Devil Hunter (1980) El caníbal (original title)

Director:

Jesús Franco

Writers:

Julián Esteban (story)
Julián Esteban (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

5 December 1980 (West Germany)

Genre:

Adventure | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Hunted, raped, and tormented out of her mind...

Plot:

A Vietnam veteran heads to an island inhabited by cannibals to save a kidnapped model not only from her kidnappers, but also from the cannibals' lurking Devil god.

Plot Keywords:

Jungle | Cannibal | Tribe | Vietnam Veteran | Island

Cast

Ursula Buchfellner	...	Laura Crawford (as Ursula Fellner)
Al Cliver	...	Peter Weston
Antonio Mayans	...	Jack (as Robert Foster)
Antonio de Cabo	...	Thomas
Bertrand Altmann	...	The Devil (as Burt Altman)
Gisela Hahn	...	Jane
Muriel Montossé	...	Girl on Yacht (as Victoria Adams)
Werner Pochath	...	Chris
Melo Costa	...	Pablito (as Leonardo Costa)
Aline Mess	...	Cannibal Priestess (as Lynn Mess)
Claude Boisson	...	Cannibal Chief
Tibi Costa
Óscar Cortina
Ana Paula

Directed by
Jesús Franco		(as Clifford Brown)

Writing credits
Julián Esteban		(story) (as Julius Valery)
Julián Esteban		(screenplay) (as Julius Valery) and
Jesús Franco		(screenplay) (as Clifford Brown)

Produced by
Julián Esteban	....	producer (as Julián Esteban Gómez)
Daniel Lesoeur	....	associate producer
Karl Spiehs	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Jesús Franco		(as Jess Franco)

Cinematography by
Juan Soler

Film Editing by
Nicole Guettard
Federico Vich

Art Direction by
Pierre Chevalier

Set Decoration by
Pierre Chevalier

Makeup Department
Guillermina Guerrero	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Joaquín Domínguez	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jean-Pierre Ducroux	....	assistant director
Lina Romay	....	assistant director (as Rosa Maria Almiral)

Special Effects by
Manuel Archilla	....	special effects
Antonio Molina	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Luis Colombo	....	camera operator (as Luis Dura Colombo)
Ángel Ordiales	....	camera operator
Gerard Singer	....	camera operator

Other crew
Nicole Guettard	....	assembler

Production Companies

• Eurociné
• J.E. Films (Julian Esteban Films)
• Lisa-Film

Distributors

• CineHollywood (CH) (1981) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Cinehollywood (1981) (UK) (VHS)
• Major Producción Vídeo (1981) (Spain) (VHS)
• Manhattan Video (1981) (UK) (VHS)
• Trans World Entertainment (TWE) (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Astro Distribution (1998) (Germany) (VHS)
• Ventura Distribution (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Videoasia (2006) (USA) (DVD) (on "Terror Tales From the 'Hood - Special Edition Volume 4")
• Severin Films (2008) (USA) (DVD) (as "Devil Hunter")
• Cinema Land (????) (Japan) (video)
• D.E.C. Films (????) (France) (VHS)
• Manhattan Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS) (as 'Devil Hunter')
• Tec Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Wizard Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"El caníbal" - Spain (original title)
"The Man Hunter" - International (English title) (alternative title)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

Spain | France | West Germany

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:18 | West Germany:(Banned) | Iceland:(Banned) | Germany:BPjM Restricted | USA:Not Rated | UK:(Banned) | UK:18 (uncut)

Filming Locations:

Archena, Murcia, Spain

Company:

Eurociné

Trivia:

The film was briefly available in the UK as a pre-cert (and now very rare) video before being banned and placed on the DPP list of official video nasties. It was finally passed fully uncut in 2008.

Movie Connections:

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

Incredibly dull cannibal movie despite the sex and violence

An actress making a movie in Africa is kidnapped and taken into the jungle where she is held for ransom. The producer hires some one to go and bring her back. Complicating everything are the cannibals in the jungle who worship a really ugly looking "god" who likes to eat naked women.

This is a gory sleazy movie. There is copious amounts of nudity and violence, not to mention violence against nude people. Its an exploitation film designed to appeal to the deepest darkest parts of our being, and if the movie wasn't so boring this film would be a classic. Lets face it, despite the gore, the nasty sex and abuse,and the ugly monster this movie is a snoozer. The pacing is all off kilter and it puts you out. There are multiple plot lines that all seem to be happening separately from each other, even though its ultimately all one story. Worst of all, almost no one says anything. Most of the minimal dialog concerns the cruelty or one characters protestations that "I'll do what I want". Its such a quiet and dull movie that if it weren't for the frequent screams of the victims I'd recommend this as a sleep aide.

This is a movie to avoid unless you need sleep, or unless you need to see every Euro-cannibal movie.

(An aside. VideoAsia just released this as part of their Terror Tales series. Their print is oddly letter-boxed which looks to be the result of taking their print from a Japanese source (there is fogging) that was cropped to remove the subtitles. Their print also has no opening titles)