So while there are way more movies about snuff films than first realized, not every one of them can be featured here. Even still, just these ten make for a good starter pack. They’re all worth watching, not to mention relevant, after seeing the new Faces of Death.

Peeping Tom (1960)

Michael Powell‘s Peeping Tom is a beautiful-looking film about something very, very ugly. And after being eclipsed by Alfred Hitchcock’s more successful Psycho, also released in 1960, this movie has since found more fans. Here, Carl Boehm‘s character sorts through childhood trauma by murdering women and filming their deaths with his camera. Made before the term “snuff film” even entered public vocabulary, Peeping Tom is a stunning work of art that was ahead of its time.

Effects (1979)

Dusty Nelson‘s Effects features a small Day of the Dead reunion. Joseph Pilato, John Harrison, and Tom Savini all star in this story of a horror director making sudden changes to his script and production. No longer is death just an idea being faked on screen. More artsy than not, Effects eventually gets a bit lost in the plot (or lack thereof), but in the end, everything comes together for a pretty strong finish.

Videodrome (1983)

The king of body horror, David Cronenberg, tackled snuff films in his own unique way. The iconic Videodrome saw James Woods becoming fascinated with the movie’s namesake: a mysterious TV show full of torture and murder. From there, the story transforms into a rabbit-hole search for answers about the broadcast’s origins, as well as the whereabouts of Deborah Harry‘s missing character.

Special Effects (1984)

As said earlier, the late ’70s and early ’80s were when snuff films became more known, or at least the idea of them had become so. They were also intriguing to filmmakers. The always-thoughtful Larry Cohen added his two cents to the convo with Special Effects, a movie that’s situated more on the psychological side of the horror genre. Cohen’s self-reflexive story follows the director (Eric Bogosian) who first kills a woman, then casts a look-a-like (Zoë Lund) in his own film about said murder.

Evil Dead Trap (1988)

Acting like some kind of meeting between slashers, gialli, and pink films, Evil Dead Trap is a provocative piece of Japanese horror. Toshiharu Ikeda‘s cult movie begins with the investigation of a mysterious snuff film, one sent to a TV show host (Miyuki Ono), before then switching to a killer (and sleazy) game of chase. Inside one very grungy, abandoned building, the characters all suffer at the hands of a bizarre killer whose identity reveal must be seen to be believed.

Benny’s Video (1992)

Movies such as 8mm, Red Rooms, and Benny’s Video ride the fine line between horror and thriller. The latter is especially an oddball here, seeing as how that movie doesn’t go for traditional scares. Instead, the Funny Games director unleashed a disquieting story about a young cameraphile (Arno Frisch) and the murder he puts on video. You may never jump out of your seat or cover your eyes, but Michael Haneke‘s movie is sure to sicken you.

Mute Witness (1995)

Marina Zudina‘s character in Mute Witness, a makeup artist with mutism, catches a snuff film in progress. In Anthony Waller‘s debut, the protagonist is trapped on set after hours when she spies a porn shoot in progress. Things go terribly wrong, and a woman dies, but of course, no one believes the accuser until it’s too late. Mute Witness is a twisted and suspenseful hidden gem from the ’90s that more folks should seek out.

Thesis (1996)

A university student’s shocking discovery is at the heart of Alejandro Amenábar‘s debut. Ana Torrent plays the poor soul whose thesis about audiovisual violence takes a turn once she comes upon what looks to be real footage of a murder. And not just any murder, either—the protagonist recognizes the victim as a fellow student who went missing. Thesis is not an easy watch, but it is rewarding for fans of movies about subversive subjects.

August Underground (2001)

Headaches and revulsion are to be expected while viewing this lo-fi obscurity about killers with a camera. Not comparable to anything else here, Fred Vogel‘s August Underground is designed to repulse, even if your upset stems more from the camerawork and video style than the actual content itself. That said, this movie is an endurance test that most folks will fail. But for those who do make it all the way through, and still want more, two sequels are waiting in the wings.

The Den (2013)

In something of a spiritual companion to Thesis, Zachary Donohue‘s The Den also places an unaware student (Melanie Papalia) on the receiving end of menace after she discovers incriminating footage. This time, though, the murder is happening online. The Den also taps into the dark web, albeit exaggeratedly, for its thrill-a-minute story that requires the audience to suspend their disbelief. Otherwise, it’s an enjoyable splatter film that showcases how snuff has evolved with technology.

The post Up to Snuff: 10 Horror Movies to Watch After ‘Faces of Death’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Additionally, Arrow Video is bringing Mute Witness to 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray for the very first time on June 11, and we’ve scored the trailer for their brand new restoration.

Watch the trailer below and read on for everything you need to know!

Director Anthony Waller (The Piper, An American Werewolf in Paris) combines cat-and-mouse suspense with classic intrigue in Mute Witness, an updated take on the Hitchcockian thriller in which the only witness to a brutal crime can neither speak nor cry out in terror.

Limited Edition Bonus Features include:

• 4K restoration approved by director Anthony Waller
• 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in HDR10
• Restored original lossless stereo soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Brand new audio commentary by writer/director Anthony Waller
• Brand new audio commentary with production designer Matthias Kammermeier and composer Wilbert Hirsch, moderated by critic Lee Gambin
• The Silent Death, brand new visual essay by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, examining Mute Witness and its relationship with snuff films
• The Wizard Behind the Curtain, brand new visual essay by author and critic Chris Alexander, exploring the phenomenon of the film-within-a-film
• Original “Snuff Movie” presentation, produced to generate interest from investors and distributors, featuring interviews with Anthony Waller and members of the creative team
• Original location scouting footage
• Original footage with Alec Guinness, filmed a decade prior to the rest of Mute Witness
• Teaser trailer
• Trailer
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais
• Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Michelle Kisner

In the film, Billy Hughes (Marina Zudina) is a mute special effects artist working on a low budget American slasher movie being shot in Russia. Accidentally locked in the studio late one night, she stumbles upon two men shooting what appears to be a snuff film. Having borne witness to their victim’s final moments, Billy desperately flees – but this is only the start of a protracted night of terror, drawing her and her friends into a tangled web of intrigue, involving the KGB, the Moscow police… and a mysterious crime kingpin known as “The Reaper.”

Arrow Video previews the new release, “Filmed on location in Moscow and co-starring Fay Ripley (Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein) and Evan Richards (Society), Mute Witness is an unpredictable, nerve-shreddingly tense viewing experience. Now fully restored in 4K and presented alongside a host of new and recently unearthed bonus materials, there has never been a better opportunity to discover – or rediscover – this gem of 90s thriller cinema.”

You can pre-order your copy from Diabolik today.

The post ‘Mute Witness’ – Watch the Trailer for Arrow Video’s 4K Restoration of the 1995 Horror Movie [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The film has long been only available on DVD, and it’s currently not available to stream or rent ANYWHERE, but Arrow Video has announced that a 4K Ultra HD release is on its way.

The suspense thriller Mute Witness hits 4K from Arrow on June 11, 2024! This is a US, UK and Canada release, and a Blu-ray version of the same release will also be available.

Mute Witness will also be coming to Shudder beginning April 1, 2024.

Director Anthony Waller (The Piper, An American Werewolf in Paris) combines cat-and-mouse suspense with classic intrigue in Mute Witness, an updated take on the Hitchcockian thriller in which the only witness to a brutal crime can neither speak nor cry out in terror.

Limited Edition Bonus Features include:

• 4K restoration approved by director Anthony Waller
• 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in HDR10
• Restored original lossless stereo soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Brand new audio commentary by writer/director Anthony Waller
• Brand new audio commentary with production designer Matthias Kammermeier and composer Wilbert Hirsch, moderated by critic Lee Gambin
• The Silent Death, brand new visual essay by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, examining Mute Witness and its relationship with snuff films
• The Wizard Behind the Curtain, brand new visual essay by author and critic Chris Alexander, exploring the phenomenon of the film-within-a-film
• Original “Snuff Movie” presentation, produced to generate interest from investors and distributors, featuring interviews with Anthony Waller and members of the creative team
• Original location scouting footage
• Original footage with Alec Guinness, filmed a decade prior to the rest of Mute Witness
• Teaser trailer
• Trailer
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais
• Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Michelle Kisner

In the film, Billy Hughes (Marina Zudina) is a mute special effects artist working on a low budget American slasher movie being shot in Russia. Accidentally locked in the studio late one night, she stumbles upon two men shooting what appears to be a snuff film. Having borne witness to their victim’s final moments, Billy desperately flees – but this is only the start of a protracted night of terror, drawing her and her friends into a tangled web of intrigue, involving the KGB, the Moscow police… and a mysterious crime kingpin known as “The Reaper.”

Arrow Video previews the new release, “Filmed on location in Moscow and co-starring Fay Ripley (Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein) and Evan Richards (Society), Mute Witness is an unpredictable, nerve-shreddingly tense viewing experience. Now fully restored in 4K and presented alongside a host of new and recently unearthed bonus materials, there has never been a better opportunity to discover – or rediscover – this gem of 90s thriller cinema.”

You can pre-order your copy from Diabolik today.

The post 1995 Horror Movie ‘Mute Witness’ Coming to 4K from Arrow Video and Streaming Courtesy of Shudder appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

MUTE WITNESS

Directed by Anthony Waller
Screenplay by Anthony Waller
Produced by Richard Claus, Marina Kapustina, and Anthony Waller
Starring Marina Zudina, Fay Ripley, Evan Richards, Oleg Yankovsky, Igor Volkov, Sergi Karlenkov, and Sir Alec Guinness.
Released on September 15, 1995

Billy Hughes (Marina Zudina) is a mute FX specialist working for a cheap slasher film production in Moscow, Russia.  Her sister Karen (Fay Ripley) is an assistant to director Andy Clarke (Evan Richards), who also happens to be Karen’s boyfriend.  They are all fish out of water, working overseas on a low budget production in a country where communication between them and the cast & crew is hard, given the language barrier.

After a shooting day ends, Karen and Andy go home to begin dinner, while Billy stays behind to find one last prop for the next day’s shoot.  She intends to head on over to her sister’s place after she finishes up, but is accidentally locked in at the studio by the janitor.  Billy attempts to call Karen, but due to the ruckus of Andy’s cooking, she has trouble getting ahold of anyone.  She doesn’t seem too worried, however, as she patiently chills out in her makeshift workshop.

Upon hearing some commotion downstairs, Billy goes to see what’s up in the hopes that she might be able to get out of the building.  She discovers that two members of the crew are clandestinely shooting what looks to be a porno on the film set.  At first she smiles, shaking her head as she secretly watches for a bit out of sight.  To her horror, however, it becomes clear that this isn’t any normal porn shoot.  They’re making a snuff film and the girl subject is brutally murdered right in front of Billy’s eyes.

Naturally anyone caught in such a scenario is sure to accidentally make some noise as they attempt to sneak back out.  This sets off an ever-escalating chain of events that spiral wildly out of control as the film goes on.  Sex, murder, corruption, secrets, lies, twists, and a healthy dose of black comedy are all dished out frenetically as this Hitchcockian thriller races to its pulse-pounding climax!

Did I sell that last sentence well?  I hope so, because what Waller created here was a fantastic thriller in the vein of Alfred Hitchcock and the best efforts of Brian De Palma.  Mute Witness is a raucous and delightfully over-the-top roller coaster of murder, mayhem, and laughs from start to finish.  Simply put, it’s pretty much a masterpiece.  As a result, it’s a crying shame that it has never garnered the attention and admiration that it so rightfully deserves.

While Waller absolutely apes both Hitchcock and De Palma, he also manages to bring his own sense of style to the proceedings.  He whips out almost every narrative trick in the book when it comes to a thriller of this type; utilizing classic murder-mystery tropes and wildly-stylized photography at every turn.  From the slasher movie-aping opening to the left-field turns of the finale, Waller is absolutely in his element and firing on all cylinders every step of the way.

As much as I could go on about his mastery of the classic “Hitchcockian thriller”, it’s really the humor that makes this film stand out more than anything.  Every scene is positively dripping with black comedy, causing the viewer to be busting a gut at all of the horrible and unlucky events constantly occurring to both Billy and especially anyone in her vicinity.

In many ways, Mute Witness would make for the perfect double-feature companion to De Palma’s Blow Out.  That film similarly toys with movie magic and filmmaking, although it has a decidedly crueler tone and outcome than this one.  In that way they infinitely complement one another, for you could have your soul crushed by Blow Out and then have it uplifted again by watching Mute Witness immediately after.

This film is probably most famous for containing the final on screen performance of Sir Alec Guinness.  His scenes were actually shot in 1985 when Waller happened to come across the great actor while on a trip.  Waller held onto the footage for almost a decade and eventually found a way to incorporate what he shot into this thriller.  Guinness’ role amounts to an extended cameo, appearing in only two scenes, but he works well within the context of the film itself.  I just wish his role wasn’t the film’s main claim to fame. Mute Witness should be lofted on high for its quality as a top-notch bloody thriller, with Guinness’ cameo simply being the cherry on top.

I wish I could go into further detail about how much I love all of the the twists and turns that the plot takes, as well as how they all incorporate a bit of old school movie magic in various different ways, but I don’t want to spoil it.  Just know that if you have not yet seen it, it is way more than just a “style over substance” thriller and you owe it to yourself to track the film down.  While it has yet to hit Blu-ray (fingers crossed that it does eventually), you can still easily find the DVD online for less than $10 (in many cases, half that).

As for those of you who have seen Mute Witness?  Well, then perhaps it’s high time you popped it in again and reminded yourself about how it is still one of the greatest thrillers of the 1990s.  The ‘90s were filled to the brim with thrillers, but not all that many so firmly had their toes dipped into the horror genre as this one.  It’s a shame that Waller’s career was virtually killed in its tracks after his next effort, An American Werewolf in Paris (1996).  I haven’t seen the few films he made after that, nor have I dared to revisit Paris.  Perhaps it’s high time I did both?

Regardless of what he made after Mute Witness, director Anthony Waller deserves praise for so perfectly knocking this film out of the park.  It is beautifully shot, expertly plotted, and wonderfully performed from start to finish.  Seek it out this winner when you have the chance.  I think there’s a good chance that you will have a lot of fun with it!

Up Next: Popcorn (1991)

Previously On…
Species | Mute Witness | Popcorn | Wishmaster | Alien 3 | Cast A Deadly Spell
Disturbing Behavior | The Sect | The Addams Family

The post Exhumed & Exonerated: ‘Mute Witness’ (1995) appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.