Snuff Real Death and Screen Media [Hardcover]

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 Mediabrings together scholars from film and media studies to assess the longevity of one of screen media's most enduring cultural myths. Thorough, provocative, and well argued, the contributions to this volume address areas ranging from exploitation movies, the video industry, trends in contemporary horror cinema, pornography and Web 2.0.It is a serious intervention deliberately situated at the intersection of debates about violence in society and violence in representation, which has long been a somewhat sensationalized space; it is an original and stimulating contribution to an otherwise undersubscribed area of intellectual interest. - Alex Adams, Independent Early Career Researcher

Neil Jacksonteaches film at the University of Lincoln, UK, and has published on popular cinema in various books and journals. He is currently preparing a critical study of Hollywood's representation of the adult film industry.

Shaun Kimberis Senior Lecturer in Media Theory at Bournemouth University, UK. He is the author ofControversies: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer(2011) and is currently working on the co-authored bookWriting & Selling Horror Screenplays.

Johnny Walkeris Lecturer in Media at Northumbria University, UK. He is the author ofContemporary British Horror Cinema: Industry, Genre and Society(2015) and founding co-editor of the Globlc(