The Holy Grail of Gore?
Cannibal Holocaust Dvd Review
I heard a lot about this movie growing up but never had the chance to watch it. The movie is supposedly banned in 50 countries even in the native Italy which it was produced. Rumors are that is had grossed over 200 million worldwide with all the different vhs, laserdisc releases and screenings. It was seized by the courts as evidence of a snuff film and the director had to testify how they filmed one scene in which a dead girl appears to be impaled on a wooden pole. The movie definitely pushes the border on what is entertainment and plain sicko gore.
My initial reaction after just watching this is my stomach is unsettled. Watching it even though i knew it was fake i still had a sick reaction like i was watching a Faces of Death film. The movie is very much more cohesive and well edited that what i was anticipating. Anyone who is a PETA freak then i give this warning. DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE. Perhaps the sickest part was watching the actual killings of several animals. A pig was shot, a huge turtle's head cut off and shell ripped off and a monkey's head cut off so they could eat the brains just to name a few.
A NYU professor goes on mission to the Amazon to find out what happened to 4 documentarians who never returned from their journey. He encounters a few tribes of different cannibals on his way. He witnesses first hand a few of their sick rituals they participate in. He manages to find the remains of the missing adults and bargains with the tribe to take back their belongings which include film footage of what happened.
The second half of the movie is the professor and other people watching the footage so they can make a special tribute to the eaten people. What they uncover is the sick truth of what happened and what lead them to be killed and eaten.
I would say about 90% of the special effects are well done. All the rape and sex scenes look authentic. The animal killings are authentic and the cannibalism and torture scenes look dead on except for a few short scenes. When a guys manhood gets cut off and a baby fetus ripped out and buried it looks almost too authentic. The film transfer of the movie is excellent and sound effects and music fit it perfectly.
Not really sure what the purpose of the movie is except to show that civilized people are just as uncivilized as primitive cannibals. It pretty much conveys that message except its a little unbelievable in some aspects; mainly on the part of some of the actions of the 4 documentarians. Was it entertaining? Not really but somehow it seems necessary that i had to finally see it. I can finally stop wondering about what it was about and why it was so controversial. Its available on Netflix and other places finally uncut on dvd.
Heres the trailer for this sick puppy: http://www.cannibalholocaust.net/video/cannibalholocaust.rm