Blu-Ray Review: Cannibal Terror

Us horror types can be a strange bunch at times, and Cannibal Terror is one of those films that certainly brings out the strange.

Is it any good? Absolutely not.

Would I recommend it to anyone who considers cinema art? Absolutely not.

Is it full of some of the worst acting I have seen in quite some time, topped off by some shoddy plotting and laughable effects? It certainly is.

Did I happily sit through the whole thing and never once reach for the DVD remote? You betcha.

Incredibly lumped in with the ‘Video Nasties’ hitlist that got everyone in a lather back in the 80s, Cannibal Terror is a French effort that sneaked in at the back end of the cannibal wave that saw more successful (and far nastier) efforts such as the notorious Cannibal Holocaust and Cannibal Ferox.

In fact, the way Cannibal Terror kicks off you may well think you’ve stuck the wrong disc in the machine, thanks to a city tracking opening (complete with a jazzy ‘La Bamba’ ripoff playing ad nauseam) followed up by a small-time gangster operation, with the dodgy plan to kidnap the young daughter of a wealthy businessman and hold her to ransom.

Somehow this ends up with the bungling crooks heading into the jungle and, one broken down jeep later, the gang find themselves in cannibal country – or at least pale-skinned actors shoved in black wigs and facepaint and told to act like cannibals.

Set in ‘the amazon’ but shot in Spain, we are also treated to endless footage inserts of wild animals to try and convince the viewer we are indeed in South America, but with the footage quality varying so wildly it really is fooling no one.

There are two ‘gut-munching’ showpieces, with the ‘cannibals’ chewing down on what appears to be sausages and salmon, all while performing a wild dance routine that sees the clan bobbing up and down like loons.

We also get an unnecessary (and unpleasant) rape sequence, predictable nudity and something resembling a low-key climax before all is said and done.

Directed by Alain Deruelle but with exploitation icon Jesus Franco’s grubby mitts all over it (he co-wrote the film and there are also chunks of his film Mondo Cannibale popping up as ‘borrowed’ footage) the less said about the cast the better, with the likes of Silvia Solar, Pamela Stanford and Olivier Mathot doing their best to emerge unscathed.

Cannibal Terror is certainly not an easy watch and it is absolutely imperative that you know what you are letting yourself in for – but if you do know, and still fancy giving it a spin, then there is some enjoyment to be gained.

EXTRAS

Something definitely worth recommending is the centrepiece documentary that comes on the disc, which looks at the catalogue of Eurocine productions and cannibal movies. Featuring the likes of Calum Waddell, Allan Bryce and many others, it is an informative, fun and fast-paced watch.

There’s also a nudity-heavy deleted scene and the trailer to enjoy.