In the 1980s and into the 1990s, there was a creative explosion for the horror genre, with countless filmmakers picking up a camera for the first time, heading out with their friends, and making horror movie magic together. Some of these movies remain favorites here in the horror community to this day, but there are many others that you’ve probably never even heard of.
Snapper is one of those movies. And it’s the subject of a new documentary from writer/director John Campopiano (Unearthed & Untold: The Path to Pet Sematary, Pennywise: The Story of IT) that uncovers lost footage from the film that never was, telling the tale of two friends in Massachusetts and the killer turtle they *almost* brought to life in the early ’90s.
Campopiano explains, “This is a short doc (30-minutes) about the making of a creature feature that actually fell apart before becoming a true film. In many ways it’s also a tiny window into DIY garage filmmaking here in New England during that era.”
He continues, “Snapper has been accepted to a handful of festivals and competitions, most recently winning Best Documentary Short with the New Jersey Film Awards. We’re hoping for more festival appearances throughout the summer and fall.”
The filmmakers behind Snapper, Mark Veau and Mike Savino (Attack of the Killer Refrigerator), were interviewed for Campopiano’s documentary, along with special effects artist Scott Andrews. As the team explains, they were inspired by Jaws and various ’80s slasher films, with Snapper intended to be a gory lakeside creature feature centered on a giant killer turtle.
The documentary features never-before-seen footage from the never-before-seen movie, while also serving as a short and sweet love letter to independent filmmaking. Particularly, of course, indie filmmaking in the horror space, with the documentary taking us back to a time when creative ambition, wild concepts, and cool practical effects were all you really needed.
Alas, even with all those ingredients, Veau and Savino never did end up finishing Snapper, and it never did see the light of day. But thanks to Campopiano’s doc, their low-budget killer turtle movie has been given a second chance at life, with the still-passionate duo hoping that someday, in some way, they’ll be able to head back to the lake and finish what they started.
In the meantime, you can watch Snapper: The Man-Eating Turtle Movie That Never Got Made through the Coolidge Corner Theatre’s website through this Thursday, April 29. If you love DIY horror, practical effects, creature features, and specifically unearthed genre treasures that you never knew you needed in your life, you won’t want to miss this one.
Included with the short is a discussion with director John Campopiano and the Coolidge Corner Theatre’s Mark Anastasio, and tickets cost just $10 for the hour-long presentation.
source https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3662296/snapper-short-documentary-uncovers-early-90s-man-eating-turtle-movie-never-finished-trailer/
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