Italian director Ruggero Deodato, best known for helming the controversial Cannibal Holocaust (1980), has died at the age of 83.
Cannibal Holocaust’s graphic violence, including scenes of real animal violence, earned the film notoriety around the world. Banned in multiple countries, it earned a place on the infamous “Video Nasties” list in the UK. In his home country, the director was even accused of making a snuff film because the violence appeared so real, with the impalement scene in particular causing serious concern.
Deodato’s influence is far reaching. Cannibal Holocaust is widely cited as the first-ever found footage horror film, spawning an expansive sub-genre. Eli Roth was also heavily inspired by Deodato, casting the director in 2007’s Hostel: Part II (pictured above) and making his own homage to Cannibal Holocaust with 2013’s The Green Inferno.
Beyond Cannibal Holocaust, Deodato’s body of work includes House on the Edge of the Park (1980), Body Count (1986), and The Barbarians (1987). More recently, he helmed a segment of the holiday horror anthology Deathcember (2019).
Words: Samantha McLaren (@themeatispeople)
