Slave of the Cannibal God

I'm a big fan of director Sergio Martino, who ranges among the finest filmmakers in Italian Horror, particularly for his Gialli. Especially his insanely brilliant "Il Tuo Vizio È Una Stanza Chiusa E Solo Io Ne Ho La Chiave" (aka. "Your Vice Is A Locked Room And Only I Have The Key") is a masterpiece that ranks among my all-time favorites, and among the greatest Gialli ever made. Having adequately praised Martino, it has to be said that his early contribution to the Cannibal sub-genre is not one of the most stunning examples for its type of film. Nonetheless "La Montagna Del Dio Cannibale" aka. "The Mountain Of The Cannibal God" of 1978 is a film with undeniable qualities (Which other Italian Cannibal flick could claim to star an international star like proto-Bondgirl Ursula Andress in a very revealing role?). After the disappearance of a scientist in the unexplored jungle of New Guinea, his sexy wife Susan (Ursula Andress) is dedicated to find him. In spite of all warnings, She decides to search for him herself. Accompanied by her brother (Antonio Marsini) and her husband's colleague Professor Edward Foster (Stacy Keach), she travels deeper into the jungle... a menacing and savage jungle...

Within the Cannibal sub-genre, "The Mountain Of The Cannibal God" is not a particularly memorable film, but it has several qualities that no Italian Exploitation lover should miss. This is one of the early specimen of the sub-genre (as far as I know the fourth, after Umberto Lenzi's pioneering "Deep River Savages" of 1972, Ruggero Deodato's fascinating "Last Cannibal World" of 1977 and Joe D'Amato's ultra-sleazy "Emanuelle And The Last Cannibals" of 1977 starring the ravishing Laura Gemser). While this is not as nauseating and shocking as some of the Cannibal flicks to come (such as Deodato's masterpiece "Cannibal Holocaust" or Lenzi's "Cannibal Ferox" and "Eaten Alive") it is quite focused on the sleaze factor, at least in its uncut version. The film's main attraction, of course, is Ursula Andress, who was still very sexy at 41, when the film was made. But seeing sexy Ursula naked is not the only reason to watch the film. It often has a good atmosphere, the jungle settings are great and the score by the De Angelis Brothers is superb (the Cannibal sub-genre is generally known for great scores). As most other Cannibal flicks, the film includes real animal killings, which might shock animal protectors, but which actually seem like whatever one might see in wildlife documentaries. Overall this is a worthwhile, but not particularly memorable example for the Cannibal sub-genre. Fans of the genre should see it, and in case you wanna see Miss Andress undress (who would't?) this is your film. To experience a masterpiece of the Italian Cannibal sub-genre, however, watch "Cannibal Holocaust". This "Mountain of The Cannibal God" is warmly recommended to my fellow Italian sleaze fans.

Of all the infamous Italian cannibal movies of the seventies and early eighties, this is the most tedious. They all include pointless depicting of animals killing animals - and people killing animals.

Of course, they also include people killing people, but whereas this, of course, is fake, the animal killings are for real. Not that nature's not cruel, but what's the point in including suffering monkeys, iguanas, snakes and turtles in the movies?

Most of the time, these scenes seem staged, and in this movie, it's very clear a monkey was thrown before a hungry boa, and there was probably even a rope tied to it, while throwing! At 23:31 into the uncut DVD, you can see that a very clear and sharp, green branch is added onto the film in the left of the frame afterwards, in order to cover something up.

If it isn't a rope, it's probably the arm of the one throwing the poor monkey to its certain death. The following scene, where the producers show close-ups of the monkey's face, in all its anguish, is almost unbearable, and adds, of course, nothing to the story, except a bitter aftertaste.

The music (by de Angelis & de Angelis) is beautiful, and watching the then 41-year-old Ursula Andress in the nude, all tied up, are this movie's highlights.

Italian horror supremo Sergio Martino managed to persuade Ursula Andress into this now notorious jungle adventure and moreover got her to display her boobies! Back in the days when animal rights activists were just a glimmer in their fathers eye, film makers were able to shock audiences by showing gratuitious scenes of animals being killed. In this case, a giant snake eating a monkey, tribesmen slicing open a large lizard, and a number of others - intense imagery but it does go to show how brutal nature can be.

Andress plays Susan Stevenson, the wife of a scientist who has become lost in the New Guinea jungle, and mounts an expedition with the help of her brother and another scientist. They soon meet up with the mysterious Manolo who helps in the search and discover that Susan's hubby has gone in search of a secret tribe living on a remote mountain called Ra Ra Me which translates as Mountain Of The Cannibal God.

Much of the group are killed on the way by members of the cannibal tribe and when they do arrive at the mountain, it is the Uranium in the rocks that Susan seeks for financial gain rather than locating her husband. However, her plans are quickly scuppered when the tribe capture her and the last remaining scientist and take them to their mountain lair. They believe that Susan is a goddess and create a living monument by smearing her naked body with fluid and putting ceremonial items on her. How sweet.

The jungle locations are rich and vibrant, and the cannibals are genuinly scarey looking characters - especially the midget one. The flick does over use shock tactics in parts such as the frenzied sex scene which includes a large boar as far as I can make out. That said, I personally enjoyed the whole 70's exploitation experience but that may be due to having something wrong with my head.

7.75 out of 10.

"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)

Exploitative Cannibal movie is filled with some genuine fright , horror and doom. A woman named Susan Stevenson (Ursula Andress) and her brother Arthur (Antonio Marsina) get off a plane in Papua New Guinea, looking for her missing husband . As they fly to New Guinea to look for a lost expedition, they team up with Dr. Edward Foster (Stacy Keach) to find her husband which has vanished in the great jungle . Subsequently , they reveal the horrible truth behind his disappearance . Then they're trapped by a barbaric , evil tribe of cannibals are not left to the imagination and subjected to further torture and humiliation . When the price of lust is death..! Filmed in the savage and unexplored jungle .Their cult was death...their lust was blood !.

¨Slave of the Cannibal God¨ turns out to be a really gory film with full of nudism , cruel indigenous cannibalistic tribes , lots of gratuitous animal cruelty, resulting in one the most savage and brutal tales in modern history along with Ultimo Mondo Cannibale (1977) also titled Jungle Holocaust or The last Survivor and of course the classic¨Holocaust Cannibal¨ by Ruggero Deodato , the latter deemed to be the most controversial movie of all-time and the mother of all cannibal films. A sinister and disturbing flick that goes on growing more and more and developing little by little until the predictable finale. A typical cannibal film that went on a sub-genre about a familiar theme in the Seventies , the cannibalism , a script full of shocks , scary happenings and screams in which is disembowelled internal organs , pulling out guts , and while the native warriors eating loathing in front of the prisoners who watch the whole thing . It's an average semi-documentary flick by adding several animal scenes with much stock-footage , including excitement enough , filled with sleaziness and non-sense of style . Despite exploitation style , short budget and poor dubbing , this is more interesting film that its schlock-horror and subject matter might suggest. ¨La montagna del dio cannibale¨(1978) is really a brutal yarn with full of graphic killings , iguana getting eviscerated , body dismemberment, sexual violence , disfigured people , grisly murders by means of slashing , ripping to death , killings in cold blood executed by ominous cannibals, loathsome and lots of blood and gore . A mysoginist movie with plenty of nudism , sadistic frames , explicit scenes of violence and extremely violent style and no for squeamish . ¨La montagna del dio cannibale¨ displays passable special effects , with special mention for the really disturbing scenes of chopping, beheading , stomach ripped out , actual animal slaughters and other cannibalistic frames .

It contains a creepy and eerie musical score by Guido De Angelis, Maurizio De Angelis . Along with an atmospheric and colorful cinematography by Giancarlo Ferrando , shot on location in Royal Botanical Gardens, Sri Lanka, Peradeniya, Kandy District, Central Province, Sri Lanka, Rainforest , Malaysia and Centro Safa Palatino, Piazza dei Santi Giovanni Rome, Lazio, Italy. This was one of the most grueling films ever made , being original but regularly made by Sergio Martino which remains his most successful horror film . Prolific filmmaker Sergio Martino usually uses pseudonym as Martin Dolman . Talented and versatile writer/director Sergio Martino has made a vast array of often solid and entertaining films in all kind of genres as horror , Giallo , comedy , Western , and science fiction in a career that spans over 40 years . He was especially expert on Western as proved in ¨Mannaja¨ and this ¨Arizona returns¨ , Giallo such as ¨The case of scorpion's tail ¨ , ¨Torso¨ ,¨the scorpion with two tails¨ , ¨The strange vice of Mrs Ward¨ , Cannibal movies such as "Mountain of the Cannibal God", Italian crime thrillers as "Violent Professionals" and ¨Sci-Fi as ¨Destroyer¨ , "2019: After the Fall of New York" . Rating: 5/10 , acceptable and passable , this is a so-so horror flick in which the camera stalks in adequate style throughout a story with decent visual skills . This is a bewildering and violent story , only for Cannibal sub-genre followers .