Cannibal holocaust

[Dr. Briggs]

Watched this one myself recently, was very surprised at both the fact that the seeming protagonists were the definite bad guys (it wasn't called Cannibal Holocaust merely for the sake of exploitation, they actually committed a cannibal holocaust!), and was happy to see that the filmmakers managed to make a damn frightening movie regardless (the shaky shot of the rape with the fleeting focuses on the tribesman in the bushes was a very effective bit).

The animal killings made me squeamish, but felt like a cheap way to do so. It's also hard to judge their artistic merit, considering Deodato was criticizing the exploitative method of realistic on-screen violence, but doing the same things himself just to make his point (although it did make me "feel" the message more than any special effects would).

Hard to rate this one's value as a horror film, but as a social commentary, I'd give it a 7.5/10. It really does work as a scathing commentary on cold hearted "showmen," whether Deodato is a hypocrite or not.