Cannibal Holocaust and the Savage Cinema of Ruggero Deodato

by Harvey Fenton, Julian Grainger, Gian Luca Castoldi

REVISED AND UPDATED COLLECTOR'S EDITION Cannibal Holocaust is widely acclaimed as being one of the greatest horror movies of all time; indeed this hugely influential film is so devastatingly effective that it is often wrongly accused of being a 'Snuff' movie. This book is the fully authorised guide to the amazing films of Ruggero Deodato, whose notorious masterpiece CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is analysed in depth along with all his other movies, which include HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK, WAVES OF LUST, CUT AND RUN, LAST CANNIBAL WORLD, BODYCOUNT, PHANTOM OF DEATH, THE BARBARIANS, HELP, THE ATLANTIS INTERCEPTORS and LIVE LIKE A COP, DIE LIKE A MAN. With two career-spanning interviews, a detailed filmography, reviews of all his movies and a stunning selection of stills, ad-mats, rare posters and behind the scenes photographs selected from Ruggero Deodato's personal collection, this book is the definitive reference work on one of Italy's most accomplished horror film directors. Fully revi

Genres: Film, Horror, Media Tie In

111 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still remember the first time I watched Cannibal Holocaust. It was during a hot humid summer in Korea, and I was a lonely 15 years old boy who found solace in watching foreign films. By then I had developed a taste for wacky stuff, already jaded enough to find Cannibal Holocaust neither too shocking nor scary for me. I was actually a bit disappointed; the local media had made quite a scene when the national censor board lifted the ban, thus allowing this film to be shown in the country. The animal cruelty part was plain boring, because, you know, in Korea, we eat dogs and what not, so what's the big deal about it? :D And the murder scenes were obviously fake. Even the iconic "Impaled Girl" failed to impress me; come on, did anyone actually think it wasn't staged? I can't believe Ruggero Deodato got into legal trouble for that!

What interested me instead was its lost-and-found-footage device through which the revelation of the previously lost film's content becomes a "film you shouldn't watch". What they found in the recovered cans of film reels was so horrifying (to them, not to me. oh poor innocent children) that they decide to destroy the film -- I didn't understand this decision of savage vandalism, and I still don't. If it is truly so horrifying that it defies our common sense and flies beyond our imagination, it needs to be studied, not destroyed.

In general, I like exploitation films (and also their equivanlents in literature) because I often wonder if they can give hints to my question: Does humankind possess the ability to describe, imagine, or comprehend the Ultimate Evil? In my view, it is as ineffable as God or the Divine. Medieval thinkers came up with apophatic theology or via negativa, an attempt to describe God or the Divine Good by negation, that is to talk only in terms of what cannot be said about the subject. I've come to believe that the same rules apply to its opposite extreme.

[Todd Condit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really no need to read this unless you're a fan of the movie, director, or Italian cinema. Be warned though, like the movie they do show some rough scenes involving animals.

[Θανάσης · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing special here. I enjoyed the 2 interviews, but the rest of the book is just analyzing his movie plots and nothing more. After reading the "Dario Argento- the man the myth and the magic" book, i had higher hopes for this one. But there are no cast and crew interviews or even quotes. No before-after the movie information, or anything else like that. Maybe it deserves a 2 star, but i' feeling generous.

[Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strong analysis of all of Deodato's works of note, complete with two stellar interviews with the man himself. He claims House on the Edge of the Park is better than Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. King.

[Seth · Rating 5 out of 5]

More Italian horror film stuff, this time Ruggero Deodato. Even more violent and stomach turning films for a niche audience.
Film synopses, interviews, distribution info, and individual film histories from conception to screen.

[Chris Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good look at the career of Ruggero with a nice deep dive into his filmography. Two decent interviews are included as well in the most recent updated version of the book. I’d give it 3.5 stars. I would go higher, but I feel like the book only scratches the surface on Ruggero’s career as we don’t get too many interesting stories. And while I enjoyed the deep dive on his films, they were mostly reviews from writers on the films and I felt like I wanted more than that. It’s solid overall and I recommend it. Just found myself hoping for more at times.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Italian horror film makers often are on the extreme side. Ruggero Deodata is no exception. You don't need to speak Italian to understand what his movies are about. Waves of Lust, Mondo Cannibale, Cannibal Holocaust, Nackt und zerfleischt. You'll get many great movie posters and advertisings with lots of nude flesh, exposed tits and disturbing pictures. Definitely not for the faint hearted but a fascinating stroll through the horror movies of my youth. Fascinating, brutal and highly recommended!