Cannibal Apocalypse (4K UHD Review)

Reviewed by: Tim Salmons
Review Date: Sep 26, 2024
Format: 4K Ultra HD

Director

Antonio Margheriti

Release Date(s)

1980 (July 23, 2024)

Studio(s)

New Fida/José Frade P.C. S.A. (Kino Cult #8)

Film/Program Grade: B-
Video Grade: A-
Audio Grade: B+
Extras Grade: A-

Review

In the late 1970s and early 1980s and beyond, the cannibal horror genre was booming in Europe, Germany, and Japan, with most films taking place in jungles wherein unsuspecting victims would literally be viciously and unapologetically consumed by hungry natives. One of the few that didn’t follow that formula was Antonio Margheriti’s Cannibal Apocalypse, otherwise known as Apocalypse domani, Invasion of the Flesh Hunters, and Cannibals in the Streets... or any other number of titles. Though it didn’t make it to the US until 1982, it’s one of the odder but more entertaining cannibal movies of the era. It shows influences of all kinds from George A. Romero to David Cronenberg, but winds up being an enjoyable diversion with unintentionally funny dialogue, odd musical choices, and tonal and narrative shifts, but with strong ideas and well-executed set pieces.

Norman Hopper (John Saxon) was a special forces Captain during the Vietnam War. He managed to rescue two of his men, Charlie Bukowski (Giovanni Lombardo Radice) and Tommy Thompson (Tony King), before being bitten by one after they were starved to the point of resorting to cannibalism. Back in the real world, this incident continues to haunt Hopper, while his two men are under psychiatric care. Bukowski, seemingly cured, goes on a shooting rampage and after begin barricaded in a flea market by the police, is talked down by Hopper, who is also slowly feeling the need to feed. Soon, the three men spread their savage disease, much to the horror of Hopper’s wife Jane (Elizabeth Turner), psychiatrist Dr. Mendez (Ramiro Oliveros), and police Captain McCoy (Wallace Wilkinson), which could potentially lead to an outbreak that McCoy will do anything to stamp out and prevent.

Above all else, Cannibal Apocalypse offers an interesting commentary on the state of Vietnam veterans of the era, many of whom had intense difficulties in re-entering a normal American life, often with mental instabilities or drug-related issues, but no real support system. This film also treats cannibalism like its a zombie plague, in that if you’re bitten by a cannibal, you become one, too. Shades of Rabid and Apocalypse Now are present, but one can also pick up Dawn of the Dead vibes, especially during the flea market motorcycle sequence, as well as the foot chase through the sewers during the film’s finale.

The often inappropriate and ineffective disco-tinged score by Alexander Blonksteiner feels like an attempt to ape Goblin scores from Dario Argento’s films, creating more snickers than suspense. There’s also McCoy, whose dialogue always stems from being fed up with every situation he’s in, letting loose a constant string of vulgarities. There are also inconsistencies in the story, but despite its flaws, Cannibal Apocalypse still makes for an unsettling experience. The flea market sequence is the absolute highlight of the film, which was shot on location in Atlanta, Georgia. Seeing many aspects of the city, including products, restaurants, and grocery stores, has charms of its own, of course; but regardless of how uneven Cannibal Apocalypse is, it still sort of works, operating under its own off-kilter frequency.

Cannibal Apocalypse was shot by cinematographer Fernando Arribas on 35 mm film, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.66:1. Kino Cult brings the film to Ultra HD for the first time utilizing a 2020 UHD master prepared by StudioCanal, which was taken from a 4K scan of the original camera negative, graded for Standard Dynamic Range, and presented on a triple-layered 100GB disc. It’s an organic presentation, but not without a few flaws, some built in. The opening and closing credits have obviously been re-created digitally, and as Tim Lucas points out in his audio commentary that accompanies this release, the 16mm war footage stands out much more next to the restored 35mm camera negative. However, in the restoration’s defense, that footage would stand out no matter what, even if it wasn’t intended to be so blatantly different in terms of grain, detail, color, and contrast. The bitrate throughout sits in the standard 80 to 100Mbps range, with grain levels spiking during the aforementioned war footage, but also sometimes throughout the presentation wherein it isn’t as tightly-knitted. It isn’t prevalent, but it does happen occasionally. Mild scratches and speckling are on display, but the overall picture is stable with very good color and excellent contrast, with deep blacks and many nuances in the shadows. It’s an imperfect-looking film and some improvements could possibly be made, but this is about as good as it gets in UHD.

Audio is provided in English 5.1 and 2.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. The 5.1 option is new, while the 2.0 track appears to be the film’s original mono soundtrack. The 5.1 widens out the original soundtrack, but only just so. It’s limited by its single channel source, so there’s nothing new in the way of panning, atmospherics, or altered sound effects; just a slight re-staging of score and dialogue. Sound effects are mostly anchored to the center, carrying the same amount of impact. The mono track is clean and well-balanced with good support for all of the elements. There’s also an obvious digital glitch at the 35:43 mark, which isn’t present in the 5.1 track. Otherwise, your choice of which track to enjoy is a matter of preference.

The 4K UHD of Cannibal Apocalypse sits in a black Amaray case alongside a 1080p Blu-ray of the film with a double-sided insert, featuring the original Italian theatrical artwork on one side and the US theatrical artwork on the other, both featuring the Cannibal Apocalypse title, and a slipcover featuring the same Italian artwork. The following extras are included on each disc:

DISC ONE (UHD)

Audio Commentary by Tim Lucas

DISC TWO (BD)

Audio Commentary by Tim Lucas
Cannibal Apocalypse Redux (SD – 54:11)
Cannibal King with Tony King (HD – 10:01)
Apocalypse in the Streets (SD – 6:40)
Alternate US Title Opening Sequence (SD – 8:16)
European Theatrical Trailer (SD – 2:33)
Japanese Teaser Trailer (SD – :33)
Nightmare Beach Trailer (HD – 2:42)
Parasite Trailer (SD – 1:27)
Baby Blood Trailer (SD – :58)
Rawhead Rex Trailer (HD – 1:06)

First is an audio commentary with author and film historian Tim Lucas, recorded for Kino’s 2020 Blu-ray release. As per usual, he provides plenty of background on the film’s key players, but also offers criticism, and reads excerpts from reviews of the film when it was released. The excellent Cannibal Apocalypse Redux from 2002 features interviews with director Antonio Margheriti, and actors Giovanni Lombardo Radice and John Saxon, about their memories of and feelings on the film. Cannibal King features a 2020 interview former NFL player and actor Tony King about his career. Apocalypse in the Streets, hosted by Vic Marlin, is a shooting locations tour from 2002. The Alternate US Title Opening Sequence runs nearly nine minutes and features the film’s US title, Invasion of the Flesh Hunters. Last are the European and Japanese theatrical trailers, as well as trailers for other Kino Lorber releases. It’s worth noting that the 2002 Image Entertainment Euroshock Collection Special Edition DVD release also included a Poster and Still Gallery, The Butchering of Cannibal Apocalypse text essay, liner notes by Travis Crawford, and an alternate score that wasn’t included in the film, which was featured as an Easter egg.

For the time being, this is likely to be the definitive presentation of Cannibal Apocalypse going forward, though one can see improvements in all departments. It’s a solid disc that looks and sounds really nice, with a healthy amount of quality bonus material. For fans of Italian splatter, it’s very much recommended.

- Tim Salmons

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