Product Description

Based on the journals of serial killer William Allen Grone, The Great American Snuff Film depicts a series of events involving the kidnapping, torture, and eventual snuff film murders of two young women in 1995. While the film is a dramatization of the events, it is told through Grones personal journal entries. The viewer experiences the brutal nature of this mad man; first hand. This disturbing journey concludes with actual footage from his film. Viewer discretion is advised.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25214 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-03-06
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 90 minutes

Review
There is no entertainment here. This is torture. This isn't a film for everyone or even most people. Sensitive viewers will want to stay away and not even think about picking it up. On the other hand, if you are interested in cinema that pushes the boundaries of what a film should be, this is something you need to see. It doesn't offer apologies or excuses, either. It is what it is, and that's why it is successful. --Doug Brunell from FILM THREAT

Review
To warn anyone who gets the chance to catch The Great American Snuff Film, this is one brutally hard film. At the theatrical showing that I caught at Robert De Niro's Tribecca Theater, no less than five audience members walked out in disgust, including a few girls who then chose to debate my friends and I afterwards. Tretta loads the film with torture, violence, degrading behavior, and an oppressive atmosphere that can easily crush the spirits of unprepared viewers. --Brad Torreano from INSIDE PULSE

Review
Definitely not for everyone, GASF as I mentioned is one hell of a disturbing film. Nothing in it is lighthearted or tongue-in-cheek, its gritty realism, that smacks you right across the face. It made me feel for the victims, and it made me hate the perpetrators, any film that elicits thoughts and emotions from me is one I consider well done. Recommended for those into Grindhouse, Exploitive, or Shock-u-mentaries. Everyone else, be warned! --NFlames from HORRORWATCH

Customer Reviews

They claim it's real, but....
In 1971, there was a little film called "The Slaughter." From all accounts, the film was horrendous. So it was re-edited, and a special scene was added at the end. Then, with the tagline "A film that could only be made in South America, where life is cheap," the film was re-released in 1976 as Snuff. The special scene supposedly depicted an actual murder, committed especially for the film. An intensive publicity campaign, including fake protesters who were hired to add to the film's notoriety, led to success.

Nearly thirty years later, along comes "The Great American Snuff Film." As the box and the film tell us again and again, this is the true story of William Allen Grone, a nasty serial killer who was executed in 2003. But wait, it gets worse. Grone was driven by his desire to make, in his own words, "the great American snuff film," and he actually produced 2 1/2 minutes of it--along with a number of diary entries that detailed his horrific crimes. But wait again! It gets even worse. This DVD contains "actual" footage from the murder. Just jump to the end of the film, and there it is. (It's right after the statement in the film that it's illegal in the United States to own a snuff film.)

Okay, reality check. Search for "William Allen Grone" online, and you'll find nothing but references to this film. The film claims that some names were changed to protect certain people, so maybe, just maybe, the filmmakers decided that the real killer's name shouldn't be used lest the film somehow sully his reputation. But then you look at the people who were executed in 2003 in the United States, and you find nobody who remotely fits the bill. Then there's the question of just how likely it is that a film with the actual footage of a murder would make it into reputable stores and Amazon.com.

So the whole thing's a stunt to entice viewers. There's nothing new there. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre claimed to be real. So did The Blair Witch Project. And, as noted, "Snuff" did, too. None of them, however, claimed to have the actual footage.

Beyond the marketing campaign, there is the issue of the film itself. This is a gritty, low-budget film that is done fairly well. The killers (Grone and his accomplice) abduct two girls whom Grone plans to murder as part of his snuff film. For a period of days, they torture the girls in a variety of ways, and most of this part of the film is quite convincing. All four actors do a very good job: Mike Marsh as the cold, calculating Grone; Ryan Hutman as the impulsive and dim-witted Roy; and Melinda Lorenz and Holi Tavernier as the victims. We also see periodic flashbacks to Grone's recent past, including his first murder.

Unlike, say, The Silence of the Lambs, which was based, in part, on a real case but which featured the completely unrealistic Hannibal Lector, "The Great American Snuff Film" rings true. Though there was no real Grone, the character we see could indeed be any number of predators out there. The gritty filmmaking, no doubt in large part because of budget constraints, works well at conveying a sense of dread and hopelessness that pervades the film. Like Henry - Portrait of a Serial Killer, "The Great American Snuff Film" succeeds to whatever extent it does in large part because of the techniques.

Snuff or bluff? Either way, this film is brutal
"I have a nervous condition, I can't get an erection with a woman. I've found this problem goes away once they've stopped moving."

Those are the words of William Allen Grone, a psychopathic serial killer whose terrifying snuff film is actually shown at the end of this movie. It also reenacts several disturbing scenes based on his journal entries.
Now here's the big question--Is it real? Uhh no, of course not. It's the Blair Murderer Project. But this raw footage certainly has a real feel and creepy atmosphere. It might make you squirm.
Now, unfortunately this film does have some problems. The acting is subpar, which isn't really important when a person is getting their head bashed in. Other times it is noticeable. Also there are some slow moments, extended periods where William is contemplating his next move, I guess. Cut about 20min out and this film wouldn't ever drag.
The special effects do look realistic. There is some extreme violence, rape, and nudity. I've seen much worse, but still, this isn't for everybody.
Finally, the last two minutes show the "snuff" film. It does look very real. It's not too graphic by today's standards, just a bullet in the head. Overall, this is a decent horror flick, recommended for you lovers of gore.

Are you kidding me???
This is probably the worst film I have ever had the displeasure of laying eyes on. Did I miss something? I feel bad for anyone who shelled out hard earned cash for this. This movie, didnt scare me, make me feel for anyone in the movie. I kept waiting to see the torture, that really never comes. Cigarette burns? Thats all they could write up? I came out feeling I just wasted an hour and a half of my life.