Post by doomedbloodwork on Jun 28, 2004 6:49:26 GMT -5
It is very rare that a movie transcends it's reputation by fans and critics, divides as well as unites and provides a hidden message in the context of exploitation to make a valid point about the nature of the world in general.
CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1980) ranks as the pinnacle of perception when it comes to hitting the mark and hitting it hard. After years of mistique about it and no doubt thanks to the popularity of DVD, the film has recently seen the light in new versions.
That's not to say that I don't find the film disturbing. Indeed, as with the likes of Takashi Mikke's AUDITION and I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, that is as applicable to this movie as it does to any that do.
For the uninitiated, the film is a pseudo-reality documentary about the mysterious disappearance of a TV crew who have ventured into the South American jungle to make a documentary on cannibalism. A rescue team is sent in and with help from local guides and tribesmen, they follow the alleged trail the crew took, which leads them into a primitive community. The only thing that seems to remain of their whereabouts are the cans of film which the crew have used and which reside now on a prayer ground area in the tribes village. Using a mixture of bribe and coersion, they retrieve the film cans and take them back to New York, with a view to using the footage in a new documentary on prime-time television......
It is at this point that the film begins to unfold to it's true power. Anybody who has seen the film will no doubt remember what I am talking about and all I will say to the ones who haven't seen it (and I must stress that I have only seen it in it's cut version, which for all intents and purposes is as strong as anything I have seen before, because the point is made vividly and the camerawork is very clear!!) - be prepared for a few shocks along the way.
Worthy of it's power and reputation and a movie that belongs in horror discussions from past, present and future consideration, CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is one for consideration if you are after a defining moment in the horror genre, alongside HALLOWEEN and THE EVIL DEAD.
CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1980) ranks as the pinnacle of perception when it comes to hitting the mark and hitting it hard. After years of mistique about it and no doubt thanks to the popularity of DVD, the film has recently seen the light in new versions.
That's not to say that I don't find the film disturbing. Indeed, as with the likes of Takashi Mikke's AUDITION and I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, that is as applicable to this movie as it does to any that do.
For the uninitiated, the film is a pseudo-reality documentary about the mysterious disappearance of a TV crew who have ventured into the South American jungle to make a documentary on cannibalism. A rescue team is sent in and with help from local guides and tribesmen, they follow the alleged trail the crew took, which leads them into a primitive community. The only thing that seems to remain of their whereabouts are the cans of film which the crew have used and which reside now on a prayer ground area in the tribes village. Using a mixture of bribe and coersion, they retrieve the film cans and take them back to New York, with a view to using the footage in a new documentary on prime-time television......
It is at this point that the film begins to unfold to it's true power. Anybody who has seen the film will no doubt remember what I am talking about and all I will say to the ones who haven't seen it (and I must stress that I have only seen it in it's cut version, which for all intents and purposes is as strong as anything I have seen before, because the point is made vividly and the camerawork is very clear!!) - be prepared for a few shocks along the way.
Worthy of it's power and reputation and a movie that belongs in horror discussions from past, present and future consideration, CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is one for consideration if you are after a defining moment in the horror genre, alongside HALLOWEEN and THE EVIL DEAD.
