7. Umberto Lenzi (1931 - )
Umberto Lenzi is a bit of a Renaissance Man whenever it comes to Italian cinema. Born in Southern Tuscany, he has directed crime films, war movies, Westerns, spy films, peplum but it is his horror work we are mostly concerned with. Lenzi was one of the first directors to jump into the Giallo scene with entries such as Orgasmo, Paranoia, Eyeball, Oasis of Fear and Seven Bloodstained Orchids. He proved he could craft a good horror film with The Man From Deep River - it is this picture in particular that would spark off the Italian cannibal film mania. Lenzi claims to be proud of this film but prefers his crime films and his war films. He generally has a dislike for his horror films. Nevertheless, this disdain for horror didn't stop him from returning to the cannibal genre once again to exploit the success of Cannibal Holocaust. Cannibal Ferox was Lenzi's answer to Deodato's massive hit. In it there was much cruelty to animals and sections of seriously OTT violence. Like many of its cannibal brethren, it ended up a Video Nasty. He explored the genre again with Eaten Alive! (often referred to as Cannibal Holocaust 2). Those heady days of cannibal munching have now passed and Lenzi has directed a couple of low budget horror movies that are nonentities. The films that he holds in the highest regard of all his movies are generally not known outside of Italy. He will always be Umberto 'Cannibal Ferox' Lenzi to fans of Italian sleaze. This may dismay him but at least his notoriety is assured for all time.