CANNIBAL APOCALYPSE (1980) REVIEW

So as I have shown you my favourite Zombie film, i thought i could show you my favourite Cannibal Film, and no it's not Cannibal Holocaust, but horror/War film Cannibal Apocalypse....

!!!!!!!!!!!!WARNING! SPOILERS AFTER THE JUMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So i have expressed my love for zombie cinema with my Top 22 zombie films and my glowing review for Dawn of the Dead, but what about the other horror flesh eater, The Cannibal. Well, i came quite late to the Cannibal genre and my first introduction was Ruggero Deodato's controversial Cannibal Holocaust, a Film that is, i find, one of the most depressingly real horror films ever made and a film that i have only ever seen once. But Antonio Marghariti's Cannibal Apocalypse aka Apocalypse Domani, is a different kind of cannibal flick, it uses the cannibalism as a virus, that give these infected the thrist for blood, much like a vampire, but the transmission of the virus owes more to Romero than Bram Stoker. It's because of this different take on cannibalism, that i really dig this film. A more scientific approach which almost puts it in the genre of sci-fi horror, but the film is also a war film of sorts.

The Plot:

The Plot for Cannibal Apocalypse is pretty interesting.

The film opens in Vietnam, Captain Norman Hopper (John Saxon) leads a squad of commandos into the jungles and come across a VC prison camp. He finds two of his men down in a cell, they seem to have turned to cannibalism. While reaching into the cell, one of his men bites his arm. We cut to Hopper waking up at home in bed with his wife. He was dreaming, but it was more a flash back than a dream as we notice he has a scar on his arm.

One of his former soldiers, Charlie Bukowski (Giovanni Lombardo Radice) gets released from a mental institute and calls Hopper and when Hopper hangs up on him, he goes for a movie. While sat watching what looks like a war film, a couple come in and start making out and doing naughty things to each other, The woman's neck is exposed to Charlie who ends up taking a chunk out of her. He is chased from the cinema by a gang of bikers to a flea market where there is a stand off between himself and the Atlanta police, led by Captain McCoy (Wallace Wilkinson). When Hopper hears the news he makes his way to the flea market where he enters and manages to calm Charlie down and surrender, although by this time Charlie has killed two men. Charlie is Taken back to the mental hospital where he, along with Tom Thompson (Tony King), the other soldier from Nam, attack one of the nurses with Thompson biting her on the leg.

Hopper, now having developed the thirst for flesh attacks a man at the hospital and the men along with the now changed nurse escape an go on the run with McCoy and his officers giving chase. They make they're way into the sewer system where they are able to take a few cops out, but Helen (the Nurse), Thompson and Charlie get killed, and only Hopper escapes where he returns home. His wife who, he suspects is having an affair with they're neighbour, the good doctor Mendez, also returns home only to get attacked by an infected Mendez. Hopper shoots him and ends his wife's life, then takes his own. The end.

There is a side story about the next door neighbours, a kid and a teenage girl, but they really don't add much to the story.

The Cast:

JOHN SAXON as Norman Hopper

I have a lot of respect for John Saxon, He's a well known man, who continues to work today, and even though he's made a lot of films, he seems like a really down to earth guy from documentaries that i have seen. The First film I ever saw him in was A Nightmare On Elm Street, but since then I've everything from Enter The Dragon and Tenebre to his lesser known films such as Queen of Blood and Gene Rodenberry's Planet Earth (TVM), and every time Saxon Delivers. In Cannibal Apocalypse he's top notch as the man unsure of what is happening to him and his eventual realisation. Go Saxon Go!!!

GIOVANNI LOMBARDO RADICE as Charlie Bukowski

I only knew of Radice from Lucio Fulci's City Of The Living Dead, but was surprised to find out that he was a respected stage actor in Italy. His acting talents are evident in this films as he plays the tortured, Nam Vet with a hunger for human flesh, in the scenes where he is by himself in the Flea market, he completely holds the scene, speaking to a corpse as he drinks a bottle of scotch or something, and even though his lines are dubbed over, it's his physical presence that really makes the character stand out.

WALLACE WILKINSON as Cpt. McCoy

The character of Captain McCoy, is a bit of a cliché of the usual detective in charge, but Wilkinson seems to know this and looks to be having fun with the character. McCoy reminds me of Ray Cameron played by Tom Atkins in Night of the Creeps, with the one liners and the sarcastic wit.

The Direction:

Antonio Margheriti, shows how much of a capable director he is. He Directed this under his pseudonym Anthony M. Dawson. The opening of C.A, the Nam scene, is directed well with flame throwers and pyrotechnics going off while Saxon searches the camp. The Stand off between Charlie and the Cops is shot very well, and reminded me a bit of the Dog Day Afternoon, and the sewer action is handled very well. To be honest i can't find a fault with the direction.

For a film that was banned in the UK for such along time, this film is incredibly tame compared to others of it's ilk, and as it's apparently 'uncut' on these shores after over 25 years later, is great as it allows more horror fans and fans new to the genre to catch this great film.

MY FINAL VERDICT:

Cannibal Apocalypse is a well made, extremely well acted film that gives us a new take the idea of cannibalism, and shows just how much the censorship in the UK has changed over the years. On a side not, the film has, apparently been cut by the BBFC, but it's only 2 seconds of a rat being set alight by a flame thrower, which for me isn't that much of a problem as i am against animal cruelty. But don't let the 2 seconds of flame grilled rat put you off because this is the most complete version of the film we are likely to see on these shores. I definitely recommend checking this film out, it's my favourite Cannibal film, Now whats yours?

CANNIBAL APOCALYPSE

FILM: 9./10

I used the UK cinema club disc for this review.