RyanPC
04-26-2003, 08:44 AM
Here is my review for Shriek Show's DVD of Eaten Alive:
Well, we all know Cannibal Ferox... one of the most famous (not to mention notorious) cannibal films of all time. I don't know much about Lenzi's other cannibal film, Eaten Alive, except that it was supposedly made before Cannibal Ferox. After receiving the disc in a trade, I felt compelled to write a review on it. I can see a lot of similarities between this film and Cannibal Ferox, but that doesn't mean it is just as good. Let's find out how the film and DVD both measure up:
The Plot
A woman named Sheila (Janet Agren) travels to the jungle to locate her missing sister Diana, along with the help of a man named Mark (Robert Kerman). They find their way to a village full of cannibals ruled by demented leader Jonas (the always wonderful Ivan Rassimov). It turns out that Diana has been put under a spell by Jonas and brainwashed into staying with the community, which is fanatical about their religion (not sure what it is exactly). They find Diana and plan to escape with the help of a native girl (the very beautiful Me Me Lai), but don't make it very far since the cannibals seem to be everywhere. Can they make it out of the jungle alive? Or will the cannibals eat them alive?
My attitude towards this film isn't going to be very clear. I really don't know what to think... it wasn't the worst film I have seen, nor was it the best. Eaten Alive is boring at times, but picks up towards the end, which ultimately makes up for it. Probably the worst thing about this movie is the outrageous amount of animal violence... it seems as if there is a brutal fight between two animals (one of them is usually a snake) in every scene! I cannot stand animal violence, but can still enjoy films which contain them by simply blocking them from my mind. And yes, it is all real. There is definitely more than in Cannibal Ferox, which seems slightly tame compared to this film when it comes to animal deaths. Actually, there is probably more animal deaths than human deaths, which is definitely not a good thing in my book. Whoever finds those horrible scenes as "good entertainment" must be a very sick person indeed.
But don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it to a degree. It was nice seeing some familiar faces (i.e. Robert Kerman and Meg Flemming from Cannibal Ferox) and others from different Euro horror films (i.e. Janet Agren, Mel Ferrer, Ivan Rassimov, Me Me Lai). I also recognized some locations as being the same as in Cannibal Ferox (i.e. the police station in the beginning of the film). There was also some new music, but most of it was taken from Cannibal Ferox... either that or Cannibal Ferox took it form this film. Not such a bad thing, either, as the soundtrack to Cannibal Ferox is one of my favorites.
I recommend this film to diehard cannibal film enthusiasts (like myself), but you will need a real strong stomach to take in all of those real animal deaths (trust me, they are much worse than what you will see in Cannibal Ferox).
Rating: 3/5
Video Quality
Shriek Show has done a great job in the past with some other obscure titles, and they have done the same here, in anamorphic widescreen. Although a bit grainy, the picture was very good and the colors were somewhat vivid and strong. There were some lines and artifacts that were sometimes a distraction, but for the most part this is a very good transfer.
Rating: 3.5/5
Sound Quality
Sound was nice and helped the music a lot. There was no distortion to be heard, and is overall very good.
Rating: 4/5
Special Features
While not as packed as some other DVDs, this still has some nice extras. First off are the interviews with director Umberto Lenzi, star Robert Kerman, and star Ivan Rassimov. Ivan seemed like a very intelligent man and it is sad to watch the interview because he died recently. Very good interviews, and they give out a lot of useful information. There is also some trailers for other Shriek Show titles, plus the original theatrical trailer for this film. Good extras for a great disc.
Rating: 3.5/5
Overall
Very good disc, although I am kind of in-between when talking about the movie. It isn't the best cannibal film, but it is good enough for me to keep in my collection. Great buy, IMHO!
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Well, we all know Cannibal Ferox... one of the most famous (not to mention notorious) cannibal films of all time. I don't know much about Lenzi's other cannibal film, Eaten Alive, except that it was supposedly made before Cannibal Ferox. After receiving the disc in a trade, I felt compelled to write a review on it. I can see a lot of similarities between this film and Cannibal Ferox, but that doesn't mean it is just as good. Let's find out how the film and DVD both measure up:
The Plot
A woman named Sheila (Janet Agren) travels to the jungle to locate her missing sister Diana, along with the help of a man named Mark (Robert Kerman). They find their way to a village full of cannibals ruled by demented leader Jonas (the always wonderful Ivan Rassimov). It turns out that Diana has been put under a spell by Jonas and brainwashed into staying with the community, which is fanatical about their religion (not sure what it is exactly). They find Diana and plan to escape with the help of a native girl (the very beautiful Me Me Lai), but don't make it very far since the cannibals seem to be everywhere. Can they make it out of the jungle alive? Or will the cannibals eat them alive?
My attitude towards this film isn't going to be very clear. I really don't know what to think... it wasn't the worst film I have seen, nor was it the best. Eaten Alive is boring at times, but picks up towards the end, which ultimately makes up for it. Probably the worst thing about this movie is the outrageous amount of animal violence... it seems as if there is a brutal fight between two animals (one of them is usually a snake) in every scene! I cannot stand animal violence, but can still enjoy films which contain them by simply blocking them from my mind. And yes, it is all real. There is definitely more than in Cannibal Ferox, which seems slightly tame compared to this film when it comes to animal deaths. Actually, there is probably more animal deaths than human deaths, which is definitely not a good thing in my book. Whoever finds those horrible scenes as "good entertainment" must be a very sick person indeed.
But don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it to a degree. It was nice seeing some familiar faces (i.e. Robert Kerman and Meg Flemming from Cannibal Ferox) and others from different Euro horror films (i.e. Janet Agren, Mel Ferrer, Ivan Rassimov, Me Me Lai). I also recognized some locations as being the same as in Cannibal Ferox (i.e. the police station in the beginning of the film). There was also some new music, but most of it was taken from Cannibal Ferox... either that or Cannibal Ferox took it form this film. Not such a bad thing, either, as the soundtrack to Cannibal Ferox is one of my favorites.
I recommend this film to diehard cannibal film enthusiasts (like myself), but you will need a real strong stomach to take in all of those real animal deaths (trust me, they are much worse than what you will see in Cannibal Ferox).
Rating: 3/5
Video Quality
Shriek Show has done a great job in the past with some other obscure titles, and they have done the same here, in anamorphic widescreen. Although a bit grainy, the picture was very good and the colors were somewhat vivid and strong. There were some lines and artifacts that were sometimes a distraction, but for the most part this is a very good transfer.
Rating: 3.5/5
Sound Quality
Sound was nice and helped the music a lot. There was no distortion to be heard, and is overall very good.
Rating: 4/5
Special Features
While not as packed as some other DVDs, this still has some nice extras. First off are the interviews with director Umberto Lenzi, star Robert Kerman, and star Ivan Rassimov. Ivan seemed like a very intelligent man and it is sad to watch the interview because he died recently. Very good interviews, and they give out a lot of useful information. There is also some trailers for other Shriek Show titles, plus the original theatrical trailer for this film. Good extras for a great disc.
Rating: 3.5/5
Overall
Very good disc, although I am kind of in-between when talking about the movie. It isn't the best cannibal film, but it is good enough for me to keep in my collection. Great buy, IMHO!
Overall Rating: 3.5/5