DVD Review: MONDO CANNIBAL

MONDO CANNIBAL
Directed by Bruno Mattei (as Vincent Dawn)
Distributed by Intervision Pictures/Severin Films

  Intervision Picture Group has become my favorite DVD label this year by far!  They are putting out some of the greatest retro releases lately.   The last round of DVD's was some good Nazisploitation flicks, and now they have released some great Cannibal films!!   First up is Bruno Mattei's MONDO CANNIBAL.   This is also known as CANNIBAL WOLRD and CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST:  THE BEGINNING.   Here is the basic plot synopsis of the film from the Severin Films website:

You may think you’ve witnessed the most extreme examples of the Italian cannibal genre, but leave it to late Italian sleaze master Bruno Mattei – notorious director of HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD, RATS: NIGHT OF TERROR, SS GIRLS and CALIGULA’S PERVERSIONS – to lower the bar to depraved new heights. In this shameless rip-off of CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, Mattei (under the name ‘Vincent Dawn’) unleashes the sleazy saga of a ratings-hungry American TV crew whose Amazon jungle report becomes a nightmare of gut munching, brain-scarfing, sexual atrocities, insane moralizing and much more. Claudio Morales and Cindy Matic (IN THE LAND OF THE CANNIBALS) star in this jaw-dropper – also known as CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST: THE BEGINNING – now presented uncut and uncensored for the first time ever in America!

  Like most of the Italian Cannibal movies, we witness a group of American journalists who go to the Amazon jungle to do a report on the locals.  Here we witness all the carnage of the Amazon tribes, including sacrifices, beheadings, etc.   Some of the gore in this film is extremely well done, and looks very realistic, while other times it is pretty fake looking.   Either way, though, it is very enjoyable and there was definitely more good gore than bad. 

  What sets this cannibal film apart from others, is that in this film it's not the Amazon tribes that are the "bad" people doing all the killings.   This film presents a interesting twist where the American film crew actually attacks a village and kills some of the villagers, to make it look like a neighboring tribe did it, all in the name of getting good ratings for their TV network.   This film shows you that "normal" Americans can be the true savages.

  I have to admit this film was slow at times, and some of the dialog is just laughable, but overall this was a very enjoyable cannibal film, for those of you into these films.    The DVD is available now.


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD