The horrors of war take on a whole new meaning for Vietnam vet Norman Hopper ("Enter the Dragon's" John Saxon), whose quiet domestic life in Atlanta is shattered by the return of Charlie Bukowski, a combat buddy who dredge... more »s up terrifying flashbacks of flesh eating and bloodshed in the war-torn jungles. Now on the run from the law, Charlie begs Norman to help him get out of town with another fellow veteran, Tom ("Shaft's" Tony King). Soon the ragtag team of cannibals are fighting for their lives, spreading a deadly contagion through the city before heading into the sewers for a gut-wrenching climax you won't soon forget! One of the most infamous Italian horror films of all time, "Cannibal Apocalypse" was heavily censored in many countries, but now you can finally experience this thrilling collision of action-packed combat and monstrous horror from cult director Antonio Margheriti (Castle of Blood) in its original gory splendor for the first time in the U.S.!« less
John Lindsey | Socorro, New Mexico USA. | 03/20/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
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Norman Hopper ( John Saxton from "Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Enter the Dragon")is a former Vietnam vet living a normal life in Altanta Georgia with a wife. He still has painful memories with his times in Vietnam involving slaughtering some enemies and seeing cannibalism there, his war friend Charlie Bukowski ( John Morghen a.k.a. Giovanni Lombardo Radice from "City of the Living Dead" and " Cannibal Ferox")has been in the mental hospital for long and has been released. Charlie does have some kind of curse or virus in him still from Vietnam for a taste of human flesh as he unexpectedly takes a bite of flesh out of a person, now he is running from the authorities but suddenly the cannibalistic curse or virus also hits Hopper and another former vietnam vet named Tom are now on a campaign for cannibalism in the city to spread their disease.
Interesting and disgusting mix of horror and action from the director of Castle of Blood Antonio Margheriti. What makes it work is that there is some nasty gore scenes like the infamous shotgun wound scene and eating chunks out of human flesh, a cool if cheesy funk soundtrack with a war theme that almost sounds like the theme to "G.I. Joe", a grisly twist in the end and the film is also a metaphore on how the horrors of vietnam can affect a soldier and this is one of Quentin Taratino's personal faves.
The DVD has some very good extras like a documentary with the cast and director discussing about the film, two trailers, a video tour on the locations in Atlanta where the movie was filmed, cast and crew filmographies, a booklet, poster and still gallery and a text essay on the censorship of this movie when it came out here in the U.S. plus there is a hidden easter egg in the extras menu if you hit left on the word menu to see a trailer to the notorious cannibal epic "Cannibal Holocaust" which should come on R1 DVD sometime this year.
Also recommended: " Cannibal Ferox" ( a.k.a. Make Them Die Slowly), " Demons", "From Dusk Till Dawn", "Dawn of the Dead" ( 1978 and 2004 versions), " Day of the Dead", " Jungle Holocaust", " Deep River Savages", " Caligula", " House By The Cemetery", "Rambo Trilogy", "Black Hawk Down", " Saving Private Ryan", " Platoon", " Apocalypse Now", "Nightmare City" ( a.k.a. City of the Walking Dead)", " Eaten Alive!", " Bad Boys 1 & 2", " Die Hard Trilogy", " The New York Ripper", "Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky", "Rabid Grannies", " The Toxic Avenger", " Maniac ( 1980)", "Scanners", "Videodrome", " The Crazies", "Outbreak", " Stephen King's The Stand", " Re-Animator", " Resident Evil", "Resident Evil Apocalypse", "Hell of the Living Dead" ( a.k.a. Night of the Zombies), and " The Beyond" ( a.k.a. 7 Doors of Death)."
ACTION/SPLATTER CLASSIC!
Bob | Ohio | 04/25/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Lot's of people will tell you that this movie is mediocre, if not terrible, but I bought this movie on DVD with high hopes and man was I suprised. This movie is great if your looking for a cannibal movie that isn't terribly disturbing, yet has lot's of action and some gore scenes that you would think would be cult classics! Like Bukowski's demise... I've had this DVD for five days and I already watched it three times, from beginning to end!
I definetly reccomend this for splatter/action fans and horror completists.A bonus is that laughable funk music in some action scenes-ITS GREAT!"
Saxon+Radice+Italy+Cannibals=Good Stuff!
Stanley Runk | Camp North Pines | 04/21/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Here's an Italian horror flick that's a cut above the rest. It's not as corny as most of the films in the genre(though it is still a bit corny), but the actors pull it off nicely. Of course we've got Giovanni Radice, who once again is great in his offbeat performance. As you probably know already, John Saxon(a fantastic actor not given his due) was lured into this one, and it's very amusing to see him in this kind of film. I think this film is hyped up to be alot gorier than it actually is(the notorious "sewer shootout", while cool and all, just isn't as gruesome as you're led to believe), though the violence is executed nicely here. As opposed to Fulci, who's violence is very slow and drawn out, this film's violence is quick, realistic and frantic. Also, the film's star isn't the gore or violence, but the strength of the performances and story, which is rare for this kind of thing. There are long stretches without any violence at all, and in my eyes, wasn't at all boring. Usually in this kind of flick, you couldn't care less about the characters and their problems.....you just want to get on with the gore man! You want the impalements and the cannibal feasts and the moldy, cruddy zombies blown to smithereens! Well, Cannibal Apocalypse is a truly standout flick that combines the best of both worlds."
Eat it. Just eat it.
C. Christopher Blackshere | I am the devil's reject | 07/15/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Key lime pie. Spinach. Tofu. Goat cheese. Caviar. My mom's meatloaf. Human flesh.
Some things are acquired tastes. A few soldiers develop an appetite for cannibalism while fighting in Vietnam. Not sure how, they just contracted the urge to eat people. A war disease, of sorts. War changes a man, but this metamorphosis was quite unexpected.
Tarantino fave Antonio Margheriti jumps on the cannibal bandwagon of the late 70's-early 80's. He steers it a different direction though, instead of bloody bedlam in the jungle, these vampiresque savage chompers wreck havoc back in the city. This stars some great horror regulars, most notably John Saxon(Black Christmas, Elm Street)
This has some nice stylized murders, plus a great gory scene with a circular saw. But the death rate never gets to apocalyptic levels, I'm a little sad to say. As far as cannibal films go, this is pretty tame. Still, it's a worthy addition to a cannibal lovers film library."
Excellent!
BUB13 | NM | 01/07/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A former vietnam vet named Hopper (Played by John Saxton) has reoccuring nightmares about his times in vietnam as for now he's a married man and living a normal life like any other person. Two of his former soldier friends become infected by some strange virus that makes them hunger for flesh and go berserk in the city causing some mayhem even at a movie theater, Hopper even finds himself infected with the virus joining up with the cannibalistic soldiers to go on a spree of eating people..
Gory and violent Italian/Spanish action horror thriller that also co-stars John Morghen whom is best known for roles in movies like "House on The Edge of the Park", "City of the Living Dead" and "Cannibal Ferox". The film came here to the United States in a cut version called "Invasion of the Flesh-Hunters" but now on DVD it's fully uncut and uncensored with the gore restored, sure there's not much in the plot but there is some good action sequences and some nasty gore effects like the buzz-saw slicing of someone's leg. Considered to be a personal favorite of Quentin Tarantino, the movie has grown to become a cult fave and is one of the better European horror flicks of the early 80's.