Inferno in diretta (1985)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Ruggero Deodato

Writers:

Cesare Frugoni (story) &
Dardano Sacchetti (story)

Release Date:

2 May 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

The one story you won't be seeing on the 6 o'clock news!

Plot:

A reporter and her cameraman connect a surviving Jonestown leader and a TV exec's missing son to a drug war where jungle installations are being massacred by an army of natives and a skilled white assassin.

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | Jungle | Native | Impalement | Cannibal

Cast

Lisa Blount	...	Fran Hudson
Leonard Mann	...	Mark Ludman
Willie Aames	...	Tommy Allo
Richard Lynch	...	Colonel Brian Horne
Richard Bright	...	Bob Allo
Michael Berryman	...	Quecho
Eriq La Salle	...	Fargas
Gabriele Tinti	...	Manuel
Valentina Forte	...	Ana
John Steiner	...	Vlado
Karen Black	...	Karin
Barbara Magnolfi	...	Rita
Luca Barbareschi	...	Bud, the helicopter pilot
Penny Brown	...	Lucy
Carlos de Carvalho	...	Tony Martina

Also Known As:

Amazon: Savage Adventure
Cut and Run (International: English title)
Straight to Hell (International: English title) (literal title)

Runtime:

90 min | USA:87 min (R-rated version) | UK:87 min (cut)

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Telecolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | UK:18 (cut) | USA:Unrated (uncut) | New Zealand:R18 (video release) | Finland:(Banned) (1989) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (VHS version) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (soft version) | Argentina:13 | Australia:R | Canada:R | France:-12 | Italy:VM14 | Norway:18 (cut) | South Korea:18 | USA:R (cut) | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Miami, Florida, USA

Company:

Racing Pictures

Trivia:

Last part of Ruggero Deodato's "Cannibal Trilogy" also including Ultimo mondo cannibale (1977) and Cannibal Holocaust (1980).

Goofs:

Continuity: During the intro titles as the camera is following the woman holding the baby, as she steps onto an escalator there is a man behind her wearing a grey T-shirt who is carrying a shoulder bag with a red strap. However as the camera shot changes to show her getting off at the end, the man is suddenly now in front and can be seen stepping off and walking ahead of her.

Quotes:

Colonel Brian Horne: There are no answers... ...only actions.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Uncut and Run (2002) (V)

Ruggero Deodato as we know and love him!

Cut and Run is as unique a film as any, and it's made better by the fact that it succeeds so well at what it does. Even after being criticized and heavily censored the world over, Ruggero Deodato still has the balls to return to the jungle only naturally to complete his epic trilogy. Though not a cannibal film, Cut and Run is still a brutal, in-your-face gore thriller that delivers the goods as well as any Hollywood production (and then some), and is one of the most violent films I've ever seen (even more violent than Cannibal Ferox, which boasted to be the most violent film ever made). But even being a violent exploitation film, it's a great and effective thriller as well. Yes, I may have a soft spot for jungle/native films, but being a slave to the sleaze doesn't mean I can't recognize films that are actually legitimate. I was enthralled by every aspect, including decent acting (better than most dubbed films), non-stop action, an involved plot, and a fun mystery (it joins Amazonia as the only Italian jungle film I've seen that is also a mystery movie). It never lets up on the action or the horror; it's a perfect blend. While there are some seriously grotesque displays, it also keeps moving to make it a thrill a minute gore show.

A reporter, Fran, and her cameraman, Mark, are following a Columbian drug operation that's leaving dozens of people slaughtered by unknown assassins. While investigating, they come across a photo that has Tommy in it, who is the missing son of an exec at their station. Also in the photo is a believed dead leader of the Jonestown massacre, Colonel Brian Horne. They're given permission to fly in and uncover whatever may be happening, all for the sake of sensationalism (and to find their boss's son, of course). The two blackmail the pilot who flies to one of the jungle encampments that Tommy is at. Right when they're flying in, the installation becomes the next target of annihilation, and every drug runner is violently butchered. While in hiding from the assassins, Fran and Mark encounter Tommy's girlfriend, Ana, and the three flee into the jungle. While the two news-persons are making a satellite broadcast, Ana is butchered by the natives. Mark and Fran run off again, and then they soon run into Tommy. Now lost, the trio is captured by Brian Horne and his army of natives. It turns out that Horne has been slaughtering the drug installations to steal the coke and sell it for himself. Unbeknownst to him, Mark and Fran's broadcasts have the authorities hot on Horne's tail.

Cut and Run works because it stays an action movie when it has the blatant opportunity to turn into a mindless bloodbath and slaughter mayhem. Not saying that it doesn't have it's own share of blood and gore, which this "hard" version is notorious for, but it doesn't relish in the violence; the gore isn't exploited so that it would be pure and simple horror in the jungle (except for maybe the first scene, which in reality sets a good tone for the rest of the movie). Had it done that, it would simply become another "Been there, done that" horror show that Deodato had already mastered with Cannibal Holocaust, so why would he want to do that again? Instead, he knew when to give the audience a break from the horror, and also knew when to pick it up again so that it doesn't turn into a boring stroll through the rain forest. That's definitely what Cut and Run has going for it: it stays moving. There's never even a chance for you to become bored. Questions like "How did the house in Miami get slaughtered?" never rises while you're watching, because by the time you've thought enough to ask why, Michael Berryman is leading another all-out assault on another compound. He added the perfect key to the rest of the film by his genuinely creepy performance reminiscent of The Hills Have Eyes. It was a disappointment to see him knocked out of commission so early on in the film, but he adds the last little twist to the end of the movie.

In the end, Cut and Run is a very well executed action/thriller that tries to be nothing more than what it is. It's crossing of so many genres may be a bit ambitious (it sounds like it could be a Schwarzenegger film, but it's also a mystery and a soap opera), but it's able to tie them together so well that it's never looked down upon for biting off a little more than it can chew. There are no production problems that might spoil viewing except for a few questionable actors. Most of the characters, however, are dubbed over very well, giving performances not usually seen in exploitation films. This film is proof that Ruggero Deodato is one of the most underrated directors in the history of film, because it showcases his talents in that he can make his work different and yet as entertaining as anything that Hollywood craps out onto celluloid. His directing decisions are so ballsy because he isn't afraid to show the gruesome displays that most won't touch. He also tries to tie in his criticism of media sensationalism in this like he did in Cannibal Holocaust, but since the media is the good guys here, the message never really comes across. Still, kudos for one hell of a ride.