Deodato's first film A Man Only Cries For love was mediocre success, as were his next few films. Discouraged, Deodato left the film industry to work in advertising. This is where he met Lamberto Bava, son of the late, great Mario Bava. In 1976, Bava served as assistant director for Deodato for his first box office success Last Cannibal World (L'ultimo Mondo Canibal). The film, which Deodato claims is based on a National Geogaphic article, was a huge success in most parts of the world, actually brining in money here in the states. While an exellent film, very well made and exiting, there are several gruesome and hard to watch scenes of animal slaughter. Deodato claims that he simply filmed the tribesmen on their hunts, but well...

The same year, Deaodato continuing his descent into insanity, directed the brutal violent film Live Like A Cop, Die Like A Man (Uomini si Nasce, Polizia su Muore). The virtually plotless police film differs from those of Lenzi and Castellari where a cop uses brutal methods to get results, here two police men use brutal methods because they like to kill people.

In 1979, Deodato directed the film that would make him (in)famous; Cannibal Holocaust. At a time when censorship was very lax, the film was banned in it's native Italy, all prints were burned in England, and Deodato was sentenced to jail time for animal cruelty.

In some interviews, Ruggero claims that Cannibal Holocaust was an attack on violence. Specifically violence in the media and the "Mondo" films of the 60's and early 70's. In some respects this is true. The violence in Cannibal Holocaust, faked and unfaked, is not fun to watch. it is shocking and repulsive. But if the film going public did not demand more violence and gore, Deodato wouldn't have taken it to such extremes. Of course i don't belive in censorship and i don't think that violence in films is dangerous, but Cannibal Holocaust, although expertly made and very effective, is too much for me. Also, by including scenes of the actual murder of Africans and filming obviously staged animal slaughter, Deodato becomes what he is attacking. In any case, he probably just made all that shit up 'cause he's a fucking mental patient.

In 1980 came House On The Edge Of The Park (la Casa Sperduta Nel Parco), an Italian Last House On The Left starring David Hess. In the book "Spaghetti Nightmares," Deodato calls Last House "Particularly violent." His version, while slightly less gory, is much more disturbing and violent than the original. Hess and his slow-witted sidekick Giovanni Radice terrorize yuppies with rape, abuse, straight-razors bad dancing and a naked David Hess (YUCK). It all ends rather messy wih a gunshot to the groin. While the revenge scene is supposed to be justified, Deodato's twisted mind makes us sympathize with Hess and Radice.

After all the hassle Cannibal holocaust caused him, Deodato switched to action films in th mid 80's with The Raiders Of Atlantis and the exellent Cut And Run.

Quite surprisingly, Deodato directed the children's action film The Barbarians starring annoying beef cake wins David and Peter Paul. This film is so sweet and corny it could have been directed by Stephen Speilberg, not the most evil man in Italy. This flick actually plays on TV fairly often and was successful at the box office as well.

After directing a few sleazy gialli, Deodato retuned to work in advertising, where today he is the top in his field.