From what I had heard of "Amateur Porn Star Killer", I wasn't entirely sure of what I was going to see. I knew it was going to be difficult to watch, but being that it is an independent movie from a young filmmaker, I didn't know if it be because it was bad or even worse… too well done. I'll cut right to the chase and fill you in a little bit on the subject, which might clue you in as to why I was hesitant to watch it (even though I requested it from the studio). Shane Ryan (who also directed) stars as Brandon, a young man who cruises the streets for women he can film engaging in sex. His camera catches everything he does, so we are privy to his actions as he goes out to his car to begin his drive. He finds a young girl, Stacy (Michiko Jimenez), is able to coax her into his car and eventually wind up a motel where he will begin his newest project. At first, Brandon is very friendly and simply talks to her. But as time passes, it becomes even more obvious to Stacy what his true intentions are, or at least what she thinks are his intentions.

Brandon is a smooth talker and takes his time with Stacy, allowing her to warm up to him. He uses the camera as a kind of aphrodisiac, playing to her fears of being filmed and eventually persuades her to undress. She complies, hesitantly removing her clothing a piece at a time. When he feels the time is right, he moves in for the kill (figuratively speaking, for the time being) and begins to touch her. The more she shies away from him, the more his exhilaration grows to the point that he finally attacks satisfying his sexual needs. But even more unfortunate for Stacy, his needs are far more brutal than sexual.

Throughout the film, there are scenes shown via a picture in picture format that gives viewers the sense that Brandon has done this before, more than once. From the footage that we see, you're never really sure that the other encounters ended the same way. But from the way his character turns from smooth operator to ferocious animal causes you to believe the worst for them.

Ryan's style of filmmaking is very rough in this particular project, and admittedly it needs to be. It has a strong voyeuristic feel to it which only adds to it realism. And realism is the key to "Amateur Porn Star Killer." A film this horrible story wise needs to be believable or it has no impact. Admittedly there were times that I really had to disassociate myself from the film to keep from being drawn to deeply into it. I even became a little concerned that I had actually requested a real snuff film. Ryan is an extremely talented director, and one whose career I would be interested in following. Not particularly if he only sticks to films like these, but also branches out into different genres.

Without a doubt, "Amateur Porn Star Killer" is not a film that I would recommend to just anybody. It is very hard to watch (as it turns out because it was so well done) and while there is little in the way of explicit sex or blood, it is heavily enough implied to make some moments cringe worthy. The subject matter alone will turn some people off, and to be honest, it should.

Some narrow minded types might even consider it to be no more than eye-candy for perverse audiences looking for this type of gratification, but I would take that a giant step further. I think it would be a very good film to show to younger girls who tend to be so trusting if everyone around them. Unlike what their parents told them, there ARE real monsters in the world. Unfortunately, there are too many monsters like Brandon. A film like this could serve up a shocking lesson in the reality of that fact. That may or may not be the motivation behind Ryan's choice to make this film, but it is certainly a valid justification.

Currently, Alter Ego Cinema is looking for a distributor to handle a future DVD version of "Amateur Porn Star Killer", but in the meantime you can check out their website for more information (http://www.alteregocinema.com). When the DVD does have an official release, I'll re-visit the film, let you know if I still feel the same and will fill you in on any extra features that may be included.

Directed by: Shane Ryan
Starring: Shane Ryan, Michiko Jimenez, Jan Gould
Studio: Alter Ego Cinema
Release Date: None set yet
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

:We'll give Amateur Porn Star Killer a B.