User reviews

My favourite genre of movies, are westerns. Westerns come in all shapes and sizes, traditional American westerns depicting a lawless land in which the good guys eventually over come the bad guys. The stylised European "Spaghetti westerns" depicting a loveless land of cold killers and harsh landscape, and then there's the realist revisionist westerns which debunks all the previous heroic notions and portrays the west as it was, hard and brutal. Well this film falls outside of all those sub genre's of westerns in that it's a dark comedy horror western starring Robert Carlyle, whose idea of a meal isn't meat and two veg, but the carcass of the soldiers of a deserted fort. You know it's all tongue in cheek but you can't help but watch it, the music is great too, Damon Albarn and Michael Nyman produce a wonderful frightening and timeless score, featuring musicianship of the era. It's great and a film you can get your teeth into.

Antonia Bird's "Ravenous" is one of the finest low-budget horror movies of recent years.It's a brilliant mix of cannibalism,gruesome gore,sly black humour and quasi-philosophy.The script by Ted Griffin is absolutely stupendous.It's an irresistible blend of Native American legend(you absorb the strength or spirit of who you eat),the Donner tragedy,and the story of Sawney Bean.Bean with his wife and his numerous offspring,dwelt in a cave in Galloway,Scotland,during the sixteenth century.The family cave was close to the sea and they lived by highway robbery:ambushing,killing and then eating passers-by.Any parts of the body which they were not able to eat once were pickled in brine or hung in their cave.Over a period of twenty-five years it was proved that Bean and his family were estimated to have killed and eaten more than a thousand people.The acting is wonderful-Guy Pearce shines in a difficult role as a Lieutant John Boyd."Ravenous" was shot in the Czech Republic and Slovakia,and the landscape and climate is put to fantastic use.The score by Damon Albarn(of British band Blur)and Michael Nyman is very spooky and atmospheric.The film is loaded with brutal violence and gore,so if you're squeamish give it a miss.However if you're a horror fan with a taste for something dark and sinister,then you're in for a rare treat.Highly recommended.

A genuinely unique little gem that seems quite un-Hollywoody.

A macabrely humorous horror-thriller with an odd mix of English/American/Australian character actors (all talented) who clearly relish their performances in this twisted little tale which is told on an epic canvas.

The film's score is a bizarre but perfect fit - adding another unusual character to the mix. A stroke of bold genius by Michael Nyman (the brilliant composer of "The Piano"). The score has been nominated for several awards.

Hard to imagine 20th Century Fox's reaction when they saw the final film and needed to market it... But there's plenty to enjoy here. 8 out of 10!

Oh man, where do I begin with my inexplicable obsession with this movie? I think part of the reason I love `Ravenous' so much is that it often seems that no one else does; either due to not having seen it, or just not appreciating it. I admit, it's the kind of movie you're going to love or hate, either you get it or you don't. But I can remember seeing it in the theater the first time, and just not being able to believe that I was laughing at what I was laughing at. That's really the best way I can sum up my reaction to this film; there's a certain absurdity underlying all of its themes. It seems like the biggest confusion with people/critics and `Ravenous' is over whether or not it's intent is to be comic. Indeed the comic tone is established from the very beginning, from the opening quotes and first scene. To be sure, it is certainly dark, very very dark comedy, with an interesting mix of `cannibal/vampirism' (see Roger Ebert's review, the only one I've read that does Ravenous justice). However, director Antonia Bird does carry some more serious themes throughout Ravenous, but with a biting satirical edge-- she particularly seems to be commenting on American excessive consumption of all kinds, from meat-eating (and human-flesh eating in this case), to manifest destiny. Most powerful is the truthful notion that we all must "kill to live" in some way or another, and in our willingness or unwillingness to do so, we must differentiate between cowardice and morality. I'm just pounding the dark comedy thing into the ground though because I think that watching Ravenous, it is very important to keep in mind that principally it is supposed to be humorous, and yes, you are supposed to laugh at cannibalism believe it or not, because if you don't, you'll probably just find the film gory and disgusting.

Ravenous is carried by its bold, wacky, charismatic characters. Well, okay, the one exception here is Guy Pearce as central character Captain John Boyd, who is rather subdued in contrast to everyone else, quite intentionally so. Pearce does a very fine job making Boyd very quiet, introspective, and uncomfortable as he is sent to the wonderfully creepy and dysfunctional Fort Spencer, due to his discovered "cowardice" in war. Robert Carlysle is also excellent as the crazy Colqhoun/Ives. I liked the rest of the people at Fort Spencer, all eccentric in their own ways, although all may not last too long. It's nice to see Jeremy Davies as the adorable, religious Toffler, but Neal McDonough is the real stand out as the tough, super-hero like character of Reicht, `the soldier'; with his icy blue eyes and shocking white-blond hair he is the epitome of bravery and masculinity, and certainly forms a direct contrast to the sensitive, cautious, and all-too-human Boyd. Basically, the plot comes to revolve around an old Native American legend--the Wendigo myth–-which states when a man eats another man he takes on his strength and spirit. There are quite a few twists and turns and surprises in Ravenous that should be enough to hold any viewer's attention.

The soundtrack to this film is also quite striking and omnipresent; with original eerily beautiful orchestral tracks that add much of the atmosphere in every situation. Particularly beautiful is the simple, little ‘Boyd's theme', which is used throughout the film as Boyd journeys. The music adds not only to the eerieness of the film, but yes, even the humor. If there is any point at which I still had any kind of doubt about Ravenous being comical it was shattered in a scene where Boyd and Reicht go after the evil Ives, and I hear classic banjo `chase music' complete with yodelling; you just can't help but laugh and shake your head. And even though everyone else already has, I'll give another nod to the cinematography of the gorgeous yet bleak and dangerous icy mountain range.

Ravenous is classic for scenes of such absurd, dark humor in any situation, as when (in the same chase scene) Boyd leaps off a cliff to go tumbling down a hill and crashes into Reicht. Just when a moment is getting serious, it boldly will hit you with such a cartoonish image. Like i said, either you'll love it, or you just won't. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what it is about Ravenous that grabs me so much, but it is just a combination of everything. It's like no movie I've ever seen. It's smart, satirical, observant and insightful (watch for a nice use of Ben Franklin quotes), and yes, funny. While not for everyone, it surely has cult film potential written all over it.

I love cinema. I mean, I truly LOVE cinema but sometimes you have the face the fact that it can be a pretty hypocrite business from time to time. Especially since the last ten years, everybody complains that there aren't any good horror movies being made. Only uninspired Scream clones and rip-off's. But that is a lie !! There are good and original thriller being made but they just don't get many attention because they are "politically incorrect". Ravenous is a perfect example of this. Made in 1999 and it stars a few familiar faces but it went straight to video in my country and I never saw it advertised. That's a real shame because movies like this prove that there are still young directors active who're creative and talented. It's up to the fans to discover movies like this and ignore the overload of mainstream slashers.

Ravenous has a very solid plot. simple but effective and supported by terrific acting performances. It shows a few of the darkest aspects of the human mind and, personally, I'm really intrigued by that. Subjects like Cannibalism and ancient Indian mythes are fascinating and when they're placed in a historical setting ( Mexican-American was of 1850 ) it even becomes better. This results in Ravenous being a very atmospheric and tense movie experience that you won't forget easily. The tension is built up slowly ( a bit too slow at first ) and the atmosphere of the cold and lonely Sierra Nevada is being portrayed very well. Guy Pierce is a great choice to play Captain John Boyd. His character is a cowardly figure with a complete lack of authority. He has to go through a battle himself and he's very messed up. The shows is obviously stolen by Robert Carlyle who is used to working with director Antonia Bird. His character is demonic and - duh - ravenous. A terrific performance and Carlyle manages to play his character with a lot of black humor and satanic charisma. David Arquette's role is pretty useless but it was great to see Jeffrey Jones again. Jones is a very decent actor and - even though he's frequently cast by Tim Burton - he's often overlooked and ignored. Ravenous is beautifully shot and some of the effects and make-up is pretty gruesome and explicit. But it isn't just mindless gore and violence so no complaints there. In fact, no complaints at all....Ravenous is a breath-taking movie from beginning till end and a must for anyone who believes that the genre of horror is dead.

British Director "Antonia Bird '', who Passed in 2013, was a Vegetarian.

The Lead Actor, Australian Guy Pearce, is a Staunch Vegetarian.

Odd-Fellows Making a Movie About the "Ravenous" Desire to Eat Human Flesh, Brought On by Eating Human Flesh and Discovering it has "Supernatural" Regenerative and Strength-Building Side-Effects.

So the Film's Story, which is Set in the Sierra-Nevada Mountains in the Last Century, has "Donner Party" Vampire Vibes, and Looks Fantastically Frigid, and Imposing.

The Black-Comedy Seeps Through Now and Then to Keep Things Palatable, but Barely.

It's Extremely Bloody and Gory.

The Acting is Top-Notch with Robert Carlyle Matching Pearce as a Gleeful, "Monster", and the Supporting Cast All Contribute.

The Music, as Well as the Entire Writing, Production, and Tone is Off-Beat as the Film Movies Along Piling Up Corpse After Corpse.

Horror Fans Will Most Likely Love it, While Others Not So Much.

It Tends to Get Soaked and Saturated in the "Red-Stuff '', with Dialog Minimal and the Story Really has No Where to Go Once it is Established.

Off-Putting, Slightly Humorous, and Deadly Dreadful.

But it is Quality Film-Making Offering Up a Crazy Cuisine that is Something Different if Nothing Else.

For Those with a Strong Stomach...

Worth a Watch.

If someone were to ask what Ravenous is all about, the easiest thing to say would be: `It's about cannibalism in a remote Army outpost in the 1800s.' That's exactly right, and that's probably what kept audience members away from Ravenous when it briefly ran in theaters back in 1999. Cannibalism? Who needs to watch that? Indeed.

Yes, there is cannibalism in Ravenous. Quite a lot of it, in fact. The film is steeped in murder, the eating of human flesh, and is flavored with madness. At times the film can be downright difficult to watch, though the compelling nature of the narrative keeps the viewer's eyes locked on the screen for the full ninety-eight minutes.

Ravenous is so much more than a meditation on people eating other people, though it's obvious there was a great deal of confusion about how exactly to present this dish to the public. Its plot is fairly simple for the first half: Mexican War hero (and hidden coward) Lt. Boyd, played by LA Confidential's Guy Pearce, is assigned to an end-of-the-Earth fortress in the western Sierra Nevadas. This fort, populated over the winter by a tiny handful of misfit officers and enlisted men, receives a visitor in the person of a starving man with an awful story of a failed mountain crossing that eclipses the Donner Party's. What happens then is so twisted, but skillfully crafted, that it would be criminal to spoil what transpires.

But Ravenous is not just a horror story. What lies at its heart is an allegory about man's relationship to other men and how society structures itself around the powerful and the powerless. Issues such as the morality of Manifest Destiny and even the ethics of simple meat eating are touched upon. Guy Pearce gives an underplayed performance so low-key that he almost vanishes into the film stock, while co-star Robert Carlyle (most recently in The World is Not Enough) plays opposite him with delightful nuance. The material even brings deeply textured work out of Tim Burton stalwart Jeffrey Jones as the commander of the fort, and scattered around these three are solid supporting actors like Jeremy Davies, who's much better here than he was in Saving Private Ryan, and David Arquette.

If anything works against Ravenous at all, it's the curious inclusion of humor at the outset of the picture. Director Antonia Bird, who also made Priest and Safe, is not known for her lighter side, which makes the appearance of a goofy epigram at the very start of the picture, and the use of some bizarrely inappropriate music during a later sequence, seem more like some producer's half-hearted attempt to blunt the sharp edge of the film's commentary with silliness.

Luckily for the viewer and the film, however, Ravenous is far too powerful a motion picture to be undercut in this fashion. By the time the final reel has passed, any memory of earlier missteps is forgotten as the pace grows more deliberate and the action becomes bloodier and bloodier up until the final moments.

Unjustly neglected on the screen, Ravenous is a film with a great deal to say. It's only too bad that cannibalism was the best way to say it.

The story of Ravenous is a wild mix of horror, mystery and western. Well executed + a fine cast, make this little piece a fine dish for the connoisseur of the unusual and absurd. Recommended, if you like movies like Sleepy Hollow, Sweeney Todd, The Revenant, Bone Tomahawk and the like.

I don't know whether the previous comments on this film show how badly the film was marketed (I never saw any advertising for it) or whether they're a terrible condemnation of just how tunnel-visioned people can be. This is only a horror film in the sense that Macbeth is or The Godfather. It's about the horror of monstrosity, particularly the monstrosity inside ourselves. It's not about cannibalism, nor is it a black comedy. It has those things in it, but they are not it's raison d'etre. It's about the horror of war, conquest, taking things which don't belong to you with the sole justification that that's how you get ahead in life. You have what the other man has literally by consuming it. The hero of this film is branded a coward when really all he's done is preserved himself from the madness going on around him, a fight in which he has no part, just like this one. And yet, I see reviewers here referring to his 'cowardice' as a given. They haven't even got to first base about questioning whether he might not actually be a coward in the first place. It looks like everybody's checked their brains in at the door with this one. I'm glad I never directed this movie, it would be soul-destroying to be this misunderstood. It's a great movie. Savage, brutal,poetic. You watch the whole thing with your mouth hanging open in sheer disbelief. It's a feast for the eyes and ears and has one of the most fey, eerie qualities I've ever seen in a film. It's a masterpiece and I would urge anyone out there who can leave their preconceptions and genre expectations at home to see it. Give yourself a treat - be amazed.

Guy Pearce does a wonderful job, I really enjoyed the inclusion of the wendigo mythology. Definitely worth the cost of admission.

"Ravenous" is, without a doubt, one of the strangest movies I have ever seen. If nothing else than just for its tone. Or tones. Because it has several. It's horror, it's a period piece, it's a bromance, it's a dark comedy, it's queerbait. If nothing else, it's very entertaining. There is never a dull moment in this film, and I was hooked the whole time.

Pierce plays a man who was in the Spanish-American war, and got a medal for his rather accidental capture of an enemy base. But the general in charge of his battalion knows that he was really a coward, not a hero, and boots him from the army. Pierce ends up living in the mountains of California, with a sort of rag-tag group of men (including a possibly mentally disabled priest and a junkie, for starters) and one indigenous woman. One night, Carlyle's character is found in their camp and they manage to revive him. He tells them that his whole wagon party ate each other after becoming lost on the trail, but he says he left two survivors at the camp and asks if the men can help him save them.

I won't say anymore because the movie gets bonkers after Carlyle's character shows up.

If you want straight-up horror or a serious historical drama, you're going to be disappointed. The best way to enjoy this film is to go in not really knowing what to expect. And don't watch the trailer; the trailer makes no damn sense. But I really enjoyed this one!

This is the worst movie of 1999 (so far). It was embarrassing seeing Jeffery Jones and Jerremy Davies (of Saving Private Ryan) in this pathetic thriller. While the official website for this movie states that 20th Century Fox does not condone cannibalism, it should also add on the disclaimer that it DOES condone B movies. The soundtrack was jarring, lapsing from bad thriller music to quasi-banjo "chase" music. No characters were believable. The plot required a lot more than simple suspension of disbelief. Patrons left the theatre mid movie after having paid full price admission for this tripe. The only redeeming part of the films were Jeffery Jones' lines: "It's lonely being a cannibal. It's tough making friends." In short - save your money.

'Ravenous' is a highly entertaining and original blend of horror and black comedy. Apparently it had troubled beginnings with the original director being fired and Antonia Bird coming in as a last minute replacement at the behest of co-star Robert Carlyle ('Trainspotting') who had previously worked with her on 'Priest', a more different movie than this you couldn't imagine! Anyway, Bird triumphed and ended up with an excellent movie. David Arquette and Jeremy Davies are two actors I have little time for but they didn't have much on screen time and didn't detract from the great performances by Carlyle and 'Memento's Guy Pearce, who really sold the movie to me. I also really liked the role played by Tim Burton regular Jeffrey Jones. I enjoyed the work of all three actors, the unpredictable script, the inventive direction, and the unusual score by Peter Greenaway regular Michael Nyman and Blur's Damon Albarn, which reminded me at times of cult favourites Penguin Cafe Orchestra. 'Ravenous' isn't the greatest movie I've ever seen but I have enjoyed it all three times I've watched it and that's a lot more than I can say about most movies around these days. It's wicked fun with very clever touches of black comedy, and I highly recommend it.

Great start but 2nd half is muddled at best... What was an interesting beginning with decen character development becomes a silly mish-mash... Robert Carlyle is almost wasted with a 2-D "psycho" character, Pearce sleepwalks through his performance, David Arquette is on hand for his irrelevance and poor jeffrey jones has to carry what he can (and a great job he does too)... Worth seeing for Jones, beautiful scenery a good start and that is about it...

I'm somewhat amazed by the review by James Berardinelli (and who is that guy, by the way). RAVENOUS is hardly a run-of-the-genre horror movie, although it is definitely horrific in the fullest sense of the word. If you can stay in your seat through the gratuitously gory first half (well, actually, the whole thing's gratuitously gory, but you become desensitized to it after a while), you find yourself having been set up for a fairly interesting meditation on ethics, on where my right to survive runs up against your right to survive, and ultimately on the nature of evil.

The movie occasionally becomes a bit knee-jerk leftist; there's a scene in which a U.S. flag, as the emblem of Manifest Destiny and Bad Things in General, flies prominently in the center of the screen throughout the dialogue -- a little ham-handed, especially given that Bird's a Brit, if I'm not mistaken. What do you think was going on in India at the time, Antonia, social work? Still, it's refreshing to see such things being grappled with, at least. Let's put it this way: it comes as no surprise to find out that Bird's a vegetarian.

Robert Carlyle is a force of nature, Guy Pearce is adequate but could have been more interesting, Jeffrey Jones is brilliant as always, I like David Arquette, I can't help it, and there you are.

Well...... Sorry but this film I found particularly typical and uninteresting. I have seen a fair share of gore films but this one really takes it. Although it gives excellent suspense, it is so typical gore with a slight lack of storyline. For instance the constant flashes between the film and blood-dripping bodies. It has been done before and better.

"Ravenous" holds up remarkably well for a movie that can't decide whether it wants to be a comedy, horror or Western. I was a bit put off by some of the historical details, such as the soldier Reich's Billy Idol hairstyle and the dialogue that was decidedly NOT antebellum (The Colonel kept saying, "Wow!"). Would the U.S. Army really let a soldier get away with smoking "loco weed" and taking peyote in the 1840s? I don't know.

Anyway, the "Eat me" quote that flashes on the screen at the beginning of the film should tip anyone off that the film is intended to be tongue in cheek (appropriate considering the subject matter). The soundtrack, as others have noted, is annoying at times, but perhaps that's all part of director Bird's grand scheme. I have to agree with other viewers who say it smacks of "cult classic."

Captain John Boyd(Guy Pearce)is decorated a hero of the American-Mexican War by way of cowardice. He is promoted/demoted to a rundown California outpost. A lone man appears seeking safety and tells a gruesome story of murder and cannibalism. This dark comedy is not for everyone. Some attractive winter scenery and then there is the contrasting bloody gore and vivid violence.

Outstanding performance from Robert Carlyle, the most demented cannibal in the old West. David Arquette stays wasted on 'waky weed'. Also notable work by Jeffrey Jones as Colonel Hart. Could be a stomach turner, so consider yourself warned. 'You are what you eat' takes on new meaning.

Antonia Bird directs this 1999 western-adventure-comedy-horror film which has a runtime of 101 minutes and was rated 18 on its UK release due to themes of cannibalism in it. Writer Ted Griffin takes inspiration from the Donner Party and Alfred Packer, two real-life accounts of cannibalism that occurred in 1800's America. With such a grizzly theme you would not really expect this to be as tongue-in-cheek as it is at times, but the film it rife with dark humour and satire which makes it a fun watch. In addition, the unique musical score brought by Michael Nyman and Damon Albarn (Blur & The Gorillaz) add to this film being an engaging watch.

It is 1847. During the Mexican-American war, Second Lieutenant John Boyd (Guy Pearce) sees his comrades in the US Army being massacred, he plays dead out of cowardice. While being carted away with other 'corpses' he momentarily finds bravery and clears and captures a Mexican outpost. His heroism earns him a captain's promotion but at a cost. When his superior finds out about his cowardice he is sent to a remote outpost where his cowardice will not infect the brave soldiers fighting the conflict. His new base sees him surrounded by a motley crew of losers, a drug addict, a sociopath, a religious man, and a native American and his sister, to name but a few. Some time after joining the garrison a stranger turns up called Colqhoun (Robert Carlyle). He tells the garrison of how he only just survived the harsh conditions to make it to them, and that his party were trapped, and in addition that one of the party had gone mad and turned to cannibalism. This scares some of the garrison, in particularly George who warns Boyd of the Wendigo myth - anyone who eats the flesh of their enemies absorbs their strength but also becomes a demon who lusts for more human flesh. The troupe go to investigate the cave where Colqhoun says the party were last seen. When they arrive, things are not as they were meant to be, but neither is Colqhoun.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film when I first watched it, since then it has found its way into my movie collection and regularly gets watched. Although it bombed at the box office (it was made with a budget of $12 million and only earned $2 million at the box office) I know that it has earned a small cult status - at least in the film club circles I have travelled in anyway. Antonia Bird only came into the role after the original director, Milcho Manchevski, left the role. It was Robert Carlyle who recommended Bird as he had worked with her previously. It worked well because Carlyle is brilliant, and Bird seems to keep the whole film tight and captivating. Anthony B Richmond leads in cinematography, helping to create a beautifully looking and engaging work of art. It was shot in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and the mountainous and occasionally desolate landscapes realty give the film a stark feel. There are times where it feels like the landscape is massive and never ending, but likewise there are moments where everything feels small and confined. The pace of the film works well, and the editing is complimentary to the story. There are some really blood thumping moments with excitement, tension, suspense and action, but these are interspersed with slower moments which allow the audience to catch its breath and take stock of what happened - both wrapped up with the occasion darkly humorous quip. The plot is simple but solid, the concept is original in the world of horror, and the film has the ability to put a spotlight against darkest aspects of the human mind and poke it - which I will come onto later.

Complemented exponentially by a stellar cast, there are plenty of big names amongst the small handful of stars who take up the main story within the remote garrison. Robert Carlyle is fantastic in pretty much all he does and really knows how to turn on the menacing lunatic mode. Guy Pearce can invoke plenty of emotion, allowing the audience to really empathise for him and his fears. Pearce is the road of morality in the film, so the audience uses him as a vehicle. Carlyle on the other hand is chaos and ambiguity - he's the "what if" and the "why" to Pearce's intended goodness. He is the little devil sat on Pearce's should saying "go on". Together as the main leads they really play off each other well and seem to have a load of fun doing so. In supporting roles, you have Jeremy Davies, Jeffrey Jones, John Spencer, Neal McDonough and David Arquette - all of whom do a brilliant job. They all bring a different persona to the table that help to show the highs and the lows in Boyd's character.

Ravenous is more than just a cannibalism film as it deals with whole complex list of themes, some of which might be lost on certain audiences. Morality is one of the biggest to be explored - is it right or wrong to consume human flesh? If it is right, how is the right way to go about it? What relationship does that morality have with society? This is not an outright horror with supernatural entities flying around, more the horror of man. It is looking at how monstrous man can be as he goes through life trying to decide what is right and what is wrong. Then looking at how those decisions are interpreted and handled by people around that man. The film also looks at the horrors of war - looking at how far man will go to survive and the morality that goes hand-in-hand with the decisions. The early explanation of Boyd's actions as cowardice for example, is it actually cowardice, or has everyone checked their brains in at the door with the armed conflict which is going on? Are people just too happy to throw their life away for an ideal that they are being sold, are they happy to run off and die because somebody told them to? Could it transpire that Boyd is sensible for seeing the light of self-preservation and the value of life? Maybe Boyd is the only sensible person at the beginning of the film, then he uses his clever to get the upper hand - only to be admonished by his superior for not winning in the acceptable way. Is Boyd the only sensible person again later when he only consumes human virility to preserve his own life to try and win unconventionally again. Colqhoun on the other hand becomes the accepted norm later, and can convince people he is right, despite becoming an addict. This, is almost an interpretation of morality again, is something that is wrong, instantly recognised as righteous if enough people believe in it? I guess, like our knowledge of mankind's history, it is written by the victors, by the strong, and by the people who can convince other that it is correct. Off the back of that last sentence, another theme explored is power, who holds power, how did they get to hold it, and how are they going to wield it and keep it. Rather than turn this review into a full-on psychological exploration though I will lock Freud out and wrap things up.

I genuinely could go on and on analysing this film and interpreting different meanings from the actions on display - and this is a testament to the film and how well it is presented and delivered. I genuinely enjoyed it and recommend it to people. It's not something I could put kids in front of with it' 18 rating, but it certainly is something that people can enjoy. Even if you do not read into this rare and unappreciated masterpiece like I do - let us say you just come for the pretty lights and sounds - then you should still find some enjoyment here. It is gruesome, it is gory, it is funny, and it is thrilling. It is got suspense, it is got action, it is got the level of dark humour that us Brits do oh so well.

Except for the cinematography, I was truely bored by this movie. Was the director trying to be shocking, or clever, or funny. Nothing was accomplished as far as I can tell. I kept waiting for something clever to occur but it never did. The ending was ridiculous, and much of the gore was overdone. With such a good cast, how could this director make such a mess.

Guy Pearce leads Jeffrey Jones, Robert Carlyle, David Arquette and more in a action-filled, horror thriller. Set during the backdrop of the Civil War, it follows Capt. John Boyd (Pearce) who is sent to the icy Nevada wilderness as result of cowardice. The music is awesome, the costumes are wounderfully designed and the elements of horror make this film one to see many times! The art direction is great and the story is what horror fans have been waiting for. Just like how the cover says, a cross between a vampire film and a cannibalism film. Those two put together create one of the most elaborate horror films ever.

I promise you that RAVENOUS will enthrall you until the very final frame. Hell, even the credits are exciting. The violence is pretty extreme (which is good) and the gloomy atmosphere and the icy bitterness of the Nevada Mountains is very good at creating a genuinely chilling mood for this awesome horror thriller! RAVENOUS: 5/5.