Cannibal Holocaust (1985)

Touches You

Thanks for the memories!

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

It's not a film for everyone, for obvious reasons.. But it is a film everyone should consider watching. It's very graphic and raw and well made, that's what makes it so good at delivering its message.The film ends with a question, "Who the real cannibals are?" I think it's referring to cannibalism as a way to take something from someone for your own benefit or amusement. It can be literally eating people, causing harm and suffering to get good footage or using that footage despite it's moral contradictions.It's a film about journalistic integrity, difference between civilizations and similarities in the nature of man.

There isn't much that can be said that hasn't been said before, but I will reiterate on why Cannibal Holocaust is one of the greatest pieces of cinema of all time, not only in terms of exploitation or horror, but generally one of the greatest movies ever to be made. Before we get started for those who do not know, this movie is extreme, brutally violent, depraved, and vicious, it is not for the faint of heart. But for those who do stomach it they are in for one hell of a ride.The plot seems so similar to other cannibal movies, which in 1980 was still a young subgenre and had yet to be given any praise outside of extreme cinema fans or thrill seekers, but this film holds much more in its heart than to purely shock crowds, it has deeper commentary than can meet the eye. Cannibal Holocaust tells the story of a professor and his rescue team whom travel to the heart of the Green Inferno in hopes of finding a film crew who has been missing for several months, they had been shooting a documentary on the monstrosity of the cannibalistic tribes that reside there, but soon we will see who the monsters really are.I want to keep this a spoiler free review, so I won't go into great detail on many of the scenes, just the ones that everyone already knows. We will start with the gore, I am a gore hound and I love gory movies. The effects in this movie are done mostly in a found footage type of way (the first of its kind) and it really adds a charm to the scenes, it makes you feel like you are watching a real snuff film which was obviously the point seeing that people thought the director Ruggero Deodato really had his actors murdered, he had them sign contracts to not make any appearances at any of the screenings, Deodato really went the extra mile on making us feel like we just watched a brutal massacre. There are of course the typical cannibal movie tropes that seems to happen in almost all them, a beheading, penis sliced off, etc., but in this film it feels different, other movies like Cannibal Ferox (which I also enjoy), would go on to copy almost all of these scenes repeatedly. With that there are some effects that are much different, one for instance the impaling sequence, it is so realistic that Deodato had to prove how he performed the scene in court. Though in today's world some very desensitized minds wouldn't bat an eye to the atrocities that take place throughout the course of the movie, but in 1980 it was unparalleled in its brutality. Most people still feel that this movie is reprehensible and disgusting due to the gore, but that's the fun of watching a movie like this, just to see if you can make it through.All the gore effects weren't faked in this movie though, and some on screen lives did meet their demise. If you don't know what I'm talking about and you are an animal activist than this next paragraph and this movie as a whole isn't for you. Cannibal Holocaust shows some very intense on screen animal executions, from quick killings of monkeys, and pigs to one extremely hard to watch scene where a turtle is killed, cracked open, and decapitated. For me personally these are the most hard to watch scenes in the movie, even though I will say I am not offended by them like many people are. I think they are necessary actually to truly put you in the mood the Deodato was going for, it just makes your heart hurt and that's what this movie should do! The killings are there to make you feel bad, and that's exactly what they do, they're present to show us how civilized and sheltered we are from our true animal nature and our place in the food chain. To us these animal scenes are evil and terrible, but to the tribes it's a part of everyday life and not a big deal at all, if your average person today went to a farm they would be just as upset over what they see there if not more so than what's shown in the movie, and that's why I'm not offended by what's portrayed. Other cannibal films would follow directly in the footsteps of Cannibal Holocaust and kill plenty of animals along the way, the problem with those is the killings seem to be there purely for shock factor, where as in Cannibal Holocaust I find them to be essential for portraying the theme on today's society.Some of the hardest scenes to watch for a lot of people are the ones filled with sexual violence. Long shots of people being raped, and large objects being forcefully shoved inside of women. It is pretty intense and I think much more exposing than that of other films with similar content, like Last House on the Left or I Spit on Your Grave. The big difference between those 2 movies and Cannibal Holocaust is that the female getting raped gets avenged, or gets her revenge, in Holocaust though, we see none of that, you are assaulted and essentially left for dead. I don't feel I need to explain the social commentary that's being portrayed here and how unfortunately relevant it still is today. As I said earlier, mankind has become sheltered, and even still sexual violence seems unavoidable and this movie shows how quick someone will take advantage of others less fortunate. It's safe to say things haven't changed much.I think when compared to other movies of its kind that came out of Italy, Cannibal Holocaust has some of the best writing and editing ever. There are times when the acting suffers, but in most of those moments it's because the actors in the movie are acting as bad actors. I understand that sentence may not make any sense what so ever, I will explain, after we see some characters in the film do terrible things for no reason, we then see them act on camera that they did nothing wrong. You will just have to watch it to really understand. Also the score of this movie, it's downright amazing. I have an issue with Italian Horror movie scores, I usually find them to be oddly placed compared to the theme and pace of the movie, but in Cannibal Holocaust it is spot on and helps build off of what we are seeing on the screen tremendously. Cannibal Holocaust is one of the most powerful films I have ever watched and in a painful way I enjoyed every second of it. It definitely ranks as one of the most influential horror films of all time, it inspired the likes of Eli Roth and many others, and changed the face of what we looked at as exploitative and violent. This movie should make you look at yourself and question humanity and morality. Cannibal Holocaust has stirred more controversy than arguably any other movie ever has and that is an achievement in its own right, considering we are still trying to top it today. I recommend Cannibal Holocaust to anyone who wants a powerful watch and isn't squeamish, anyone who considers themselves a film buff, and most of all any and all extreme horror fans. Cannibal Holocaust ranks in my top 10 films of all time, without a doubt.

Blair Witch Project came out in 1999 as Paranormal Activity did in 2007 (originally 2005), Cannibal Holocaust was the beginning of found footage!More than just shaky cameras and a blessing of no digital effects, Cannibal Holocaust is controversial, practical and risqué as a found footage film should be. The journey of who the real Cannibals are, makes you consider the definition of Cannibal once more. Considering how Cannibals can be hungry enough even for another human being to be degraded and belittled of a stone-age culture. With those film cameras in grip like a pistol, it adds more the journey of these "lost Americans" and their intentions of recording footage as a trophy and eradication more than an observation of stone-age cultures.Clearly this was a big deal in 1980 for how realistic it looks and even makes CGI in today's technological standards look like a couple of steps behind! But once you've seen it again it is obvious with the practical effects and if you research the controversy that surrounded this film. They literally had to take this film to court! Blair Witch Project was good, but jittery and shaky if the lack of dialogue makes you impatient. Paranormal Activity set the digital standard of found footage, however was shattered in my belief over the 2007 ending over the 2005 ending.Cannibal Holocaust it's pacy, it's edgy and it makes you cringe and clinch no other found footage film's done. Especially when it comes to controversy, A Serbian Film counter-argued in 2011 and succeeded.

No, I did not see this film, nor will I. (Spoiler) Nor do I watch old western movies. or foreign films showing real animal cruelty, suffering and death, such as "Texas Chain Saw Massacre." Actors paid to simulate being tortured, injured, killed are one thing. Animals actually harmed because they are weaker than their killers and because someone wants to make money off their pain are quite another. Inhumanity is fostered with the acceptance of this kind of cruelty, and it is the true horror of films like "Cannibal Holocaust."