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.