Cannibal film 3115501 225412958 2008-07-13T15:32:49Z Rjwilmsi 203434 no 'of' between a month and a year per [[Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style_%28dates_and_numbers%29#Longer_periods|MOS]] using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] [[Image:Cannibal Holocaust movie.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Poster for ''[[Cannibal Holocaust]]'', one of the best-known cannibal films.]] '''Cannibal films''' are a sub genre of [[exploitation film]] made mostly by [[Cinema of Italy|Italian filmmakers]] through the 1970s and 1980s. This sub genre is a collection of graphically gory movies that usually depict [[cannibalism]] by primitive, Stone-age natives deep inside the Asian or South American rain forests. Even though not all cannibal films show cannibalism on screen, all the movies are connected with the genre by stating that the tribe is cannibalistic. While cannibalism is the uniting feature of these films, the general emphasis focuses on various forms of shocking, realistic, and graphic violence, typically including [[torture]], [[rape]], [[castration]] and/or [[animal cruelty]]. Similarly to [[Mondo film]]s, the main advertising draw of cannibal films was the promise of gore, exotic locales, and cruel behavior, and eventually became a popular aspect of [[Grindhouse]] culture. The peak of the genre's popularity was from 1977 to 1981, a period that has come to be known as the [[cannibal boom]]. Due to their graphic content, the films of this subgenre are often the center of controversy. Many of the films include genuine slayings of animals, making them a common target of censors around the world. The inclusion of graphic gore and sexual violence has also landed the films in censorship problems. == History == Movies similar to the cannibal genre certainly were not rare before the 1970s, as [[rain forest]] adventure films were often found popular in cinema (such as with the [[Tarzan]] movies of the 30s and 40s starring [[Johnny Weissmuller]]). Some of these films even included primitive, and in some cases, cannibal tribes, and could be seen as the prototype for the modern cannibal film. One movie that can almost be definitively linked as the predecessor to the cannibal genre is [[Cornel Wilde|Cornel Wilde's]] 1966 film ''The Naked Prey'', which involved a white man being chased by a tribe of natives because his safari group offended their chief. <!-- Image with inadequate rationale removed: [[Image:CannibalferoxDVDscan.jpg|thumb|left|The now [[out of print]] Grindhouse Releasing DVD cover of ''[[Cannibal Ferox]]'', another notorious and controversial cannibal film]] -->The sub genre as it is known today was officially started with Italian director [[Umberto Lenzi|Umberto Lenzi's]] 1972 film ''[[Man from Deep River|Il Paese del Sesso Selvaggio]]'' (also known as ''The Man from the Deep River''). ''Man from Deep River'' was released in New York City as ''Sacrifice!'', and was a 42nd street hit.<ref>{{cite journal| last=Landis | first=Bill | title=Make Them Die Slowly | publisher=Grindhoiuse Releasing}}</ref> This film inspired several other similar films to be made during the late 70s, a period identified by genre fans as the "[[cannibal boom]]".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.savagecinema.com/cannibalholocaust.html | title=Savage Cinema | author=David Carter | publisher=Savage Cinema | accessdate=2006-09-06}}</ref> Included in these films are [[Ruggero Deodato|Ruggero Deodato's]] ''[[Ultimo mondo cannibale (film)|Last Cannibal World]]''(Jungle Holocaust in the U.S.A.), Sergio Martino's ''The Mountain of the Cannibal God'', and a few films by [[Joe D'Amato]] starring [[Laura Gemser]]. A large number of cannibal films were made in 1980, making it the most successful year for the genre. In February 1980, [[Ruggero Deodato]] released ''[[Cannibal Holocaust]]'', probably the best known cannibal film. Its graphic and unrelenting violence and exploitation is believed to have caused audiences to realize how repugnant most of these films really were, and inevitably, the popularity of the genre began to decline. Despite this (or perhaps because of it), ''[[Cannibal Holocaust]]'' was an enormous success; it is sometimes claimed to have accumulated a 200,000,000 [[USD]] worldwide box-office gross, though this has not been verified and the true gross may never be known.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078935/trivia | title=Trivia for Cannibal Holocaust | publisher=The Internet Movie Database | accessdate=2006-10-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://home.clara.net/raydav/paradisecinema_cannibal_holocaust.html | title=Cannibal Holocaust (1978). Paradise Cinema | author=Giovanni Pistachio | publisher=Paradise Cinema | accessdate=2006-10-19}}</ref> [[Umberto Lenzi|Lenzi]] would also contribute to the genre in 1980 with ''Mangiati Vivi'' (''Eaten Alive''), and again in 1981 with the notorious ''[[Cannibal Ferox]]'' (''Make Them Die Slowly''), but by then, however, the genre was beginning to fade, and only a few other obscurities were made until [[Mondo film|Mondo]] [[film director]] Antonio Climati was considered to have put an end to the genre in 1988 with the film ''[[Natura Contro]]'', which is also known as an unofficial sequel to ''[[Cannibal Holocaust]]'' (it has an alternate title of ''Cannibal Holocaust II''). Other similar films were made with a straight-to-video release afterward, most notably films by director Bruno Mattei. The genre is heavily indebted to [[mondo film|Mondo cinema]], which similarly aimed to shock audiences with exotic customs and graphic violence. A common premise is of the cannibal films is that mondo filmmakers (as in ''[[Cannibal Holocaust]]'') or [[anthropology|anthropologists]] (in ''[[Cannibal Ferox]]'') from a "civilized" country enter a jungle and runs afoul of cannibalistic natives. Ironically, many have a [[left-wing]] slant to them, as in the films, the "civilized" Westerners are the first to perpetrate extreme cruelty and violence upon the natives. The cannibals, in turn, reap revenge by inflicting the same form of barbarism on the Westerners. A few are set in modern urban centers with cannibalism practiced secretly, as in ''Emanuelle e gli Ultimi Cannibali'' and ''Zombie Holocaust''. == Films == <!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Emanuelle-Last Cannibals.jpg|thumb|250 px|DVD cover of [[Joe D'Amato|Joe D'Amato's]] ''[[Black Emanuelle|Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals]]'' (1977)]] -->While many films tread the definition of a cannibal film, the general understanding of the genre is that it involves primitive natives as a major plot point. *''[[Man from Deep River|Il paese del sesso selvaggio]]'' (1972; ''The Man from the Deep River''/''Deep River Savages'') *''[[Ultimo Mondo Cannibale (film)|Ultimo mondo cannibale]]'' (1977; ''Last Cannibal World''/''Jungle Holocaust'') *''Emanuelle e gli Ultimi Cannibali'' (1977; ''Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals''/''Trap Them and Kill Them'') *''La Montagna del Dio Cannibale'' (1978; ''The Mountain of the Cannibal God'') *''Papaya dei Caraibi'' (1978; ''Papaya, Love Goddess of the Cannibals'') *''Primitif'' (1978; ''Primitives''/''Savage Terror'') *''[[Cannibal Holocaust]]'' (1980) *''Mangiati Vivi'' (1980; ''Eaten Alive!''/''The Emerald Jungle'') *''Zombi Holocaust'' (1980; ''Zombie Holocaust''/''Dr. Butcher M.D.'') *''Mondo cannibale'' (1980; ''White Cannibal Queen''/''Cannibals'') *''Il cacciatore di uomini '' (1980; ''The Man Hunter''/''Devil Hunter'') *''Orgasmo nero'' (1980; ''Black Orgasm'') *''[[Cannibal Ferox]]'' (1981; ''Make Them Die Slowly!'') *''Terror CanĂ­bal'' (1981; ''Cannibal Terror'') *''Schiave bianche: violenza in Amazzonia'' (1985; ''Amazonia: The Catherine Miles Story'') *''Nudo e selvaggio'' (1985; ''Massacre in Dinosaur Valley''/''Cannibal Ferox 2'') *''[[Natura Contro]]'' (1988; ''The Green Inferno''/''Cannibal Holocaust II'') <small><nowiki>*Contains no on screen cannibalism</nowiki></small> There are some other films that could also be considered cannibal films, notably [[Ruggero Deodato|Ruggero Deodato's]] ''Inferno in diretta'' (also known as ''Cut and Run''), and several other works by [[Jesus Franco]]. == Directors == Several directors of different nationalities have contributed to the genre, but most did not make more than one cannibal film. The major directors to the genre are: *[[Ruggero Deodato]], with the films ''Ultimo mondo cannibale'' and ''[[Cannibal Holocaust]]''. *[[Umberto Lenzi]], with the films ''Il paese del sesso selvaggio'', ''Mangiati vivi'', and ''[[Cannibal Ferox]]''. *[[Jesus Franco]], with the films ''Mondo cannibale'', ''Il cacciatore di uomini'', and ''El Tesoro de la Diosa Blanca''. *[[Joe D'Amato]], with the films ''Emanuelle e gli ultimi cannibali'', ''Papaya dei Caraibi'', and ''Orgasmo nero''. == Actors == Like directors, few actors are cannibal genre regulars. The three actors who appeared in three cannibal films (the most by any actor) are: *[[Robert Kerman]] in ''[[Cannibal Holocaust]]'', ''Mangiati vivi'', and ''[[Cannibal Ferox]]''. *Ivan Rassimov in ''Il paese del sesso selvaggio'', ''Ultimo mondo cannibale'', and ''Mangiati vivi''. *[[Me Me Lai]] in ''Il paese del sesso selvaggio'', ''Ultimo mondo cannibale'', and ''Mangiati vivi''. Other popular cannibal genre actors are [[Giovanni Lombardo Radice]], a mainstream Italian actor; [[Laura Gemser]], an Indonesian model turned actress in Italy; and Carl Gabriel Yorke, who played the most infamous character of the cannibal genre, Alan Yates in ''[[Cannibal Holocaust]]''. == Censorship == Because of the content, the cannibal genre is one of the most controversial genres of film. Many of the films were once banned in the UK and Australia, and most are forced to be cut before public display. Several are still banned in countries all around the world. Only two films of the genre (''Schiave Bianche: Violenza in Amazzonia'' and ''Zombi Holocaust'') have been rated R by the [[MPAA]] for the uncut version (the R rating for ''Zombi Holocaust'' has since been surrendered, and the film is now unrated in the United States).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mpaa.org | title=Motion Picture Association of America | publisher=Motion Picture Association of America | accessdate=2006-09-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079788/ | title=Zombi Holocaust | publisher=Internet Movie Database | accessdate=2006-09-29}}</ref> The most controversial aspect of the genre is the real animal killings, featured in several cannibal films. Most of the films also include graphic scenes of rape and other sexual violence. === ''Cannibal Holocaust ''=== {{main|Cannibal Holocaust}} The most controversial and most infamous movie of the genre was ''[[Cannibal Holocaust]]''. Ten days after the premiere in [[Milan]], the film was seized by Italian authorities and director [[Ruggero Deodato]] was arrested on the belief that his film was a real [[snuff film]]. Facing life in prison, Deodato was able to bring all the actors onto a television show and demonstrated in court how some of the special effects were accomplished. The charges were dropped, but because of the still extremely explicit content, the courts still banned the film because of the real cruelty towards animals. [[Ruggero Deodato|Deodato]] was ultimately held on charges of obscenity and animal violence. Four years later, in 1984, Deodato was able to overturn the courts' rulings and the film was unbanned.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.fringeunderground.com/snuff.html | title=Final Cuts: The History of Snuff Films | publisher=Fringe Underground | accessdate=2006-09-29}}</ref><ref name=IMDb>{{cite web | url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078935/ | title=Cannibal Holocaust (1980) | publisher=Internet Movie Database | accessdate=2006-09-29}}</ref> Ironically, that same year, the [[United Kingdom]], [[Norway]], [[Finland]], and [[Australia]] banned ''Cannibal Holocaust'' (all but the UK have repealed the ban).<ref name=IMDb>{{cite web | url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078935/ | title=Cannibal Holocaust (1980) | publisher=Internet Movie Database | accessdate=2006-09-29}}</ref> It is sometimes claimed that ''[[Cannibal Holocaust]]'' is still banned in over 50 countries worldwide, though this can only be verified for a handful of nations. In 2006, ''[[Cannibal Holocaust]]'' made [[Entertainment Weekly|Entertainment Weekly's]] Top 25 Most Controversial Movies of All-Time list, landing at number 20.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,1202623_1%7C%7C233612%7C1_0_,00.html | title=Entertainment Weekly's EW.com | publisher=Entertainment Weekly | accessdate=2006-09-29}}</ref> === Video Nasty === {{main|Video Nasty}} Several of the films landed on the UK's infamous [[video nasty]] list. They are: *''Il paese del sesso selvaggio'' (1972)<ref name="Nolong">No longer banned in the UK, but must be heavily cut before displayed or released.</ref> *''La montagna del dio cannibale'' (1978)<ref name="Nolong"/> *''Cannibal Holocaust'' (1980)<ref name="Nolong"/> *''Mangiati vivi'' (1980)<ref name="Nolong"/> *''Il cacciatore di uomini'' (1980)<ref>Banned in the UK</ref> *''Cannibal Ferox'' (1981)<ref name="Nolong"/> *''Terror CanĂ­bal'' (1981)<ref>No longer banned in the UK, and can be shown uncut.</ref> == See also == *[[Exploitation film]] *[[Cannibal boom]] *''[[Cannibal Holocaust]]'' *[[Grindhouse Releasing]] == References == {{reflist}} [[Category:film genres]] [[Category:Exploitation films]] [[Category:Cannibal films| ]] [[Category:Cannibalism]] [[Category:Horror films by genre]] [[de:Kannibalenfilm]] [[it:Cannibal movie]] [[nl:Kannibalenfilm]] [[sv:Kannibalfilm]]