Savage Encounter (1980) Poster

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3/10
Honeymoon hell
Chase_Witherspoon3 November 2012
Low-budget South African "thriller" (if it can be called that) about a couple honeymooning in the woods who encounter a couple of oddballs (one in top-hat and tie, the other a subservient mute) who predictably turn feral and do bad things to the wife while the husband is tied to a tree. Complicating matters is the fact that the wife (Ziegler whose only other film I've seen is the much more sedate "Rogue Lion") was sexually abused as a youngster, sending her into a catatonic state for which the only antidote is revenge.

If you've seen "Last House on the Left", "Death Wish", "Straw Dogs", "Deliverance" or "I Spit on Your Grave" then you've seen "Savage Encounter". It borrows elements of all those, and still, the outcome is much less. The nudity and violence isn't remarkable in my opinion, and the pair who play the thugs from down in the boondocks aren't nearly intimidating nor chilling enough to carry off their roles.

Star John Personson produced the movie and the meagre budget and semi-professional approach looks apparent; basic dialogue and experimental camera angles give it that 'independent' look, and as far as a rape and revenge flick goes, while it's difficult to locate (I saw an online 81 minute version), that doesn't mean it's worthy of cult status.
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No "uncut" version...
ManBehindTheMask6310 May 2014
Just recently watched the supposed "uncut" version from 1980 released by White Knight Video. It still features no nudity, no gore, and I whole heartedly doubt there is even an existing uncut version.

As for the movie itself..."Savage Encounter" aka "Demon Lust" is a dull, unimaginative, and cheaply made rip off of "Straw Dogs". The film is shot and edited competently enough, but the film tends to drag and bore (even with an 80 minute runtime!). The film's violence and "rape" (which occurs off screen) are childish and non-dramatic. I'd say pass this turd up and don't believe the hype about an "uncut" version. This movie sucks either way.

I gave it a 3 because I liked the film's musical score and a scene in which one of the vagrant's tickle torcher the husband with a flower!
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1/10
Why do people keep making these kinds of movies?
yougotrealugly25 November 2004
First, I'd like to point something out to anyone who's making the same mistake I did. Even though the copy of this video that I purchased was titled "Demon Lust", the film doesn't have any demons in it, or anything supernatural at all, for that matter. I guess that "Demon" is supposed to be an adjective, but the only lust that appears in the film is far from "demonic". In any case, this film was obviously made by someone (Bernard Buys) who was deeply impacted by the much more infamous "I Spit On Your Grave". This film is a direct retread of 'Grave', except that all the violence against the main female character happens off screen. The plot then revolves around the husband seeking a very level-headed sort of revenge against the drifters who attacked his wife. He claims that he's not going to the police to avoid "scandal", but the more obvious motive is that he hadn't been allowed be with his wife physically, and he was jealous. Anyway, "I Spit On Your Grave" minus violent "lust" scenes might make for a more socially acceptable movie, but there is nothing else in it to hold the film together, or make it interesting in the least. There isn't even anything here for the type of people who get off on this kind of thing. Avoid.
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2/10
SA Made For TV Movie
hbeeinc3 January 2022
Well, I tried to but I couldn't finish it. I'm not sure if the print came out dark or if i was meant to "foreboding" but I just literally just couldn't care what was happening. You need more than missing teeth and muteness to make villains scary. Unless, of course, you're incredibly shallow. Everyone in this thing is just bland.

I ducked out when, after his wife's rape and his kidnapping and escape, the guy and his wife have a conversation something like this.

Guy: I'm going to kill them.

Woman: We'll go to the police.

Guy: Do you really want to go to the police and tell them all about what happened? Do you really want that?

Woman: Yes.

Guy: Well.... I'm going to kill them instead.

Woman: Be careful.

Nah. I kind of hope that if he didn't get killed she leaves him.
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8/10
Watachable hicksploitation/rape and revenge movie.
HumanoidOfFlesh17 June 2010
A woman who was sexually molested as a child and her husband are harassed by a couple of backwoods hicks with rape on their minds.The female victim is raped by two hillbillies and the man is treated like a dog and collared to a tree.Her husband seeks vengeance on hicks,who violated his wife's body.Sleazy and depraved rape and revenge flick with truly seedy villains.It was actually released in Poland on VHS many years ago by Video Rondo under the title "Demon Lust".Unfortunately that version was heavily cut,so be sure to check out "Savage Encounter" instead.The film is nicely shot and well-acted.I dig such obscure cinema,so if you have 80 minutes to kill "Savage Encounter" will leave you entertained.The current rating is criminally low,so I'll give this sickie 8 out of 10.
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10/10
Savage Encounter Indeed!
GIALLO-11 December 2007
First I would like to say to anyone interested in obtaining this film, you must find the uncut version, namely 'Savage Encounter' and not the cut 76 minute USA version known as 'Demon Lust'. Secondly, you must understand that there is certainly a demon in this film, that being the demon of the mind. Thirdly and most importantly this is without a doubt one wild and sleazy celluloid sickie that will highly offend some viewers but for the most part ' savage encounter ' has everything any grind house enthusiast wants: torture / kidnapping /reveng theme / etc. Not to be missed by fans of sleazy psycho sexual horror. We give it 10 stars. Like I said before, it's definitely for genre fans, something the previous commenter evidently know's nothing about. Maybe the fact that it sat in the trunk of his car for 2 YEARS tell's us something else about the previous reviewer...snicker.
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