Before Paranormal Activity 4: 10 Movies That Paved the Way

2. Cannibal Holocaust

1979's Ruggero Deodato shocker was so horrifying and realistic, director Ruggero Deodato had to appear in court to prove the film was a fake and show how he achieved the startling effects. Featured in the infamous cult favorite is a baby being torn from a woman's stomach, a man's penis being ripped from his torso, and a group of villagers being burned alive inside a hut. "Cannibal Holocaust" is the exploration of the white demon, and how he can exploit the innocent for his own gains and fame. In a film that begins showing the gruesome habits of the cannibals, "Cannibal Holocaust" sets down on a group of explorers trying to find out what happened to a group of filmmakers who ventured in to the wild to film a reclusive cannibal tribe. What they discover is the tribe is actually quite peaceful and loving. Being able to obtain the footage left as a trophy by the tribe, they explore through the found footage that not everything is as it seemed, and sometimes if you poke the animal in the cage, it will bite you and consume you whole. Still a startling and horrific horror film, Ruggero Deodato's film set the stage for future found footage films.
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Contributor

Felix Vasquez Jr. has written for over fifteen years, and is an author and movie critic who has written for various online outlets and can be seen on Rotten Tomatoes. He resides in New York, where he writes for his own online movie review website Cinema Crazed and works on his novels. He has a passion for classic rock, horror movies, and pop culture.