Dan Aykroyd Was Investigated for Murder Because of ‘Loose Cannons’

Whether ‘snuff’ exists has been the subject of debate for some time, partially because of a misunderstanding about what it is. Faces of Death and the ‘mondo’ genre of films are sensationalized and use actual footage mixed with recreations, but they are not snuff by definition, as the makers did not kill people to profit off their crimes through selling videos. The rumors of snuff existing have remained prevalent due to popular cases, from Ruggero Deodato having to prove in court he did not kill his actors in Cannibal Holocaust to Charlie Sheen mistaking a Japanese horror film for real-life murder and calling the FBI.

Canadian actor Dan Aykroyd also had his run-in with snuff speculation. The SNL star was accused of involvement in the making of a snuff video tied to a buddy-cop comedy he starred in with Gene Hackman called Loose Cannons. Well, how the hell did that happen? Let’s dive into it.

The Painful Comedy of ‘Loose Cannons’

1990’s Loose Cannons follows Detective MacArthur “Mac” Stern (Gene Hackman) and his partner, Detective Ellis Fielding (Dan Aykroyd), who suffers from a multiple personality disorder. The two get caught up in a peculiar case involving a German politician, Kirk von Metz (Robert Prosky). Once a German officer for the Nazis, a video of Metz surfaced with him having sex with Adolf Hitler, causing the aspiring politician to use Nazi sympathizers to murder anyone who saw or may have access to the footage. While prized for his investigative abilities, Ellis Fielding relies on Mac on the field; that’s because when he is confronted with dangerous situations, he takes on the persona of various pop-culture characters like The Road Runner and Popeye.

Buddy cop comedy at its most painful, Loose Cannons failed despite having a lot of star power behind it. In addition to Gene Hackman and Dan Aykroyd, Bob Clark, the man behind such classics as Black Christmas, Porky’s, and A Christmas Story, was the comedy’s director and co-writer. The movie flopped at the box office – grossing $5 million of its $15 million budget – Dan Aykroyd hated it, and critics despised it. “This is truly ludicrous,” said critic Gene Siskel of the film. “I didn’t find anything to like about Loose Cannons, and I’m very surprised to find Gene Hackman and Dan Aykroyd in a complete dismal mess.” Roger Ebert agreed, criticizing everything about the film during an episode of At the Movies, but specifically noting the cringe distraction of Aykroyd’s shtick:

“As for the Aykroyd characterization, where he’s doing Tweetie Pie and Sylvester and Pee Wee Herman and all of these other things — that is completely off-putting. It’s like some kind of vaudeville act that’s shoved into the movie every five minutes.”

Loose Cannons came and went, and was largely forgotten. That is, until it was found decades later and mistaken for snuff.

How a Forgotten Comedy Got Mistaken for Snuff

In May 2013, a worker at a Canadian landfill in Calgary, Alberta, made what they believed to be a ghastly discovery. The sanitation worker found a piece of warped 35mm celluloid, the transparent plastic once used in film and photo development, depicting a man holding a knife, looming over a body. The image alarmed him, and he brought it to the attention of the Calgary police, who took the concern seriously.

A spokesperson for the police, Kevin Brookwell, would comment, “This potentially looks like it could be a homicide, or someone capturing a homicide, or one of these snuff films.” On closer inspection of the image, though, police realized that the potential killer struck a striking resemblance to Canadian comedy legend Dan Aykroyd.

The case lasted an entire day, and the police described the incident as “kind of humorous.” TMZ would reach out to Dan Aykroyd for comment about the incident, and what he jokingly said reflects the spite the film had seen from audiences and critics: “The movie should have been left in the landfill where it belongs.” The police never contacted Aykroyd or his management for any follow-up on the discovery.

Should ‘Loose Cannons’ Have Been “Left in the Landfill?”

Dan Aykroyd is best known for his roles in films like Ghostbusters and The Blues Brothers. His later career became more defined by his entrepreneurship, with House of Blues and Crystal Head Vodka seeing substantial success. Aykroyd is one of the most revered and recognized comedic actors turned successful businessman; many tend to overlook a history of pretty subpar films. Titles like On the Nose (2001) and Exit to Eden (1994) were poorly received but are now essentially forgotten. Nothing But Trouble (1991) is infamous for being Aykroyd’s unsuccessful foray into directing, becoming a renowned passion project turned box office flop.

A history of roles in questionable productions cements the idea that just because the skilled comedic actor is involved in a project does not guarantee it will be enjoyable or a misunderstood gem. If the case of Loose Cannons being discovered in the landfill was the only working copy, preservation would take precedence over quality in discussing whether it should have been there. Yet, we agree with Aykroyd that Loose Cannons is pretty much the ‘garbage’ he implied. If you still want to check it out, Loose Cannons is available to rent or buy on digital platforms like Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, and Fandango at Home, and is streaming for free on Tubi through the link below. And again, it’s not a snuff film.

Watch Loose Cannons