Mondo Cannibal (2004) (DVD Review)
Directed By: Bruno Mattei
Starring: Helena Wagner, Claudio Morales, Cindy Jelic Matic
Rated: UR/Region: 1/1:33/Number of disc: 1
Available from Intervision Picture Corp
You may think you’ve witnessed the most extreme examples of the Italian cannibal genre, but leave it to late Italian sleaze master Bruno Mattei notorious director of HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD, RATS: NIGHT OF TERROR, SS GIRLS and CALIGULA’S PERVERSIONS to lower the bar to depraved new heights. In this shameless rip-off of CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, Mattei (under the name Vincent Dawn) unleashes the sleazy saga of a ratings-hungry American TV crew whose Amazon jungle report becomes a nightmare of gut munching, brain-scarfing, sexual atrocities, insane moralizing and much more. Claudio Morales and Cindy Matic (IN THE LAND OF THE CANNIBALS) star in this jaw-dropper also known as CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST: THE BEGINNING now presented uncut and uncensored for the first time ever in America!
Shot back to back with In the Land of Cannibals (also released by Intervision this month), Bruno Mattei pretty much used the same cast for both films and in this particular film sort of re-did Cannibal Holocaust. Only he did it without the flair, creativity, and whatever else that Cannibal Holocaust has to make you watch it more than once. It isn’t any shock that this film would be released under the title of Cannibal Holocaust 2 at one point, but let it be known that this movie isn’t in the same ballpark as that classic horror film and outside of gore, this one doesn’t have that much to offer that we haven’t already seen in other cannibal movies. That being said, the gore isn’t at all bad! I don’t think anyone will be dragged into court because someone thinks they were really killed in this, but as far as blood and gore goes, that might be the only thing this movie does do right.
This is a pretty strange film all around. As far as I can tell the director was working with real film, but the movie has shades of a shot on video horror film and really feels like one at different times. That might be due to the full frame nature, but it really just seems cheap and with the copycat plot that type of feel doesn’t do anyone behind this film any favors. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to see movies like this being released. Seeing stuff like this get a proper DVD release is why I am overall a big fan of Intervision. That still doesn’t really take away from the fact that this movie is pretty awful at the end of the day. There is some cannibal action, gore, and nudity here. There isn’t much else.
- Trailer
