Guest Author - Andy Boxall

Director: Antonio Margheriti (Credited as Anthony M Dawson)
Starring: John Saxon, Elizabeth Turner, John Morghen
Region 2, Cinema Club release.
Out Now

This entry into the Italian horror sub-genre of cannibalism drags the phenomenon out of the jungles and dumps it into the urban sprawl of Atlanta, Georgia. The movie opens with a mix of stock Vietnam war footage and a Margheriti shot attack on a Vietnam village. John Saxon plays Captain Hopper who rescues fellow marines Charlie Bukowski (John Morghen) and Tony King (Tom Thompson), just as they are busy munching their way through a semi-cooked woman. As Hopper pulls them to safety, he is bitten on his arm. Back at home in Atlanta, Bukowski goes crazy, Hopper starts to crave human flesh and the police department has to clear up the resulting mess.

The big twist of Cannibal Apocalypse is that it treats cannibalism as a rabies-like virus, transferred from person to person by a bite. Pretty soon, hospital staff, nubile next door neighbours with dubious dress sense and even the lawmen are infected with a nasty case of cannibalism. Hopper and crew go on the run, ending up in a chase through the city sewer system.

Cannibal Ferox and Cannibal Holocaust are infamous for their gruesome violence against both person and animal, plus their documentary shooting style. Apocalypse is far less cruel than it’s peers, but this doesn’t mean it shies away from some gory set pieces. Witness the dismemberment of a gas station attendant with a power tool, a particularly nasty French kiss and the movies poster moment of a shotgun blast completely through the stomach of that eternal victim, John Morghen.

Speaking of Mr Morghen, he delivers his usual enthusiastic performance, bringing much-needed colour to the band of cannibals. John Saxon is also great, but doesn’t really put his heart into his role in the same way as Morghen. If there was a splatter Oscar then it would surely be given to Wallace Wilkinson who plays the police captain in charge of the investigation. He nabs all the best lines, gets to swear to his hearts content and takes the decidedly non-PC decision to send flame-thrower equipped policemen into the sewers after the ‘criminals’. Awesome!

Of course, this being an Italian production, the script is amusing for all the wrong reasons and the budget was obviously very small. Listen out for the funky saxophone drenched soundtrack, written by the fabulously named Alex Blonksteiner, too. But because it avoids the deliberate cruelty and shocking images of other cannibal movies, it should be considered one of the more accessible entries into extreme Italian cinema.

The Disc:

This review is based upon the single disc version released by Cinema Club on region 2 DVD. Presented essentially in an uncut form (two seconds have been reportedly cut featuring a rat on fire in the sewer sequence), this disc features a great looking transfer and a sharp Dolby stereo soundtrack. The disc case is wrapped in a cardboard sleeve, both repeating the same cover image, plus a small leaflet with an informative article is included.

As well as the movie you will find filmographies for the major players, trailers, photo gallery and a short documentary looking at the Atlanta locations used in the film and how they are today. The standout piece however is the documentary named Cannibal Apocalypse Redux. This 50 minute feature contains talking head interviews with Morghen, Saxon and Margheriti and is a fascinating glimpse into the making of a low budget Italian genre movies. Seeing as this disc can be picked up for a very reasonable price, Redux makes it worth the price on its own.

Conclusion:

Yes, it’s gory and exploitative and if you don’t like that style of horror then you won’t like this. But if you like a bit of gristle with your Italian horror but aren’t strong stomached enough for Ferox and Holocaust, then Apocalypse represents a sensible middle ground. Those who do decide to take the plunge will be rewarded with a cool soundtrack, some really funny lines and a rare documentary to wash it down with. Anyway, what else would you expect from Quentin Tarantino’s favourite Margheriti movie?