I admit I love surprises. But when
Ghostbusters' director
Ivan Reitman's 1972 horror debut dropped through my letterbox I was pretty much anticipating an amateurish mini-budgeted gore fest, complete with hammy acting, grainy photography and overall video nasty predictability. What I got was indeed all of the above but thankfully a lot more because
Cannibal Girls is a superb little treat that creeps up on you like a bad rash (as appose to a good rash!), tickles your fancy then trickles you with blood and finally messes with your soul. The near forty year old is finally
released on DVD in the U.K. this week. Here is our review... The film opens to an aerial shot of Canadian snow capped mountains where a voice over announces that "during the showing of Cannibal Girls, in consideration for those of you with delicate sensibilities a special warning bell has been installed. It will signal you when to close your eyes to avoid scenes of a shocking nature. A musical chime with indicate when you can safely open them again" then quickly a romantically entwined couple are brutally slaughtered motioning the appropriate audio warning and leaving the viewer as to no doubt what sort of experience they have let themselves in for. The surprises come thick and fast with a moustached moppet haired 24-year old
Eugene Levy (yes that's right Jim's Dad in American Pie!) taking the lead as a strangely middle aged looking vacationer who, along with his scatterbrained girlfriend (Andrea Martin - another future comical genius) breakdown down and have to journey to the neighbouring desolate town of Farnhamville, where strange folk talk ghastly tales of cannibal girls who hunger over human flesh.
What endures is a tricky play with narrative that deviates from the couple during unannounced intervals to focus on people who fell foul to the beautifully looking titular murderers in their secluded guesthouse. Although the optional warning audio track (more of a gameshow style buzzer and subsequent doorbell than alarm) rids bloody scenes of much of their suspense there is still guilty pleasure in witnessing guests of a derelict bed and breakfast get their comeuppance in various inventive and often hilarious ways. Apparently at original 1972 cinematic screenings the alarm sound was so loud it provoked more jumps and scares than the initial onslaught, which is as ironic as it is hilarious. The film is also packed with Reitman's smart humour but also proves beautifully unsettling with its haunting piano score, remote snow clad locale and sinister locals. And while the acting is indeed ham-fisted it is laced with knowing humour that is often painfully funny. For example the host of the house (Ron Aldrich) is a campy Richard 'O Brien type who pleasures in interrupting his guests in the middle of the night to tell them to not to be disturbed by any strange screaming sounds they may hear. This nonchalant manner is very welcome in a film that refuses to take itself seriously and suits the overall barmy tone.
Though the film suffers from pacing problems, through the introduction of manipulative elongated flashback scenes, when we do eventually get back to the couple the banter between them eases us back into the narrative and delightfully puts us under false pretences. The Cannibal Girls themselves may be nothing more than former porn stars with silly sexually suggestive lines but there is something creepy about the way they lure young men to bed, tie them to bed posts and (in one particularly nasty scene) proceed to devour them in an orgy of cringe-worthy possibilities. While not an out-and-out classic Cannibal Girls is a ghastly, deliciously trashy delight that will provoke laughter, shock and provide a few surprises for even the hardened horror fan.
EXTRAS
Deliciously complimentary: a 27 minute insightful talk, (filmed in 2010) between Ivan Reitman and producer Daniel Goldberg who murmur about the pains of funding, filming and distributing such a low-brow horror film. Then there's an amusing conversation with star Eugene Levy that is set, rather appropriately, in and amongst a butcher's shop. 'French Credits' gives you the opening of the scratchy original quality film with, er, French credits, while there's a gallery of black and white cards, press stills, AD Mats and various other interesting poster art work and video sleeves to browse through set to a sonic backdrop of windy, seaside sounds. Lastly there's a series of trailers for other Video Nasties including the tantalising prospects of Ghost Story, Varietease, Teaserama, Bloodbath at the House of Death and Death Ship, not forgetting a taster for Video Nasties Definitive Guide, which must surely be essential viewing for any horror fanatic. Bloody brilliant! Cannibal Girls was
released on DVD on 14th February, Valentine's Day!