CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1980)

[SynapticBoomstick]

I recently watched this one for the first time with only the least understanding of why it generated so much stink in the 80's. I had a grimace on my face most of the time. The movie isn't scary in any way as I see it, it's unsettling. The gore effects and animal mutilations alone would just have made it a shock movie but what drove it over the brink for me was that musical score. This was especially so with the turtle (I knew nothing about this scene prior to viewing!) and the dismemberment of the cameraman. They sure hit all the right negative mental notes with that music.

[Gory Video Games]

One of my favorite movies of all time!

[RCMerchant]

I think they went for the rape and animal killing precisely because gore doesn't have much effect on people anymore.  Back in the day gore was shocking.  As people became desensitized to it horror movies that wanted to stand out needed something new.

Back in 1980,gore was a big scare thing in films.
Now-they throw blood and guts around like confetti-it aint scary no more.
You had crap like 2000 MANIACS and low budget s**t at drive ins...and George Romero,of course-but cannibalism wasnt prevelant in film like it is now.Back in 1980-it was still shocking. I just dont like the idea of killing animals for a f**king movie.

[Ash]

The movie isn't scary in any way as I see it, it's unsettling. The gore effects and animal mutilations alone would just have made it a shock movie but what drove it over the brink for me was that musical score.  They sure hit all the right negative mental notes with that music.

Totally agree.
I've seen it twice and it's that bizarre music that always sticks with me. 
I heard that the Italian justice system actually had Deodato arrested on obscenity charges.  He had to prove to them that it wasn't a snuff film and that none of the actors were actually killed.
As for the animal killing scenes, I just fast-forward through them.

3 out of 5 stars

[MrMari]

I've passed on this one more than a few times. Thanks for reminding me to keep on passing on it. BTW, I pulled the same move after I watched ISOYG. I couldn't get that DVD out of my house fast enough. No thanks. Trash bound.

[Gst0395]

Yeah, although I haven't seen it, I have heard some horror stories about this one. Apparently the violence was so realistic and explicit that the actors killed on-screen had to show up in Italian courts to prove they were alive and well, and that they hadn't been part of a snuff film. The supposed on-screen animal killings have kept me away as well. I can usually handle violence in movies based on it's context, but that is a no-no for me. This is actually one of the more infamous "video nasties" over here in the UK, and to this day still hasn't been released in a fully uncensored form yet.

I have to admit though, it has a brilliant theme song.