Italian Cannibal movies

[Paul L Scholar of Sleaze Find all posts View Profile Close Paul L]

none of the characters you really give a fuck about unlike Deodato's other great films.

Hmmm, I don't know. I mean, I've never found any of the characters in Deodato's films, perhaps other than Charlotte Lewis in DIAL: HELP, particularly likeable or sympathetic - and I think that's the 'point' of most of his movies :) I'm not a huge fan of Deodato's films, other than LIVE LIKE A COP..., CUT AND RUN, WAVES OF LUST and, for sheer camp pleasure, THE BARBARIAN BROTHERS. I don't think he's made a 'great' film - he's made a couple of *notorious* films, and LIVE LIKE A COP... is arguably the highlight of his career - and he's made more than his share of stinkers (BODY COUNT, anyone?). I used to like his films, but I don't know... over the years, I've lost my connection with it. But I 'get' the love some people feel for his films, so it's all good :)

[Paul L Scholar of Sleaze Find all posts View Profile Close Paul L]

Cannibal Apocalypse especially. It has John -the man- Saxon, Giovanni -the bad ass- Lombardo Radice, AND Tony -the fucking- King going on a rampage. If you love Eurocult this is a must watch.

"HEY CAPN' DON'T YA' REMEMBER THESE CHOPPERS??! RAWWWWWRRRRR!"

CANNIBAL APOCALYPSE is fantastic fun, and I'd say it's a 'must watch' too. However, animal lovers should know that it *does* have that brief bit of rat burning business, which the BBFC cut from the UK DVD release in the mid-2000s.

[Alex K. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Alex K.]

In regards to unlikable characters in Deodato films I would disagree.

Alex and Ricky in House on the Edge of the Park. Which is really trippy because Hess is so likable and absolutely scary, he gives a far more layered and unpredictable performance than he did in LHOTL.

Massimo Foschi in Jungle Holocaust was pretty likable and we could identify with his situation and what he deals with.

Professor Monroe in Cannibal Holocaust was likable. But I would argue that the characters in CH are deliberately unlikable, but not annoyingly so like victims in recent slasher flicks for one example.

Then you have Christopher Connelly and Tony King in Raiders of Atlantis. Come on man. ;)

[Randy G Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Randy G]

I would agree with Jungle Holocaust but I'd say that Kerman in CH is too under-characterized for me to find him really likeable. But Alex and Ricky in House on the Edge of the Park? That film's desperate attempts to make those two sympathetic is one of the things that makes it so laughably bad imo.

[Paul L Scholar of Sleaze Find all posts View Profile Close Paul L]

In regards to unlikable characters in Deodato films I would disagree.

Alex and Ricky in House on the Edge of the Park. Which is really trippy because Hess is so likable and absolutely scary, he gives a far more layered and unpredictable performance than he did in LHOTL.

Massimo Foschi in Jungle Holocaust was pretty likable and we could identify with his situation and what he deals with.

Professor Monroe in Cannibal Holocaust was likable. But I would argue that the characters in CH are deliberately unlikable, but not annoyingly so like victims in recent slasher flicks for one example.

Then you have Christopher Connelly and Tony King in Raiders of Atlantis. Come on man. ;)

Yeah, I think that in THE HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK, Hess and Radice are 'likable' only in the sense that as the film progresses, they're revealed to be less ugly than the spoilt rich kids that they victimise - who in, say, a similar DESPERATE HOURS-style American film would be the sympathetic characters. I think that both actors are fantastic in that film, to be honest. It's a shame Hess' other collaboration with Deodato was so tedious.

Kerman's character in CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is sympathetic, but he's there as a counterpoint to the film crew - and as the film progresses, his initially likeable idealism is chipped away by the footage that he watches, until at the end he delivers that mealy-mouthed line, 'I wonder who the *real* cannibals are.

Foschi is sympathetic enough, but he's pissed on (at times literally) throughout LAST CANNIBAL WORLD.

Connelly and King in THE ATLANTIS INTERCEPTORS are probably the most sympathetic characters in Deodato's body of work :) That film *really* needs a good DVD release.

I mean, I get where Deodato's coming from, but the absolute misanthropy throughout his work doesn't jive with me in the way that, say, Andy Milligan's misanthropy engages me. I find his 'issue' pictures to be a little mealy-mouthed too, with CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST the worst offender as a film that tries to have its cake and eat it, criticising the film crew and their exploitation of the local culture but revelling in it at the same time. All of that makes Kerman's last line deeply ironic in a way that I don't think Deodato intended: the line could apply as much to Deodato as it could to the film crew depicted in the movie.

But like I say, I can see why people like Deodato's work, and I used to be a big fan of it myself, but my enjoyment of the films has cooled as I've aged - much the same as with Argento's films, my love of a film like SUSPIRIA (which was my 'way in' to Argento's movies 25 or so years ago) has abated, whilst I've found far more to enjoy in the films of his that I initially disliked (PHENOMENA, OPERA, THE CAT O'NINE TAILS). So if you're a fan of Deodato's movies, it's all cool :) It's just that they're no longer my cup of tea.

Thinking about it, though, I've a grudging like of PHANTOM OF DEATH. I must also dig out my old VHS tape of THE WASHING MACHINE, as I haven't seen that movie in almost 20 years.

Btw, have you got the FAB Press book on Deodato? That's a great little volume, worth picking up if you haven't already.

Plus, check this out, if you haven't seen it before:

[Clive Smith noodle doodle Find all posts View Profile Close Clive Smith]

I must also dig out my old VHS tape of THE WASHING MACHINE, as I haven't seen that movie in almost 20 years.

I was just thinking the same thing as read through this thread. It's also possibly one of the last 'new' VHS tapes I bought in a shop (HMV, I think).

[Tom K Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tom K]

What about Cannibal Apocalypse? ;)

It's funny. Years ago on B-headed I remember a small argument arose over what sub-genre Anthropophagous (btw fuck you google spell check) belongs to. I said it was a Slasher and everyone else thought it was a Cannibal flick. Haha.

I don't remember that

I never considered it a cannibal flick...but then again, classifications sometimes change...I never considered The Texas Chain Saw Massacre a slasher either...that was always a fun arguement...

I remember seeing Cannibal Ferox and Cannibal Holocaust around the same time...a friend from the underground scene back when used to have a side business doing VHS dubs...I was in high school at the time, and while I was already familiar with A lot of Italian horror (Fulci, Argento) I never seen these at my local video store...so on recomendation, checked them out, and was blown away...I prefer Holocaust over Ferox and vice versa based on my mood...Holocaust was a "film" while Ferox was just trashy exploitation...

I also like Deodato's Jungle Holocaust too...It seems to get overlooked (or maybe many just don't think it is good...it will end up in a list, but never much discussion about it)

[Alex K. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Alex K.]

I re-watched Jungle Holocaust and yeah it hasn't held up very well. Partly because it compares unfavorably to Cannibal Holocaust. CH has what I consider to be high production values (it certainly doesn't look like a film shot for $100K) the cinematography is stunning, the acting is good and very believable, the music is stunning, and the film just punches you in the gut and never lets go. Jungle Holocaust is your typical adventure film with added cannibal exploitation tropes with more than you would expect closeups on swinging dicks.

The story is okay. But the quality of the print and obvious inserts take you out of it. The dialog is just cheesy, as cheesy as cheap gas station pizza, and it doesn't have the 'fun' of Cannibal Ferox or some of the other titles that I listed in the first post. The gore isn't anything special up until the infamous Me Me Lai (god I wish there was a word for disembowelment that rhymed with her name) scene. I would say it's an okay film, not great, not especially bad, not particularly memorable aside from gore and the fact that it's by Deodato. But the Me Me Lai death scene is obviously the highlight of the film, extremely well shot, well edited, great effects, with a lot of attention to detail. I'd like to know how Deodato and or the screenwriters figured how the cannibals cook humans. Because it seems believable, but I'd be willing to bet they took their inspiration from how tribes cook animals or something like that.

Side note: You would think with a 'name' like Me Me Lai she would've appeared in a ton of Joe D'amato flicks but alas not. Such is life.

[Wllm Clys Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Wllm Clys]

I still enjoy a good cannibal film every now and then (fast forward during the animal scenes) but most of those films don't really have anything to offer except extreme gore, and I think I'm growing out of films like that.

[Paul L Scholar of Sleaze Find all posts View Profile Close Paul L]

I'd like to know how Deodato and or the screenwriters figured how the cannibals cook humans. Because it seems believable, but I'd be willing to bet they took their inspiration from how tribes cook animals or something like that.

When my father was a lad, he lived in the same village as a very elderly man who'd worked as a missionary in the darkest corners of the planet prior to the First World War, and who had encountered cannibalism in one of the villages he'd been sent to. IIRC he told my father that the trunks of the people they ate were split open and cooked from the inside, and then hung up and possibly salted - much the same way as they cooked pigs. The people they ate (including, to the shock of this chap my dad knew, his predecessor) had all died of natural causes though - none of this brutal murder shenanigans that you see in most of these movies.

In light of this, the cannibalism scenes in JUNGLE HOLOCAUST are probably based on some documented evidence but with a bit of artistic licence thrown into the mix.

Side note: You would think with a 'name' like Me Me Lai she would've appeared in a ton of Joe D'amato flicks but alas not. Such is life.

Nope, just 1970s game shows like 'Sale of the Century' :D

[Alex K. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Alex K.]

Mountain of the Cannibal God: I liked this one a lot more since my last viewing. I was kinda' 'meh' about it but I really had fun with it this time. The production values are high, Stacy Keach does a good job, Ursula Andress was sexy, quite a bit of gore and wtf random D'amato-esque softcore scenes. But it's pretty damn good. Love the music. It's so good I want to rip it and use it in a project. And if music is so good you want to steal it for something that's a good sign.

It completely didn't need the animal snuff though.

[Alex K. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Alex K.]

Reading the Trivia for CH on IMDB brought me to this:

A real life incident inspired this film. Ruggero Deodato, the director, based the film on a real incident he watched about a documentary crew who died investigating cannibals. The real life documentary he saw, showing incidents he depicted in the film, was destroyed after it was discovered. Despite the footage being destroyed, an Italian cable network claimed they had a copy and was going to show it uncut. (They never did, however it was confirmed they were serious about their advertisements and did possess a copy of the original film). Ruggero Deodato has said his film was a much tamer version of those videos and more inspired by seeing his son watching regular TV news.

First I've ever heard of this. And I'm as big of a Euro-Cult fanboy as you can find. Anyone ever hear of this before or did some chode decide to contribute totally false info to IMDB which wouldn't be too unusual?

[Paul L Scholar of Sleaze Find all posts View Profile Close Paul L]

First I've ever heard of this. And I'm as big of a Euro-Cult fanboy as you can find. Anyone ever hear of this before or did some chode decide to contribute totally false info to IMDB which wouldn't be too unusual?

I call shenanigans :) Sounds like a classic case of IMDb/Wikipedia-type baloney to me, except the last statement about Deodato's son and the television news - which is something I *have* read about before.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

I don't remember it being mentioned in the FAB Press book, but it's been years since I've ready it so it's possible it's there and I just don't remember it.

[Paul L Scholar of Sleaze Find all posts View Profile Close Paul L]

I don't remember it being mentioned in the FAB Press book, but it's been years since I've ready it so it's possible it's there and I just don't remember it.

I'm 95% certain that it isn't, Ian. In fact, given the time, I may be able to dig my copy of the book out tonight and check. I think this is either a deliberate Internet hoax or yet another case of an urban myth being circulated on the IMDb as a fact.