The Vampires of Poverty (1978) -
I frequently thought about Cannibal Holocaust while watching this as both films are similar in the sense they criticize the opportunism of documentarians and the media for going too far for commercial gain. By the time I finished this film though, it was clear to me that Mayolo and Ospina made the scathing critique of opportunism which Deodato's film fell short of. Like, not to crap on Cannibal Holocaust or anything - I find the film decently interesting. It just doesn't hold a candle to this film. Given the unsimulated animal cruelty throughout it, it was too hypocritical for me to take its points seriously. It's an insincere film. This film, on the other hand, displays far more sincerity towards these themes (the mockumentary aspect is a large part of why it works so well since it prevents it from becoming what it criticizes), giving them a strong bite in the process. The tv film crew in this film, though they denied the accusations of exploitation thrown at them from the Columbian citizens, clearly embodied them as they were more concerned with creating a spectacle out of their misery (searching for prostitutes and 'crazy' people to film) than showing any concern about their living conditions. In fact, a scene where the film crew paid young boys to take off their clothes in front of the camera was downright disturbing to watch. Also, since the film crew's treatment of the Columbian citizens doesn't get half as extreme as what we see from the characters in Cannibal Holocaust, its critique feels lived-in since their behavior feels eerily akin to the type of misery porn which regularly goes on in real life. So, in short, if you found Cannibal Holocaust interesting but felt that its hypocrisy caused its points to fall apart, do yourself a favor and watch this film. It's a near-masterpiece of mockumentary filmmaking.
I frequently thought about Cannibal Holocaust while watching this as both films are similar in the sense they criticize the opportunism of documentarians and the media for going too far for commercial gain. By the time I finished this film though, it was clear to me that Mayolo and Ospina made the scathing critique of opportunism which Deodato's film fell short of. Like, not to crap on Cannibal Holocaust or anything - I find the film decently interesting. It just doesn't hold a candle to this film. Given the unsimulated animal cruelty throughout it, it was too hypocritical for me to take its points seriously. It's an insincere film. This film, on the other hand, displays far more sincerity towards these themes (the mockumentary aspect is a large part of why it works so well since it prevents it from becoming what it criticizes), giving them a strong bite in the process. The tv film crew in this film, though they denied the accusations of exploitation thrown at them from the Columbian citizens, clearly embodied them as they were more concerned with creating a spectacle out of their misery (searching for prostitutes and 'crazy' people to film) than showing any concern about their living conditions. In fact, a scene where the film crew paid young boys to take off their clothes in front of the camera was downright disturbing to watch. Also, since the film crew's treatment of the Columbian citizens doesn't get half as extreme as what we see from the characters in Cannibal Holocaust, its critique feels lived-in since their behavior feels eerily akin to the type of misery porn which regularly goes on in real life. So, in short, if you found Cannibal Holocaust interesting but felt that its hypocrisy caused its points to fall apart, do yourself a favor and watch this film. It's a near-masterpiece of mockumentary filmmaking.