Known for its graphic depictions of violence, the scary movie, Cannibal Holocaust caused so much controversy. During its first release, its director nearly landed in jail.
One of the most scary movie and thought-provoking horror movies is Ruggero Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust. The movie bags the credit for pioneering the found-footage horror category. Many people applauded the movie as a masterpiece. However, it also gained notoriety due to allegations of the filmmaker killing multiple cast members.
In the documentary Cannibal Holocaust, a crew of filmmakers are out on a jungle journey in the Amazon. They plan to make a film about cannibal tribes going missing. An American TV news station chooses to air the cassettes after they discover the video. The recovered footage constructs the rest of the film. This movie pioneered the concept of the found-footage horror film. It led to the establishment of a new class of exploitation film. Cannibal Holocaust later impacted other films, such as The Green Inferno, The White Slave and Cannibal Ferox.
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The Scary Movie actors supported the Director’s strategy of keeping out of the media!
According to Deodato, Cannibal Holocaust is his “depiction of reality,” contrary to a horror film. To ensure an appropriate degree of reality, Deodato came up with a strategy. He locked the actors who died in the movie with a contract. As per the contract, the actors must keep out of the media for a year. The contract also said about not giving interviews to anyone. The reason was to persuade the public that the deaths were real in the scene. After the release of the scary movie, it was confirmed that the idea was exceedingly successful.
Ten days after the incredibly violent movie’s 1980 Milan premiere, the government banned the Cannibal Holocaust. The authorities slapped Deodato with indecency. During the film’s showcasing in France a year later, a buzz of rumours amounted to saying that the murder sequences were real.
In Italy, Deodato was also accused of murder. It was due to the contract which compelled all the actors to stay from the public eye for a year. These were the same actors who were portrayed as dead in the film’s gruesome death scenes. During the legal procedures, most audiences were convinced that the picture was a ‘real’ massacre film. None of the actors made any public appearances due to the contract. Deodato eventually had to contact all the actors. First, he got in touch with actor Luca Barbareschi. The actor plays the role of Mark in the movie, who was seen being beheaded on screen.
Ruggero Deodato was left with no other alternative than to show that the crew members were alive
Luca requested all three actors who portrayed the dead camera crew to appear on an Italian TV programme. The programme proved that they were still alive. However, one scene of an indigenous girl getting killed was still alive required more effort.
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Deodato successfully convinced the court of how he directed the scene. He coupled an iron pole with a bicycle seat to create the gory practical effect. Then the actress sits on the seat. She holds a short piece of wood in her mouth to display as been pierced by a long spike. Subsequently, Deodato provided the court with pictures of the actress interacting with the team. It demonstrated her complete awareness of the situation and her lack of fear. This evidence sufficed to reverse the murder charges against Deodato. Despite Deodato’s acquittal on all counts, the scary movie remained prohibited in several countries. Credit goes to its realistic portrayal of animal cruelty and general distressing content.
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Where to watch Cannibal Holocaust?
Cannibal Holocaust is currently available to watch on Night Flight Plus, Screambox, and Fandor. Cannibal Holocaust is available for streaming and for purchase or rental on Google Play Movies, Vudu, and Microsoft Store. Plex, Plex Player, and Kanopy all offer free streaming for Cannibal Holocaust. In certain places, you may also watch it on PrimeVideo.
(Source: cbr.com)
