Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals

If you're familiar at all with the name Emanuelle (or Emmanuelle which is the official character) the title should immediately tell you what the movie is like. A mix of two popular grindhouse genres: the cannibal film, and the sexploitation film. This combo could easily be done horribly and seen as an attempt to cash in on the popularity of the genres at the time. Most seem to view this pretty poorly but I thought it was actually surprisingly well done.

The "Black Emanulle" series that this is a part of is most infamous for Emanulle in America which blended sex, simulated snuff violence, and other attention grabbers such as a horse named Pedro. While the sex doesn't go as far as that title and there aren't the same kind of shock tactics used it follows in the spirit of that title well. Emanulle is among other things a reporter that often goes undercover for provocative stories. While going undercover in a mental hospital she witnesses a young cannibal bite a nurse's breast. Seeking to know more about cannibals and the tribe that particular cannibal was from she ends up going on an expedition to the amazon to find a tribe of cannibals thought extinct. While exploring the jungle they find more and more evidence of cannibal attacks as the cannibals begin to close in on her and her companions. Eventually some of the crew get kidnapped and there is a gory cannibal filled finale.

The movie is not exactly high art so while the plot is pretty decent its not the most important part of the movie. Action, gore, and sex are probably more important in a movie like this. While there is a mix of sex and violence throughout it starts off more focused on sex and then focuses more on the cannibal violence. It is kind of slow paced as there is a sizable chunk of the movie where they are just exploring the jungle without too much action happening. Still one of the things I like about cannibal movies (best example being Cannibal Holocaust) is the journey through some exotic place, and dealing with wildlife and traps and all that. There is also some tension given through the use of cannibal pov shots that give a feeling of them being watched. This movie definitely isn't the best cannibal or sex film and kind of leaves you wanting more of both kinds of action. Some of the dubbing is pretty bad giving some pretty cheesy sounding dialogue. However, the strength of the free spirited Emanulle character as well of the mix of different elements makes up for its flaws and makes it work on its own terms. Plus its always a pleasure to watch Laura Gesmer as the title character.

I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Emanulle in America as well as anyone who likes cannibal films and doesn't expect the next Cannibal Holocaust. Its a fun mix of 70's style sex and violence and most grindhouse fans should be able to appreciate it for that. Another positive to note is that real animal violence seems to be absent here which is something that is unfortunately present in most of the more noteworthy cannibal films. Hardcore cannibal fans might be disappointed there isn't more cannibal action and find it takes too long to get there. Don't go in expecting the goriest cannibal action you've seen or a really fast paced movie. Still the gore effects are pretty well done with the exception of one really lazy effect where a guy gets torn in half yet doesn't bleed one bit. Its not a perfect movie yet with most movies that try for a lot you forgive its flaws and try to enjoy the good points. Overall, I found this to be an extremely enjoyable movie and think that anyone who finds the premise of interest should at least try to rent this.

Baise Moi

"Controversial" movie that fails on every level. The sex is not arousing in any way. The violence is not amusing or disgusting. It is not a thought provoking film. Its not well shot or well written. Its only ok as a "so bad its good" film and even then its not in any way recommended. A few funny (probably accidental) lines are the only enjoyment to be had. I like grindhouse movies, horror, splatter films, soft and hard porn, as well as artistic movies. The elements of this movie (rape, sex, and violence) are not off putting to me but the handling of it is. Even the rape seems too gently done to be disturbing. The acting is horrible. Despite claims of being a deep movie its title actually translates to "fuck me" not "rape me" as some thought.

You may have hear of this as kind of a feminist movie or a foreign movie that played in art houses. Or seen the large coverage this movie has gotten and the hype its gotten as a controversial and disturbing movie. It seems like it should be a credible well made movie with its reputation. However, its less credible and well made than exploitation films that are usually considered trash. That it written and directed by women may be part of the legitimacy the movie has gained. The plot is really basic and really doesn't go anywhere. Two women get raped and kill people. Often men are killed after having sex with them but there isn't any real one theme the movie sticks to as they kill pretty randomly. The sex shown is "real" as there is actual penetration like hardcore porn though the sex actually feels quite fake as no one seems to be enjoying it. The films throws a few more details of plot but gives them in a really disconnected way leaving no real story to get into. This quote from the wikipedia plot synopsis really says it all, "The pair discuss what they have done, and agree that it has all been pointless because nothing has changed inside them." You will feel the same way after watching the movie. If the violent scenes had been convincingly disturbing or the plot engaging this movie might have had something to offer. Even the explicit sex doesn't offer anything despite the fact that the actresses have actually done porn.

It might help to put this movie in context with movie that have similar elements. Thriller a Cruel Picture is a much better revenge movie with sex. Troma movies at their worst have more convincing special effects then this. Almost all blood is shown after the fact leaving it feeling very poorly done. Some may say the low budget look makes it seem more real but with such poor special effects it really takes you out of the movie and just makes it laughable. Shortbus was a much better attempt at incorporating real sex with a real movie. It probably helped that everyone involved with that movie seemed to have positive (maybe overly so) and healthy views of sexuality. I'm used to low budget movies but while some directors can do a lot with a low budget (Dante Tomaselli for one) this gets nothing done and feels like it was done with the lowest budget possible. It's an exploitation flick so don't pretend its art house, cause though it played in art house cinemas, they have pretty much taken the place of grindhouse cinemas in that they'll play anything. Its also one that fails to use the elements it exploits (sex and violence) to be in any way interesting or entertaining. Its seems only those who justify as a deep feminist movie or those who have never seen a decent exploitation film are those who are the only ones shocked and impressed with the movie. Anyone who's watched porn and watched exploitation and horror that's decent will wonder what the fuss is about. Avoid unless you like to find depth in movies that have none. Deserves to be considered one of the worst movies ever. Such films are usually credited with wrecking lives: Karen Lancaume one of the main actresses in the movie committed suicide in 2005. While it may be unrealistic given its fairly positive reception to completely blame this movie on that I'm sure being in this movie couldn't have helped.

Holy Mountain

This film by Alexandro Jodorowsky could be considered artistic and highly symbolic. As such it can be kind of hard to completely enjoy for the average viewer and is slow paced and often feels pretty aimless. What gives it an appeal outside the art house crowd and more to the cult and exploitation crowd as well is that it contains some blasphemous, grotesque, and just plain odd imagery and characters. I'm sure most would call this a "love it or hate it" kind of movie but I just ended up kinda liked it.

Its not even until watching the movie for a while that its even apparent that there is a plot. The plot starts with a focus on the character of a thief and shows plenty of absurd imagery until we get to the alchemist. From there he shows himself as a sort of spiritual leader. During his ceremonies we get to see among other things feces getting turned into gold. After "cleansing" the thief we meet his companions in a journey to become immortal. Don't expect much of the actual journey though its more about getting there and more philosophical themes. The introductions to the various characters is my favorite part and is where things start picking up. The actual stories behind the characters that are to go on the journey seem to have nothing to do with the overall plot. They actually make you start to forget everything before it as you go one by one though the backgrounds of each of the eight or so extra characters. So while it further disconnects any narrative it is an interesting aside. From there the actual journey is shown which is mainly characters confronting internal demons or being faced with choices. Then you get a twist ending which either add meaning or makes the whole thing pointless depending on your point of view.

Among the problems I had with the movie is lack of a cohesive plot and any real character development. To be asking for or expecting those things in a movie like this may be missing the point somewhat as its a heavily symbolic movie. Still the most interesting part of the movie is where you get a peek into the various characters lives and its pretty disappointing that they don't really go anywhere with it. The movie is definitely trying to convey a message or at least provoke thought but is a bit too confusingly told to seriously take much from it. Some real character development would have been nice but it seems the "character" most important to the movie is you. Once you get to the end you'll see what I mean. If you like absurd "out there" movies this is worth a watch at least for some of the absurd imagery. Just take everything in and be patient in the beginning to enjoy this film the most. Otherwise, if a movie heavy on symbolism and light on plot doesn't sound like something you'd enjoy its probably best to just avoid this movie.

Izo

Now this is something different. Takashi Miike is known for putting out extreme and unconventional movies but this one even has some of his fans scratching their heads. Admittedly, this was a kind of a hard movie to watch and in a way feels like it doesn't really go anywhere. However, its a really interesting movie with cool and bloody action, some interesting bits of philosophy, and cool but not always related musical interludes from a Japanese folk singer. Its as oddly disconnected as that sounds yet it still works in its own way.

The movie is about the guy the movie is name after "Izo" who was a samurai and assassin who killed a whole lot of people. The movie starts with him getting crucified and basically skewered in the sides with spears in a very graphic way. From there you see his restless soul randomly go from one situation to the next. These situations pretty much all involve Izo killing them. Meanwhile there seems to be an elite group aware of Izo's presence and discussing what to do about him and just what exactly he is. There's also some stock WW2 footage and the before mentioned folk singer who sings usually right after a slaughter of people by Izo. And that's mostly the whole movie. There is a lot of repetition in the movie but that seems to partially be the point. There also isn't any kind of rewarding ending but the journey itself is so different and interesting that its flaws which would normally make any other movie unwatchable are only minor detraction's here.

There are a lot of things that make this movie more likable than a might seem. The dialogue can be very interesting and the way situations play out with Izo and people whom he's encountered in life and now encountering in death usually have some kind of dark humor or show just how cold hearted Izo is. Its usually some variation of Izo screaming at how corrupt authority is or being cold to someone who cared for him but the ways its done makes it interesting. There's also some bits that show how Izo came to be so murderous and you get a feel for how tortured he is. It can also be philosophical with questions of existence, life, death, and the entire movie also seems to be a sort of meditation on violence in general... or I might be reading too much into it. The point is that with how Takashi Miike handled the movie what should been been a dumb, violent, slaughter flick does end up being more. Whether that's good or bad and whether it makes up for the length combined with the repetition could vary depending on the viewer.

Definitely worth a watch if you want something "out there" and a bit philosophical as well as bloody and messed up. Be prepared for a long movie with a fair amount of repetition and no single payoff moment where everything comes together neatly or the main character has a revelation or anything like that. I liked the movie a lot but I could see a lot of people not liking this.