ultimately, corruption of the senses."Snuff: Real Death and Screen Media" brings together some of film and media studies' leading voices to assess the longevity of one of screen media's most enduring cultural myths. Drawing on new research and theoretical perspectives, the contributions in this volume address areas ranging from exploitation movies, the video industry, trends in contemporary horror cinema, pornography, Web 2.0 and performance art in their quest to locate precisely where the cultural mythology of the snuff movie is situated within a twenty-first century mind-set. Thorough, provocative, and well argued, "Snuff: Real Death and Screen Media" should appeal to anyone interested in this controversial cultural phenomenon.