Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals

Also known as "Emmanuelle and the Last Cannibals," as well as in the USA, "Trap Them and Kill Them," this is a gory sexcapade through the amazon. Two "friends" (who seem to have sex every 5 minutes) take a trip to the jungles to study a last clan of cannibals deemed to exist. It is there that they run into a bunch of different people (who also love to have sex, I might add) who join their expedition and in turn, get a not so friendly greeting from the cannibals. It is then that the buckets full of gore come in, and the sex stops. Pretty good for its day, especially the acting and gore effects, but director Joe D'Amato could have done without all of those cheap excuses to show so much sex. It's almost like watching a gory porn. UnratedX

Much with like Nun or Nazi-sploitation, the Italian cannibal movie cycle of the 1970's is something of a bizarre enigma of a niche genre to the uninitiated. To the average layperson, Italians and cannibal movies must seem terribly outlandish... but then again so would the idea of Herzog shooting so many German-language films in the Amazon. Italy actually made at least 5 serious cannibal/jungle adventures and around 10 lesser ones from 1972-1988. This one lacks the professionalism of Ruggero Deodato's, the style of Umberto Lenzi's, and the austere grandeur and seriousness of Sergio Martino's efforts, but makes up for it with ample sex and lurid cheesiness.

Yup, this is the one and only true soft-core porn-themed Italian cannibal movie, complete with plenty of self-pleasury, lesbianry, voyeury, buggery, and plain ol' missionary. One of those films that makes you feel dirty while watching it or later with the mere memory of having seen it.

One of the lower-budgeted efforts ranking down there with ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST, EMANUELLE IN THE LAST CANNIBALS must have been shot mostly just outside Rome. Awful gore effects only enhance the fun, but the real stars of the show are the even worse-than-usual dubbing, shamefully bad dialog, and many questionable directorial touches. Right when you're laughing out loud at the film, it often switches gears into 'sex mode' with numerous soft-core scenes which act as plot-padding filler. Thankfully the animal-killing scenes are in short supply for a change.

Acting-wise, they could have done a lot worse. Save for Japanese actor Al Yamanouchi's hilarious early-career miscasting as an uncredited Latino guide, the cast is most appropriate with a good cross-section of Italian B-movie characters of the time. Donal O'Brien chews scenery wonderfully as a hard-as-nails guide, Gabriele Tinti gives just as earnest a leading man performance as he did in his earlier art-house days, Laura Gemser & Nieves Navarro look pretty and seems comfortable with the rampant nudity. Also watch for ubiquitous euro-fatman and villain voice-over actor Geoffrey Copleston as a random Amazonian landowner. All that's missing are cameos from George Eastman or Luc Merenda.

Fidenco's score gives a certain level of cheesy seriousness to the thing, but also pegs it all as sexually-themed. This film was more-or-less remade much more professionally years later as CANNIBAL FEROX with no sex and much more violence. Among its genre peers, this film (which I'll call TRAP THEM AND KILL THEM this time) ranks among the more enjoyable in that in the unintentional hilarity department it ranks second only to EATEN ALIVE.

This is not a good movie by any means, it's technically crude and pretty boring actually, BUT it may very well be the ultimate cult experience! Half soft-porno flick and half gory cannibal shocker (with the gore effects being good for their time), it's a truly mind-boggling hybrid. Even wackier than "Caligula" ! (**)

Well, I'll tell ya one thing. Considering it's only 1976, these ain't the last cannibals, by any means. However, the legendary Emanuelle, along with her love scenes are present and ready for anything these bloodthirsty primitives throw at her! I've always been a fan of the films of Joe D'amato. Films like Beyond The Darkness and Anthropophagus are some of the most disturbing, and all around best that vintage Italian Exploitation has to offer. But I didn't realize until recently that D'amato's body of work extends to yet another sub-genre. Anyway, welcome back to the jungle.

Emanuelle, Journalist/nympho, is working undercover in a hospital. She comes across a girl who was evidently raised by a tribe of Amazonian cannibals. Emanuelle and pals somehow end up in the Amazon. As if that's gonna help anything. As usual, they end up regretting their adventurous nature.

And I'd just love to tell you that Emanuelle And The Last Cannibals is some kind of a gruesome, gory bloodbath, which includes mutilations and castrations like its counterparts, but sorry, not today. And not the usual trapped/hopeless/nightmarish vibe, either. This one is about the love scenes.

Yet, the movie is still semi-gory. So, ultimately, everyone wins... Ya know what? I take that back. And here's why. It just occurred to me that Joe D'amato has thrown xxx love scenes in a number of his films. Not to mention he's made a lot of gore flicks that would put this particular one to shame.

So, tell me, what exactly stopped the man from making Emanuelle And The Last Cannibals a gore-drenched Jungle-Porno... The cannibal masterpiece! But no! Wasn't meant to be. I was ready to give this one an 8/10, but I guess that wasn't meant to be, either. So, 7 it is!

Now,don't think I'm not recommending this, as 7 is still respectable, but it just happens to be lacking in the obvious jungle gore qualities. But, see it!. By all means, definitely see it! Just make sure you see the others, too. Jungle Holocaust and Cannibal Ferox would be a good start. But if it's the love scenes that you're all about, then you might be happy to know that there's an actual Emanuelle series. Emanuelle In America, Emanuelle In Bangkok, Women's Prison Massacre. So, if you're looking for Sexploitation, only. There you go. Otherwise, the last cannibals are waiting! 7/10

The fifth part of the Black Emanuelle series starring Laura Gemser is, along with Emanuelle in America, the most of famous of them all. And with a good reason: The movie is a entertainment mix of softcore sex, "extreme" gore and adventure epic! The plot goes like this: While doing an undercover work in a mental hospital, Emanuelle discovers a girl who seems to have been raised by a cannibal tribe. She decides to go to the Amazonian jungle and there she finds that the supposedly extinct tribe is very much alive and the massacre starts! Even if the movie has a typical "cannibal flick" plot, and the gore is a bit restrained (but amusing to watch), the purpose of the movie is to show as much nudity as you can in a 90 minutes movie. And in that, the movie doesn't disappoint a bit. The main actresses are all very attractive, especially Laura Gemser and Euro horror regular Susan Scott (Death Walks at Midnight).

On a side note, the soundtrack of this one is pure gold! Written by Nico Fidenco, the catchy main tune is very effective.

It's not as good as Emanuelle in America, but I still recommend this to anyone who likes 70s exploitation cinema! 7/10