Review of Cannibal Holocaust (1980) by Jeff B — 19 Nov 2009

Obscene, horrific, pointless. I was sickened by its constant attempts to give shock value. Using live animals to slaughter for scene after scene. Two monkeys, because they had to shoot it twice. The story was boring to me and seemed to have no structure besides what ***** up thing can we film next? Rape, cannibalism, rape, rape, slaughter.

If this movie wanted to show us the past of these tribes so we weren't doomed to repeat it, then at least portray these tribes accurately which they did NOT. The second part of the film I give credit to for its unique directing that made it feel so real during the cannibal parts that the film was seized and used as evidence of murder.

I understand this film was made on the emphasis of disturbing its audience, which isn't hard to achieve when you're really killing things in a brutal manner and showing archive footage of real executions.

If you want to be disturbed, or better yet nauseated, this is for you. I was wondering if I was watching a snuff film. But even the director himself said he regrets what he did and wishes he never made this film at all.

When it's own filmmaker makes that kind of comment, that backs my opinion of this in itself.