The Mountain of the Cannibal God (1978) La montagna del dio cannibale (original title)

Director:

Sergio Martino

Writers:

Cesare Frugoni (screenplay)
Cesare Frugoni (story)
(more)

Release Date:

April 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Horror

Tagline:

When the price of lust is death..!

Plot:

A girl and her brother fly to New Guinea to look for a lost expedition, led by her husband, which has vanished in the great jungle.

Plot Keywords:

Jungle | Iguana | Cruelty | Animal Cruelty | New Guinea

Cast

Ursula Andress	...	Susan Stevenson
Stacy Keach	...	Professor Edward Foster
Claudio Cassinelli	...	Manolo
Antonio Marsina	...	Arthur Weisser
Franco Fantasia	...	Father Moses
Lanfranco Spinola	...	Consul Burns
Carlo Longhi	...	Phil, the pilot
Luigina Rocchi	...	Sura
Akushula Selayah		(as Akushla Sellajaah)
Dudley Wanaguru
T.M. Munna
M. Suki
Giovanni Masini
Franco Cuccu
Franco Coduti		(as Gianfranco Coduti)
Claudio Morabito
Alfredo Senzacqua
Angelo Pennoni
Franco Freda		(as Francesco Freda)
Adalgisa Favella
Rodolfo Ruzza
Giuseppe Romano
Luciana Pianella
Paolo Ricci
Matt Giordano		(as Matteo Giordano)
Fernando Massaccesi
Mario Massaccesi
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tom Felleghy	...	Susan's Husband (uncredited)

Directed by
Sergio Martino

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Cesare Frugoni		screenplay
Cesare Frugoni		story
Sergio Martino		screenplay
Sergio Martino		story

Produced by
Luciano Martino	....	producer

Original Music by
Guido De Angelis
Maurizio De Angelis

Cinematography by
Giancarlo Ferrando

Film Editing by
Eugenio Alabiso

Production Design by
Massimo Antonello Geleng

Costume Design by
Luca Sabatelli

Makeup Department
Adalgisa Favella	....	hair stylist
Franco Freda	....	makeup artist (as Francesco Freda)

Production Management
Franco Cuccu	....	production manager
Giovanni Masini	....	production manager
Gianni Sarago	....	production manager (as Gianni Saragò)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Franco Coduti	....	assistant director
Franco Fantasia	....	assistant director

Art Department
Rodolfo Ruzza	....	props

Sound Department
Bruno Moreal	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Paolo Ricci	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Matt Giordano	....	key grip (as Matteo Giordano)
Fernando Massaccesi	....	gaffer
Mario Massaccesi	....	chief electrician
Claudio Morabito	....	camera operator
Angelo Pennoni	....	still photographer
Alfredo Senzacqua	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Luciana Pianella	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
Giuseppe Romano	....	assistant editor
Luciano Vittori	....	color consultant

Other crew
Helietta Caracciolo	....	jeweller

Production Companies

• Dania Film
• Medusa Produzione

Distributors

• New Line Cinema (1979) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Wizard Video (1982) (USA) (VHS)
• Wizard Video (1982) (USA) (video) (Betamax)
• Video for Pleasure (VFP) (1984) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Astro Distribution (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• BCI Eclipse (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Echo Bridge Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Brentwood Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Diamond Entertainment Group (DEG) (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Vidtape (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Westlake Entertainment Group (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• RBC Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Blue Underground (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (USA) (all media)
• Nordic Video (1987) (Finland) (VHS)
• Firebox (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Another World Entertainment (2006) (Denmark) (DVD)
• Video for Pleasure (VFP) (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"La montagna del dio cannibale" - Italy (original title)
"Mountain of the Cannibal God" - USA (DVD box title)
"Mountain of the Cannibals" - Philippines (English title)
"Slave of the Cannibal God" - USA (censored version)

Runtime:

99 min | Sweden:92 min (heavily cut) | USA:103 min (extended version) | USA:86 min (R-rated version) | UK:96 min (cut)

Country:

Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 (heavily cut) | UK:18 (re-rating: 2001) (cut) | USA:Unrated (uncut) | UK:X (original rating: 1978) (cut) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) (1978) | Italy:VM14 (re-rating) (1993) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1987) | Australia:(Banned) | Australia:R (cut) | West Germany:18 (cut) | New Zealand:R18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (self applied) (2006) | Portugal:M/18 | Ireland:18 (cut UK version) | UK:(Banned) (1984-2001) | USA:R (cut) | West Germany:(Banned) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Central Province, Sri Lanka

Company:

Dania Film

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the tarantula is killed, the expedition leader says that a tarantula bite is lethal causing a 3 day fever and then death. In truth, tarantulas aren't venomous to humans.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ban the Sadist Videos! Part 2 (2006) (V)

Very well-made jungle adventure

"Mountain of the Cannibal God" may disappoint those looking for a hardcore cannibal flick, but if you're willing to accept it as a jungle adventure with occasional doses of gore it works better. The production is colorful and polished; this movie really looks great on DVD. Sergio Martino does a solid job with the direction; apart from "Predator", I don't think I've seen a film with a better sense of place during its jungle scenes. The plot has a good build-up, and even attempts a couple of twists. Ursula Andress handles her physically demanding role well (no wonder the cannibals mistake her for a goddess; that's what Ursula is. And did anyone else find one of the cannibal girls that were painting her up quite hot?). Stacy Keach is a solid lead and has the best (and best-delivered) line in the film: "You never forget the taste of human flesh!". By the way, I watched a 97-minute version which was quite gory, but had some "extreme" scenes that others have mentioned (bestiality) missing. (**1/2)