5 Essential Italian Cannibal Movies
If you are looking for a subgenre of horror that emphasized graphic violence and shock value above all else, look no further than the Italian cannibal movies of the 1970s and 1980s.
Cannibalism
Bloody Hell (2020, Australia / USA) Review
Meet Rex Coen, a convicted felon who has just spent the last eight years in prison after a bank heist went off-kilter… You see, the mask-wearing misfits didn’t realise Rex was in the building, and he had no problem fucking up their day. Wrong place, wrong fucking time!
Unfortunately, laying down vigilante justice has its drawbacks… And thus an extended European vacation is in order. The destination? Helsinki, Finland!
“My concern is getting back to the life I had. Getting the fuck out of this place. And getting back to my friends in the good ol’ U S of A where we don’t fucking EAT people! Capeesh?”
Cannibal XXX #1 (2020, UK) Review
Artist/writer/creator Paul PJ Johnson has been a consistent and prominent figure on the UK independent comics scene for the past 7-8 years. Being well known for his character Razor Bastard is only half the story, as Johnson’s versatile imagination and unique artistic style has seen him also release some absolute gems, such as the epic graphic novel Death Truck and the amazing Once Monster. Now he’s back, with what may be his most raunchy, most graphic, and most violent creation: Cannibal XXX.
“Yeah, what’s the worst? You drop your toast, butter side down? … Oh yeah, being eaten alive by fucking cannibals!”
Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s Savagely Hilarious CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL Screening on September 27th at 11 PM at The PIT in NYC!
Troma Entertainment will be presenting an exclusive, one night only screening of Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s savagely hilarious and brilliant Cannibal! The Musical on September 27th at 11:00 PM at the The PIT in NYC. Before Orgazmo and BASEketball, the genius minds that brought viewers South Park teamed with Troma Entertainment to make the goriest, most laugh inducing musical comedy to never hit broadway! Cannibal! The Musical is the true story of the only person convicted of cannibalism in America – Alfred Packer.
“All Singing! All Dancing! All Flesh Eating!”
ASH VS. EVIL DEAD, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, PET SEMATARY & THE WARRIORS Merchandise from Fright-Rags
Fans still mourning the loss of Ash vs. Evil Dead will be happy to learn that Fright-Rags have created new merchandise from the TV show, including trading cards, as well as apparel from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Pet Sematary, and The Warriors.
“Glory, Gory, Hallelujah!”
THE GREEN INFERNO & CANNIBAL TERROR on Blu-ray 11 March from 88 Films
For years fans waited for the release of a sequel to Ruggero Deodato’s trendsetting Cannibal Holocaust, yet it would take almost a decade for The Green Inferno to arrive… and it wasn’t what followers of the Italian cannibal cycle were expecting.
First there was Cannibal Holocaust… Then came Cannibal Ferox… But somewhere in France, someone was already hatching a plot to cash-in on the Italian intestinal classics with Cannibal Terror!
“The thirst for adventure!”
“Mind the Doors!” Death Line and the Best of London-set Horror
London has inspired countless horror films over the years. Its historic streets have long whispered their macabre stories into the ears of willing film directors, who base their tales of terror in England’s eerie capital. Whether it’s vicious serial killers or undead hordes, London has always provided a spectacular backdrop to films that go bump in the night.
“Beneath modern London, buried alive in its plague-ridden tunnels lives a tribe of once humans. Neither men nor women, they are less than animals… they are the raw meat of the human race!”
The Mountain of the Cannibal God (1978, Italy) Shameless Blu-ray Review
The Mountain of the Cannibal God was originally released in United Kingdom under the name Prisoner of the Cannibal God, and added to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) list of “video nasties” shortly after its home video release. Although The Mountain of the Cannibal God was one of the 33 “video nasties” not prosecuted under the Obscene Publications Act, it remained unavailable on home video until 2001.
“Why is everybody so scared of the Puka?”
Death Line (1972, UK / USA) Network Blu-ray Review
After sleazily making his way to the London Underground from the sex district, James Manfred, OBE, some big shit… shot, at the Ministry of Defense, or something, confronts a woman waiting on the platform at Russell Square tube station. “How much?” he asks. “Look darling, god knows if you are worth it… but fortunately I can afford to find out.” Her response? A swift knee to his gonads before running away! As Manfred winces in pain, something catches his eye emerging from the underground tunnel…
“Mind the doors!”
The Green Inferno (2013, USA / Chile)
The Green Inferno is the horror director’s homage to the Italian cannibal films of the 1970s and 1980s. Those films, such as Cannibal Holocaust, Make Them Die Slowly and Eaten Alive were in turn influenced by the sub-genre of Mondo films. These films showed actual executions, animal slaughter and other graphic scenes of barbarity. While these movies portrayed indigenous and primitive peoples in an unflattering light, the invading Western protagonists also committed unspeakable acts of violence, leading the audience to wonder who the real savages were.
“No good deed goes unpunished.”
In Memory of Tobe Hooper: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974, USA)
Tobe Hooper was one of the most influential horror directors of all time. His vision and intelligence can be seen in almost every slasher and splatter film over the last forty years and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is Hooper’s masterpiece.
Originally conceived as a faux film “based on true events”, Hooper did draw inspiration from the story of Ed Gein, a murderer, grave robber who had a predilection for a number of other unsavory character traits.
“What happened is true. Now the motion picture that’s just as real. Once you stop screaming, then you’ll start talking about it.”
The Neon Demon (2016, USA / Denmark / France)
Of all of the films released in 2016, Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon is one that I have thought about most. The reviews of the film are polarizing. Some people loved it, others hated it. Films like this are exactly the kind that I love to watch, films that really bore into your brain; films that you can’t quite pin down into a genre or a simple one dimensional theme. I could feel the director’s narcissism through the screen… I am still not sure how to feel about The Neon Demon, but since viewing it some time ago, I still can’t seem to get it out of my head.
