Screening as part of the 13+ Films of Halloween.

45th Anniversary! 35mm Screening!

Few films have ignited as much outrage—or cemented such a place in cinematic history—as Cannibal Holocaust. Directed by Ruggero Deodato, this harrowing exploitation shocker pushed boundaries with its blend of cinéma vérité realism, graphic violence, and commentary on media sensationalism. Banned in multiple countries and famously mistaken for a snuff film upon release (leading to Deodato’s arrest), it remains one of the most controversial films ever made (not the least of which is due to the death of several animals on film). But beneath the gore lies a biting critique of Western imperialism and media ethics. The film rests on the mordant observation that zombies or no zombies, chances are the living will tear each other apart, cementing Cannibal Holocaust as not just a provocation, but a pivotal—if deeply disturbing—milestone in horror history.

The film’s true intentions belie its deceptively simple concept; a university professor (Robert Kerman), is sent to the Amazon to determine the fate of a group of documentary filmmakers who were there to study remote cannibal tribes in an area known as The Green Inferno. What professor Monroe discovers is incomprehensible. The documentary crew—in an effort to capture more salacious footage—resorted to the rape, torture and murder of their subjects, only to subsequently meet that same fate themselves.

Deodato’s film was not the first to wreak havoc on the international scene and it has surely proven to not be the last.  Nevertheless, unlike so many other films defined as controversial in their day that have later proven to be tame—or even innocuous—as time wears on, Cannibal Holocaust is still as unredeemable and unrelenting a spectacle as ever committed to celluloid.

Due to graphic content, including extreme violence and animal cruelty, no one under 18 will be permitted. For more information, please see the IMDB Parents Guide for this film.

Try one of our 13 Cocktails of Halloween, available at Eden Bar starting October 1:

THE INFERNO
Bloody Mary with Jalapeño-infused Mezcal