 Like _Cannibal Holocaust (1980)_ (qv), this movie contains several  actual animal killings. Though his character kills an animal in the  film, Giovanni Lombardo Radice (qv) thoroughly objected to the  animal killings and refused to participate in them (a double had to  be used). Director Umberto Lenzi (qv) tried to convince Radice to  do the killings by telling him, "De Niro would do it," to which  Radice responded, "De Niro would kick your ass all the way back to  Rome."