Green Inferno AKA Cannibal Holocaust 2
Release Date: March 11th 2019
Format: Blu-Ray
Directed by: Antonio Climati
OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:
For years fans waited for the release of a sequel to Ruggero Deodato's trendsetting CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1980) yet it would take almost a decade for THE GREEN INFERNO, also known as CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST 2, to arrive... and it was not, perhaps, what followers of the cycle in Italian nasty native movies were expecting! Whilst Deodato's original benchmark critiqued the mondo film pseudo-documentary phenomenon, partly instigated by cinematographer and director Antonio Climati (MONDO CANE/ SAVAGE MAN, SAVAGE BEAST), here the focus turns to satirising the hypocrisy and complexity of CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST itself!
Directed by Climati, CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST 2 sees some enterprising adventurers traipsing into the Amazon jungle in search of a missing professor and, in the interim, the youngsters encounter some indications that slavery and European colonialism is still robbing the Colombian rain forest blind! A mix of macabre images, scenic locations, castrations and sly in-jokes, CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST 2 introduces some belated bad taste humour into familiar jungle territory and requires immediate reappraisal from tribal terror completists - which is a meal best served in glorious HD by the video nasty enthusiasts at 88 Films!!
REVIEW:
The 1988 Antonio Climati directed Green Inferno AKA Cannibal Holocaust 2 bears very little relation to Ruggero Deodato’s classic Cannibal Holocaust, a movie that still upsets audiences today sadly. This follow up, being re-released this month by the UK’s 88 Films, won't live long in my memory or any newcomers to the Italian Cannibal genre.
The film is a flip on the previous movie’s narrative. This time it's a search for a professor by his students, rather than a professor looking for filmmakers. We follow Fred, Mark, Jemma and Pete as they make their way down the river as they encounter monkeys, snakes and all manner of jungle foe before getting captured by pissed off locals/natives. The cast don't leave a lasting impression on the movie but play their parts well enough and seem to be game for messing about in the jungle, on land or in the water.
Green Inferno directed by Antonio Climati, famed for his contribution as DP on the granddaddy of the Mondo cinema, Mondo Cane, attempts an aesthetic that shares similar stylistics to a film being shot with handheld cameras, on location and story elements involving tribal customs/rituals Amazonian tribes.
The script, from a story idea by Climati, is deathly dull and padded out with shockumentry sequences - such as a plot line involving tribal child smugglers who capture them to sell for transplant purposes. Potentially it’s a more interesting story thread to explore but, sadly, it only serves as a way into an action moment more fitting for an Anthony Dawson helmed adventure flick rather than the cannibal films of Umberto Lenzi. The films re-titling is typical for the Italian movie industry and served as a way capitalise on hit movies that they or Hollywood produced.
There are several stand out action moments like the opening sequence where the three leads steal a bright yellow plane from the middle of a city street and then pilot it down a freeway, in the middle of the day, to a faux Miami Vice score from Maurizio Dami and, much later in proceedings, when one of the guys water skis behind the plane to rescue a lady from drowning in the Amazon - It’s an action scene that wouldn't look out of place in Romancing The Stone.
It's safe to say that it's a lot more tamer in terms of its treatment of animals compared to Deodato’s movie - although the British Board Of Film Classification cut 12 seconds of a monkey being hit by a blow dart - but the fact it's getting a UK release with only a 15 certificate will quell those fears that some audiences will have about the genre. Personally, I found one of the characters constant trombone playing more offensive!
BLU-RAY REVIEW:
This release from 88 Films shows off the movie well and is a decent Blu Ray transfer that comes with several extras such as trailers, the Italian title sequences and a 30 minute featurette talking about the cannibal genre with several key figures.
Sadly The Green Inferno is a hard film to recommend, even with its charming goofy moments, it was quite an endurance test to get through at just 90 minutes. It might not be a memorable movie but as someone who grew up in an era where any film titled “Cannibal” would be banned, it's great that UK fans of the genre can get these movies easily on physical media from a great company such as 88 Films, rather than through, old school, nefarious means.
EXTRAS:
Limited Edition Gloss O-Card slipcase [First Print Run Only]
Limited Edition Extensive Booklet Notes by Film writer Francesco Massaccesi [First Print Run Only]
Brand New 2K Remaster from The Original Camera Negative in 1.66:1 Aspect Ratio
Extensive Cleanup and Colour Correction Carried out in the UK
Remastered Uncompressed English Audio
Remastered Uncompressed Italian Audio with Newly Translated Subtitles
Scenes From Banned Alive: The Rise and Fall of Italian Cannibal Movies - Fearturing Legendary Italian Directors, Ruggero Deodato, Umberto Lenzi and Sergio Martino. They discuss the notorious Italain Cannibal films they have been involved in, including The Man From Deep River, Eaten Alive, Cannibal Ferox, Cannibal Holocaust and Mountain of the Cannibal God
Italian Opening and Closing Credits
Remastered Trailer
Reversible Sleeve with Italian Poster Design
OTHER DETAILS:
Region Code: ABC
Audio: LPCM Stereo
Picture: 1080p HD 1.66:1
Runtime: 91 mins approx
Language: English / Italian
Subtitles: English
