Wednesday, February the 12th, 2002. One of the most sick, gruesome, intense films ever played twice at the Huntington Cinema Arts Centre. This film was Ruggero Deodato's "Cannibal Holocaust" which was released in 1979 but quickly banned and censored in many countries. Immediately after its Italian premier in 1980, the film was impounded and Deodato faced one obscenity trial after another. For reasons unknown to myself and my group of peers, this masterpiece was shown in it's entirety that night at the Cinema Arts. I for one feel lucky to have been able to see such a film.

**Warning: Although nothing compared to the actual movie, clicking more will bring you to a few fairly gruesome pics. Enjoy**



Just like the Blair Witch Project was originally, there is some skepticism on the subject of the footage being real or not. Well most of the film is a fictional piece, involving the story of a NYU professor's trip to the "Green Inferno," or amazon to look for a group of young filmmakers who set out to film a documentary on the infamous cannibals and even more specifically, the tree people, who allegedly have never been seen before by white man. After his trip he is contacted by a production company to narrate a documentary using the lost teams footage. There are some people who believe this footage is real, although I guarantee you it's not. And just to clear it up, yes the Blair Witch Project did get their ideas from this film. If handheld cameras running through the dark made you queasy, try out handheld zoomed footage of grotesque rapes. Of course my group of colleagues all made it through without runnin for the bowl; the same cant be said for everyone in the theater.

As quoted by James Myles, "P.E.T.A. must love this film." If you are a turtle lover, be ready to see some sad/nasty shit as a live turtle is decapitated and disemboweled. Other priceless live animal footage includes a muskrat's throat being sliced open,and a pig getting shot in the head with a shotgun.

If S&M, bondage, exhibitionism, grandmas saggy tits, the occasional dick, and rape get you off, this if your film. I'll be truthful with you. Early in the film, before anything too gruesome, the professor finds a native dragging a young nude native woman through the mud, then tying her up. I was thinkin Hey, not bad right? Well we then find out he is performing a sacred punishment for adultery, which includes penetration with a large rock, and later a ball of mud with sharp rocks in it. He ends up basically butchering her body and sends her off on a canoe to be eaten by cayman (alligators)

And who could forget Riz Ortolani's amazing soundtrack which just added so much to this film, with his classic electronic sounds and "stock music" dubbed in for the final murder/rape cannibal scene.

I could go on and on about everything in this film, but I think I've written enough to gain the attention of some hardcore horror film fans, and lose the faint of heart. Now I'll give the bad news. Its going to be close to impossible to find Cannibal Holocaust playing anywhere near here for a while. It was a one night deal at the Cinema Arts Centre. But, I'm going to try to get a copy of this film, hopefully uncut, and I'll make copys for anyone interested.

Check out the Cinema Arts Centre if you're bored sometime. They were one of the few theaters to have L.I.E., and the occasionally play such gems as Cannibal Holocaust.

I'll leave you with some screencaps and covers from Cannibal Holocaust, and for even more info check out CannibalHolocaust.net