tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34993991.post116396185283263311..comments2023-10-05T07:46:44.392-04:00Comments on And Now the Screaming Starts: Movies: People who need people (for foodstuffs) are the luckiest people in the world.CRwMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07896615209770501945noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34993991.post-1164135417663023142006-11-21T13:56:00.000-05:002006-11-21T13:56:00.000-05:00In the true tradition of exploitation trashiness, ...In the true tradition of exploitation trashiness, the new disc set milks the animal cruelty thing for all it is worth. There’s a scrolling intro where the disc’s producers sanctimoniously inform you that they don’t agree with the cruelty in the film, but, after citing Thomas Jefferson and Santayana, say they refuse to second guess the artist and leave the film to stand as a document of a more barbaric time (1980).<BR/><BR/>Despite all that, you can actually select to watch an “animal-cruelty” free version and get all the fake gore without the actual animal killings. Though, this strikes me as a weird feature since, regardless of how you watch it, you’ve already thrown your support behind the film. You already paid for the animal deaths, whether you watch them or not doesn’t seem to really matter after that.<BR/><BR/><I>The Hidden</I> is good fun. I haven’t seen it in years though.CRwMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07896615209770501945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34993991.post-1164081803737263082006-11-20T23:03:00.000-05:002006-11-20T23:03:00.000-05:00I'm another one who's heard about Cannibal Holocau...I'm another one who's heard about Cannibal Holocaust for a long time, but due to the animal killing, don't really want to see it. I'm always compelled to read whatever writeups about it that I find.<BR/><BR/>My classic B sci-fi/horror flick viewing today was "The Hidden". Not really related to CH, but still pretty classic.spacejackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14902182763527176185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34993991.post-1164074246352268292006-11-20T20:57:00.000-05:002006-11-20T20:57:00.000-05:00Let's ignore the suggestiveness of the rating syst...Let's ignore the suggestiveness of the rating system for a second. (What a bench ranbana involves is best left in the mind of cattleworks and, please, apologize to your significant other in advance for me – whatever you've cooked up was in no way intended by me!)<BR/><BR/>I was serious in my comparison between the legendary 'Namsploitation war flick and <I>Cannibal Holocaust</I>. <I>Apocalypse Now</I> is a sort of horror fantasy of what the Vietnam conflict was like. Whether the incidents in the flick happened or not is irrelevant. What the flick does is show us the darkly dreamed reality of the war. It is the war as we imagine it at its worst. The way <I>Heart of Darkness</I> is the evil of colonialism laid dramatically bare in a way that is emotionally true.<BR/><BR/><I>Cannibal Holocaust</I> could have been exploitation cinema's definitive take on the whole <I>Heart of Darkness</I> idea. But the whole thing is such a mess that it never packs the intellectual punch that I think it was intended too. Sure it is a gross out. But it could have been, and wanted to be, so much more. Sigh.<BR/><BR/>I agree with you on the sort of parable resonance genre cinema has and I actually think <I>Cannibal Holocaust</I> would be worth checking out. It represents the extreme of a specific genre (and I must admit, cannibal cinema is, for me, the ultimate end of horror) and as such has something to say about making genre cinema. But it is as much about the don'ts as the do's.CRwMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07896615209770501945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34993991.post-1163981525377197512006-11-19T19:12:00.000-05:002006-11-19T19:12:00.000-05:00I've really become a fan of your posts--they're re...I've really become a fan of your posts--they're really just excellent.<BR/><BR/>Okay, enough warmth.<BR/><BR/>Personally, as much as I seem to enjoy exploitation films, the cannibal movies I kind of shy away from. They're just-- gross. There, I said it.<BR/>In fact, as much as I like zombie films, I can do without prolonged gutmunching.<BR/><BR/>So, I think that's why I've been both intrigued and also reluctant to check this film out.<BR/>I keep forgetting about the documentary footage that makes up the plot-- the BLAIR WITCH inspiration. But your quick synopsis of the complex narrative structure really makes me want to see it now.<BR/>Also, the scene you describe of the couple having sex while the tribe watches also makes me want to watch the film more.<BR/>As a wannabe filmmaker, I'm strangely fascinated by the collision of genre elements and treating them sincerely, or perhaps melodramatically, but not dismissively (or as a parody, which is, in a way, dismissive). This may seem like a preposterous analogy, but in a way, I think genre fiction storytelling is similar to parables, in that both offer opportunities for the storyteller to make a point to his audience. Both use "common" plot elements to make them more accessible to an audience, but the content behind the plot may be more substantial than you expect. Or at least, more affecting emotionally.<BR/>That same scene you describe reminds me, perhaps improbably (but look who's talking here), of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, and specifically, the prolonged multiple rape sequence that makes up a long section of the movie.<BR/>Personally, I think the director, Meir Zarchi, did his most interesting work with his characters, specifically the four rapists who all know each other, during this brutal section of sequences. The relationship amongst each other as they rape this woman, through their dialogue and their exchange of glances, and perhaps their feelings as they violate this woman repeatedly are more interesting than you'd expect.<BR/>Unfortunately, the rest of the film isn't nearly as interesting and the revenge sequences come off more contrived (although some of the attack sequences have their own contrivances, too).<BR/>My point is, I think your disappointment with CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST makes a lot of sense, and the reference to APOCALYPSE NOW (in terms of exploitation) you make is understandable also-- I'm assuming you're being sincere with the comment/comparison.<BR/><BR/>As usual, you have a great way with a phrase that both makes a point and is funny, too: <BR/>There's a surprising amount of subtle work in this film considering the number of times we're also treated to images of the characters vomiting.<BR/><BR/>Hee hee hee!<BR/><BR/>Finally, your rating of the Hand Rabana/Bench Rabana is hysterical, sophisticated, and thrillingly suggestive (the latter is probably unintentional and most likely just me).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com