Review of Cannibal Ferox (1981) by Matthew L — 29 Mar 2009

The Italian cannibal film was a pretty big sub-genre during the late 70s-early 80s, and the most infamous examples were probably Ruggero Deodato's "Cannibal Holocaust" and this film. This is nowhere near as clever or disturbing as "Holocaust", but probably ups the former film in the gore department, delivering such shocking sights as hooks through a woman's breasts, brain eating and castration (done to a character who actually LIVES for several more days after it happens!).

However, even though the gore is realistic and well done, this movie mostly qualifies as a "guilty pleasure" for me because of its unintentional hilarity, thanks to its awful dubbing, cheesy disco score, and dialogue so laughable it has to be heard to be believed.

This film also deserves some kind of award for gratuitous profanity, firmly established in its opening scene where almost every line of dialogue ends with the word "shitface". And kudos to cult horror icon Giovani Lombardo Radice for being able to deliver this line with a straight face: "They tied him to a stake.

.. and then they castrated him with a machete... and then they... ATE HIS GENITALS!!!".