Cannibal Apocalypse – Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1980
Director: Antonio Margheriti
Writers: Antonio Margheriti, Dardano Sacchetti
Cast: John Saxon, Elizabeth Turner, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Cinzia De Carolis, Tony King, Wallace Wilkinson, Ramiro Oliveros, John Geroson, May Heatherly

Release Date: March 17th, 2020
Approximate Running Time: 96 Minutes 47 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"The horrors of war take on a whole new meaning for Vietnam vet Norman Hopper (John Saxon, Nightmare Beach, Evil Eye, Queen of Blood), whose quiet domestic life in Atlanta is shattered by the return of Charlie Bukowski, a combat buddy who dredges up terrifying flashbacks of flesh eating and bloodshed in the war-torn jungles. Now on the run from the law after taking a bite out of an unwilling victim, Charlie begs Norman to help him get out of town with another fellow veteran, Tom (Tony King, Report to the Commissioner, The Raiders of Atlantis). 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 no one will soon forget!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand new 4K Restoration."

Cannibal Apocalypse comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33.7 GB

Feature: 28.2 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape; colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, and shadow detail are solid, and the grain remains intact.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and included with this release are removable English subtitles. The audio is in excellent shape; the dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include alternate U.S. opening sequence (8 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Japanese teaser (38 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), European theatrical trailer (2 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival locations featurette titled Apocalypse in the Streets (6 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Tony King titled Cannibal King (10 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival making of documentary titled Cannibal Apocalypse Redux (54 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and film historian Tim Lucas.

Summary:

Cannibal Apocalypse was directed by Antonio Margheriti, a genre specialist whose career spanned four decades. And though he worked in a variety of genres, he’s most remembered for his work in the sci-fi genre. Notable films directed by Antonio Margheriti include The Long Hair of Death, The Web of the Spider, and Death Rage.

Content-wise, Cannibal Apocalypse is equal parts cannibal film and Vietnam-themed combat films, which would later rise to prominence in Italy in the latter half of the 1980’s. And though the war elements only make up a fraction of the narrative, To pigeon-hole Cannibal Apocalypse as a cannibal film would be doing it a great disservice since the effects of war are central to the events that unfold. That said, there are a handful of gory moments that are in line with what one expects from cannibal films.

The most surprising aspects of Cannibal Apocalypse are the performances. Cannibal Apocalypse has a solid cast that’s headlined by John Saxon (Tenebrae) in the role of Norman Hopper, a war veteran who’s plagued by nightmares of the horrors he witnessed in Vietnam. Another notable performance includes Giovanni Lombardo Radice (Gates of Hell) in the role of Charlie Bukowski, a soldier who served under Norman Hopper. He delivers another manic performance that’s in line with the roles he’s known for portraying.

From a production standpoint, Cannibal Apocalypse is a very effective film that achieves what it sets out to do. The well-executed premise is reinforced by a strong narrative that does a good job of building tension, and a very satisfying finale provides the perfect coda.

Cannibal Apocalypse gets an exceptional release from Kino Lorber that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer