Cursed Films _ Season 2, Episode 5 – Photo Credit: Shudder
Cursed Films II Episode 5: Cannibal Holocaust
Series Created By: Jay Cheel
Plot: Season 2 of Cursed Films covers a batch of five films including The Wizard of Oz, Rosemary’s Baby, The Serpent and the Rainbow and more.
Before Martyrs, and more recently A Serbian Film, Cannibal Holocaust was the original extreme horror film that would test a horror junkies’ stomach. The movie rightly has cemented itself as a lightning rod for controversy, being the most banned film ever made. The movie has seemingly surpassed cult status and moved into the realm of mythic proportions. Reflecting on it, I probably watched the film way too young, having rented it in my teenaged years from my local mom and pop store (you weren’t going to find this at Blockbuster). Whether or not this movie should be outright condemned or toted as a work of misunderstood art is I think an entirely complex subject that I’m not going to tackle right now.
The final episode of Cursed Films rightfully focuses on Cannibal Holocaust. The episode is bitter sweet for me personally, as I got to meet and later have several lengthy conversations with lead actor Robert Kerman. If there was one flaw or glaring omission in this episode, it would be that, though the actors briefly talk about Kerman (who sadly passed away in 2018 at aged 71), they fail to mention how truly amazing he was as a person. Robert would ask fans if $10 was too much to charge for his autograph. Like the rest of the cast, Kerman had a complicated relationship with this film and his past starring in notable adult films. In short, he hated the scenes of animal violence but was never ashamed overall of his being in the film.
Overall, the episode provides a layered and interesting deep-dive into the film and manages to bring back every key figure including director Ruggero Deodato (who I also later met). Yet, the movie isn’t “cursed” in the sense that the other films featured in this series are. Cannibal Holocaust is more about the lasting impact the film has had for better or sometimes worse on its cast and crew. A highlight is The Blair Witch Project director Edmond Sánchez who talks candidly about the comparisons and seemingly interlinked legacy that Blair Witch and Cannibal Holocaust hold within the found footage genre. Grueling and unflinching, Cannibal Holocaust is as shocking now as it was when it was released, or rather unleashed on its audience. This final episode does an excellent job at getting at the very core of this gory film.
Overall Thoughts on Season 2
Re-reading my review for season one of Cursed Films, I reflected on that fact that for starters, wow, I really have grown a lot as a writer, and secondly, what I thought was a key flaw in an otherwise great introductory season. While the topics were no doubt highly interesting, the show tended to veer slightly off topic, making it feel disjointed. I am very happy to say that this has been fixed in the second and hopefully not final season. Overall, there is a more focused approach to every episode with nothing that feels like padding. As always, the filmmakers do a fantastic job of getting at the heart of the subject in a way that is easy to digest for anyone new to these films.
On the flip side, even as a diehard fan of most of these films, I learned new insights and trivia. Tonally, the show strikes a nice balance of sobering and bleak, but thankfully never feels too depressing. It does this all without feeling like it ever holds anything back. This brings all the best elements of season one of Cursed Films and fixed the glitches as well. What we get is a lean, highly interesting exploration into the darker side of cinema. This is a show not to be missed.
Cursed Films II is currently streaming on Shudder. For previous thoughts on the season, please check out my review of Episodes 1-2 and Episodes 3-4.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55pViqNPtKE]
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Big film nerd and TCM Obsessed. Author of The Ultimate Guide to Strange Cinema from Schiffer Publishing. Resume includes: AMC’s The Bite, Scream Magazine etc. Love all kinds of movies and television and have interviewed a wide range of actors, writers, producers and directors. I currently am a regular co-host on the podcast The Humanoids from the Deep Dive and have a second book in the works from Bear Manor.
