El Gore's Snuff Tape Anthology review.

 

I'm back, and I am beginning once more with some of the most sickening and disturbing short films I have ever had the (dis)pleasure of viewing.

The Snuff Tape Anthology consists of nine short films, each with a runtime between 4 and 24 minutes, and believe me, they are not for the faint of heart. There are a couple of shorts where the special effects aren't convincing (mostly where a doll is used in place of a baby, but I certainly understand why it was done). Nevertheless, every one of these short films managed to at least make me feel uncomfortable, and at most make me want to remind myself what I had eaten earlier by process of regurgitation.

Rather than review each snuff tape on its own, I am going to comment on them as a whole, because knowing what you are letting yourself in for when watching these I feel will diminish the shock they provide. I will list each title though;

Snuff Tape 0: Black and Died
Snuff Tape 1: Red
Snuff Tape 2: Red and Yellow
Snuff Tape 3: Dead, Red & Brown
Snuff Tape 4: Dead Baby Fast Food
Snuff Tape 5: Final Orgasm Extreme Suicide
Snuff Tape 6: Organ Trade Autopsy
Snuff Tape 7: Gore Abortion
The Lost Snuff Tape: Dead Body Rape

I do think the titles do give a little away, especially if you use your imagination. Even so, when viewing these in succession, they have both a dizzying and nauseating effect that is hard to shake off.

The amount of depravity and violence demonstrated on these tapes is far beyond anything I have seen before, and the fact that there is very little reason behind why the things are happening, save for a small written declaration before each short commences, makes for an altogether more shocking, repulsive and downright depraved viewing experience.

Each short shows many acts (pretty much if you can imagine it, there's a chance the act has been carried out in one of these short films) of depravity and horror. Blood and bodily fluids flow freely, and there is no let-up, no quiet momments that alllow the viewer to ponder what is happening. It's like being repeatedly hit in the face with a sledgehammer, hammering home the point that the victims in these shorts are nothing but objects of pleasure for the sick fuck who is carrying out these acts.

Now I did believe myself to be desensitised to horror, having watched it for over 30 years now, but each time I explore the extreme end of the Horror genre, I am shocked and sickened, surprised and taken aback that filmmakers continue to push every boundary out there, and I absolutely love it. These shorts were definitely successful in shocking and sickening me, and that isn't easy at all.

As mentioned before, some of the effects are unbelievable, but for me, it didn't make a blind bit of difference. I have an imagination, and can certainly see through the odd ropey effect (unless it's cgi), so this didn't diminish my enjoyment in any way, shape or form. Also, as mentioned before, dolls are used as replacement for babies when showing the dismmemberent/other acts perpertrated. At first, this bothered me, but within seconds, I was sickened, and even though I could see it was a doll, the act onscreen made me feel so nauseated, I had to pause the movie, gather myself and dismiss my cocky attitude believing I can watch anything without even being slightly affected.

If you want something that simply consists of brutality and sickening violence/disturbing acts, then I couldn't recommend The Snuff Tape Anthology more. The fact that there is no dialogue only heightens the senses as to what is being perpertrated onscreen. If you don't mind there not being any narrative, no explanation and no reasoning behind acts of absolute madness, then find yourself a copy of El Gore's Snuff Tape Anthology. I dare you to sit through them! If you do, prepare to have your senses blugeoned.

Darkest regards,

Dani.