Offscreen Notes
Ruggero Deodato (May 7, 1939-Dec. 29, 2002)
Another Italian legend leaves us, at age 83. Ruggero Deodato (1939-Dec. 29, 2022) was no doubt one of the most divisive and controversial Italian directors of his contemporaries but still leaves an undeniably important legacy, if only for Cannibal Holocaust, Cut and Run, Jungle Holocaust and House on the Edge of the Park. He remained active as a spokesperson of his generation, frequently appearing on DVD and Blu Ray features as an interviewee and commentator. Is there a film more out of step with today’s social climate than Cannibal Holocaust? And yet, although it is rarely viewed by mainstream audiences in today’s climate, it remains an explosive (and highly influential) blend of mondo, mockumentary, jungle epic, Third World expose, horror, snuff film and disingenuous social commentary.
