Nocturnal Forum

The tragic demise of sexploitation/trash horror director Michael Findlay has always been a topic of morbid interest to me, partially because several of his films - most notably SNUFF and SHRIEK OF THE MUTILATED - hold a special place near and dear to my strange and forgotten film loving heart.

I know he was gruesomely decapitated in a helicopter mishap atop the former Pan Am Building in New York around late Spring 1977, but can anyone fill me in on exactly what occurred to cause the accident? Was Findlay up there shooting for a project he had in the works or scouting a location, and exactly how did such a nasty demise come to be? It's definitely a fate you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.

I'd be curious to know as well how much his wife, Roberta Findlay, has discussed this tragedy over the years, certainly not something she would care to dwell on no doubt. If it hasn't already been done, a book on these two would be fascinating for sure.

Anyone know more about this incident?

Here's a little snipet of some interest:

1971: Exploitation filmmaker Michael Findlay cashes in on the Manson trial by making a cheap piece of trash called Slaughter. The film is so poor that the distribution company won't release it. Then Findlay has an idea. Adopting Ed Sanders' own turn of phrase "snuff," Findlay removes all credits from his film, and tacks on a final scene, one in which the filmmakers themselves appear to brutally murder a young film set assistant. Findlay's movie now ends with a sudden fade to black. You hear a voice say, "Shit, shit. We ran out of film."

The end.

Re-named "Snuff" and fit with the infamous tag line, "A film that could only be made in South America... Where Life is CHEAP!," "Snuff" was promoted as if it contained an actual on-screen murder.

Lines stretched around the block.

The National Organization for Women and Women Against Violence Against Women picketed the picture en masse. Their protests centered solely around the fact that tickets were being sold to a murder. However, the actual girl who had been gutted, disemboweled, and "murdered" was, apparently, not as big of a concern.

(Findlay's own demise is worth mentioning. In May of 1977, as Findlay waited to board a helicopter atop the Pan Am building in New York, the landing gear collapsed and the blades swung downward, killing five people. As Findlay was decapitated, he was clutching a test model of an innovative, portable 3-D camera that he was preparing to demonstrate in Europe. Had that 3-D camera only been rolling, Findlay himself would have been the star of possibly the greatest snuff film of all time.)

Here's an interesting page I found with a detailed report of the entire accident, how it went down and what caused it:

http://www.airdisaster.com/reports/ntsb/AAR77-09.pdf

In regards to SNUFF, I had always thought that the Findlay's staged those protests to bring more attention to the film, although there are certain groups out there that no doubt would have taken it upon themselves in belief that the film was indeed exactly what it was purporting to be.

Actually I think you're both wrong. The Findlay's always said they had nothing to do with the movie that became "Snuff".
5 years after "Slauhter" wrapped Producer Allan Shackleton picked the film up.
Shackleton was an infamous man to work with. A hard line, take the money and run, exploitation distributer. And he smelt money in the flop that was "Slaughter".

He removed the final minutes of "Slaughter" (The Findlay's denied any involvement in this, and Roberta especially never acknowledged the film that "Slaughter" became as their film any longer) and pasted on his own ending. Reportedly shot by a Horacio Fredriksson and Simon Nuchtern.

It was as far as I know Shackleton who released false reports to the Press that Police had 'discovered' a film from South America ("Where life is cheap", as Shakelton would famously say on his ad campaign for "Snuff") that supposedly showed a woman being really murdered.

Now was the time for Shackleton to unleash "Snuff",
With exploitative ads and protesters (hired by Shackelton) standing outside some Cinemas showing the film, waving signs like 'Ban this filth', Shakleton soon found he had a winner on his hands.
As the Press caught on to the hype, and real misguided protesters started picketing the Grindhouse cinemas that were daring to show the movie , "Snuff" was garnered with even more free publicity of the kind this type of film thrives on. And the rest is history…..



As far as I know Mike was taking a new 3D camera to a show when he was killed by the helicopter.

'Both wrong' !? ... I have not actually commented upon !?.
A very interesting thread / discussion as the Findlay's are a subject matter of conjecture & interest. bb

You posted this, that's all:

As far as i know neither Findlay had anything to do with it, it was Shackleton.