Ruggero Deodato's contribution to the horror film were his cannibal films in the late 1970's. Unlike his Italian counterparts, Dario Argento and Mario Bava whose films relied on stunning visuals, use of color/sound and complicated twisting storylines, Ruggero's claim to fame was his unrelenting use of the ole crimson....Blood N Guts!
Deodato pushed these limits even further in 1979 with Cannibal Holocaust. A gutbuster which set the standards of the cannibal film. What set this film apart from the others is Deodato's documentary style filming in the last 30 minutes. The storyline concerns a professor of anthropology searching for a lost expedition of students shooting a film on cannibal tribes in the Amazon. He finds the cannibal tribe, the remains of the expedition and the film cans which contain the expeditions documented footage. The film is reviewed and tells the story of what happened to the doomed expedition. Here the film takes on it's documentary style. The expedition is dealt a heavy dose of "jungle justice" via the tribe for murdering some of their people. The expedtion is literally torn apart and eaten. The one woman in the crew is gang raped, decapitated and eaten. This footage becomes the heart of the movie, turning it into a very disturbing and unnerving piece of cinema. The image of one tribes woman impaled ass through mouth on a large wooden pole will live on in infamy.
This film also became the center of controversy as being a "snuff film". The only real violence portrayed is the jungle gore or the footage of animals being killed and eaten. One scene that perpetuated this rumor was the "pirahna scene". Supposedly this scene was photographed but never filmed. A statement that seems rather ridiculous since the scene was mentioned in many early reviews of the film during it's initial release in 1979. Deodato claims that the scene was set up and photographed by a photographer working with the film but never filmed. He also states in other interviews that the scene was filmed but later ended up on the cutting room floor. I guess we'll never know!
In 1983, Deodato released House At The Edge Of The Park, a rudemtary entry into the "slasher" genre that reached it's peak in the late 1980's. Deodato threw out a storyline and character development and settled on 90 minutes worth of rape, razor slashings and female humiliation. David Hess (Last House On The Left) and John Morghen (Make Them Die Slowly) give great performances however. Hess as a twisted rapist/murderer and Morghen as his retarded, disco dancing sidekick. The two crash a house party in ritzy neighborhood, beating, raping and humiliating the guests. Deodato pulls no punches when depicting the scenes of rape and torture. Not a great film but a whacky and disturbing film nontheless.
That's kinda of trademark. He gave you a title and you could expect something bloody from it. Deodato isn't a master filmmaker, but he knows how to deliver the goods when it comes to onscreen violence, which gives him a spot in The Guru's Of Gore section of this website.
Deodato's first entry into the cannibal genre was in 1977 with Jungle Holocaust aka Cannibal aka Last Cannibal World. Full of jungle gore and simulated human cannibalism, Deodato pushed the limits of onscreen violence. Character developement was also present, which is usually discarded in most cannibal films. Deodato also gave the audience a first hand view of atrocities commited by these cannibal tribes. This film was heavily cut in the U.S. and Britian, but it started the notoriety of Deodato's films.
In 1985, Ruggero returned somewhat to the cannibal film with Cut And Run aka Inferno in diretta. This was more of an action film concerning the battle between Columbian drug lords and vicious cannibal tribes. Very gory scenes including disembowlment, decapitation and a man ripped in half. Oh yeah and plenty of full frontal nudity. This film was heavily cut for U.S. distibution which transformed it from an entertaining bloodfest to a ridiculous piece of unwatchable celluloid. But Ruggero churned ahead and in 1986 returned back to the slasher film with Body Count aka Camping del terrore, where a group of teens are dispatched ala Friday The 13th style. The film also starred David Hess along with Mimsy Farmer. His latest bloodbath was released in 1993 with The Washing Machine. I havn't seen this one yet, but I have seen some stills of bodies crammed into a washing machine. With Ruggero Deodato, what you see is usually what you get.
Ruggero's films can be hard to find. I suggest seeing them for the pure fact that are excellent pieces of splatter. Hit the links section and check out some of the independent dealers who specialize in UNCUT Eurohorror films.
Hercules, Prisoner Of Evil(1964)
Donne...Botte Bersaglieri(1967)
Vaction On The Esmeralda Coast(1967)
Phenomenal And The Treasure Of Tutankhamen(1967)
Gungala The Nude Panther(1968)
In The Name Of The Father(1969)
Zenabel(1969)
The Secret Of Christina(1974)
Waves Of Lust(1975)
Live Like A Cop, Die Like A Man(1976)
Jungle Holocaust aka Cannibal aka Last Cannibal World(1977)
Last Feelings(1978)
The Concorde Affair(1978)
Cannibal Holocaust(1979)
The House On The Edge Of The Park(1983)
Raiders Of Atlantis(1983)
Cut And Run aka Inferno in diretta(1985)
Body Count(1986)
The Lone Runner(1986)
The Barbarians(1986)
Phantom Of Death(1987)
Blackmail(1987)(TV-miniseries)
Dial:Help(1987)
Ocean(1989)(TV-miniseries)
Minaccia D'Amore(1989)
Mom, I Can't Do It(1992)
The Washing Machine(1993)