Reviews

Viewing Cannibal Holocaust is a charged experience;in its 20 years of existence no other non mondo film(until Men behind the sun maybe)had the same reputation to shock.CH is not the goriest film ever(in fact,despite one clever castration scene,the gore is pretty fake)but it is arguably,thematically at least,the most visceral and nihilistic horror film ever made.I've seen all the Traces of death movies,the men behind the suns,and the guinea pigs and i still rate CH as king.Cannibal holocaust is disturbing because it is an exploitation film,and the animal deaths(and human-the execution footage in the film is unfaked)are being shown to promote a response from the viewer...to look away or not?The film itself is cleverly constructed and exciting at parts with good acting,particuarly the fake documentary that is never allowed to slip up into a farce.The atmosphere of the Amazon is brilliantly evoked,particuarly with Riz Ortalanis great score.If CH has a reputation then it deserves it as a technically superb horror film,not as a gory gimmick like Cannibal Ferox.But most of all,you will find yourself questioning the films validity:In this age of increased media coverage of real life atrocity maybe CH is pertinent?Maybe not,maybe youll just find it nasty rubbish,maybe itll dissapoint you...you just have to see it for yourself,but I rate it as a classic.

Though i count myself a fan of South Park ive never felt that the unique humour of the shows creators has come through in films such as Orgazmo or BASEketball.Here in their first incarnation as filmmakers and purveyors of Monty Python inspired madness,can you see SP's roots."Alferd Packer"or "Cannibal"is a little gem of low/high brow wit mixed with the kind of idiotic banter that makes Cartman so popular.And the songs!to quote :"lets build a snowman/we can make him our best friend" or the Micheal Boltonesque ode to a horse that includes the lines "the sky was a lot more blue/when i was on top of you".Trey Parkers grasp of the essentially idiotic nature of musicals and such will have you hailing him as a Genius even if you hate SP (and some do)and i rate this as a must see.

Cannibal holocaust is a truly charged viewing experience; in all its 20 years of existence no other non mondo film (until maybe Men behind the sun) had such a reputation to shock, even today it is believed by some at the UKs trading standards to be an actual snuff film. CH is not the goriest film ever made, but in terms of themes and narrative its still the cruellest, most fascinatingly harsh piece of filmaking in the horror genre. Ive seen all the Traces of death, the men behind the sun films, and the Guinea pigs and I still think this is king. It is simply so well made, acted, atmospheric and the brilliant score by Riz Ortalani sets the scene so well. The fake documentary style never slips up. But perhaps the most unsettling thing about CH is that it is an exploitation film, and the scenes of animal cruelty (and even human) unsettle because they are being shown to promote a response...should you look away or not?Like I said Cannibal Holocaust is a truly unique experience, not some Gory novelty like Cannibal Ferox, and in this time of increased media coverage of true life atrocity maybe its pertinent? Maybe its just nasty cruelty, maybe it even dissapoints you...you just have to see it to gauge you're own response. For me at least its a classic.

When this movie first came out in the 70's it was a 42nd street style grindhouse pleaser that would have shocked mainstream audiences; however with the advent of video few will be so shocked today. Ilsa is impossible to take seriously. Sure medical torture was carried out by the Nazis but this movie is not like Men behind the sun, and you will be left questioning the authenticity of Ilsas source. Ilsa can be enjoyed as an exercise in bad taste that John Waters would enjoy; torture, Nasty nazis and a range of bad accents, though Joe DeBlascos SFX makeup is pretty good.The camerawork is good giving it a gritty feel, and the sets (used by Hogans heros!) are impressive. Ilsa will neither exceed nor dissapoint as an exploitation flick, and thats my recommendation.

I cant believe some of the negative comments i saw about this movie on the imdb,like they were only interested in the 3d or something.Ingrates!This movie is the best horror/gore/comedy ever way better than Braindead and i didnt even see it in 3d. Basically Frankenstein is trying to make the perfect "Serbian"to breed out of body parts,but he picks the wrong head a celibate wannabe monk,instead of Joe Dallesandro!Hes also married to his sister,is a necrophile,and is played by Udo kier!This movie is cool,decadent fun,even if Morriseys Blood for Dracula was better made.Its Kiers performance that makes this movie so funny,and the dialogue:"Two girls!One man!...he must be very powerful!"or the classic"to know Death Otto one must first f*** life in the Gall bladder!" if this doesnt sound funny then it is,the way Kier says it.And laugh at Joes straight out of the Bronx Yugoslavian accent.Theres some Gore(which led to an X in the US,and being banned on tape initially in the UK)but its not amazing,and some sex but with amazingly ugly women.Nevermind,the most disgusting scene has Joes armpit being sucked out by the Baronness.Yuck!Its way better than a Hammer Frankenstein and is a must see.Quality which deserves a 9!

Wow!I saw this movie with VS 2 and i must admit i wasnt expecting a great film but this is Amazing.They totally changed the formula to incorporate Kung fu,war movies,and Zombies whilst keeping it gory as hell.Basically Karl jr and his dad are running an army on an island,and they kill and torture rebels to their cause by making them take part in a hunt.This movie is like Return of the Jedi,a battle of good against evil!Great camera technique(utilising 16mm as well as camcorder),excitng Action sequences,and the most extreme realistic gore in the series,if not quite so sick.The final climactic battle is amazing.There are also tonnes of movie references to classics like Dawn of the dead,and the Hong Kong flick Black magic(which they must have seen).Schnaas and co can really make a movie.This is the best of the Violent shit movies and the finale.Cant wait to see Anthropophagous 2000.

Well i finally got to see VS 2 and 3 together and my response to 2 is based on the fact that part 3 is so good.VS 2 basically repeats VS 1,but this time with an underlying plot about a reporter.Karl Jr is the killer here(he was born at the end of VS 1 if you remember)killing people for his mother or something.Anyway he wears a mask,and makes idiotic quips when he kills.This is basically like VS 1,a bad taste extravaganza.Nothing is too bizarre,or in too poor taste for the makers its seems and thats good,but....VS 2 drags its feet a little,and if youve seen the first it lacks the shock appeal.But the gore is improved,as is the films technique(maybe they bought a better camcorder!)and its good fun if you dont take it seriously.As for nastiness check out the scene where the dude gets hooked in the testes....ouch.

I love this movie,its just the coolest.Alright so Dawn of the dead is a classic but for sheer Zombie thrills this is my fave. Its the atmosphere that the genius Fulci generates that is so cool,a mixture of maggots,tropical jungles,Voodoo and Gore.I saw this movie cut on cable TV and it still amazed me.Its the sheer pleasure of a schlock film,and one of the reasons why Italian horror of the 70s-80s is so beloved by true fans of horror.People often talk about the gore in Fulcis movies,but for me he had real talent in evoking a dark,unhealthy atmosphere in his movies,such as in the brilliant House by the cemetery my other Fulci fave.People sometimes mock these films as a result of the dubbing process(though Zombie doesnt suffer too bad in that respect)but look beyond this and these are great movies.Top score from me,for the film,the music,the gory bits,and the great UK title Zombie Flesh eaters.Says it all.But see it uncut if you can.Also check out italian ripoff Zombie Holocaust(doctor Butcher MDAKA)for laughs and German homage Zombie 90.The best!

As a fan of Jim Van Bebber I was surprised to see this movie in the UK Uncut after the BBFC rumpus over Deadbeat at Dawn.The short(about 15 mins im not sure) details the activities of a maniac called John Martin who lives in a Filthy home and eats roadkill,yelling at the TV,and eventually going out to capture some hitchikers.Its fairly grim viewing,but the acting is poor,and the attempt to capture a Texas Chainsaw atmosphere doesnt work.Made to finance a feature film.Its on video in the UK with the great My Sweet Satan,a much better film by Van Bebber.

I saw this movie in german minus subtitles so i cant tell the nuances of the plot(LOL)but i quite enjoyed this little gorefest,probably cause i dig German underground horror.There are three stories,they all contain extreme gore,its quite imaginative(esp the hell sequence)and well done for a homemade effort.Recommended for fans of Nekromantik and the like.

Ok so i make no excuses about it but i really dig these German gorefest movies,and this is one of the first.Basically Karl the Butcher(Director Schnaas)escapes,kills people and so on.Not original.But this movies sheer lack of taste,disregard for whats acceptable(though i think it was made with Tongue in cheek)and exuberance makes it cool especially if youre drunk.Recommended!

I really like this movie,because like few before it it at least tries to shatter taboos.Sure much of it is intended to shock but it stands up to repeat viewings largely because of the macabre atmosphere it generates(check out the great graveyard scene)and the unexpected humour involved(the slasher movie parody was hilarious).The only movie like it is Beyond the darkness,without the laughs.Personally one of my faves.The music is really cool too.People like Buttgereit really revive the genres ability to delight and disgust with films like Nekromantik.The sequel was dissapointing though.

Along with Maniac this is regarded as the nastiest of the Slasher cycle of the early 80s,due to some gore that seems purposefully allied with the pornographic.Banned in the UK,for me it exudes a deeply pessimistic nastiness,that makes it deserving of at least one watch.Its grubby,dimly lit,and poorly edited and shot but for a gorehound theres a great decapitation(though Tom Savini did not work on this film apparently)and a nasty throat slitting.And the ending is depressing!At least its made for adults and its questionable morals were more excusable back in the 80s,so its a timepiece of what was acceptable back then!