This isn’t the Eli Roth movie, but rather the ‘80s flick he stole the name from. It was directed by Antonio Climati, who also made Savage Man, Savage Beast. It was sold in some markets as Cannibal Holocaust 2, even though it features no cannibals or holocausts. It’s nowhere near as exploitative as that flick and people seem to hate it on general principle, but I didn’t think it was too bad.
The fractured narrative is the film’s biggest issue. An expedition goes looking for a missing professor in the South American jungle. Once there, they stumble upon a village that has been ravaged by gold hunters. There are also subplots about trapping monkeys and snakes that help pad things out. Speaking of animals, the film doesn’t have the wanton scenes of animal cruelty as you’d normally see in these kinds of things, although I don’t think anyone would be handing the filmmakers the “No Animals were Harmed in the Making of this Movie” seal of approval anytime soon.
Despite having its share of problems, Green Inferno is almost always entertaining. There’s a fun scene in the beginning where the characters steal a plane and taxi it down the highway as puzzled pedestrians look on. The interview with a head shrinker (who inexplicably has a poster of Paul Newman in his workshop) is pretty amusing too. There are also frog races, people giving monkeys CPR, maggot eating, and plenty of native nudity. The most memorable scene comes when a man-eating fish swims up a guy’s ass and a member of the team has to reach in there and pull it out before he gets eaten from the inside out. Another icky moment finds a gold thief being punished by having a snake bite him on the dick.
As Jemma, the reporter of the group, May Deseligny has a Tisa Farrow kind of quality about her. Although this was to be her only role, she is pretty good. The male characters are pretty bland and interchangeable, but that isn’t really a big deal.
AKA: Cannibal Holocaust 2.
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