Alain Deruelle (director)
(studio)
18 (certificate)
90 (length)
11 March 2019 (released)
09 March 2019
Be in not doubt that this film fails in every essential category; acting, production, music, location, and those that aren’t. There are no redeeming qualities in this very cheap Spanish/French 1981 production clutching at the heels of the Italian cannibal film phenomena. There are brave attempts to put some gloss on this by the well-respected commentators in the excellent featurette that accompanies this film, but it’s a lost cause.
The plot such as it is revolving around some idiots kidnapping a little girl then taking her off into the wilderness to a safe house that is surrounded by cannibals. There’s ransom demands and attempts by the girl’s family to rescue her with them ludicrously dressing up as big game hunters armed to the teeth. In amongst all this nonsense there are the cannibals the majority of whom look as if they roped off the street plastered in coloured make up and left to their own devices. The only real direction that Alain Deruelle seems to have given the ‘actors’ is dad dance at certain points of the film. That method of direction applies to the acting which being kind, is not very good.
The location is probably supposed to be in the jungles of South America but the licence plates suggest southern Europe and taking a guess either Spain or France as the funding (such as it is) came from those countries. As to the funds clearly not much was allocated to the effects as these are truly appalling and this writer is sure two hearts were pulled out of one cavity, and that was possibly a pigs anyway. The munched innards are obviously sausages, though they are truly unappetising. How this thing was ever classed as a nasty is anybody’s guess as none of the gore effects look remotely realistic, or are particularly nasty.
The transfer is ok and this is most likely about as good as it is ever going to be. Some may try to make the case that this is so bad its good ie watchable. It really isn’t easy to watch and that isn’t down to the gore just that this is a very poor film. This is for cannibal and video nasty completists only.
