Italian Cannibal movies

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

Massacre in Dinosaur Valley is underrated as fuck. I don't get why that flick doesn't have a bigger following.

[Scyther Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Scyther]

Massacre in Dinosaur Valley is underrated as fuck. I don't get why that flick doesn't have a bigger following.

Agreed. Perhaps because the director, Tarantini was more known for his comedies? His Eurocrime stuff was pretty good, as well.

[Scott Intellectual Carrot Find all posts View Profile Close Scott]

DINOSAUR VALLEY is more of a cartoon than some of the others. And it's cheap in spots. I don't mind that but I guess it holds it back from having a higher pedigree.

I rewatched JUNGLE HOLOCAUST and CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST this afternoon. JUNGLE is soooo good. A real-ass movie. It has exploitive elements for sure but it never comes across that way to me. And I can't think of any other film it resembles. Maybe something like EMERALD FOREST but that's awfully Hollywood. It has cannibals but it's much more of an adventure film, I'd put it in the same camp as DINOSAUR VALLEY, more so than alongside FEROX or CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST. It gets better each time I watch it. I'm also hard pressed to think of a non-porno film with as a much nudity. The acting and direction set this one apart, it's a very fine film. I find myself caring for Massimo Foschi in a way that I do in very few movies, of any genre.

In the commentary Deodato makes similar comments. He seems more proud of it, artistically, than CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST.

I like CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST up until they screen the found footage. Up to that point it's very similar to JUNGLE. But the whole thing feels cheap. It might be trying to make a backhanded statement but the shlock gets in the way. The animal deaths are shameful here, I think because they dwell on them for so long. It's very pornographic in that sense. It's not very enjoyable. Where JUNGLE has a very natural realistic feeling everything in CH feels manufactured and it's only reason for being is to shock. But once you get over that type of stuff there's little there to hold my interest.

I think fandom has it wrong regarding which film is better, more important and more enjoyable. I guess if all you care about is gore than CH is your movie and I can see then why the black t-shirt wearing horror crowd gravitate to it. JUNGLE isn't a horror movie per se, (though it's scarier to me because it seems more real and I care about the characters, all of them!) and there's no unified crowd to champion it. Which is a shame.

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

I like CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST up until they screen the found footage. Up to that point it's very similar to JUNGLE. But the whole thing feels cheap. It might be trying to make a backhanded statement but the shlock gets in the way. The animal deaths are shameful here, I think because they dwell on them for so long. It's very pornographic in that sense. It's not very enjoyable. Where JUNGLE has a very natural realistic feeling everything in CH feels manufactured and it's only reason for being is to shock. But once you get over that type of stuff there's little there to hold my interest.

I've had the exact opposite reaction but personally I think it comes down to which flick you watch first. I watched CH when I was 14 and Jungle when I was 15 and preferred CH. Jungle is a good flick but for me it pales in comparison to CH. Jungle is cheesier in a lot of ways, especially the little romance with Foschi and Me Me Lai. That little scene where Lai brings him fish and grubs and he strokes her face as she eats always came off as hammy to me. For me the flick never really gets going until the last 20 minutes where he's being pursued by the tribe. Plus the cinematography and music isn't nearly as amazing as CH.

That's my take. I've noticed over the years that it's pretty split among dudes as to which is the better film but no one cites Cut and Run as their favorite of the "trilogy."

[Horace Cordier Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Horace Cordier]

Italian Cannibal movies

Yeah - my preference by a pretty wide margin is CH as well. I find it genuinely transgressive and confrontational in a way that JH isn't. The fact that its extremely exploitative and morally ambiguous just adds to the allure for me.

JH strikes me as a more traditional adventure story juiced up with violence and nudity. I agree about Foschi though - he's really strong in the film.

[Scott Intellectual Carrot Find all posts View Profile Close Scott]

I think JUNGLE would be stronger without the cannibal element. I like that during most of the film the danger comes from the jungle itself and just trying to survive with nothing. I like the little romance, it feels very natural, IMO, and I like the little details of her finding the fish in the mud. It feels real and insightful. There's a lot going on under the surface if you have the patience. I think the cheesiest part is when they kill her off, it's cheap in an otherwise thoughtful movie. I do like when he kills the guy with the poison tipped spear, proving his superiority.

In CH at the end when the guy sez, "keep filming, keep filming!" as they're being torn apart takes me out of it every time.

For pure in your face shock I've always preferred FEROX. It's loony and zany without the pretension.

CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST was one of the last ones I caught up with. I saw FEROX and MAN FROM DEEP RIVER first. It's been a while but I remember appreciating DEEP RIVER for having more of a story and again great acting from Ivan Rassimov. I'll have to rewatch it again soon to see how I feel about it now. FEROX too, it's been years since I last popped either of them in the player. In contrast I've probably watched DINOSAUR VALLEY, CUT AND RUN and JUNGLE a half dozen times each in the interim. And I don't remember much at all about EATEN ALIVE other than the reused Me Me Lai death. For surreal "WTF did I just see" I don't think anything beats MOUNTAIN OF THE CANNIBAL GOD's scene with the guy fucking the wild boar and the chick with the wooden dildo, but again it's been a minute and do for a reevaluation. Not sure how the rest of it holds up. Something to look forward to, lol!

I've never subscribed to the idea that what I've seen first I like best. There's plenty of films I liked when I was younger that would be pure torture to sit through now. Tastes change and these days I demand more of a story and appreciate a good slow burn.

I think more than the films themselves these days I'm fascinated by the production history of these films. How and why they were made. That with something like JUNGLE they lived right there in tents eating mud fish while they made the film. It amazes me that anyone back in the day (or now even) watched something like CH and thought they really killed those actors. Parts of it are very well done but there's enough there to call shenanigans. The inserted real documentary footage from Africa is the hardest part to watch, more so than the animal deaths. Nothing ever prepares me for watching actual footage of real people getting killed.

Not to dwell too much on the animal death but in the commentary for JUNGLE Deodato sez the producer shot and inserted the footage against his and Mossimo's wishes. But in CH it's not inserts and was obviously done with everyone's approval. A small nit to pick but hypocrisy is hypocrisy. He does still seem very affected by the accusations and ordeal he went through when the film was released and confiscated.

On a different note I rewatched Anthropophagus last night. I'd call it a slasher, or monster movie in the slasher mode. It's never really grabbed me although I do love the Greek Island locations. Best reason to own is is for the D'Amato documentary on the second disc.

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

In CH at the end when the guy sez, "keep filming, keep filming!" as they're being torn apart takes me out of it every time.

I see what you mean but that's actually happened. It's still happening all the time especially in Youtube videos. I think the huge wave of found footage movies has taken a little away from this insight in CH that nothing else matters but getting that perfect shot.

I do like the implication by the actor who played Alan that he maybe faked his death. I don't buy it and I don't think that was Deodato's intent but it's still interesting.

[Scott Intellectual Carrot Find all posts View Profile Close Scott]

I see what you mean but that's actually happened. It's still happening all the time especially in Youtube videos. I think the huge wave of found footage movies has taken a little away from this insight in CH that nothing else matters but getting that perfect shot.

You're right, I didn't even consider that. God people are assholes. I think my hate of found footage in general is clouding my judgement.

[Lalala76 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Lalala76]

I see what you mean but that's actually happened. It's still happening all the time especially in Youtube videos. I think the huge wave of found footage movies has taken a little away from this insight in CH that nothing else matters but getting that perfect shot

I don't mind that as such, just as long as cannibalism doesn't become the latest trend. I don't want my cock cut off and eaten thanks.

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

Sorry for the bump guys but did this ever get released anywhere?

It looked interesting but it's been three years now. I assume a rights issue with all the footage from the movies is holding it up.

[Bogart Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bogart]

there is a doc that is an extra on the Grindhouse releasing Cannibal Ferox blu ray called "Eaten Alive : The rise and fall of the Italian cannibal film". It think it was made by that Callum Waddell person. Could be the same doc as the title is very similar.

edit - no as usual i am wrong as IMDB has the "banned alive" doc as being a different italian production so no idea about that im afraid.

[JLG Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JLG]

Sorry for the bump guys but did this ever get released anywhere?

It looked interesting but it's been three years now. I assume a rights issue with all the footage from the movies is holding it up.

i emailed Cineploit to see if this has been released on disc or for streaming and the response said "no not so far. It will be in the future but has been reworked and edited and the final touch isn't done so far."

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

Thanks JLG.

[JLG Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JLG]

Thanks JLG.

no problem.

this one had slipped off my radar already so thanks for putting it back on

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

So Primitives FINALLY is released legitimately on DVD/BLU and rescued from the depths of bootleg purgatory. I think it's a fun schlock film and as far as the Cannibal subgenre goes it's more entertaining than Franco's attempts.