Yes, you have fallen for the oldest trick in the book.
Just like
Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the movie is advertised as being real. Of course no real snuff film would find legal distribution in this country.
Snuff is
OK, but if you're looking for something a bit more shocking, check out a Japanese film called
Guinea Pig (the first one). The movie contains no credits, is shot on a consumer-quality VHS camcorder, and runs about 45 grueling minutes. The plot is simple: a group of masked men terrorize a captive woman in various ways. They interrupt the film with title cards announcing the type of punishment, e.g. "100 punches", "Boiling Water", etc. No explanation is ever given. Now it's my turn to perpetuate a rumor: Legend has it, Charlie Sheen of all people got a copy of this and notified the FBI, as to him and all parties concerned,
Guinea Pig appeared to be a legitimate snuff film. Subsequent investigation turned up the film's creators and proved it just a
film.