Cannibal (2005) Review
Posted in Movie Reviews on May 28th, 2008 by retrogunslinger
It’s difficult to write an even remotely lengthy review of Marian Dora’s Cannibal, as it is without a doubt one of the simplest horror films ever made, as well as one of the least surprising story-wise. The plot revolves around a Man who wishes to experience some sort of extreme pleasure that is never really explained (though we can safely assume it involves the title), and who meets another man, the Flesh, online who wants someone to eat him. The two meet up, have gay sex, and the Man proceeds to devour his meal in a rather lengthy process that involves even more gay sexual activities. That’s really it.
It should be noted that the lack of plot for the film is by no means a problem, in fact it could very well be thought of as a positive. The ritualistic handling of the consumption is brilliantly played with no twists or major surprises, instead opting for an extremely realistic portrayal of the events which in turn are based on reality. The subject the titular character is based on is Armin Meiwes, whose killing of Bernd Jürgen Brandes landed him with life imprisonment and the nickname “the Rotenburg Cannibal.” Upon reviewing the basic facts of the case, I’ve concluded that this film is a pretty close representation slightly dramatized for the medium. Brandes was, according to the heap of evidence presented, just as complacent with himself and his situation as he appears in the film, which lends to my enjoyment of it all.
The performances, all two of them, are difficult to pin down, as the dialogue in the film is so scarce that everything relies on their ability to not go from actors to boring props. Judging from this angle, both Carsten Frank as the Cannibal and Victor Brandl as the Flesh do very well. I could always tell what they were thinking, and as such found myself not missing the dialogue at all. It should also be noted that Frank has been making a small name for himself in the low-no budget film world, with relatively minor roles in 2007’s Angel of Death 2 alongside Jesus Franco and in two Ulli Lommel flicks, 2004’s Zombie Nation and 2005’s Green River Killer, as well as a few other horror titles. Seeing as I found Frank a more interesting actor, it’s nice to know that I can find him in a few more easily obtained films, even if they don’t hold up.
Director Dora, who collaborated with Ulli Lommel on three of the infamous director’s more recent projects, is more than competent in his handling of the material and even goes so far as to display an art house frame of mind I can’t help but find admirable. The toll on this film had the director been more blunt and gone about this in an Eli Roth-type manner would have been catastrophic, but as it stands the whole show went down brilliantly.
The main reason behind Cannibal’s popularity is the life-like special effects, and for good reason as they are just that. It’s astounding, everything from a cringe-worthy severed penis to a buffet of perfectly replicated organs. Combined with the DV camerawork, they add an unnerving realism that will leave even the most experienced viewer feeling subtly uncomfortable. In fact, I’d even go so far as to lambast the similarly graphic but much more popular Cannibal Holocaust’s effects as childish in comparison. Yep, they’re pretty tight.
Overall, I enjoyed the film from three points of view: as a true crime buff, as a special effects enthusiast, and as a filmmaking nut. However, simply from an audience member standpoint, I couldn’t help but not feel especially entertained, nor did I wish to view the film a second time. As a single viewing though, it did what it set out to do, and that’s really all that matters.
7/10
Alex McNetti is sick. Like, really, really, REALLY sick, like throwing up and shitting worms and maggots simultaneously sick. Lucky for Alex, he has a very caring, big-tittied wife with a mortician friend who has the perfect antidote–ground up bones. If that wasn’t enough to fuck up the various characters’ lives, a hotshot inspector is up and about investigating a few strange murders at the local cemetery, while a possibly related outbreak of the living dead has come out of nowhere.
The fine folks over at the
This misleadingly titled little ditty is a shot-on-video psychological horror crime flick that looks like it was made in 1992. It’s really about as cheap as they come, with almost no video or audio quality, questionable actors, and very, very, very cheap locations. However, what it lacks in budget, it more than makes up for in a charming script, a few eccentric characters, and a surprisingly competent director. Said director is Todd Reynolds, whose only other directional effort is an apparently uber-cheap flick called Living a Zombie Dream, which I’ve added to my Netflix queue and should receive in a couple of weeks.
Quiet Earth