Horror Daily Grindhouse: Cannibal Holocaust (dir. by Ruggero Deodato)

Posted on October 10, 2013 by Arleigh

“I wonder who the real cannibals are?”

The month of October here at Through the Shattered Lens wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t introduce one of the very films which this site was made for: Cannibal Holocaust.

This 1980 film by Italian exploitation filmmaker Ruggero Deodato remains of the best examples of grindhouse filmmaking. It continues to be many people’s teop ten grindhouse and exploitation films list. Cannibal Holocaust could be considered as the best of the cannibal subgenre films which first began with Umberto Lenzi’s 1972 The Man from the Deep River.

Cannibal Holocaust also remains one of the best found footage films which has regained a sort of come back the last couple years with such popular found footage horror films like the Paranormal Activity series right up to 2012’s The Bay from Barry Levinson. It’s no surprise that Deodato’s film has survived the test of time as new legions of horror fans discover his films and older fans return to watch it again.

The film itself has continued to gain notoriety as newer fans discover the film. Upon it’s release the film was censored or outright banned from many countries who thought it was an actual snuff film (an allegation that even got Deodato and the film’s producers arrested in Italy on charges of murder) or because of atual animal cruelty performed by the film crew on live animals during the shoot. While the notion of Cannibal Holocaust was an actual snuff film remains a sort of urban legend amongst the new and young horror fans discovering it for the first time it really was the allegations of animal cruelty that continues to haunt the film to this day as it remains banned it several countries.

While the film was finally removed from the UK’s “video nasties” list it still hasn’t been released fully uncut and unedited in that country unlike the rest of the world. Though with the global reach of the internet such censorship and banned lists have become irrelevant and thus has given Cannibal Holocaust a much wider reach than it has ever had.

Cannibal Holocaust may be over thirty years old now, but it remains one of the finest example of grindhouse and exploitation filmmaking. It will continue to live on for future generations of horror fans and gorehounds to discover.

6 Trailers Of Steel, Lace, and Grindhouse

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s edition of Lisa Marie’s Favorite Grindhouse and Exploitation Film Trailers is dedicated to the memory of Sage Stallone, the founder of Grindhouse Releasing. When Sage Stallone passed away last week, most news reports concentrated on the fact that he was the son of Sylvester Stallone. However, even more importantly, Sage Stallone was responsible for helping to introduce people like me to the old grindhouse classics that would have otherwise faded into obscurity.

1) I Drink Your Blood (1970)

I know I’ve shared this trailer before but, with the news of Stallone’s passing, I felt it was only appropriate to share it again. I Drink Your Blood is perhaps the best film ever released by Grindhouse Releasing.

2) Cat In The Brain (1990)

This trailer is kinda disgusting but, at the same time, cats are just soooooooo cute, no matter what they’re doing! This film was directed by (and stars) Lucio Fulci.

3) The Swimmer (1968)

I was actually surprised to discover that this film was released by Grindhouse Releasing because it doesn’t really strike me as being a grindhouse film. That said, I haven’t seen the actual film. I’m just read the John Cheever story that inspired it and I’ve seen the trailer, which I like a lot. And so, here we go.

4) Weapons of Death (1976)

This crime film was directed by the underrated Italian filmmaker, Mario Caiano. Franco Nero is not in it but he really should have been.

5) Never Too Young To Die (1986)

Does John Stamos have a reality show yet? I thought I read somewhere that he did.

6) Steel and Lace (1991)

There’s a lot of mullets in this trailer.

What do you think, trailer kitty?

Harry, The Trailer Kitty

6 Trailers From The Valley of the Exploited

Posted on October 24, 2010 by Lisa Marie Bowman

No, the Valley of the Dolls is not one of the trailers included in the latest installment of Lisa Marie’s Grindhouse and Exploitation Trailers. It just happens to be the movie that I’m watching as I edit this post. Anyway, Valley of the Dolls was an exploitation film mostly because of human error. The trailers below are for films that came by their exploitation label honestly.

1) An American Hippie In Israel

There’s some debate as to whether or not this movie actually exists. I originally saw this trailer as an extra on the I Drink Your Blood DVD about three years ago. At that time, Grindhouse Releasing claimed that it would be releasing this film on DVD “soon.” Three years later, the DVD has yet to be released. Perhaps it’s for the best. I doubt that actual film could live up to lunacy and silliness of the trailer.

2) Best Friends

This is a good example of a movie that, if it was released today, would probably be marketed as an indie art film. However, since it came out in the 70s, it played in grindhouses and drive-in movie theaters. It’s actually a surprisingly well-made and well-acted film.

3) Chappaqua

Much like Best Friends, Chappaqua is proof that art and exploitation often go hand-in-hand. The film was produced and directed by Conrad Rooks and features William S. Burroughs at his cynical best.

4) The Hellcats

This is another one of those trailers that proves that, in the late 60s, liberated women were actually more menacing than murderous biker gangs.

5) Hell’s Belles

This movie, I suppose, could also have been called The Hellcat. Adam Roarke, the star of this one, appeared in every biker film released in 1970.

6) Savage Sisters

This is another one of those films that, frustratingly enough, is not yet available on DVD. That’s a shame. The world needs more movies about women kicking ass.