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Anthropophagous – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1980
Director: Joe D’Amato
Writers: George Eastman, Joe D’Amato
Cast: Tisa Farrow, Saverio Vallone, Serena Grandi, Margaret Mazzantini, Mark Bodin, Bob Larson, Rubina Rey, Simone Baker, Mark Logan, George Eastman, Zora Kerova, Joe D’Amato

Release Date: September 25th, 2018
Approximate Running Time: 91 Minutes 46 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.98

"It was seized by UK authorities as a ‘Video Nasty’ and accused of being an actual snuff film. Yet even by ‘80s Italian gore-spewing standards, this grueling shocker from sex & sleaze maestro Joe D’Amato (Beyond the Darkness) still stands as perhaps the most controversial – and extreme – spaghetti splatter epic of them all." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "2K scan from the original 16mm negative."

Anthropophagous comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43 GB

Feature: 26.3 GB

Though there are some noticeable instances of source-related damage at the beginning of the film, source-related damage for the bulk of this transfer is minimal. The image looks crisp, the colors look very good, and the grain remains intact. Also, there are moments where black levels are not as convincing as they should be. That said, it is hard to imagine Anthropophagous looking much better than this transfer does.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. These two tracks are comparable quality-wise; they are both in good shape. Dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track and removable English SDH for the English language track. It should be noted that the dialog in the opening sequence is in German, and only the English subtitles for the Italian language track translate this dialog.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with English text), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes, Dolby Digital mono with English text), a theatrical trailer (1 minute 39 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Zora Kerova titled Inside Zora’s Mouth (9 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with editor Bruno Micheli titled Brother and Sister in Editing (12 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with FX artist Pietro Tenoglio titled Cannibal Frenzy (5 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Saverio Vallone titled The Man Who Killed the Anthropophagus (13 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), and an interview with screenwriter and actor Luigi Montefiori a.k.a. George Eastman titled Don’t Fear the Man-Eater (13 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles).

Summary:

Directed by Joe D’Amato (Emanuelle in America), a prolific filmmaker who has just under two hundred films that are accredited to him as a director. And besides his extensive filmography as a director, he also worked extensively as a cinematographer, most notable on films like The Antichrist and What Have You Done to Solange?.

The narrative revolves around a psychopath who hungers for human flesh and stalks and kills a group of tourists trapped on an island.

It is a shame that Joe D’Amato (Emanuelle in America) did not direct more horror films. Though he made his debut as a director with the horror film Death Smiles on a Murderer, a film that had all the ingredients that have become synonymous with Italy’s most celebrated horror films, instead of exploring further within the horror genre, he would make an abrupt detour towards soft-core erotica films like the Black Emanuelle film series.

He eventually returned to the horror film genre with Beyond the Darkness. He would create a new kind of horror film that owed more to the erotic films he directed than Death Smiles on a Murderer. And with his next foray into the horror genre, Anthropophagous, he would venture into the by-the-numbers horror template.

Though Anthropophagous opens with gruesome double murder, it is thirty-three minutes before the next violent outburst. The bulk of the first act revolves around the tourists planning their trip, traveling to the island, and hanging out in an abandoned house once they reach the island. Fortunately, things pick up considerably by the last act. The bulk of the carnage occurs during the last act.

Performance-wise, the cast is best described as serviceable. The most memorable performance is by George Eastman (Rabid Dogs) in the role of a flesh-eating psychopath named Nikos Karamanlis. Other notable cast members include Serena Grandi (Miranda), Zora Kerova (Cannibal Ferox), and Tisa Farrow (Zombie).

Despite his films being hampered by anemic budgets, Joe D’Amato was a gifted filmmaker who often overshadowed his limited resources. And nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to creating memorable set pieces. Standout moments include a scene in the cellar where a cat on a piano foreshadows someone lurking in the shadows with a knife, a flashback sequence that explains how Nikos Karamanlis became Antropophagus, and the scene where Antropophagus rips a fetus from its mother's womb. Ultimately, Anthropophagous is a must-see film if you're a fan of blood-soaked, gut-munching spaghetti nightmares.

Anthropophagous gets a strong release from Severin Films that comes with a good audio/video presentation and a wealth of extras, recommended.