Inferno in diretta

From the director of Cannibal Holocaust - undoubtedly one of the most impressive movies ever made - comes this action packed thriller about drug dealing and ruthless murder. The film has also a strong adventure-oriented impact that makes other adventure-films as the Indiana Jones-trilogy look like The Adventures of Winnie Pooh (oops - I'm not even sure how to spell this cuddly bear...). Michael Berryman and Richard Lynch give fine performances, and make sure you get the strong uncut version of this film: unfortunately, it was released in two different cuts, the more common one looks like an arbitrary action movie, while the rare version is packed with gross gore FX that strengthen the impact of this enjoyable pic.

Cut and Run is one of Deodato's strangest films due to the bizarre mix of genres. The film balances horror, action and adventure elements with gritty cocaine smuggling and hostage situation subplots. There is even an Apocalypse Now inspired crazy Colonel living with natives in the jungle. To say that the film bites off more than it can chew is an understatement, but that the fact that the film works at all is a great testament to Deodato's unique talent.

There is little point passing comment on the film's plot because it virtually makes no sense. There is, for example, no explanation at how the Indian killings in the Amazon jungle simultaneously take place in Miami and the entire subplot involving Colonel Horne remains a mystery. The jumbled plot does have the advantage of giving Deodato the opportunity to dabble in different genres and he shows yet again why he is such an underrated filmmaker. Deodato's direction is technically brilliant and he brings his usual sense of flair to the film's action and horror set pieces. The dramatic moments are less successfully handled and unusually for a Deodato film, some sentimentality creeps in towards the end of the film.

The film really picks up every time the Indians attack. Horror fans might be annoyed by the infrequency of the gore, but when the killings do occur, Deodato does not disappoint. There are beheadings, spears through the neck, darts in the neck and one of Deodato's best ever deaths when a man is literally ripped limb from limb (according to Deodato, inspired by the Vietcong). Part of the fun is watching legendary genre actor Michael Berryman camping it up as a demented Indian. He has several great moments in what is one of his more memorable roles. The other actors are also pretty good. Lisa Blount makes an impression as Fran and Richard Lynch always does a good job of acting crazy, making a perfect Colonel Horne.

Also worth a mention are Claudio Simonetti's great synth score and the beautiful photography of the jungle landscape (Venezuela doubling for Colombia). Fans of Deodato should check out the accompanying "Uncut and Run" documentary in which Deodato rather amusingly talks about the shoot, stealing Wes Craven's job as the director and even bluntly says which actors he did not enjoy working with. Cut and Run might lack cohesion but it remains a highly enjoyable minor work from a truly great director.

Cut and Run (1985)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Reporter Fran Hudson (Lisa Blount) takes her cameraman Mark (Leonard Mann) to the jungle to try and locate the son (Willie Aames) of a television executive who went missing. Pretty soon they learn that someone who was believed killed at Jonestown actually survived and appears to be building a new cult around the drug cartels.

Ruggero Deodato's third film in his cannibal series isn't nearly as known as JUNGLE HOLOCAUST or CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST but in its own way CUT AND RUN is a memorable little movie as long as you don't go into it expecting anything like the first two films. Apparently this screenplay was originally meant to be directed by Wes Craven but when he walked the screenplay pretty much stayed. This isn't your typical Italian cannibal movie but instead an attempt to make a more mainstream picture. In a lot of ways this here reminded me of a Cannon picture.

I say that because you've got an exploitation movie that has the budget of something you'd expect from Cannon. I will give Deodato credit in the fact that he managed to turn in a fairly good adventure and he didn't shy away from the sleaze. There's all sorts of nudity in the film, some insane violence and all of this makes for a very entertaining film. There are all sorts of violence in the film including some decapitations and various other body parts being chopped off. If you're idea of fun is gore then there's certainly plenty of that here. The sleaze factor is certainly up there so fans of that should be happy.

Another major plus is the fact that you've got some very familiar faces. I thought Blount, Mann and Aames were all quite good in their roles but you've also got Richard Lynch, Richard Bright, Karen Black and cult favorite Michael Berryman. While none of the characters are well-written, the cast is at least entertaining enough to keep you into the movie. There's even a pretty good jump scare where the director puts your focus on some crocodiles only to have something else happen.

CUT AND RUN doesn't have the greatest idea for a plot and there are some other minor issues but if you're a fan of this type of movie then it makes for a good adventure film.

Ruggero Deodato is most widely known for his controversial masterpiece "Cannibal Holocaust" of 1980, which makes him a genius director in my book. None of his other films comes anywhere near the brilliance of "Cannibal Holocaust", and yet most of them are extremely entertaining films that fans of the gory and nasty kind of cinema should appreciate. Deodato's repertoire includes a variety of films of different (sub-)genres such as "L'Ultimo Mondo Cannibale" (aka. "Jungle Holocaust", 1977), "House On The Edge Of The Park" (1980) , or "Live Like A Cop, Die Like A Man" (1976, a Poliziottoesco which I have yet to see), and this "Inferno In Diretta" aka. "Cut And Run" of 1985. While this is certainly not one of Deodato's best films, it is definitely a must-see for his fans.

"Cut And Run" is a film that, once again, takes place in the jungle. The film may not be as disturbing as "Cannibal Holocaust" or some other films by Deodato, but it is certainly not for the faint-hearted. There are no cannibals this time, but there's an atrocious drug-war going on instead, and Deodato is, as usual, not exactly stingy with explicit violence, nauseating gore and genuine nastiness. Horror fans should especially appreciate the casting of Michael Berryman ("The Hills Have Eyes") who, once again, has the creepiest role in the film. Lisa Blount ("Prince Of Darkness") and Leonard Mann, whom Spaghetti Western fans might know for films like "Forgotten Pistolero" or "Three Amens For Satan", play the leading roles as a reporter and a cameraman. The supporting cast furthermore includes Italian genre-cinema regulars John Steiner and Gabriele Tinti. The score is delivered by the great Claudio Simonetti, the genius composer and keyboard player of Progressive Rock band Goblin, who is responsible for most of the greatest scores in Italian Horror cinema. The greatest aspect of "Cut And Run" is the brilliant photography - Deodato sure knows how to to give the jungle the menacing atmosphere of a green Inferno. "Cut And Run" is certainly not one of his greatest films, but his fans should definitely not miss this violent dose of action-packed Deodato jungle-madness!

"Cannibal Holocaust"(1979)is one of my favourite horror movies ever.It's truly a masterpiece of gut-wrenching horror.In comparison to it "Cut and Run" is rather tame,but it features some nasty scenes of violence like where one guy is cut in half by the jungle trap.Sure,it's brutal but not as nasty as "Cannibal Holocaust" or even "Jungle Holocaust"(1978).There's no animal cruelty or sexual violence(apart from the rape scene near the beginning),but the action is fast-paced,the acting is decent enough(I love especially the performance by Michael Berryman-this guy is creepy!)and the script by Cesare Frugone and Dardano Sacchetti is fairly good.So if you like violent and sleazy action give this one a look,just don't expect another "Cannibal Holocaust".7 out of 10.