RAVENOUS RATING: 7.5 / 10 --> Very Good Movie
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So you've been waiting for ages for a decent cannibal movie to come along, eh? Well, wait no further, this one's got all the blood and horror that you could sink your teeth into. Robert Carlyle of THE FULL MONTY and TRAINSPOTTING (9/10), and Guy Pearce from L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (6.5/10) (He was the square cop) star in this entertaining plate of human hors d'oeuvres. Bon appetit!
PLOT: A cowardly soldier is sent to a small village of eight in response to his weak character. One night, a strange man falls among them with tales of starving folks in the mountains eating one another for survival. It is only when the villagers actually go into the hills to investigate, that they find more than what they bargained for.
CRITIQUE: An extremely original tasty feast of suspense, disgust and human delicacies. If you've been waiting for an original movie to come to dinner this year, wait no longer, because this film's got a solid premise, great actors, an entertaining and gory story, and all the trimmings of a cannibal movie...with laughs! This movie starts off slooooow, but once it gets going about thirty minutes in, it doesn't let up until the last bone is licked dry. It's even got an eerie DELIVERANCE-type, addictive score that takes the edge off the serious tip of the film, without ever losing focus of the drive, interest and human drama engaged in this film about men who eat one another!!! Overall, this movie is played pretty seriously, but you can't help but find yourself laughing at some of the extraordinary situations presented to some of these men. Now that's finger-lickin'-good!
This movie is not for those who are faint of heart. In fact, I noticed a few people shuffling out during my screening. But for all those of you who are sick of seeing Hollywood churn out one old TV-show-into-a-movie after another, enjoy a little bloody fun, and don't have a problem with people discussing the benefits of eating human beings, you will most certainly relish this flick. You might never look at a piece of steak the same way again, but that's beside the point. All in all, this movie does take its time to get started, slow pace and all, but once the eating begins, it's all about sitting back, belching enjoyably, and trying to take your eyes off the screen. Look mom, there's an arm! And there's a leg! Fun for the whole family. Well, maybe the Addams Family.
Little Known Facts about this film and its stars: When this movie's first director, Milcho Manchevski was fired from the set by Fox 2000 (as reported in Premiere magazine, May 1998), star Robert Carlyle is reported to have personally requested that director Antonia Bird be brought on to the project. A few months later in May 1998, shooting resumed with Bird at the helm. Carlyle had starred in two earlier films directed by Bird called PRIEST and FACE. MORE COMING SOON to JoBlo's Movie Emporium
Review Date: March 17, 1999 Director: Antonia Bird Writer: Ted Griffin Producers: Adam Fields and David Heyman Actors: Guy Pearce as Capt. John Boyd, Robert Carlyle as Colqhoun/ Ives, Jeffrey Jones as Hart Genre: Suspense/Horror Year of Release: 1999
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(c) 1999 Berge Garabedian
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