In 1975, after reading a newspaper article on the rumor of snuff films produced in South America, Shackleton saw an opportunity to cash in on the urban legend by adding a new ending to Slaughter.

When Michael Findlay realized that it was his own film being promoted under the new title Snuff, he tried to renegotiate the contract with the distributor, but eventually failed to secure more money from Shackleton.

This subtle, yet impactful cut only further supported viewers thoughts that the murder being depicted was truly “authentic.” However, no one seemed to notice that the cast and scenery in Nuchtern's ending had no resemblance or similarities with those appearing in Findlay's original footage.

If it isn't real, I'd be a fool to admit it.”[18] Prompted by "complaints and petitions from well-known writers, including Eric Bentley and Susan Brownmiller, and legislators,” New York District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau conducted a month-long investigation into the circumstances surrounding the film's production.

Morgenthau ultimately dismissed the supposedly "real" murder as "nothing more than conventional trick photography—as is evident to anyone who sees the movie.”[19][20][21] Morgenthau reassured the public that the actress apparently being dismembered and killed in the ending of the film had been traced by the police and was "alive and well.”[22] He also found no basis for criminal prosecution related to pornography statutes, or to consumer fraud laws in regard to the film's advertising.

However, Morgenthau stated that he had been "concerned about the fact that this kind of a film might incite or encourage people to commit violence against women.”[19] Upon its release at the National Theatre in New York City with a $4 ticket price, Snuff grossed $66,456 in its first week.

[8][24] During its theatrical run, feminist groups kept protesting Snuff, which influenced city officials in Santa Clara, Philadelphia and St Paul to force theaters to stop showing the film.

The cover blurb read "The original legendary atrocity shot and banned in New York" and claimed that "The actors and actresses who dedicated their lives to making this film were never seen or heard from again".

Richard Eder of the New York Times described it as "a horrendously written, photographed, acted, directed and dubbed bit of verdigris showing a group of devil-girls massacring people.

Joel Harley from HorrorNews.net wrote in his review of the film, "Were it not for that ending and the furore surrounding it, Snuff would surely have been forgotten a long time ago.

"[28] Bill Gibron from PopMatters gave the film 3/10 stars, writing, "Unlike modern gorefests which strive for autopsy like realism in all facets of the F/X, Snuff is cheap and cheesy.

Tyner criticized the film's unnecessarily dragged out scenes, lack of tension, and dubbed dialogue, which he called "sleepy, flat, lifeless, and howlingly inept all around, never even making an attempt to match any frantically flapping lips".