Cannibal Apocalypse

Starring:John Saxon, Elizabeth Turner, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Cinzia De Carolis, Tony King, Wallace Wilkinson, Ramiro Oliveros, John Geroson, May Heatherly, Ronnie Sanders, Vic Perkins, Jere Beery, Joan Riordan, Laura Dean, Lonnie R. Smith, Don Ruffin, Benjamin Rogers, William H. Gribble, George Nikas, Doug Dillingham
Director: Antonio Margheriti
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

As a genre-buster, Six-String Samurai--just your average, run-of-the-mill postapocalyptic kung-fu-rock & roll road movie--has a lot going for it. The film takes place in a Soviet-ruled America (they nuked the U.S. in 1957; with the exception of Lost Vegas [sic] and the badlands around it, the country is a Soviet territory). It revolves around Buddy (Jeffrey Falcon, who bears a remarkable resemblance to Buddy Holly), a guitar-slinger-swordsman who's on his way to Vegas, where he plans to succeed the just-deceased Elvis as the King. Along the way, he picks up an orphaned preteen traveling companion, and the pair's quest leads them to confront various Mad Max-style pop-culture weirdos, the Red Army, and Death--a rival guitarist who looks suspiciously like Guns n' Roses' Slash.

Falcon's background is in Hong Kong cinema, and it shows in this made-on-a-shoestring production, filmed mostly in Palm Springs and Death Valley. (He certainly had enough opportunities to influence the production, since, besides playing the lead, Falcon pitched in as cowriter, coproducer, production designer, and costume designer on the film.) Despite the limited budget, the movie is generally entertaining, though it could probably stand to lose a couple of go-nowhere subplots that account for about 15 minutes of the 91-minute running time. --Randy Silver

Customer Reviews:

Fun.......2007-02-01

This movie is not to be taken seriously. If you enjoyed Army of Darkness, than you will like Six String Samurai. It is an offbeat comedy that pretends to take itself seriously. It was honored at the Slamdance Awards (An award show for the "bad" movies). Indeed this film was so bad, it's good.
It is not an artsy or big-budget Hollywood movie. Most people might not enjoy it, but if you are willing you might actually laugh. Rent before you buy.

I won't say much, all the 1 star reviewers said it for me.......2006-10-26

This movie was recomended by a friend (who usually has impeccable taste) and it turned out to be the worst movie I have ever seen. I know it's a B movie and it's kind of a badge of honor to be a bad B movie but this movie is so bad it is unwatchable. Trust me, I get all the references. I listen to surf and rockabilly and like indie and samurai movies. The concept is brilliant and they could have gone so many ways with this movie. They didn't. Don't waste your time.

A Post-Apocalyptic, Spaghetti Western, Rock-N-Roll Samurai Film?.......2006-07-28

A post-apocalyptic, spaghetti western, rock-n-roll Samurai film? Yep. That pretty much sums up SIX-STRING SAMURAI. It's quirky. It's B-movie all the way. It's wonderful.

What we have here is a film shot on weekends on a minuscule budget in and around Death Valley, California. It also pays homage to many films; every Clint Eastwood spaghetti western ever made, Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, Night of the Living Dead and, of course, The Wizard of Oz, just to name a few.

The movie was dubbed giving it a hokey spaghetti western feel that matched the production values perfectly (very low). "The Kid" in the film (Justin McGuire) was a carbon-copy of the mangy little guy that follows Mel Gibson around in Beyond Thunderdome. There's a family of cannibals and "The Windmillers" who represent the slow brain functions from Night of the Living Dead. And then there are the multiple references to The Wizard of Oz ("Just follow the yellow brick road").

The story's focus is on Buddy (Jeffrey Falcon), a six string carrying, Samurai sword wielding bad boy who wants to be the new "King" of "Lost Vegas." But first he has to get there. Traveling across the desert wasteland of the post-apocalyptic world, Buddy (who looks remarkably like Buddy Holly) has to slash, punch, and scratch his way toward The Emerald City (another Wizard of Oz reference that we see, Lost Vegas looking very much like the gateway to Oz's hometown). Along the way Buddy picks up "The Kid", a young boy who's mother was killed by humans resembling troglodytes. The Kid doesn't speak (initially) and only screams/moans whenever he wants Buddy's attention. But The Kid is good with mechanical objects (cars, motorcycles, bicycles) and the two form a grudging relationship as they travel together. The only issue between them is Buddy's priceless guitar which he nurtures more than The Kid ...in the beginning. But Buddy can play his six string as potently as he can don his sword, giving him a good shot at becoming the King of Lost Vegas.

On Buddy and The Kids' tail, however, is Death (represented as the four horseman of the apocalypse ...but without their horses). Death wants to be/remain the King and kills anyone who gets in his way, leaving a lot of rock-n-roll wannabes as corpses. And in front of Buddy and The Kid is the Russian Army (Oh! Did I forget to mention that the USSR took over the U.S. after it nuked us in 1957?)

After much bloodletting, Death and Buddy have their day on the sand. First comes a guitar duel (Death wields a wickedly good six string himself!), then the sword. But what will happen if Buddy wins? Can he be a true father-figure to The Kid? And what would happen to The Kid if Buddy died? Would Death take the little tike, too?

There are A LOT of well choreographed fight sequences (perhaps one or two too many). The camera work was done with an eye toward professionalism, never being herky-jerky or under -over exposed. The acting was okay. And the story was so ridiculous that suspending disbelief was quite fun. The dialogue often set the tone for the entire production, giving us some great bits like...

Death: "You have failed me for the last...hey, nice shoes." Then we watch Death kill the men wearing the shoes and walk away with new footwear.

The musical score is also pulled off well. The Red Elvises leant their music and themselves for the production (they are the ones with the nice shoes mentioned above). Their musical numbers reminded me very much of The Stray Cats (a band I liked).

If you don't mind low production standards but enjoy spoofs with a good, if somewhat ridiculous, script, then slip this little B-flick into your DVD player and bask in its foolishness. You won't be disappointed.

Strange, Fun, and Addicting.......2006-02-24

When I first heard about this movie from a friend, I thought -- B-Movie/Cult Film. But this movie is so much more than a Cult Film and doesn't have the gore of a B-Movie. The music is fantastic, the acting is great, and the premise -- although far-fetched -- is just wacky enough to get you addicted. This is a movie you'll want to watch over and over again. And if you want some great Ska-Punk-Rockabilly, I suggest you pick up the Soundtrack or buy some Red Elvis' albums.

Six String.......2005-07-07

I went to the film premiere in Hollywood for this movie. I personally liked how the movie was conveyed to the audiences. Sure the film had a very small budget but I wasn't disappointed with the movie at all. I went out and told my friends to go see the movie. I did not like that annoying little kid who throughout the movie says nothing (he only groans). I bought the sountrack too and the Red Elvises did a great job adding some music to the film.

Average customer rating:

Apocalypse? Well...
Bloody good fun!
horror/action/anti war italian trash
Solid Cannibal Flick.
THE SLASHING OF A SLASHER MOVIE

Cannibal Apocalypse
Starring: John Saxon , Elizabeth Turner , Giovanni Lombardo Radice , Cinzia De Carolis , and Tony King
Director: Antonio Margheriti
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Cannibal Holocaust

ASIN: B00005Y6YS
Release Date: 2002-03-19

Description

The horrors of war take on a whole new meaning for Vietnam vet Norman Hopper ("Enter the Dragon's" John Saxon), 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, Charlie begs Norman to help him get out of town with another fellow veteran, Tom ("Shaft's" Tony King). 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 you won't soon forget! One of the most infamous Italian horror films of all time, "Cannibal Apocalypse" was heavily censored in many countries, but now you can finally experience this thrilling collision of action-packed combat and monstrous horror from cult director Antonio Margheriti (Castle of Blood) in its original gory splendor for the first time in the U.S.!

Customer Reviews:

Apocalypse? Well..........2007-06-14

Ok, I must admit that I was a bit let down by this movie. I mean, with a title like CANNIBAL APOCALYPSE, I was expecting an all-out war between the flesh-eating hordes and their prey. Instead, we get a few hungry folks chomping on a few necks. John Saxon (A Nightmare On Elm Street, Black Christmas) is good enough as the Vietnam vet, plagued by flashbacks / nightmares about his anthropophagic military cohorts. The idea of a viral cannibalism, spreading like rabies (sort of like in Cronenberg's movie, Rabid) is creepy. I just wanted the promised apocalypse! Oh well, I did like the story, and will watch it again, now that I know what to expect...

Bloody good fun!.......2007-05-24

I'm a huge fan of Italian director Antonio Margheriti, aka Anthony M. Dawson, even though I haven't seen very many of his films. How can this be? Because the ones I have seen revel in low budget schlocky glory. Margheriti is responsible for such classics as "Alien From the Deep," "Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye," and "Killer Fish." He's also the man who brought us several highly entertaining shoot 'em up action/war films, films like "Indio," "Indio 2," "Tiger Joe," "The Last Hunter," "The Hunters of the Golden Cobra," and "Ark of the Sun God." If you need any additional evidence pointing to Dawson's relevancy in the realm of low budget cult classics, he directed the catastrophic "Yor, the Hunter from the Future." If you've seen this disaster, you know how important Margheriti is to lovers of cheese cinema! I'm dying to see all of these films--and a few others--arrive on DVD. Until then, I'm contenting myself with the precious few of this director's earlier movies that have come out, or are soon to come out, on disc: "Castle of Blood," "The Virgin of Nuremberg," and "Cannibal Apocalypse" among them. Now it's time to review that last film. Woo Hoo!

Margheriti's contribution to the Italian cannibal craze stars veteran actor John Saxon as Norman Hopper, a Vietnam War veteran currently doing his best to forget the atrocities he took part in as a soldier. He lives a pretty simple life with his wife Jane (Elizabeth Turner) in Atlanta, Georgia. His biggest problem in a post-war existence revolves around dealing with a flirty neighbor, Mary (Cinzia De Carolis), until his past comes calling in the form of two fellow soldiers carrying a horrible secret. As the opening sequences of the film show us, Hopper conducted a raid into enemy territory in order to save two prisoners of war. These men, Charlie Bukowski (John Morghen) and Tom Thompson (Tony King), are just now earning their release papers from a mental institution. Why were they locked up after the war? Oh, just your usual run of the mill combat induced cannibalism! The two men consumed a few villagers during that raid back in the day, and one of them even took a hunk out of Norman Hopper. Now Charlie's calling up Norm for a few drinks and some serious reminiscing about good old times. Hopper wants none of it. Yeah, like he's going to get off that easy!

Bukowski and Thompson, as becomes obviously clear in a matter of minutes, failed to receive the necessary treatment at the VA hospital. They're soon racing around Atlanta doing what cannibals do best--tearing chunks out of people. The film mostly focuses on Charlie as he runs amok. He attacks a woman in a movie theater, goes on a very public rampage immediately thereafter, and finally heads back to the laughing academy after a public shootout with the police. Hopper, who arrived on the scene to try and talk Charlie into surrendering, also heads for the asylum. Why? Because he's suddenly coming down with a serious desire to eat human flesh! You can't make this stuff up, folks. Well, actually they did, but you get the idea. The ridiculousness ramps up to obscene levels when Hopper succumbs to his deadly urges and joins up with his former comrades for a gory rampage through the city. Pursued by the police, the three men--along with a few recent recruits--head into the city's sewer system in an effort to evade capture. The authorities must stop these guys at all costs. If they fail, millions of people could fall prey to whatever force is causing the cannibalism.

The movie explains that the cannibalism we see on display comes from a virus, which is an extraordinarily goofy explanation but one that Margheriti milks for all its worth. The director, along with scriptwriter Dardano Sacchetti, seem to be saying that violence is a contagious disease that we can cure if only we have the right tools. Sure. Whatever. I, and my fellow gore fans, could care less about theories on the nature of violence. We're watching "Cannibal Apocalypse" in order to witness bloody carnage, and thankfully the movie delivers in spades. It's not as cringe worthy as "Cannibal Holocaust" or the other man eats man flicks that came out at the same time, but it comes close with several scenes sure to leave a greasy residue on the viewer's mind. A trio of examples includes a devastating shotgun killing, a scene where the principals convert some dolt's leg into beef jerky, and a nice flamethrower sequence. Nice! That's not all we get here, though. Expect to see plenty of flesh tearing fun as the cannibals cruise the streets and alleys of Atlanta. Less impressive is pretty much everything else, although Saxon and Morghen do good work in their respective roles. Cinzia De Carolis is nice looking, too.

"Cannibal Apocalypse" comes to DVD with a boatload of supplements sure to keep the discerning gorehound/exploitation fan happy. The primary feature is a documentary boasting interviews with the late Margheriti, John Morghen, and John Saxon. They bring up all sorts of pertinent information concerning this sleaze classic. Another featurette takes us on a tour of the Atlanta locations used in the film shoot. Several trailers for the film, a stills gallery, an alternate opening sequence, poster art, an article on the film's battles with censorship, liner notes, and cast and crew filmographies round out the disc. If you look closely, you'll also discover some easter eggs that provide a few more trailers. Image did a great job restoring the film for DVD. The picture quality is excellent. I'm sitting there watching the film and it looks like someone shot it last year instead of in the early 1980s. It looks that good. The sleazy aspects of the film coupled with the stellar DVD presentation richly deserve the five stars I'm giving it. Highly recommended.

horror/action/anti war italian trash.......2006-12-12

i had very high hopes when i bought cannibal apocalypses. after watching it i have to say that i am kinda dissapointed. the movie is about a group of vietnam vets infected with some disease that makes them act out violently and crave human flesh. the virus is spread by a scratch or a bite. two of the 3 vets were forced to eat human flesh to survive and thats how the whole mess gets started. the other vet who was the captian got bitten in nam, so now hes a cannibal to. the group infects a female doctor and then flee from the police for the remainder of the film. the biggest dissapointment was the lack of gore. there are only 2 real gory scenes and by the time they occur, your minds already shifted from expecting gore to expecting action. i have to say that the film is resonably enjoyable if you dont go into it expecting a gory horror film. the action scenes and shootouts are pretty intense. the acting is pretty well done. im not saying that john saxon is a magnificent actor, but he is pretty good in this movie. giovanni lombardo radices performance is excelent though. he is one of my favorite actors. he has a pathetic, innocent yet evil look to him that i absolutly love to see when acting. overall, cannibal apocalypse is kinda enjoyable, but the lack of gore an also some dull moments keep it from truly shining. worth being in your dvd collection.

Solid Cannibal Flick........2006-11-30

To be honest I really wasn't expecting much from Cannibal Apocalypse, while I was expecting at least a fairly decent movie it came out much better than I thought.

I liked the fact this is set in a city rather than the jungle like most cannibal flicks it was a nice change of pace. The one thing about this movie that really stands out is it plays out more in the style of a zombie flick.

If one of the cannibals bites someone and they survive that person in turn becomes a cannibal. They aren't just mindless people walking around killing people, but they suddenly have this urge for human flesh.

The cast is solid led by cult actors John Saxon and Giovanni Lombardo Radice (under the name John Morghen).

While there are some silly moments there weren't as many as I thought there would be.

For those into these movies you should know what to expect and odds are you will like what you see.

Cult director Antonio Margheriti directed cannibal Apocalypse and also co-wrote the script. He used the alias Anthony M. Dawson for both; even though I have heard of him up until this point I don't believe I have seen his work. But I do know whom Dardano Sacchetti is who co-wrote the screenplay under the name Jimmy Gould.

Besides being a fan of Italian horror the main reason I wanted to see this was because of John Saxon, Giovanni Lombardo Radice and of course with Dardano Sacchetti writing that peaked my interest as well.

Like a lot of these movies not everything is explained. In the opening in a dream/flashback scene of the Vietnam War what made Radice and Tony King cannibals?

Why if you are bitten by a cannibal do you become one? We never really find out, but I suppose it really doesn't matter.

The gore scenes are pretty good, but there really aren't that many. While there are a few it's rather tame to a lot of cannibal flicks and what was coming out of Italy at this time.

That's not to say Cannibal Apocalypse isn't gory, but don't go in expecting City of the Living Dead.

A lot of the movie deals with John Saxon fighting the urge to become a cannibal after he was bit in Nam. Funny thing is though Nam has been over for sometime and if he was able to fight the urge that whole time why would he suddenly give in?

Again it really doesn't matter, but I had to bring it up. For those not really into Italian horror or cannibal flicks odds are you won't enjoy this, but if you are reading this you are probably a fan and I think you will enjoy this.

Cannibal Apocalypse may not be a great movie, but it gets the job done and entertains the viewer.

Also despite Amazon listing this as R, it is the Unrated version.

THE SLASHING OF A SLASHER MOVIE.......2006-11-11

It's about time an uncut version of this flick was made available. I first saw this movie on the big screen in the early 80s when I was stationed in the Phillipines. Over there they had cut out the nude scenes but left the gore, violence, and the foul language intact. A few years later I bought a VHS copy of this movie under the title 'Invasion of the Flesh Hunters'and couldn't wait to get home to watch it. But boy was I disappointed. The nude scenes were there, but they cut out the gore! Holy censorship, Batman!
A few months ago, I got this edition, and this is definitely the one to get! I totally recommend this to all the blood'n'guts fans out there. Anyone who still has a copy of 'Ivasion' sould chuck it and get this. TODAY!

Average customer rating:

Fun
I won't say much, all the 1 star reviewers said it for me
A Post-Apocalyptic, Spaghetti Western, Rock-N-Roll Samurai Film?
Strange, Fun, and Addicting
Six String

Six-String Samurai
Starring: Monti Ellison , Jeffrey Falcon , Stephane Gauger , Clifford Hugo , and Zuma Jay
Director: Lance Mungia
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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