User Reviews

(aka: EATEN ALIVE)

This is the second of three cannibal films directed by Lenzi (filmed in Sir Lanka) with CANNIBAL FEROX (1981) being the third. To be honest with you, I saw both of these films one right after the other and I can truly say that they are both about the same. One isn't any more gross or gory than the other, imo.

Film starts in Niagara Falls where a policeman is killed by an asian fellow blowing poison darts. Then the movie cuts to NYC where the same guy kills two more people using poison darts before he is run over by a truck and killed. It's all a part of an ecological cult that Janet Agren is investigating in regards to the disappearance of her sister.

Her search takes her to 'New Guinea' where she hires a Viet-Nam deserter (porn star R. Bolla) to guide her to the village where her sister was last seen. On the way there, we get to watch snakes eating animals, natives gutting and skinning crocodiles and our two heroes being chased by cannibals.

They finally reach the village and meet the cult leader (Ivan Rassimov) who has absolute control over everybody. He's an obvious copy of Jim Jones.

Gross food scenes include:

Cannibals eating native girl's arm and left breast. Not bad...

Then we see three native guys screw another native girl in a ritualistic soft-porn scene. One goes down on top of her, right after the other.

Janet Agren, naked, covered in gold paint getting a snake blood covered dildo inserted into her. It doesn't actually show it, but it's implied by the pain shown on her face.

A native guy who has betrayed the cult, getting his dick cut off before he is gored to death with a stick. Cool !!

Another native girl and Algren's sister being eaten by cannibals after they escape from Rassimov's camp. They are first disemboweled and then their organs are eaten before they are hacked and gored to death with spears. You know it's all fake because the bodies look like full-size rubber latex mannequins. It's still a cool scene, anyway.

The Shriek DVD is taken from an excellent wide-screen print with a few film extras such as an interviews with Lenzi, Bolla and Rassimov. Lenzi says that his next film, CANNIBAL FEROX did better at the box office, but he equates both of these films as being of the same quality. So do I.

In these politically-correct times, films like these wouldn't get made today. It get's a 6 out of 10 for being interesting and un-PC misogynistic at the same time.

This is not so much a film as it is a clip-show "best of" reel with about 60 minutes of original footage to fill in the gaps. Most of this film was shot in Sri Lanka with a few (quite obvious) sections shot in southern Italy and a few completely gratuitous New York scenes thrown in to try to pass the film off as American. Mel Ferrer makes a completely pointless cameo appearance as a professor who gets to interact with two porn actors playing cops (the poor guy!).

Lenzi is usually a great director, but he clearly was not on his A-game with this Cannibal turkey. Not one scene goes by without something completely laughable happening. I'll give you a few examples.

A) one scene showing Mel Ferrer entering a police station features his voice dubbed by another actor! Ferrer then can be heard with his actual voice moments later! B) Ferrer's audio is quite obviously recorded practically, while the other actors in the scene with him are dubbed. Jarringly obvious shift in quality.

C) shamelessly over-acting police-man saying "WHAT?".

D) a scene where a Sri Lankan (well this movie takes place in New Guinea though these people don't look it at all) allows an alligator to effortlessly chomp his dangling arm off. This scene gets double the embarrassment for actually being culled from another movie! E) when the actors "interact" with the Animal cruelty scenes, it's all just close-ups of them reacting intercut with shots from a different film with different filmstock.

F) When Kerman throws a spear at a native (haphazardly), it clumsily falls sideways into the dirt. The next shot shows a screaming native with a spear sticking out of his chest! G) One of the Sri Lankan helicopter pilots (who is dubbed, even) blows his line and they left it in! H) Kerman nonchalantly knocks Agren out with a punch so she doesn't see a gory evisceration.

I) whopping continuity error involving a character's body parts magically reattaching after they were eaten.

J) said scene includes a woman missing her right leg, with a native seen nearby eating a leg... but with a LEFT foot attached to it! Seriously! The list goes on and on. This film is so riotously daft, yet oddly competent in its staging and cinematography, that it's totally unique in the annals of film. The only other film coming close to the lunacy of this is Lenzi's NIGHTMARE CITY which was far more respectable.

This film, at least, is never boring and very accessible to those unfamiliar with bad Italian cinema. Personally I find it funnier than most intentional comedies, which is why it gets such a high rating from me. Whether Lenzi had this in mind or was seriously trying to make a good film is anyone's guess.

While I don't think that Eaten Alive is particularly very good, it's an OK waste of time. If you're used to cannibal films like Cannibal Holocaust then this will seem tame in comparison. It's not a particularly interesting or original story and you don't care much for the characters. But there are a few nice gore touches and shocking rape sequences to keep you awake (if that's your sort of thing). There's also a few decent action and fight sequences. The best scene is probably when one girl is literally eaten alive and her skeleton turned inside out. There's not a lot of gore and it's rather amateur, but it's not too bad.

Since this isn't my sort of film, I wouldn't recommend seeking it out unless you're a die-hard fan of the cannibal horror genre.

Next to "Cannibal Holocaust" and "Make Them Die Slowly" Umberto Lenzi´s "Eaten Alive" is one of the greatest cannibal-movies ever brought on the screen! The film itself is a nice mixture between jungle-adventure and gut-wrenching horror, although the man-eaters are only a minor matter this time. Nevertheless director Umberto Lenzi has featured once more a dozen scenes of gore and brutal rape! The genre-typical animal-snuff is also not missing, however the killing has got a more documentary-character and is not as disgusting as it was in "Cannibal Holocaust". The cast: Robert Kerman and Me Me Lai seem to appear in every decent cannibal-flick, Swedish Janet Agren is marvelous and her acting isn´t as bad as often said (I even liked her better than in Fulci´s "City of the Living Dead"..!). Hollywood-star Mel Ferrer, who also had a stunning appearance in Lenzi´s "Nightmare City" is in, Paolo Senatore ("Emanuelle in America") plays the role of the lost sister, but the greatest part goes to Ivan Rassimov who´s giving a hilarious performance as perverted sect-guru! With "Mangiati Vivi" another well-made exploitation-flick was done, which is still an undisputed classic for its genre!!!

Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Eaten Alive. Before we get into it, here are my ratings:

Story - 1.00 Direction - 1.00 Pace - 1.00 Acting - 0.50 Enjoyment - 1.00

TOTAL - 4.50

Eaten Alive surprised the hell out of me because it's a cannibal film I enjoyed. Cannibal Movies are not my go-to film. I don't rank them as Horror, though they are filled with some atrocious sights. They are more of an adventure film, with gore...by the bucket-load. And because of this, you have to get the action sequences right. Unfortunately, most don't. And though Eaten Alive doesn't hit the high marks, it is better than its predecessors. Thanks, in part, to a juicier storyline.

The use of a cult who journeys into the jungle to live in purity is clever. It opens up plenty of story opportunities. And, Umberto Lenzi uses the best. Ex-Cult members are killed, which brings the FBI into the story. They bring in Sheila Morris, whose sister Diana is a known cultist. But they are estranged, and Sheila doesn't know where she is. After developing one of Diana's last films, she's informed of a possible location and sets off on her quest to rescue her sister. This brings in a former soldier, Mark, who knows the area and grudgingly agrees to be her guide. And so the adventure begins.

The direction and the pacing aren't brilliant. Though Lenzi has finally figured out how to create excitement and tension by varying the flow and adding more engaging camera shots. It's not just a case of pointing and shooting anymore - well, not all the time. Of course, as in any Italian Cannibal Movie, there are the stock film segments of animals killing animals, humans killing and skinning animals, then eating their meat raw. These segments show actual killings and show the viewer how nasty and brutal jungle life is. Then you get onto the special effects, and the team have outdone themselves. Most of the gore looks realistic and nasty. But the splitting open of the hollowed cadaver is especially ghastly. You might think twice before ordering a rack of ribs again.

As for the cast, they're okay but not brilliant. I did love Rassimov as the cult's leader, Jonas. Only because, as soon as he comes on screen, I had the urge to slap him - he has that kind of face. Even though the performances are average, they are still better than other cannibal flicks.

Should you want to watch a cannibal film, I'd recommend Eaten Alive and Eli Roth's The Green Inferno. In Eaten Alive, the story is more gripping and helps drive the film. But if you are squeamish when it comes to animals being butchered alive, then I would say stay clear of all cannibal flicks.

Feel free to check out my Killer Thriller Chillers list to see where I have ranked Eaten Alive.

Take Care & Stay Well.

A snore gore. I saw this piece of horrible, stinking, worthless, junk at the Cameo Movie House (Now the famous Crobar Night-club)on Washington Avenue on South Beach in 1980 or 81. I was 17, and my three buddies and I laughed at this horrible, gross, piece of trash. The theater was on it's last legs and there were mostly drunks snoring and sleeping in the place. They didn't miss a darn thing. The Worst acting ever.These actors deserve the Academy Award for the worst, and I mean worst acting roles in the history of the cinema. Joke was, the theater was showing another Mi Mi Lay(A great name at least!) stinker...barf city. Enough said. If you're under 12 years old you might get a few chills. Over 12, you will be snoring after the opening credits. It's just amazing that anyone spent a cent on making this movie. And to think, it's considered a "cult" classic. YUK!!!!

I have just recently watched Eaten Alive, and being a fan of the Italian sub-genre, i was pretty excited. I ended up being kind of dissapionted. I'll start on the good things. The story was different and interesting. There was a nice amount of gore. There are appearances by a lot of the genre regulars. Now that sounds like it would be a kick ass cannibal movie, but it is plagued by bad acting, and the gore is completely ripped off from earlier Italian cannibal films. It even admits it on the case to the DVD! So, the bottom line is if you've already seen Jungle Holocaust, Cannibal Holocaust, Mountain of the Cannibal God, or Deep River Savages...don't expect anything new. Director Umberto Lenzi went on to make the infamous Cannibal Ferox. Completest should probably check it out, but if thats not you, stay clear! 5/10

"Mangiati Vivi" aka "Eaten Alive" is a decent cannibal flick.Yes,it is also a big mess.You've got Stone Age cannibals,a Jim Jones-type cult,hired assassins and brutal animal butchery thrown on-screen every five minutes just to keep the viewer awake.As for the gore,one has to wait an inordinate amount of time for the crimson to really start flying,but the last half-hour has some truly revolting mayhem on display.One native has his penis cut off before being speared.A woman has her breast cut off then eaten;another girl is completely dismembered."Eaten Alive" is quite nasty at times,but it is a joke in comparison to "Cannibal Holocaust" or even "Make Them Die Slowly".If you love Italian splatter cinema you won't be disappointed.Highly recommended.

Eaten Alive (by the cannibals) is the least known of the three major Italian gut-munching cannibal movies, the other two being Rugero Deodato's "Cannibal Holocaust" and Lenzi's own "Cannibal Ferox". I use the words 'least famous' carefully because this film is still highly popular among cult collectors and a definite must see for exploitation fanatics. Even though Cannibal Ferox is more notorious, it's actually Eaten Alive that tells the most intriguing story! The feared cannibals of the New Guinean jungle are secondary to the story of a mad purification sect, of which the leader – Jonas – holds a wealthy American girl captive. Her younger sister goes on an expedition to rescue her, accompanied by a nihilist desperado who deserted during the Vietnam War. Eaten Alive (by the Cannibals) features loads of nudity, repulsive gore and inhuman cruelty and it is, of course, better not viewed by the faint-hearted and/or easily offended people. Even those with the strongest stomachs will have a hard time sitting through some of the nauseating sickness featuring! I can only say: Well done Mr. Lenzi!! But, if you do love this type of extraordinary film-making, you'll be impressed by the beauty and style Umberto Lenzi brings to the screen. The anthropology aspects as well as the stunning locations and images of wildlife are some of the most intriguing shots ever featuring in controversial cinema land. And then of course, there's the score! These films are actually worth watching for the music alone. The mesmerizing tunes that guide this atmospheric jungle adventure are almost too beautiful for words. Ignorant opponents of the horror genre will most likely disagree but I think "Eaten Alive" is essential viewing for the fans of extreme shock-cinema. Just make sure you watch a fully uncut version.

This movie is a classic. Umberto Lenzi has made numerous movies about all kinds of things but the only good ones are Cannibal Ferox, Nightmare City(well maybe that one isn't a classic, but it is a cheese classic) and Eaten Alive. This one stars former porn actor Robert Kerman,Janet Agren,the beautiful Me Me Lai, Ivan Rassimov, and Mel Ferrer. Agren's character goes to some south east Pacific island to try to find her sister who ran off with a cult to the island. There she hooks up with Kerman's character and they head off into cannibal territory searching for her sister. When they find her she is brainwashed and all messed up in the head by Rassimov's character who is an entertaining Jim Jones type cult leader. They are caught up in a web of craziness as the fight for there lives against the cannibals and the cult. Rape, nudity, sex, and loads of grue: beheadings, entrail removal,cannibalistic mastectomy with a knife, dong chopping, animal violence, a guy gets his ear cut off and eaten in brutal detail and so on. Fans of gore, cannibals, or Italian exploitation should view this classic cannibal movie. In my view it comes in after Cannibal Holocaust, Cannibal Ferox and Jungle Holocust in that order.

The film begins in Canada and New York, with an Asian hitman killing his victims by blowing poisoned darts at them. He is then run over by a truck and killed. The police find some film on him, and wouldn't you know, the film contains scenes of a cannibal ritual, which includes a woman named Sheila's(Janet Agren) missing sister. A professor tells Sheila that the ritual is from a tribe in New Guinea, so she travels there and finds Vietnam war veteran Mark Butler (cannibal film regular Robert Kerman) and pays him to find her sister.

The film then goes off into the usual cannibal film thing. The odd animal is killed, they find parts of bodies etc. It turns out that her missing sister is part of a religious community in the jungle lead by a character named Jonas. He brainwashes all his followers, and has strict rules, like no drinking of alcohol. The version I watched was sadly cut, and some gory scenes that were about to be shown then quickly jumped to another scene. The music deserves mention too, a catchy tune plays during the opening credits. The other music during the film is ok. It's not nearly as good as Cannibal Holocaust, or even Lenzi's other cannibal flick Ferox, but if you like cannibal films it's worth checking out.

In the film there are noisy adventures , action pace , impressive jungle pursuits , beautiful landscapes and lots of blood , gore and guts with bloody natives that threaten to take their own lives .An adventure/horror movie relying heavily on sensationalistic aspects , eerie images full of gore , nudism , actual animal massacre and exploitation , such as physical violence , tortures , merciless natives executing decapitation , hacking , mangling and anything else. Concerning a young girl named Sheila Morris (Janet Agreen) joins forces with a mercenary (Robert Kerman) to find her missing sister (Paola Senatore) in the jungles of New Guinea . An unstoppable chase to find her sister , while battling for survival wit besieged by head-cutters , gut-munching natives , including loads of gore and blood . Along the way, they meet up with the standard Cannibal tribe as well as a religious cult led a deranged leader (Ivan Rassimov as Jim Jones-like cult leader) whose commune is located at the area inhabited by the hungry cannibals. They didn't have a chance! They have a never-ending hunger for human flesh! .The most violent human sacrifice you'll ever see! .Trapped in a jungle of crazy flesh eaters! .The terrifying nightmare that became reality! .This is the one story you won't be seeing on the 6 o'clock news. Assignment : survival.

This unsettling and loathing picture turns out to be a rough, nasty and entertaining Italian exploitation . Intriguing and violent Italian movie , resulting to be a strange mix of noisy action, adventures, jungle fights, grisly killings and gory scenes. It is a mediocre but passable film and full of blood , guts and gore. Thrilling adventure and exploitation movie where protagonists clash against cannibals , take off relentless religious fanatics , as well as the perilous wildlife . The best scenes are the immense efforts of the unfortunate people have to carry out for their purports to survive, forced to do anything and everything they could to stay alive .Regarding a woman and a mercenary guide who will have to confront lots of risks until find her sister , and , of course , escaping , being relentlessly pursued by the always-hungry cannibals waiting them out and ready to eat them , as well as tracked down by the crazy followers of the suicide cult leader. From start to finish the action-packed is non-stop and gory paranoia reaches a fevered pitch that culminates in a final savage action . The flick features many strong scenes , among them beheading , astonishing slaughter , cannibalism , cutting , a gloomy spectacle to watch . It's fast moving and that's why it is neither tiring, not boring , but bemusing . Special effects are passable , but other parts of the movie are never fully realized . The movie pushes too hard and too far , and no apt for squeamish . It strives for being some inspirational but falls well short of being really inspired and marred by some extreme exploitation scenes . In spite of it , the movie is entertaining , though shot in fits and starts and in obtained success enough all around the world . It is a lack luster drama that explores the nasty activities carried out by a Jim Jones-lookalike , relying heavily on sensationalistic aspects , eerie images full of nudism and exploitation , such as physical violence , mental torture , sexual abuse , cannibalism and many other things . This ¨Mangiati vivi!. (1980)¨ follows in the wake of ¨Guyana: Crime of the Century¨ (1979) or "Guyana: Cult of the Damned" by Rene Cardona Jr with Stuart Whitman , Gene Barry , John Ireland , Yvonne De Carlo that was followed by another American rendition titled ¨Guyana Tragedy : The Story of Jim Jones¨ (TV , 1980) by William A Graham with Powers Boothe as Rev. Jim Jones , Ned Beatty, Diane Ladd , Diane Scarwid , Ron O'Neal , Irene Cara . Both of them regarding a grim dramatization of the Jonestown tragedy , begining with Jim Jones creating his own church with a lot of cult followers . Jim Jones became focused on his belief in nuclear holocaust and he increasingly obsessed with the belief that the CIA is "a wicked enemy" that's out to get him, as he emigrates with his congregation to Guyana , where he plans to create an utopia . He had a loyal following of about 1000 people, who had donated their entire life savings to him to join his commune , Jim Jones' utopia consists of a society where he demands his followers turn their minds , bodies and possessions over to him one which's rife with torture of children , sexual relations between kiddies and adults , and other awful happenings .Ultimately , Jim Jones' paranoia reaches a fevered pitch that culminates in him taking savage action against his own congregation . As Ivan Rassimov's Eaten Alive role bears remarkable resemblance to Jim Jones and the events involving its move to Guyana and its eventual mass suicide , though here happening in Borneo . Main cast and support cast are acceptable . Janet Agren plays intrepid Sheila Morris , while Robert Kerman is her brave helper guide , Paola Senatore as abducted sister , being special mention for Ivan Rassimov as a nasty, mean preacher, Jim Jones-lookalike and brief appearance by Mel Ferror who curiously also starred another film titled Eaten Alive by Tobe Hooper . And attractive oriental Me Me Lai who was most notably known in Au Pair Girls (1972) and in 1972 she appeared in Il paese del sesso selvaggio , the first of several "cannibal" movies filmed in Italy , following as the lead female native girl in Ruggero Deodato's Jungle Holocaust (1977) and this Mangiati vivi! (1980) .

It contains an atmospheric and colorful cinematography by cameraman Federico Zanni. Being shot on location in Niagara Falls, New York, and Sri Lanka . This horrific retelling of a perilous and deadly adventure in the wild jungle was regularly written/directed by Umberto Lenzi who developed a long career as national as international . He was a notorious Italian director especially known for his cannibal and jungle films as ¨Mangiati vivi! ¨(1980) , ¨Daughter of the Jungle¨ and especially for ¨Cannibal ferox¨(1981) today considered classic in this disgusting sub-genre . Lenzi has directed all kinds of genres with particular penchant for terror, Western , Poliziesco , Peplum , Giallo and adventure movies.

I wasnt expecting much when I put this in the VCR, and I definatly didnt _GET_ much either, but it certainly wasnt as bad as everyone says. Actually its rather humorous in a cheesy sort of way, and lenzi does manage to put in some decent atmosphere. The script is basically an excuse to re-use footage from other films though, and it doesnt make much sense anyways. Overall its still better than Slave of the Cannibal God and less boring than Cannibal Ferox. If you enjoyed Trap Them & Kill Them (Emanuelle & The Last Cannibals) you probably would enjoy Eaten Alive!

"Eaten Alive" goes down much easier than Ruggero Deodato's "Cannibal Holocaust," but it's also a far more sillier film. I mean, at times it can be unintentionally hilarious, but the plot is so mind-numbingly idiotic that it was impossible for me not to lose all patience by the end. Tough guy Robert Kerman (Cannibal Holocaust) teams up with Janet Agren (The Gates of Hell; here with an intolerable accent) to search the jungles of New Guinea for Agren's sister, who's been brainwashed by the leader of a religious cult (Ivan Rassimov). Along the way, they fall witness to (sometimes real) animal torture and some cheesily rendered cannibalism. As directed by Umberto Lenzi, the movie is so over-the-top it's hard to take seriously, but if you enjoy trash cinema with more than a few unintentional laughs, it's not bad.

4/10

Umberto Lenzi's despicable response to the equally despicable Cannibal Holocaust is sick on many levels and infuriating because without the animal cruelty the gore and story are much more palatable and stupid than Ruggero Deodato's sadistic monstrosity. It's sick because it contains (depressingly) animal cruelty, excessive gore, and bases the main storyline on the Jonestown massacre that was barely a year old at the time. Too soon, Lenzi...too soon!

I can't deny however that the opening credits are cool. Following several people being murdered by blow dart at Niagra Falls and New York, we see Janet Agren walking down 42nd Street, NYC, to a tremendously funky soundtrack. Janet's from the deep south and has lost touch with her cotton plantation owning sister. She goes to Mel Ferrer for help and heads off for New Guinea, as it seems that her sister has joined a cult run by a mystery figure called Jonas.

The jungle isn't a place you can go wandering in, so Janet hooks up with Vietnam vet Robert Kerman (from Cannibal Holocaust of course) and they both of them head off in an adventure that features stock footage of such cannibals films as Umberto Lenzi's Deep River Savages, Sergio Martino's Mountain of the Cannibals, and Rugger Deodato's Last Cannibal World. Why? I guess it saves money. Plus, if I guess you don't have to buy animals to kill if you're just using footage of them from a previous film. Godfrey Ho would be proud.

It comes as no surprise that Ivan Rassimo is Jim Jones I mean Jonas and Janet's sister is full of drugs and brainwashed. Me Me Lai is a native girl in the cult to Lenzi gets to have her generally abused too as Janet and Kerman end up suckered in by the cult and then try to escape in an avalanche of old footage of people being eaten and carved up and some new footage of people being eaten and carved up while Lenzi draws the whole thing to a close by having the whole cult commit suicide like those 900 or so people who did the same in Jonestown in 1978. Hmmm.

It's sad that Lenzi went from kick-ass films like From Corleone to Brooklyn to this in such a short time. He would redeem himself with the craptacular Nightmare City but he wasn't done with the cannibal genre yet - we've still got to suffer through Cannibal Ferox!

The theme tune of this gets a TEN! I love it.

If you've never seen an Italian cannibal flick before, Umberto Lenzi's Eaten Alive might seem like the perfect slice of bloody exploitation, packed as it is with lashings of gore, sex and general nastiness. However, anyone au fait with the genre will identify many of the film's gory highlights as being stolen from earlier movies by Lenzi's contemporaries Ruggero Deodato and Sergio Martino. This is a shame, since the story has loads of potential and could have been developed nicely without resorting to pilfering footage.

Sheila, a rich young heiress from Alabama, is searching for her sister Diana, who has gone missing. When she discovers that Diana has been brainwashed by Jonas, a Jim Jones-style cult leader, and is living in a compound in the jungles of New Guinea, she enlists the help of Vietnam veteran Mark and ventures into the New Guinea wilderness on a rescue mission. But freeing Diana is a tougher job than it at first seems: the cultists will not let her go without a fight and the surrounding area is inhabited by cannibals. Only with the help of native woman Mowara can they hope to escape.

In addition to the gore, Lenzi packs his film with plenty of nudity from his female stars and includes some entertaining and gratuitous sex scenes: Mowara (Me Me Lai) is gang-banged amidst her recently deceased husband's ashes and spends most of her time topless; Janet Agren, who plays Sheila, is defiled by Jonas wielding a blood coated dildo; and Diana (Paola Senatore) gets it doggy-style from a randy cannibal.

Eaten Alive is a glorious exercise in bad taste and exploitation that would have got a higher rating from me had all of the footage been original.

Uuuuaaa! Barf! Yuk! Yuk! Disgusting! Puke City! Worst piece of junk ever made. Sick. Weird. Horrible. Enough said. Hold your nose. Don't eat. After seeing this sick, demented, garbage pail of a movie, you won't be able to eat your food for a week. But, maybe that's good. A new diet has been invented. Go to see this vomit inducing film. Get sick to your stomach. And you will be so turned off by the whole mess, that you can't eat for at least a week, and you drop about 15 pounds.

Me Me Lay! With a name like this, it's really amazing that she doesn't have a "cult" fan following. She rates as the worst actress ever. Her films make Ed Woods look like Gone With The Wind. This movie rates a minus 10.

Umberto Lenzi's "Mangiati Vivi" aka. "Eaten Alive By The Cannibals" of 1980 is one of the gruesome Cannibal-movie classics of the early 80s. It is not quite as (in)famous as Lenzi's "Cannibal Ferox" of 1981, but it's easily equally effective, and definitely one of the absolute must-sees for fans of shocking Italian Horror exploitation. Alongside Ruggero Deodato, who is responsible for the only true masterpiece of the Cannibal sub-genre, the brilliant "Cannibal Holocaust" of 1980, director Lenzi is THE master of this nasty and controversial sub-genre, and may also be credited as its pioneer, since his very own "Paese Del Sesso Selvaggio" aka. "Deep River Savages", was the first movie of the kind in 1972. This "Mangiati Vivi" is easily one of the nastiest highlights of the genre, and has a particularly interesting plot, as the film is, among other things, about a bizarre purification cult that resembles Jim Jones' infamous 'People's Temple'. The film features a lot of sleaze, and the violence is extremely disturbing and engrossing, and even though these vicious scenes are not as frequent as it is the case in "Cannibal Ferox", they are extremely vicious and sometimes hard to watch, even for well-trained exploitation lovers like myself. The cast contains several Cannibal-genre regulars, Robert Kerman ("Cannibal Holocaust", "Cannibal Ferox") and beautiful Me Me Lai ("Deep River Savages", "Jungle Holocaust), who plays a native girl, as always, and Exploitation-star Ivan Rassimov. The music was generally great in these Italian Cannibal flicks, and "Mangiati Vivi" has an excellent score (actually, it's partly the same score as in "Cannibal Ferox"). People who are sensitive about violence should avoid this film since it shows what the title promises - people being mutilated and eaten alive. Animal-protectors and vegetarians are also not well-advised to see this, due to the vicious scenes in which actual animals were killed (probably more than in any other Cannibal movie). To all the fans of shocking exploitation and ultra-violent Eurohorror out there, however, "Mangiati Vivi" is an indispensable Shock-classic that must not be missed. Definitely not a movie you'll forget quickly! Highly recommended!

Eaten Alive (1980) is an Italian Cannibal movie that I recently watched on Tubi. The storyline follows a young lady whose sister has gone missing. A tape is recovered in the jungle depicting the sister as part of a weird cult. Also in the video is a strange ritual where people are sacrificed and eaten. The young lady will set out for the jungle with a team to find and rescue the missing sister.

This movie is directed by Umberto Lenzi (Cannibal Ferox) and stars Robert Kerman (Cannibal Holocaust), Janet Agren (Red Sonja), Ivan Rassimov (The Humanoid) and Mel Ferrer (The World, the Flesh and the Devil).

This is a pretty fun watch and has just about everything in it. The opening Cannibal scenes in the city with blow darts with a perfect opening. I have never seen so many snake vs animal fights (mongoose, hawk, monkeys, etc). There's an infusion of animals throughout the movie. There was also way more nudity in this than I expected with numerous rape scenes. The storyline is fairly straightforward for the Cannibal genre, but there's some good twists and turns making it hard to predict who is going to die next. The gore and kill scenes are pretty good, though why are there scenes where the cannibals have a switchblade? The hanging body hook scenes were a nice touch as was the way they depicted the bite sequences.

Overall, this is a must see for cannibal genre fans. I would score this a 7/10 and strongly recommend it.

I recently viewed a copy of this (under the title 'Eaten Alive') Talk about dreadful! Any movie Ed Wood ever put out looks like Oscar material compared to this laughable tosh. To be fair a couple of lines from the script will live long in the memory such as "These people (Cannibals) don't buy frozen meat from a supermarket like us, they get it fresh everyday from folk like you or me" Classic! The mad 'Jonesville' type leader out in the jungle was the best character in the film, he really did look like a nutter. I think he was the only actor not to be dubbed in (badly), if these Italians must have American characters in their films why dont they get Americans to dub in the dialogue instead of English people trying their best to sound like Annie Oakley. I'll give this 3 out of 10, I'll give it three because it really is funnier than most comedies out these days.