Directed by Brazilian film-maker Felipe M Guerra (13 Weird Stories, Canibals e Solidáo and A Maldicáo do Sanguanel ), Deodato Holocaust delves deep into the life and career of one of horror and exploitation cinema’s most beloved and controversial figures, Ruggero Deodato, the director of the most notorious of all the video nasties, Cannibal Holocaust. 

In a career that spanned several decades, Deodato would work across a host of different genres, posting entries in the genres of sword and sandal (Hercules, Prisoner of Evil), the slasher (Bodycount), the Poliziotteschi,(Live Like A Cop, Die Like A Man) and the rape and revenge movie (House on the Edge of the Park) to name but a few. In each instance, Deodato was never afraid to push the boundaries, which often led to the director getting into hot water, the infamous instance being when he was accused of killing the actors who starred in Cannibal Holocaust. He didn’t of course and was able to prove as much to the authorities, but it’s a testament to the man and his craft, that he was able to make people believe he had.

The film centres around an interview with Deodato, filmed in Rio de Janeiro, and begins with talk of his early years in the industry, particularly his time as an assistant director to Italian legends like Roberto Rosselini, Antonio Margheriti and Sergio Corbucci, before moving onto talk of his early directorial work with films like, exploitation piece Gungala, the Black Panther Girl and actioner, Fenomenal and the treasure of Tutankamen. It’s not until the mid-70s that the Deodato we have all grown to love comes to the fore, when Waves of Lust, Live Like A Cop, Die Like A Man and particularly Jungle Holocaust set the bar for what is to follow. The section that deals with his twisted masterpiece, Cannibal Holocaust is naturally the most expansive, and it’s nice to hear Deodato talk about the making of the film, how much fun he had doing it, as well as the controversy that followed its release. On a personal level, it was most interesting for me to hear about his 80s output, how films like House on the Edge of the Park, Atlantis Interceptors and Cut and Run were received in the aftermath of Cannibal Holocaust’s controversy, and how he was perceived by others within the industry during that period. It was also interesting to hear him talk about his final full-length feature, Ballad in Blood. A film that has escaped my attention until now. The film ends on a rather sad note as Deodato becomes visibly annoyed at questions about the animal violence in Cannibal Holocaust, but I guess he’s had to suffer those sorts of questions for the last 40 odd years of his life.

The use of promotional stills, production clips, and scenes from the movies, add an extra dimension to the documentary, and sit well alongside the interview footage of Deodato. Whilst it would also be nice to hear from those who worked alongside him, it is a pleasure to spend an hour in the company of the man himself and to get a sense of what he was thinking when making his films. Overall, this is a fascinating documentary, and whilst there is a lack of content from those who worked with Deodato. There have been plenty of opportunities for others to recant their stories of working with him in other documentaries, and on the myriad of featurettes that appear on the many releases of his movies.

On top of the documentary itself, the Blu-ray from 8- Films features deleted scenes,  An Evening with Deodato, a Q&A with both Deodato and Me Me Lai, and a fairly recent 30-minute interview with Deodato. If you’re a fan of Deodato, horror cinema, or even just cinema in general, this is worth a watch.