Jungle Holocaust Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Jungle Holocaust Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 23, 2019

In 1980, director Ruggero Deodato created “Cannibal Holocaust,” perhaps the most notorious offering in the cannibal subgenre, where real-world legal proceedings were summoned to deal with a highly fictitious film. However, before he took command of the cult classic, Deodato went through a rehearsal of sorts with 1977’s “Jungle Holocaust” (titled “Last Cannibal World” on the Blu-ray), constructing a familiar descent into the unclaimed world, where the tribal locals don’t take kindly to strangers, and Italian producers get off on animal cruelty. Art wasn’t the primary focus of “Cannibal Holocaust,” and it’s even less of a concern for “Jungle Holocaust,” which isn’t burdened by the demands of storytelling, instead moving ahead as a grindhouse carnival ride of lurid scenes and bodily harm, tossing whatever it can at the screen to inspire a horrified reaction from the viewer.

Robert (Massimo Foschi) and Rolf (Ivan Rassimov) are traveling to the far reaches of the Philippines to deal with business matters, hoping for a quick trip into uncharted land. Unfortunately, their plane has a rough landing in the middle of nowhere, making repairs impossible. Figuring out what to do next, Robert and Rolf are soon faced with a new threat in the presence of a native tribe who enjoys feasting on human flesh. When an escape plan involving river travel proves disastrous, Robert is captured by the tribe, soon put on display for the community to torment. Witnessing horrors while locked up, Robert finds a hope in Pulan (Me Me Lai), a native woman who takes a shine to the prisoner, giving him a shot at escape before he becomes the tribe’s next meal.

While it’s not wise to expect much of anything from a cannibal film, “Jungle Holocaust” is notable for how little it cares for characterization. An initial plane ride with a drunk pilot and a silent assistant is all there really is for exposition, securing Robert and Rolf as comfortable men entering a feral nation, preferring to remain high in the sky as they travel into the deep jungle. A plane crash soon ends their dream of stability, now forced to hunt for a way out of the endless green. Through iffy survival instincts, Robert and Rolf are separated, leaving the latter presumed dead while the former is left to the tribe, not above displaying absolute terror while taken prisoner by the natives.

That’s it for story with “Jungle Holocaust,” which soon follows Robert’s experience as “civilized’ man trapped by “savage” locals, stripped of clothes for maximum humiliation, with members of the community taking turns pulling on his penis, though Pulan is particularly fascinated by his male member. Robert is bounced around a cave on a bungee cord, and soon tossed into a rock prison with a view of the tribe’s vision for law and order, as one young man is restrained, left to watch as ants eat the flesh off his arm. Deodato is happy to showcase awful things happening to random people, and Robert is slowly driven insane by the wait for his own death, though his discomfort is disrupted by the irritation of kids urinating on him, and there’s the magic of Pulan, who misinterprets Robert’s request for release, instead giving him a handjob through bamboo bars. Pulan seems fun, and she must have some great connections with the gods, as she’s the only native with model-esque good looks and breast augmentation.

Animals are treated horribly in “Jungle Holocaust,” which always seems to be the sole fixation for these movies. On top of everything that Robert endures, viewers are treated to the sight of a python devouring a komodo dragon, another snake crushing a bat, and the tribe’s acts of violence as they beat birds and snakes to death. The main event remains with the natives, who bring out a living crocodile to taunt before they skin it and pull it apart while it remains alive. “Jungle Holocaust” could be supremely dumb entertainment with Robert’s hysteria alone, but the production isn’t satisfied with simple gore, adding authentic torture to the menu, just to give it a sharper exploitation edge.

"Jungle Holocaust" is presented in two cuts: the U.S. Cut (88:56) and Uncut (92:08).

Jungle Holocaust Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Listed as a "Brand new 2017 HD scan with extensive color correction done in America, from several vault elements," the gory particulars of "Jungle Holocaust" come to Blu-ray with some level of care. The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation isn't too troublesome, and while wear and tear is present (including mild scratches and speckling, and a few missing frames), the viewing experience is largely appealing. Detail is satisfactory, surveying jungle distances and character distress, and costuming retains its primal fabrics. Animal skins are textured, along with goopy innards. Facial surfaces come through adequately. Delineation is passable, securing adventure in limited lighting, with mild crush at times.

Jungle Holocaust Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix runs into trouble early, with damage noted through a rough first reel that offers brief audio jumps. Hiss and pops run throughout the listening event, and a high-pitched noise is periodically detected. In keeping with other cannibal films, technical expertise is not a requirement, leaving dubbed performances loud but not precise, though dialogue exchanges are understood in the midst of sonic chaos. Scoring is equally flat but present, giving action support through tribal sounds, while dinner time for the natives is weirdly accompanied by lounge music. Sound effects are blunt.

Jungle Holocaust Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historians Ian Jane and Horace Cordier.

• Interview (20:14, SD) with Massimo Foschi explores the actor's initial hiring for the project and his consideration of the character, who has to endure quite a bit during the run time. Foschi describes stunt challenges and injuries during the shoot, and the pressures of performing a large section of the film in the nude. An assessment of director Ruggero Deodato is offered, and Foschi considers his lengthy acting career, emphasizing his experience. A brief mention about the animal cruelty in "Jungle Holocaust" is shared. Foschi concludes with an understandably bewildered reaction to the picture's lasting legacy.

• Interview (6:43, SD) with Ivan Rassimov initially finds the actor expressing confusion over why "Jungle Holocaust" has been reissued, not quite understanding the feature's appeal. Rassimov recounts his time with co-stars and Deodato, but he doesn't have any real memories of the shoot, quickly moving on to the charms of actress Me Me Lai. The interviewee concludes with an appreciation for jungle locations, which provide a level of adventure Rassimov craves.

• Materials Archive (6:19) presents international poster art, lobby cards, publicity stills, and VHS covers.

• A Theatrical Trailer (3:45, SD) is included.

Jungle Holocaust Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I'm sure the moviemakers have a prepared statement concerning the meaning of "Jungle Holocaust." Something about man's natural feral state buried under layers of false civility. Robert's arc is meant to track his regression into a savage beast, but let's get real, there's nothing anthropological or psychological about the film. It's sleaze from start to finish (of course there's a rape scene -- of course with a grateful victim), and not even good sleaze, with Deodato having trouble arranging horrors as the protagonist(?) stumbles from one dire situation to the next, laboring to pad the run time.