Horror History: CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST Was Released on This Day in 1980
Josh Millican
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One of the most controversial horror films ever made was released in Italian theaters on this day in 1980. Of course, we’re talking about Cannibal Holocaust, directed by Ruggero Deodato!
Related Article: Take My Money! Enamel Pin of Iconic Impalement from CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST by Rotten Cotton & Grindhouse Releasing
Synopsis:
During a rescue mission into the Amazon rainforest, a professor stumbles across lost film shot by a missing documentary crew whose goal was to study the region’s indigenous cannibalistic tribes.
Deodato directed Cannibal Holocaust from a screenplay penned by Gianfranco Clerici; the film stars Robert Kerman, Francesca Ciardi, and Perry Pirkanen.
Related Article: CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST/DEATHCEMBER Director Ruggero Deodato’s Top 10 Genre Films
Trivia:
Ten days after its premiere in Milan, the film was seized by the Italian courts, and director Ruggero Deodato was arrested and charged with obscenity. He was later charged with murdering several actors on camera, and faced life in prison. The cast had signed contracts requiring them to disappear for a year after shooting, to maintain the illusion that they’d died. Deodato contacted Luca Barbareschi and told him to contact the three other actors who played the missing film team. When the actors appeared in court, alive and well, the murder charges were dropped. (Source)
Cannibal Holocaust was the second highest-grossing film in Japan in 1983, behind E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). (Source)
For an amazing retrospective on the history and legacy of Cannibal Holocaust, watch the video below by YouTuber Ryan Hollinger!
Are you a fan of Cannibal Holocaust? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also carry on the convo with me personally on Twitter @josh_millican.
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