cannibals

THE FLICKS: As with every other film genre, when the Italians stumbled onto something that made money, the market was flooded with an infinite number of variations of the subject. Cannibalism was no different, and although it offered less creative opportunities for exposition (explorers trek into the jungle, get eaten, roll credits please), producers found ways to get prints into theaters, even recruiting good ‘ol Jess Franco – the prolific Eurosleaze director who ineptness crosses all genre boundaries – to step up to the buffet. Cannibals was sold under a number of other titles, but, as Led Zeppelin so aptly put it, the song remains the same. Al Cliver (Fulci’s Zombie 2) brings his family along on a scientific expedition only to lose his arm, his wife and his young daughter to a tribe of natives sporting KISS make-up. His wife is promptly eaten alive in a genuinely disturbing slow-motion montage. His daughter is kidnapped and proclaimed a white goddess to be worshipped. While his arm, as you might imagine, is never seen again, although the futile attempts to hide it under his shirt throughout the rest of movie is a great unintentional running joke. I’ve watched enough Franco over the last few years to call myself a legitimate “Franco-phile,” (thanks a lot Blue Underground) and Cannibals is par for the course if you’re a fan of his particular stylistic tendencies. In fact, the film has a couple of moments that almost elevate it to “above-average,” (the initial attack on the boat, an eerie game of cat ‘n mouse in a palm tree jungle), although the director’s heart doesn’t seem to be into the few gore sequences; a fact he admits on the DVD extras. Made up of Spanish gypsies rather than native South American Indians, the cannibals themselves are the weakest link. There are one too many pasty white guys dancing among the throngs, ruining the illusion of menace necessary to make the film actually frightening. But actress Sabrina Siani is great eye candy as the fully-grown white goddess and Franco stalwart Lina Romay looks lovely as a brunette. Cannibals is cheap-looking even by exploitation standards, but that’s how Franco operates. And there’s an undeniable charm to the director’s childish attempts to create suspense, tension and fear. Whether you’re laughing with the film or at it doesn’t matter, there’s tons of gory fun to be had here. Although the titles are similar, Cannibal Man is something completely different. Directed with artful precision by Eloy De La Iglesia, the film is more visceral psychological thriller than video nasty as the box art might suggest. A Spanish production that layers in elements of class struggles and bi-sexuality, the film’s central character is an outright murderer, killing off a string of family members and acquaintances to cover up for one accidental act of self-defense. That Iglesia is able to keep all the balls juggling and generate sympathy for his “hero” is a dazzling display of cinematic acrobatics. After Marcos (Vincente Parra) murders his girlfriend for threatening to go to the police, he sets off a chain of cover-up killings (his brother, his brother’s fiancé, his brother’s fiancé’s dad, etc.), the evidence of which begins to pile up in his bedroom. Marcos’ job at the slaughterhouse comes in handy, disposing of the “meat” in a popular stew brand that at one point he even consumes himself by accident (hence the film’s inappropriately sensational title). As a filmmaker, Iglesia never has to raise his voice. He allows the plot to develop with cold neutrality that makes each decision by Marcos one of understandable necessity. Although the murders are suitably gory, it’s Cannibal Man’s unrelentingly fatalistic tone that is the most memorable. There’s plenty of subtextual commentary on Spanish politics that likely are lost on today’s audience (Marcos’ home is a lone shack on the edge of a huge skyscraper development) but nevertheless make for a film of surprising depth to go along with the surface level suspense. THE FEATURES: The folks at Blue Underground have to be pretty chummy with Jess Franco by now. On Cannibals once again we get a sit-down with the director who delivers 20-minutes of his best anecdotes and insults about the cast and crew. As usual, has candor makes for some entertaining viewing. A French trailer is also included. Cannibal Man is making its second appearance on DVD. This appears identical to the out-of-print Anchor Bay version except for a missing set of liner notes.