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Ruggero Deodato, who directed what is considered one of the most controversial films in cinema history, has died aged 83. The late screenwriter and actor influenced high-profile Hollywood filmmakers with his work, including Quentin Tarantino, Oliver Stone and Eli Roth.

Deodato had a lengthy career in cinema, but remains best known for his gruesome 1980 horror film, Cannibal Holocaust. Disturbing scenes included depictions of extreme violence and torture, while real violence against animals, including onscreen killings of monkeys and a coati, were shown.

The movie was so gruesome that the director was arrested for murdering some of his actors - but was acquitted when they turned up alive and well at court. Cannibal Holocaust was banned in multiple countries and sparked controversy around the world. But it also pioneerd the "found footage" pseudo-documentary genre, preceding other famous films such as 1999's The Blair Witch Project.

Cannibal Holocaust was by far his most infamous film and featured scenes of real animal slaughter, sparking global outrage and leading a screening bans in several nations.

Quentin Tarantino, Oliver Stone and Eli Roth are among well known directors who credited Deodato as an early influence in their works.

Special effects in the gory horror film were so realistic that Deodato was arrested on suspicion of murdering his cast at the time of its release, and earned him the nickname 'Monsieur Cannibal' in France.

The murder charges were dropped when Deodato was able to bring some of the allegedly dead actors to a court hearing, but he was convicted of animal cruelty. That conviction was overturned in 1984.

Ruggero Deodato© GETTY

While Deodato's film was very divisive, he did win a cult following that included several influential Hollywood filmmakers. Tarantino has cited him among his influences, while Roth has also referenced him as one of his inspirations.

Roth paid homage to Cannibal Holocaust in his 2013 cannibal horror The Green Inferno. Deodato then later made a cameo appearance in Roth's 2007 shocker Hostel II.

The late star began his career as a highly regarded assistant director for Roberto Rossellini.

He then went on to work as a number two to Sergio Corbucci on the influential 1966 spaghetti western Django.

The movie was the inspiration for Tarantino's 2012 Western drama film Django Unchained.

Deodato spent the next few decades of his career making more than 30 movies, although Cannibal Holocaust remains his best-known.

The film's plot follows an academic who heads into the Amazon forest in search of a missing US documentary crew who are feared to have been eaten by a tribe. 

He then discovers the film they recorded before their horrific deaths and, to ramp up the believability even further, the director convinced the actors to agree to vanish for a year.

The film sparked outrage after its premiere in Italy that year and the police quickly seized all of its copies.

Due to the missing stars, Deodato was even accused of killing his actors.

Once the director was facing 30 years in jail, he requested that the missing cast appear in court to prove they were still alive.

Instead, he received a suspended jail sentence for obscenity and, while the film remained banned for years, its notoriety helped grow a cult following.

Several fans and friends of Deodato posted tributes to the late filmmaker, including director Joko Anwar, who tweeted: "Rest in peace Ruggero Deodato. Truly an extraordinary filmmaker."

Author James Simpson said: "RIP Ruggero Deodato. A legend of cinema and one of the kings of the Video Nasties."