*1/2 One of Joe D'amato's infamous blends of sexploitation and horror, though faaar from his best,TRAP THEM & KILL THEM/EMANUELLE & THE LAST CANNIBALS could've been far trashier had the director had the slightest interest in his material. Instead we're left with a tedious leaden vehicle that's sluggish and dull more than titillating & gross, not coming a snail's width to comparing to his mind-boggling masterpiece of sleaze: EMANUELLE IN America, which REALLY displays the sleaze ethic in spades, as irredeemably vile as a soiled toilet paper landfill.
Photo journalist Emmanuel embarks on a jungle trek to uncover a hidden cannibal tribe, enthusiastically boffing her brains out every chance she and the other meager characters get, before messily dispatched in a painfully perfunctory fashion.
Stilted and lifeless except when centering on the coital antics of the cast, the sheer boredom of the director permeates the entire affair, reaching its apex, ironically, when the title flesh-eaters arrive amid a sparse assembly of awkward gore FX that could've redeemed the film had they been approached in an over-the-top fashion, instead of the "Lets-Get-It-Over-with" mentality that remains. Inspired moments of exploitation inanity, throwaway elements that would appear ludicrous & alien in other films but only add to the fun-house texture of a Z-film (like the chain-smoking chimpanzee, or photo-snapping teddy bear) are sadly lacking. The flick is only watchable due to its premise: Soft-core porn meets sadistic jungle savagery. When you think of all the missed opportunities such a ripe premise passes by (committing the unforgivable sin of stifling boredom)it almost brings a tear to the eye. For a more inspired glimpse of skinematic shenanigans and breathtaking surroundings, you'd do better with Joe's EROTIC NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD which at least is pretty to look at and is interesting in that joyous, sublimely horrendous kind of way.
Ole Joe was capable of livelier stuff in his less hack-y moments, we could've had a mini-trash classic that predated either grandaddies of the subgenre (FEROX & HOLOCAUST) instead of this tepid time waster.
Photo journalist Emmanuel embarks on a jungle trek to uncover a hidden cannibal tribe, enthusiastically boffing her brains out every chance she and the other meager characters get, before messily dispatched in a painfully perfunctory fashion.
Stilted and lifeless except when centering on the coital antics of the cast, the sheer boredom of the director permeates the entire affair, reaching its apex, ironically, when the title flesh-eaters arrive amid a sparse assembly of awkward gore FX that could've redeemed the film had they been approached in an over-the-top fashion, instead of the "Lets-Get-It-Over-with" mentality that remains. Inspired moments of exploitation inanity, throwaway elements that would appear ludicrous & alien in other films but only add to the fun-house texture of a Z-film (like the chain-smoking chimpanzee, or photo-snapping teddy bear) are sadly lacking. The flick is only watchable due to its premise: Soft-core porn meets sadistic jungle savagery. When you think of all the missed opportunities such a ripe premise passes by (committing the unforgivable sin of stifling boredom)it almost brings a tear to the eye. For a more inspired glimpse of skinematic shenanigans and breathtaking surroundings, you'd do better with Joe's EROTIC NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD which at least is pretty to look at and is interesting in that joyous, sublimely horrendous kind of way.
Ole Joe was capable of livelier stuff in his less hack-y moments, we could've had a mini-trash classic that predated either grandaddies of the subgenre (FEROX & HOLOCAUST) instead of this tepid time waster.