Can John Saxon resist the viral hunger for human flesh? Find out...
It was high time we watched a full-fledged cannibal movie on Weirdhouse Cinema, so here we are with the 1980 Spanish/Italian cannibal thriller Cannibal Apocalypse AKA Apocalypse Domani AKA Cannibals in the Streets AKA Invasion of the Fleshhunters.
As we discuss, the film should not confused with Ruggero Deodato's Cannibal Holocaust from the same year (a colonial cannibal film of the most notorious nature). Instead, Cannibal Apocalypse is a distinctly domestic cannibal film in which the hunger for human flesh emerges in the human psyche as a kind of PTSD response to violent conflict.
The film's relative restraint, in part due to star John Saxon's urging, actually provides room for this metaphor to bloom somewhat. So we're left with a European film about the American condition that actually kind of resonates -- while also being a gory b-movie in every other possible way.
The film is also interesting -- for us -- in that it's set in our own Atlanta and Decatur, Ga. Numerous landmarks and filming locations pop up in the film.
Let's have the episode and the film trailer:
John Saxon is great in this, but the real star of Cannibal Apocalypse is its score, by Alexander Blonksteiner. As we mentioned, Death Waltz Records put out an awesome vinyl of this score. Here's a taste:
Absolutely stunning. Now let's hit some otherb its of media referenced in the episode:
We have full Weirdhouse Merch now over at the Teepublic store, by the way. What's up next week on Weirdhouse Cinema? Joe wants it to be a surprise, but insists that it will be an incredible journey...
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