This is the Ultimate Lesson in how to make a very successful horror movie. It has it all: Beautifully made, music that is wonderful to listen to, cinematography that is magnificent for a horror film, brilliant build up, characters that you feel sympathy for, disturbing scenes, and a very political tone(the final line comes to mind).
@dvdreview1 Moral dubiousness aside, it truly is one of the greatest horror films ever made. The animal killings, for better or worse, make it a one-of-a-kind experience.
I agree that it was a terrible decision to have animals killed for the shooting of this film. Although Deodato may have 'cheated' by using real animals instead of using FX to convince viewers that animals had died, the film was VERY successful in convincing audiences that human actors had act actually died through its use of convincing acting, FX, and cinematography.
@donovan1971 definitely. The opening theme is so beautiful and serene. I used to play it on my computer speakers to help me go to sleep at night, because it's so calming. Weird, huh? lol
@Absolutesublime1 It really is. The duality of this movie is astounding, because it truly is a powerful movie, but should it even really exist? The whole time you watch this film, at least for me, it's like a battle: you recognize its greatness, but are repulsed by the imagery.
@Absolutesublime1 Haven't yet, but it sure is building quite the reputation, isn't it? I've watched a couple of scenes from the film posted on YouTube, out of morbid curiosity (the baby scene, truly sickening), but I really need to watch the film in its entirety for the sake of context. A friend of mine was going to get a copy of it for me, but I haven't heard from him lately, so I don't know. It's definitely on my list of films to see, even if it is as repugnant as its reputation implies.
I can honestly say it lives up to all the hype. As sickening as the movie is, it is most definitely one of the most well made movies of that type. I don't want to outright call it a sick and twisted or shock movie. I personally don't buy the cultural significance the director claims is the allegory, I think that is his way of dealing with the hype. I did a review on it on my old channel actually. Your best bet is to find it online, any upcoming dvd releases are going to be edited.
I'd like to say something cool about your well-crafted video review.
But after today (Packers lose, Bears Win), I can only take out my aggravation by "disliking" your rotten and evil video.
...
Ok...Maybe I didn't go ahead and click the "dislike" button even if some other jerk did. I guess someone was offended by the animal slayings and took it out on your review...some PETA nut? :)
@retroboz lol, too funny! Yeah, I'm pretty happy about the Bears right now, but seriously, anything can change from now until the end of the season. I think everybody wants to see that last Packers and Bears game decide the NFC North Championship. It should be fun :)
Cannibal Holocaust is one of the most depraved, realistically disturbing movies ever, it's really messed-up, but that's what makes it so Great I guess,
Great review , i agree that having real animals die on screen is sick but i think this film is a masterpeice of cinema and would not change one thing , i think there are only a few true masterpices like this , salo being one that go beyond there subject matter to become so much more and because there are things in them that you dont want to see or think about and they show them in an unashamed way makes them art
@TrafficoneMan I'm glad that I didn't see Cannibal Holocaust until I was older, because I think that you really have to have some perspective on film and life in general in order to see the brilliance behind the brutality of this film. If I saw it when I was younger, I don't think I would've quite understood Deodato's method with this film.
Great review. I've only ever seen the UK edition of this film which was cut to ribbons by the censors. Worth the effort to get hold of a full edition just because I want to see what I've been told that I'm not allowed to see!
@davidscribe I didn't realize it at the time, but when I first saw CH, it was an edited version. When I got the Grindhouse Releasing version, I could tell the difference. Shots in the unedited version tend to linger a bit longer than the edited. The castration scene was slightly cut.
I just re-read that last sentence, and noted the irony, lol.
[...] But the bottom line is you didn't let this dilemma cloud your judgement and instead made some very clever and insightful observations about the mechanics of the movie that puts your review among the best that exist for this film. And this is something that other critics with much greater reputation failed at. Respect to you and looking forward to the next! [...] (Sorry, had to split my comment into several parts...)
@CypherCrowley I appreciate the response :) What's funny to me is that you'll find some very good reviews of films like these on YouTube, but you'll never find a big name critic that will tackle a film such as Cannibal Holocaust.
[...] And then it's a matter of killing one animal so that everybody can benefit from it vs killing one animal so that only a handful of people benefit from it. Now, I'm aware that this is a tricky question and one that I myself don't have an answer to. [...]
[....] Most people say that killing animals for food is just natural whereas killing for entertainment is cruel and just plain unnecessary. I don't think it's quite that easy, because where is the fine line that seperates entertainment from art? Great art has the potential to be truly inspirational and contribute to culturally advancing the whole human race. [...]
Congratulations, another very competent & intelligent review. I certainly don't regret subscribing to your channel. I know reviewing this movie is no easy task, but you did a great job. The controversy surrounding the film often leads to a moral debate instead of a thourough evaluation of the actual film-making. I'v always had a hard time making up my mind about the snuff-issue. We kill animals all the time for food, for clothing et cetera. [...]
Man you never cease to amaze me dude, great review.... I really like this film, and it's one that I can say I will never forget the first time I seen it.... I agree with you about the realism, and about the animal killings.... As shocking as it may have been, I don't think it needed to be done.... I'm sure there was some FX artist out there that could of done just as good of a job, well another awesome vid bro....
@GRINDUPFILMS Thanks, I appreciate it! Watching this movie for the first time is an ordeal, for sure. Afterwards, I felt like I had survived a catastrophe. It was a very powerful experience, but a painful one.
I have to admit that it is a very good and powerful movie but I just don't enjoy watching it. the combination of the animal killings and that music that for some reason makes me feel sick to my stomach (I don't know why, it just does) just makes it an unenjoyable movie to watch for me. I mean, I've never been bored and though "hmm, I think I'll stick on Cannibal Holocaust". so basically I really don't like watching it but I can admit that it ia a great movie. Fantastic review as always man!
@MaskedMovieManiac That's something I wish I would've touched upon more, the score by Riz Ortolani. This whole film, basically, has such a duality to it, and the film score represents that. It's such a beautiful score, and the way it juxtaposes with the imagery, it makes the film even more unsettling.
Maybe I should give it another go. I saw it about 13 years ago and found it to be rather boring. There was a serious lull between the first half and the second that was difficult to push past.
@Anrkist713 Definitely give it another go. Personally, I didn't find this film boring at all, because Deodato doesn't give the audience any sense that he'll pull back on anything. As a result, I felt like I was on edge throughout the film, at least when I first saw it anyhow.
Excellent Review, Buddy. This is a classic movie that seems to be getting noticed more and more as every day passes. Very in depth disscusion. Highly enjoyed it, mate!
@FwahStorm I think a lot of the attention it's getting is due to the style of the film. It's always been a "nasty" film, but as time goes by, I think more and more people notice the filmmaking as opposed to the shock elements. It's a very effective film, but it's a little TOO effective, if you know what I mean, lol
Awesome.....another excellent review! This film certainly has a "nasty" reputation. I do believe, however, (and you can mark my word on this) that decades from now, this film will be lost and undermined by A Serbian Film. The word of mouth and attention that a Serbian Film is getting will insure this......and Cannibal Holocaust looks like Bambi next to A Serbian Film. I also find it hard to believe the makers of Blair Witch claimed to have "never seen this" before they shot Blair Witch.
@SirNewerbeg I haven't seen A Serbian Film yet. I'm still waiting for a copy from my friend, but when I do see it, you can rest assured that a Video Discussion will be forthcoming. I saw the RedBand trailer, and something tells me I'm gonna have a hell of a time trying to edit that for my video review, lol
I also feel that Deadato crossed the line with the animal killings in this film. I find it morally reprehensible that he would go to such extremes for mere shock value when he could have achieved practically the same type of effect with the animals by further utilizing the fairly realistic looking makeup effects used with the actors at the film's bloody climax.This film may not be easy to watch, but it's still a very raw, powerful, haunting and unforgettable cinematic masterpiece, in my opinion.
I know, i saw this movie back in 2001 in a censored version on video then in 2005 i bought it on DVD as it was more shocking than i ever imagined. The make-up was realistic as much as today's shockers are, the animal killing was raw but they had to eat on film even if a live turtle was mutilated on film. There's been animal killing for real on film before this such as Jungle Holocaust (The prequel to this movie) which shows an alligator mutilation to Mountain of the cannibal God
Excellent review Barry and funny enough it's arrived just as I'm doing a follow up to my own reviews to answer FAQ's and comments. Prepare yourself to see the same comments appear time and again,this film attracts them like flies to crap....have fun matey. ;0)
i recently bought the uncut, collectors edition online, best $30 ive ever spent
jaymieannehutchinson 3 months ago
This is the Ultimate Lesson in how to make a very successful horror movie. It has it all: Beautifully made, music that is wonderful to listen to, cinematography that is magnificent for a horror film, brilliant build up, characters that you feel sympathy for, disturbing scenes, and a very political tone(the final line comes to mind).
dvdreview1 4 months ago
@dvdreview1 Moral dubiousness aside, it truly is one of the greatest horror films ever made. The animal killings, for better or worse, make it a one-of-a-kind experience.
thebrb30000 4 months ago
I agree that it was a terrible decision to have animals killed for the shooting of this film. Although Deodato may have 'cheated' by using real animals instead of using FX to convince viewers that animals had died, the film was VERY successful in convincing audiences that human actors had act actually died through its use of convincing acting, FX, and cinematography.
1ex1uger 7 months ago
Just re-watching some of your work and it's very bizarre that the music from Cannibal Holocaust is so beautiful but associated with such violence.
donovan1971 1 year ago
@donovan1971 definitely. The opening theme is so beautiful and serene. I used to play it on my computer speakers to help me go to sleep at night, because it's so calming. Weird, huh? lol
thebrb30000 1 year ago
Very well written and thought out discussion indeed. Powerful movie that shocked the world, perhaps people didn't like what they saw in the mirror.
Absolutesublime1 1 year ago
@Absolutesublime1 It really is. The duality of this movie is astounding, because it truly is a powerful movie, but should it even really exist? The whole time you watch this film, at least for me, it's like a battle: you recognize its greatness, but are repulsed by the imagery.
thebrb30000 1 year ago
@thebrb30000
I completely agree, I am not one for the needless killing of animals artistic or not I can't see justification in it.
Have you seen A Serbian Film? I had a very similar feeling after watching that.
Absolutesublime1 1 year ago
@Absolutesublime1 Haven't yet, but it sure is building quite the reputation, isn't it? I've watched a couple of scenes from the film posted on YouTube, out of morbid curiosity (the baby scene, truly sickening), but I really need to watch the film in its entirety for the sake of context. A friend of mine was going to get a copy of it for me, but I haven't heard from him lately, so I don't know. It's definitely on my list of films to see, even if it is as repugnant as its reputation implies.
thebrb30000 1 year ago
@thebrb30000
I can honestly say it lives up to all the hype. As sickening as the movie is, it is most definitely one of the most well made movies of that type. I don't want to outright call it a sick and twisted or shock movie. I personally don't buy the cultural significance the director claims is the allegory, I think that is his way of dealing with the hype. I did a review on it on my old channel actually. Your best bet is to find it online, any upcoming dvd releases are going to be edited.
Absolutesublime1 1 year ago
I'd like to say something cool about your well-crafted video review.
But after today (Packers lose, Bears Win), I can only take out my aggravation by "disliking" your rotten and evil video.
...
Ok...Maybe I didn't go ahead and click the "dislike" button even if some other jerk did. I guess someone was offended by the animal slayings and took it out on your review...some PETA nut? :)
retroboz 1 year ago
@retroboz lol, too funny! Yeah, I'm pretty happy about the Bears right now, but seriously, anything can change from now until the end of the season. I think everybody wants to see that last Packers and Bears game decide the NFC North Championship. It should be fun :)
thebrb30000 1 year ago
Alright, I'm currently 15 minutes into the film. I'm quite apprehensive about the brutality your mentioned. We'll see
donovan1971 1 year ago
@donovan1971 trust me, you'll know the brutality when you see it. Let me know what you think afterwards.
thebrb30000 1 year ago
Cannibal Holocaust is one of the most depraved, realistically disturbing movies ever, it's really messed-up, but that's what makes it so Great I guess,
Great vid 10/10 : )
TheSlasherVortex 1 year ago
@TheSlasherVortex I agree with everything you just said. So disturbing. It definitely stuck with me for a while after seeing it.
Glad you liked the review :)
thebrb30000 1 year ago
Great review , i agree that having real animals die on screen is sick but i think this film is a masterpeice of cinema and would not change one thing , i think there are only a few true masterpices like this , salo being one that go beyond there subject matter to become so much more and because there are things in them that you dont want to see or think about and they show them in an unashamed way makes them art
TrafficoneMan 1 year ago
@TrafficoneMan I'm glad that I didn't see Cannibal Holocaust until I was older, because I think that you really have to have some perspective on film and life in general in order to see the brilliance behind the brutality of this film. If I saw it when I was younger, I don't think I would've quite understood Deodato's method with this film.
thebrb30000 1 year ago
Excellent again sir.
j658 1 year ago
@j658 Thanks!
thebrb30000 1 year ago
Excellent review. This is one I've wanted to see but haven't gotten around to it. Hopefully I will in the future. :)
JASaare 1 year ago
@JASaare It's a powerful film, but it's very shocking, no question about it.
thebrb30000 1 year ago
Great review. I've only ever seen the UK edition of this film which was cut to ribbons by the censors. Worth the effort to get hold of a full edition just because I want to see what I've been told that I'm not allowed to see!
davidscribe 1 year ago
@davidscribe I didn't realize it at the time, but when I first saw CH, it was an edited version. When I got the Grindhouse Releasing version, I could tell the difference. Shots in the unedited version tend to linger a bit longer than the edited. The castration scene was slightly cut.
I just re-read that last sentence, and noted the irony, lol.
thebrb30000 1 year ago
[...] But the bottom line is you didn't let this dilemma cloud your judgement and instead made some very clever and insightful observations about the mechanics of the movie that puts your review among the best that exist for this film. And this is something that other critics with much greater reputation failed at. Respect to you and looking forward to the next! [...] (Sorry, had to split my comment into several parts...)
CypherCrowley 1 year ago
@CypherCrowley I appreciate the response :) What's funny to me is that you'll find some very good reviews of films like these on YouTube, but you'll never find a big name critic that will tackle a film such as Cannibal Holocaust.
thebrb30000 1 year ago
[...] And then it's a matter of killing one animal so that everybody can benefit from it vs killing one animal so that only a handful of people benefit from it. Now, I'm aware that this is a tricky question and one that I myself don't have an answer to. [...]
CypherCrowley 1 year ago
[....] Most people say that killing animals for food is just natural whereas killing for entertainment is cruel and just plain unnecessary. I don't think it's quite that easy, because where is the fine line that seperates entertainment from art? Great art has the potential to be truly inspirational and contribute to culturally advancing the whole human race. [...]
CypherCrowley 1 year ago
Congratulations, another very competent & intelligent review. I certainly don't regret subscribing to your channel. I know reviewing this movie is no easy task, but you did a great job. The controversy surrounding the film often leads to a moral debate instead of a thourough evaluation of the actual film-making. I'v always had a hard time making up my mind about the snuff-issue. We kill animals all the time for food, for clothing et cetera. [...]
CypherCrowley 1 year ago
Man you never cease to amaze me dude, great review.... I really like this film, and it's one that I can say I will never forget the first time I seen it.... I agree with you about the realism, and about the animal killings.... As shocking as it may have been, I don't think it needed to be done.... I'm sure there was some FX artist out there that could of done just as good of a job, well another awesome vid bro....
GRINDUPFILMS 1 year ago
@GRINDUPFILMS Thanks, I appreciate it! Watching this movie for the first time is an ordeal, for sure. Afterwards, I felt like I had survived a catastrophe. It was a very powerful experience, but a painful one.
thebrb30000 1 year ago
@81oakridgSTF Thanks Mike! Coming from an expert of the extreme such as yourself, I take that as very high praise. I appreciate it.
thebrb30000 1 year ago
I have to admit that it is a very good and powerful movie but I just don't enjoy watching it. the combination of the animal killings and that music that for some reason makes me feel sick to my stomach (I don't know why, it just does) just makes it an unenjoyable movie to watch for me. I mean, I've never been bored and though "hmm, I think I'll stick on Cannibal Holocaust". so basically I really don't like watching it but I can admit that it ia a great movie. Fantastic review as always man!
MaskedMovieManiac 1 year ago
@MaskedMovieManiac That's something I wish I would've touched upon more, the score by Riz Ortolani. This whole film, basically, has such a duality to it, and the film score represents that. It's such a beautiful score, and the way it juxtaposes with the imagery, it makes the film even more unsettling.
thebrb30000 1 year ago
Maybe I should give it another go. I saw it about 13 years ago and found it to be rather boring. There was a serious lull between the first half and the second that was difficult to push past.
Anrkist713 1 year ago
@Anrkist713 Definitely give it another go. Personally, I didn't find this film boring at all, because Deodato doesn't give the audience any sense that he'll pull back on anything. As a result, I felt like I was on edge throughout the film, at least when I first saw it anyhow.
thebrb30000 1 year ago
Excellent Review, Buddy. This is a classic movie that seems to be getting noticed more and more as every day passes. Very in depth disscusion. Highly enjoyed it, mate!
FwahStorm 1 year ago
@FwahStorm I think a lot of the attention it's getting is due to the style of the film. It's always been a "nasty" film, but as time goes by, I think more and more people notice the filmmaking as opposed to the shock elements. It's a very effective film, but it's a little TOO effective, if you know what I mean, lol
thebrb30000 1 year ago
Awesome.....another excellent review! This film certainly has a "nasty" reputation. I do believe, however, (and you can mark my word on this) that decades from now, this film will be lost and undermined by A Serbian Film. The word of mouth and attention that a Serbian Film is getting will insure this......and Cannibal Holocaust looks like Bambi next to A Serbian Film. I also find it hard to believe the makers of Blair Witch claimed to have "never seen this" before they shot Blair Witch.
SirNewerbeg 1 year ago
@SirNewerbeg I haven't seen A Serbian Film yet. I'm still waiting for a copy from my friend, but when I do see it, you can rest assured that a Video Discussion will be forthcoming. I saw the RedBand trailer, and something tells me I'm gonna have a hell of a time trying to edit that for my video review, lol
thebrb30000 1 year ago
I also feel that Deadato crossed the line with the animal killings in this film. I find it morally reprehensible that he would go to such extremes for mere shock value when he could have achieved practically the same type of effect with the animals by further utilizing the fairly realistic looking makeup effects used with the actors at the film's bloody climax.This film may not be easy to watch, but it's still a very raw, powerful, haunting and unforgettable cinematic masterpiece, in my opinion.
TheAltair4 1 year ago
@TheAltair4 I couldn't agree more. It is a very powerful film, but the animal killings cross the line.
thebrb30000 1 year ago
@TheAltair4
I know, i saw this movie back in 2001 in a censored version on video then in 2005 i bought it on DVD as it was more shocking than i ever imagined. The make-up was realistic as much as today's shockers are, the animal killing was raw but they had to eat on film even if a live turtle was mutilated on film. There's been animal killing for real on film before this such as Jungle Holocaust (The prequel to this movie) which shows an alligator mutilation to Mountain of the cannibal God
Johnlindsey289 1 year ago
Excellent review Barry and funny enough it's arrived just as I'm doing a follow up to my own reviews to answer FAQ's and comments. Prepare yourself to see the same comments appear time and again,this film attracts them like flies to crap....have fun matey. ;0)
lampyman101 1 year ago
@lampyman101 lol, thanks for the heads-up :D
thebrb30000 1 year ago