Anthropophagous Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		2.0

Anthropophagous Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 31, 2021

The IMDb has a somewhat amusing list of alternate titles for Anthropophagous, including The Savage Island, which is what the credits for the version on this Blu-ray disc offer, but it's kind of curious that two different spellings of the "official" title seem to show up repeatedly, the one listed above and the slightly different Antropophagus. Whatever you want to call this film, it's one of those cult items which gained whatever notoriety it has achieved due to some intentionally graphic gore elements rather than to any inherent quality in either story, acting or production. There are a couple of interesting casting choices in the film, including Tisa Farrow (Mia's little sister) in one of her few major film roles, and the debut performance Serena Grandi, who may have wanted to one up Farrow's famous surname by acting under the kind of funny pseudonym Vanessa Steiger (one wonders if Rod had a moment of panic thinking he had an unknown daughter out there in the big, wide world). Otherwise, though, Anthropophagous is a resolutely silly enterprise, relying on some admittedly horrifying scenes of supposed cannibalism that at least give the story a few brief bursts of adrenaline.

Anthropophagous is one of those unabashedly goofy horror films that rely on a gaggle of people repeatedly doing really stupid things, and of course at least a victim or two is claimed in the process, when a bunch of folks decide to visit an apparently abandoned Greek island. This kind of setup has been used over and over again in all sorts of horror films, but unfortunately co-writer and director Joe D'Amato simply doesn't even attempt to offer anything very innovative, other than, perhaps, some tangential elements relating to the ultimate villain of the piece. There is one truly hideous sequence involving a pregnant woman and her unborn child, but there's also perhaps an unexpected laugh at the climax when the cannibalistic bad guy ends up feeding on his own innards as he dies. While the film's plotting is not exactly its high point (if it even has a "high point"), those interested in more information are encouraged to read Svet's Anthropophagous Blu-ray review of the release put out by 88 Films for the UK market. Svet's review is also a good resource for screenshot comparisons and for stacking up the supplemental features on each release against each other. I will say in closing that while there are any number of other "lost on a supposedly abandoned island" horror films, kind of hilariously the opening scene of this outing is almost willfully cribbed from Jaws.

Anthropophagous Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Anthropophagous is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.67:1. The back cover of this release states it features a "2K scan from the original 16mm negative". One might assume this was struck from the same restored master that Svet discusses in his above linked review, but as can be seen by even a cursory comparison of screenshots, this release is considerably darker, with a much grittier and more yellowish looking grain field. I frankly never saw this film theatrically, and so cannot opine on which transfer is more "accurate", but I will simply say that to my eyes the 88 Films version looks generally better detailed and more warmly suffused than this transfer. Colors here are often quite vibrant but, again, when placing them side by side with the 88 Films version, they can look a little dowdy and on the brown side. There are some definite ebbs in fine detail in the many dark scenes, some of which have noticeable crush, and many of which have even splotchier and more yellowish grain than the bulk of the presentation.

Anthropophagous Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Anthropophagous features DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track in either English or Italian, though as befits an Italian film of this general vintage, both tracks feature post looping, and so it's near impossible to avoid mismatches between lip movements and sounds emanating from them. I didn't really notice any huge amplitude or mix differences between the two tracks as I toggled between them. There's not a ton to the sound design in the film, though there are some decent ambient environmental effects in the many outdoor scenes. Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Anthropophagous Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Don't Fear the Man Eater (HD: 13:03) is an interview with writer and star Luigi Montefiori, AKA George Eastman. In Italian with English subtitles.


• The Man Who Killed the Anthropophagus (HD; 13:50) is an interview with actor Saverio Vallone. In Italian with English subtitles.


• Cannibal Frenzy (HD; 5:57) is an interview with FX Artist Pietro Tenoglio. In Italian with English subtitles.


• Brother and Sister in Editing (HD; 12:56) is an interview with editor Bruno Micheli. In Italian with English subtitles.


• Inside Zora's Mouth (HD; 9:59) is an interview with actress Zora Kerova. In Italian with English subtitles.


• Trailer 1 (HD; 3:07)


• Trailer 2 (HD; 3:00)


• Trailer 3 (HD; 1:39)

Anthropophagous Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Anthropophagous is what might be thought of as an Italian grindhouse property, a low budget affair with some unabashed exploitation material that at least brought the property some renown and probably resulted in at least a few ticket sales. You've seen the basic story here a million times before, and usually better told, but there is some attractive scenery. This release looks quite a bit different from the 88 Films version, an so interested consumers are advised to do a screenshot comparison to see which version they prefer. That said, technical merits are generally solid and the supplementary package nicely done for those who are considering a purchase.