Color, 1980, 93m. / Directed by Umberto Lenzi / Starring Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Lorraine De Selle / Image (US R0 NTSC) / WS (1.85:1) / DD2.0, Vipco (UK R2 PAL) / WS (1.85:1), Sazuma (Austria R0 NTSC) / WS (1.85:1) (16:9) / DD2.0
Certainly not the best but perhaps the most appalling (and amusing) of the Italian cannibal movie cycle during the late '70s and early '80s, Cannibal Ferox belongs to that horde of disreputable Italian imports which assaulted movie screens and video shelves before the major studios put their foot down. Incidentally, the Latin word "ferox" roughly translates as
While many viewers will undoubtedly be repulsed and amused by the hyperbolic violence on display (a woman suspended on hooks through her breasts, a castration and arm amputation, etc.), Cannibal Ferox is difficult to take seriously thanks to its highly quotable, profane dialogue. Unlike Ruggero Deodato's completely serious and more intricate Cannibal Holocaust, this trashfest from director Lenzi (who kicked off the subgenre with Man from Deep River) makes few attempts at authenticity and wallows around in the gutter like a pro. Add to that a catchy, disco-tinged score by "Budy Maglione” and you've got a midnight oddity unlike any other.
Multiple DVD editions of this nasty fan favorite have surfaced over the years, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The first out of the gate was a 1999 release from Sazuma (in two pressings, as the first suffering from faulty 16:9 flagging) with a decent but somewhat pale transfer and a smattering of trailers. This was quickly followed by a more elaborate American release from Grindhouse (through Image) that repackages their impressive laserdisc special edition into a more compact, flashy presentation. The terrific menu screens (pay close attention to John!) take you through a variety of special features, including an on-camera interview with Lenzi, three different theatrical trailers (the U.S. one is the most memorable), and a slew of stills and promotional art. Look for a fun Easter Egg involving a Los Angeles screening, too. Unfortunately the transfer is plagued by a horde of grain, rendering many scenes difficult to watch; also, colors have been pumped up to a distracting degree with reds glowing all over the screen. The English soundtrack has been given a remix into full surround, with some nice rear channel effects but a
For the presentation of the film itself, Sazuma easily bested previous versions (including its own) with a metal-cased, remastered "Ultrabit" edition that features by far the cleanest and most accurate transfer around. The image is smooth and highly detailed, with accurate colors (which also means flesh tones still vary between the New York and jungle footage, but that goes with the way the film was shot). A very impressive job. The surround audio from the Grindhouse verison is carried over here, along with a more robust German track that features punchier music. You also get optional subtitles in German ("Rudy! Rudy, wach auf!"), English, Dutch, Swiss, and Finnish. Also included are the Italian, U.S., and German trailers, a Lenzi bio and filmography, and trailers for Sazuma's Divided into Zero and Subconscious Cruelty. The disc also comes with a nice, glossy packet of lobby card reproductions refitted as a set of trading cards; tasty!
In New York, a cadre of tough cops led by Robert Kerman (aka porn actor Richard Bolla, a veteran of Cannibal Holocaust and Debbie Does Dallas) tracks down a notorious drug dealer named Mike (oft-abused actor John Morghen). Meanwhile plucky NYU grad student Gloria
(Lorraine De Selle) ventures into the South American jungle to prove for her thesis that cannibalism doesn't exist. Accompanied by the sympathetic Rudy (Danilo Mattei) and slutty Pat (New York Ripper's Zora Kerova), she trudges through the wilderness after their jeep breaks down. Soon they come up Mike and his sidekick, who have had a nasty run-in with a tribe of cannibals who killed Mike's partner. Something doesn't sit quite right with Mike's story, but that doesn't stop Pat from bedding down with the sleazeball for the night. The next morning he encourages Pat to rape and torture a native girl, so obviously he isn't the most sensitive soul in the jungle. Sure enough, the cannibals are out for revenge, and in between bouts of animal fighting and killing, the body parts begin to fly.
"ferocious," which should give you some idea of where this movie is coming from. Marketed under the new title of Make Them Die Slowly, it became a minor media sensation along the lines of Faces of Death when Elvira, Mistress of the Dark refused to host its video release from Thriller Video. Soon excerpts were turning up on news programs to show the depravity being consumed by modern teenagers. Now of course it's a sick and often amusing piece of nostalgia for gorehounds willing to overlook such wretched lapses of taste as real animal killings and laughable latex effects.
noticeable weakening of the music during several sequences. The original mono Italian track is also included for purists, though the film was obviously designed to be shown with the voices dubbed in English. The real centerpiece here actually isn't the movie itself but the spectacular, scorching commentary track with Lenzi and Radice who, in their separate recording sessions, offer violently diverging views of the entire production. Lenzi remains proud and complimentary towards his film, while Radice is plainly repulsed and "ashamed" by it, not without good reason. Even for those who despise the film, this feature easily earns the price tag all by itself. A later U.K. release from Vipco features a predictably cut version, al ong with trailers and a photo gallery.
