When Trouble City's very own Danielle Ryan suggested that we take a look back at the Video Nasty List, I was 100% on board. However, when it came to deciding who would write about what movie, there had to be some concessions. The issue? Which of us would do Cannibal Holocaust and the other would do Cannibal Ferox. I lost the bet. Danielle then wrote a wonderful retrospective review of Cannibal Holocaust which can be found here. This left me having to do Cannibal Ferox ... Which is like trying to show off your Coleco Vision when the kid next door has a Nintendo.
“Ferox: ˈ[fe.roːks], Latin, Adjective: having the appearance of a wild animal, a savage.”
Still, I must soldier on, and make the best of the situation. For the uninformed, this was one of the many films in the so-called "Cannibal Boom" which started in 1977. Pioneered by Umberto Lenzi, the genre instantly earned infamy for its on-screen death of animals, and extremely violent and gore. This infamy ramped up in 1980 when the movie Cannibal Holocaust was made by Rugerro Deodato, the great granddaddy of "found footage" horror films. Regardless of this controversy, the film is well regarded and is considered -- by some (myself included) -- to be a masterpiece. Not to be undone, Lenzi churned out Cannibal Ferox a year later in 1981. The movies are similar enough that the ill informed often mix up the two. Further confusing the situation is the fact that is spawned six other similar movies.
This is a weird way to start the Captain Underpants movie...
Cocaine, Mobsters, and Cannibals, Oh My!
Using the same tropes as Cannibal Holocaust, Ferrox starts in New York City. However, where as the latter film is about a researcher going into the rain forest to find some missing film students, this film is about two drug dealers name Mike and Joe who owe the mob a lot of money. These two decide to found a business start-up which exploits the indigenous tribes of the rain forest to mine for gems and cocaine. This brilliant plan, involved them exploiting the locals apparent trust of white people, even though they have no equipment or experience. Rule one, rest of the world: never ever trust white people.
Rain Forest Survival Tip: Never get high on a drug that turns you into a complete asshole.
As you'd expect, these coked up lunatics end up killing one of their guides and this causes the natives to go cannibal because revenge is a dish best served with a side of Kuru. While fleeing for their lives, Mike and Joe happen upon Rudy, Gloria, and Pat. The trio have decided to go traipsing through the rainforest so Gloria can prove her theory that cannibal tribes are a myth. Since none of these people have ever been in the rainforest before, hilarity ensues. There's some sexy time, we see some animals get slaughtered, and then most of our crazy cast of cut-ups (ha ha) get savagely murdered. Gloria survives and gets to write her book, where she lies and says there are no cannibals, so nobody else makes the same mistakes she did. Also, that whole mob-drug-debt plot thread gets tied up. So there's that also.
Meanwhile, in a loosely associated cop drama...
An Idiot In Every Pot!
I'm not going to accuse Umberto Lenzi of trying to make high art with this one, but he could have invested some more time on the plot. First of all, all these white people wandering around in the rainforest all willy-nilly with very little in the way of guidance seems foolhardy at best. Especially when two skills they bring to the table is snorting coke and book writing. Also, Gloria is really bad at research considering that cannibalistic tribes that are still active have been well documented, even in 1981. Additionally, for someone who is writing a factual book, to return home after your friends were brutally slaughtered and eaten, then cover the whole thing up is causing a great disservice. Also, not telling anybody? Seriously? You're going to have a lot of unanswered questions, especially after her flimsy story about her friends being eaten by crocodiles falls through.
It's inhumane conditions like this that encourage me to always make sure that my Long Pig is free range.
Let's also talk about why Mike and Joey were doomed to failure: Any good drug baron never does his product. Also, that's a lot of risk involved for a drug that was such an easily obtained commodity at the time. When it comes to making a killing in the cocaine trade, these dupes totally missed the boat. If the show Narcos taught me anything, it's that the Columbian cartels had the whole illicit drug empire all figured out by then. If the cannibals didn't get these two bozos, the cartels would have if they somehow managed to get their fly-by-night cocaine operation going. On the subject of gems, these two didn't do much research either, considering Paraguay isn't known for its mineral wealth. Had they known any better, they could have made a killing on their biggest export, tobacco. But I digress.
Oh, Those Poor Animals!... Well Most of Them.
Nature is beautiful!
As you are all aware of, at least by now, is that this movie (among others in the genre) is notorious for the onscreen death of real live animals. People refuse to watch the film based on that. Which, if that's you, then fine. I'm not going to convince you otherwise.
Among some of the more gruesome kills are scenes where a small rodent is crushed and eaten by a snake, a turtle gets chopped up while still alive, and a wild pig gets stabbed to death. The movie is not for the faint of heart. However, every review that I've read where these animal killings are chastised, I notice that there is one animal that is killed in this movie that nobody seems to miss. Yes, friends and neighbors, I am talking about that poor spider that is hacked apart with a machete.
Every time I remember that you are not in this world, I weep. Oh I weep.
That poor, poor spider, and nobody cares. That's the real tragedy of this movie.
Team Rivalries - Cannibal Style!
Before I conclude, I have noticed that the younger kids like to bandwagon on "teams" for their horror films. I think the older generation of horror fans needs to get on this trend as well. Thinking about this, I thought "Hey, what better rivalry than between Cannibal Holocaust and Cannibal Ferox?" So here we are friends. Download and enjoy these Team Holocaust and Team Ferox designs that I have done up.
Also please fill out our interactive poll:
Nasty Rating: 18 Cruelty-Free Animal Deaths
Whereas Cannibal Holocaust is tastefully done (for lack of a better term), this movie is almost like some greasy guy made a porn parody of that movie. Cannibal Ferox is not a great movie by any means and it is not for the faint of heart. That said, like a lot of movies in the genre, it has some very decent special effects... for the most part. Also, it's incredibly cathartic watching the asshole of the movie getting his dick chopped off and eaten on camera. So there's that.
As Cannibal movies go, it is not surprising that this would end up on the Video Nasty List. It's got the exploitation aspect down pat, the only thing it's missing is dirty heroin needles. Personally, I enjoy it because it is so sleazy and gross. If that's the sort of thing that floats your boat, then you probably have seen this movie already anyway.
In conclusion: Vote Team Ferox!