It's not everyday you come across a film that was filmed on $45 dollars and is actually fantastic. Amateur Porn Star Killer has succeeded on levels that many independent filmmakers could only dream of getting right. It's a film that is so simplistic in it's filming, editing and storyline that it is absolutely brilliant. You might be thinking to yourself, "How can a film that is one continuous shot (nearly) and only has two characters be 'absolutely brilliant?" Well, let me explain...

         Amateur Porn Star Killer is the Blair Witch Project for believers who are convinced the legendary (and elusive) "snuff films" exist. I am one of these believers.
         snuff film
         –noun 1. Slang. depicts the actual killing of a human being - a human sacrifice (without the aid of special effects or other trickery) perpetrated for the medium of film for the purpose of entertainment and distribution.
         I think people who claim these do not exist are just trying to convince themselves that something as evil and horrific as a snuff film would never be attempted. Wrong. With overwhelming amount of murderers and sexual sadists on this planet, there has to be (at least one, if not a whole army of them) who has combined the two, video recorded it and sold it to some of their sicko friends for some extra crack rock. No one can convince me otherwise. I specialize in the world of the sick and twisted. I have a "morbid fascination itch" that would put most sickos to shame. But there is a difference. I realize the sick shit they choose to participate in is downright immoral. So I research these type of things to try and grasp the psycology, the why and the how that someone could turn into such a nutbar. Perhaps I'll win an international reward one day for discovering what makes sickos tick... or... I might land in the loony bin myself... but at least is was an interesting ride, right?

         Director Shane Ryan was inspired to make Amateur Porn Star Killer after seeing 8MM starring Nicolas Cage and Joaquin Phoenix. It's about a small, seemingly innocuous plastic reel found in a safe of a wealthy widows home, whose well-known husband recently passed away. Tom Welles (Nicolas Cage), a private investigator, is hired to find the woman who seems to actually (and graphically) be murdered on the 8mm film. With the help of a streetwise man named Max (Joaquin Phoenix), Welles relentlessly follows a bizarre trail of evidence to determine the fate of the complete stranger.
         I agree with Shane Ryan, 8MM is a fantastic film which makes you beg to find out more about the "snuff film" in the movie. I'm sure Shane felt the same way after seeing it, thinking to myself, "Why the fuck didn't I think of writing a script about snuff films?" Yeah, I was pissed. Thankfully though, Shane Ryan did the next best thing. He made his own fictional snuff film which is shockingly realistic.

         The storyline is simple. Psycho picks up shy young girl, psycho brings shy young girl to motel, psycho manipulates the shy girl into taking off her clothes, psycho forces her into sexual acts, psycho kills girl. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, it depends on how you look at it. If you only watch films and you don't critique them constantly, as I do, you'll probably think it's very simple. That won't change the fact that you'll probably feel sick afterwards, but you will see the film differently than I did.
         I feel the film is actually quite complex in some aspects. Most notably, the multiple psychological levels needed during a 90 minute shot to make the characters seem genuine. Imagine the camera being turned on and for the next 90 minutes having to mentally become a manipulating rapist and murderer. That... would.. suck. Well, for 99% of the population. But Ryan pulls it off with amazing accuracy. Now, imagine having to play the shy girl who is raped and murdered for 90 minutes. I would imagine that being a little nerve racking considering you have to suck dick and get fucked during the process as well. Michiko Jimenez, the woman who plays the victim, was a fantastic pick for the role.

         Don't run away after reading this thinking you'll be buying an S&M film. That is not what this is. It's a film which is intended to shock, but also to make the viewer question if films like these, the real ones, exist. If you're in California, rent a VHS from the video store and discover a home video of rape and murder inside instead on the film you intended, you've probably got a copy of Brandon's (the killers) handy work. Call the FBI immediately.

         Purchase Amateur Porn Star Killer, it's worth the permanent psychological damage you will receive.