Apocalypse domani

This is a movie that follows a lot of the conventions of a zombie movie, the main difference being that instead of being dead, these flesh-eaters are alive, just taken over by a virus that turns them into deranged cannibals. It's an interesting concept, and this film features a lot of interesting scenes that you just don't see portrayed too often, such as a bizarre molestation in a film theater, and a long, tense standoff with a crazed gunman in a resale store.

This movie shows the influence of Dawn of the Dead all over it, from the resale store biker rampage and standoff to the final scenes, in which a group of four with the exact same gender/ethnic makeup as in DotD hole up against outside invaders. The interesting twist this time is that THEY are the pursued flesh-eaters, rather than the other way around.

This movie, while having rich and deep cheese deposits, also actually has some quality to it. It sustains a creepy and tense tone tied around John Saxon's growing obsession with consuming human flesh, and his struggle and fear about giving into those impulses. Saxon carries off his 'upright soldier' persona so well that one both empathizes with his struggle, and fears what will happen once his intensity is channeled into being evil. The direction is actually very good, with many shots carefully composed to create and sustain a great deal of tension and menace. And then there's just the story, which covers the first days of a viral outbreak as it begins to spread and people begin to wake up to what is going on, which is also pretty fascinating.

There's also an additional layer of tension to the movie (compared to a traditional zombie movie) in that after someone's been bitten, you aren't sure WHEN they will start turning into a crazed flesh-eater. In a regular zombie movie, they're dead until they wake up again, here they're a normal person until suddenly they just snap, which is cool.

Though this is supposed to be an 'extreme gore classic,' it's pretty tame by today's standards. When your big gore payoff shot has been done to comic effect in Death Becomes Her, the edge is pretty much gone.

Okay, now onto the individually delightful cheese elements: Stock helicopter footage opens the picture. There should be some kind of film festival of movies that incorporate unrelated stock footage, the supreme champion obviously being Hell of the Living Dead.

A guy pets a dog with an obvious explosive around its neck. He explodes—and then the funky disco music begins! What's more, the music was actually pretty good! Please note: potential cannibals should not keep huge slabs of unwrapped bloody meat in their fridge. I mean, obviously everyone does, but if you suffer from cannibalistic tendencies… A young girl comes onto John Saxon (who wouldn't?) by wanting to borrow a hair dryer. Her hair is not wet. She then reveals herself as an unhinged psychotic while blowing him (um, with the dryer) while he's trying to have an important phone conversation (with another unhinged psychotic), which would earn a punch in the mouth from me (but I am not susceptible to nubile vixens). Motorcycle chase in warehouse/resale store! Hard-bitten detective asks about mad gunman: "Is he subversive? Queer? Black? Commie?" Uptight mother advises daughter to stop "acting like a hussy!" They set real rats on fire! That's not nice.

There are EXTENSIVE background materials on the DVD, one of which tells two interesting stories: 1) That John Saxon couldn't understand enough of the script (badly translated from Italian) to know that he was in an extreme gore flick, and 2) Radice tells an incredible story about refusing to kill a real pig, leading to his "accidentally" almost severing an assistant's hand with a meat cleaver. Oops. But the docs get boring pretty quickly.

Hey, there are lot of other reviews of bad and cheesy movies (plus a lot of good movies) on my website, Cinema de Merde, which you can find through the URL in my email address.

Cannibals in the Streets occupies that peculiar middle ground where ambitious exploitation cinema meets budgetary reality, resulting in a film that's neither memorably trashy nor genuinely effective. This 1980 entry into Italy's zombie boom feels like a workmanlike effort from a director clearly more comfortable behind the camera than wrestling with coherent storytelling.

The film's greatest asset lies in its grimy urban atmosphere. Margheriti and his cinematographer capture a decaying cityscape that feels authentically post-apocalyptic, with shadowy alleyways and abandoned buildings providing a suitably oppressive backdrop. The practical effects, while uneven, occasionally achieve moments of genuine visceral impact - particularly in the film's more intimate attack sequences where close-quarters camera work heightens the claustrophobic terror.

John Saxon delivers a committed performance as the weary scientist, bringing gravitas to material that doesn't always deserve it. His weathered presence anchors scenes that might otherwise drift into unintentional comedy. Elizabeth Turner, as the resourceful journalist, demonstrates solid screen presence despite being saddled with dialogue that veers between exposition-heavy and laughably stilted.

Where "Cannibals in the Streets" stumbles is in its pacing and tonal consistency. Margheriti seems uncertain whether he's crafting a serious horror film or embracing the genre's more exploitative elements. This indecision results in sequences that feel disconnected, with momentum frequently grinding to a halt for unnecessary subplot diversions. The film's final act, while featuring some of its most intense moments, feels rushed and somewhat arbitrary in its resolution.

The score deserves particular mention for its effectively minimalist approach, using synthesized drones and sudden musical stings to create unease without overwhelming the sound design. However, some dubbing issues typical of the era occasionally pull viewers out of crucial dramatic moments.

John Saxon has spoken out against this movie many times and seems ashamed for having been involved in it. The way he goes on about it you would think that he was tricked into making an exploitation movie via some kinda 'Caligula'-esque ruse. But all I can say is a)just look at Saxon's career. I love the guy but c'mon, 'Queen Of Blood', 'Enter The Dragon', 'Mitchell', 'The Bees' and 'Battle Beyond The Stars' aren't exactly Jean Luc Godard, know what I'm saying? And b) I think if you sign up for a movie that involves Vietnam vets infected with a "cannibal virus" you kinda KNOW what you're getting in for, don't you think?

'Cannibal Apocalypse' attempts to cash in on both the 70s Italian cannibal cycle started by Deodato, and the the success of 'The Deerhunter' and 'Apocalypse Now'. It is absolutely stupid in concept, above average in execution, and isn't totally successful because of its timidity in showing disturbing in your face gore. I like the way Saxon and most of the others play the ludicrous material with a straight face, but unfortunately there are too many dull sections and not enough cannibalism! The movie begins well enough in the all too brief Vietnam sequence, but never lives up to the promise shown in the first ten minutes. It's quickly downhill all the way after that, only rescued by one or two blackly humorous scenes. What you end up with is a half-baked Romero rip-off. I say go straight to 'Dawn Of The Dead' or 'The Crazies'.

Maybe the fact that this particular cannibal movie wasn't directed by one of the usual suspects (Lenzi, Deodato) is what makes it so tolerable. Saxon plays a soldier who goes back to some south Asian country to rescue his POW buddies. He doesn't seem too bothered by the fact that when he finds him, they're eating human flesh, or that one of them bites him, and infects him with some kind of cannibal virus. Fast forward a number of years, and Saxon is gettin a hankerin for some human meat. This all happens about the time that his buddies decide to break out the mental hospital they're in. It all ends up with Saxon and his buddies infecting a bunch of people, and running from the law in the sewers. Cannibal city, baby.

Radice getting his abdomen blown clean out with a shotgun is reason alone to watch this movie (if you can figure out how they did this effect, let me know). The rest is pretty standard, as far as movies go, but it is a lot better than most cannibal movies. At least it takes place in the city and not in some jungle. Worth a look, if you're a cannibal or John Saxon fan.

Renting this movie I thought it would be the usual cannibal carnage only set in the city and it was but with a surprising difference it had a zombie type virus in it as well.Two of my favourite genre's in one and I thoroughly enjoyed it.Its about a group of vietnam vets who return to America with a cannibal virus and anyone they attack also become cannibals.It stars John Saxon,Tony King and Giovanni Lombardo Radice(my favourite actor)as the vietnam vets. I recommend this movie to any cannibal and/or zombie movie fan so check it out if you can find it.