Cannibal Apocalypse - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Cannibal Apocalypse tells the story of an epidemic of violence and carnage. Norman Hopper (John Saxon), is an emotionally devastated man who’s seen unspeakable horrors as a combat veteran in Vietnam. In the film’s opening, he and his squad embark on a rescue mission for their fellow American POWs held captive by the VC. Hopper sees his men feasting on human flesh and he himself is bitten by one of the cannibalistic soldiers.

Years, perhaps even decades later, Hopper is still troubled by his memories and wakes up in a cold sweat. His wife is afraid that his sanity is slipping. As fate would have it, one of Hopper's old Vietnam buddies shows up in town and awakens his taste for human flesh that he’s denied himself for all these years. His war buddy, Charles Bukowski (yes, like the poet; played by Giovanni Lombardo Radice of House on the Edge of the Park), also finds his once-dormant hunger awoken. Bukowski bites a girl at the movies and gets into an armed standoff with the cops. He’s taken alive, after a tense, bloody siege, and one of the cops is bitten.

The people who are bitten develop a taste for the flesh, too. They bite someone, who winds up biting someone, who winds up biting someone, and so on, and so on, until madness runs rampant on the streets. This being a thoroughly Italian exploitation flick, madness comes in the form of graphic disemboweling, tongues being bitten clean off, electric saws cutting through human flesh and meat in unflinching, gratuitous detail. In other words, living up to its reputation.

John Saxon, who’s regularly excellent in whatever he’s in, from Enter the Dragon to Nightmare on Elm Street, doesn’t half-ass it as Hopper. He doesn't treat it as some lesser work in his filmography. Hopper is a scared, broken man teetering on the edge of sanity, and when he’s finally pushed over, he struggles in vain to redeem himself. There’s a vulnerability to his performance that really helps elevate the sleaze into a tragic, human story.

Cannibal Apocalypse isn’t quite on the same level of some of Italian exploitation’s more famous movies, and at just slightly over 90 minutes, it feels far, far too long—there’s enough material here for maybe 45 minutes. Many budding plots hinted at in the first reel never come to fruition. Often, when the film isn’t indulging itself in excess, it can be quite dull. But, when it works, it works. Beyond the shocking deaths and liberal bloodletting, there is a technical skill to the filmmaking that can’t be denied. Director Antonio Margheriti (whose name gets used by Eli Roth as a pseudonym in Inglourious Basterds) isn’t merely content with using the plot as a flimsy structure from which to hang violent set pieces. The story itself unfurls organically, dictated by characters driven mad by a virus, and makes decisions along the way, both good and bad.

Antonio Margheriti's Cannibal Apocalypse is on the more coherent, somewhat less trashy end of the "Cannibal Boom" spectrum. It's still a rollicking good time through a piece of Italian exploitation sleaze. It’s not as difficult to watch as the notorious Cannibal Holocaust, and plays with conventions of the genre, combining it the rise of exploitation features about Vietnam veterans falling into an inescapable spiral of violence and gore (like the Exterminator films, or Stryker's War).

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Cannibal Apocalypse chomps its way onto 4K in a two-disc case containing the film on both a 4K UHD Blu-ray and a 1080p HD Blu-ray. The case comes with a removable slip and the artwork inside is reversible—newly commissioned artwork on one side, and the original poster artwork on the other. The film’s audio presentation is in both DTS 2.0 stereo and DTS 5.1 surround. Kino Cult, as usual, has put great work into the physical presentation on the case, commissioning new artwork and preserving the retro cover from previous releases.

Though Cannibal Apocalypse lacks any sort of HDR, the existing transfer this film has gotten is truly excellent. I can't imagine it looking much better than this. With a healthy amount of film grain present, but not so overpowering as to exaggerate the look of an exploitation film, details come in sharp and deep. Some shots, which were clearly on a low-light-friendly stock, look unbelievably, over-the-top grainy and noisy, but those shots are few and far between. For the vast majority of the film's run time, it looks damn near, dare I say, pristine. Kino Cult has done an incredible job restoring Cannibal Apocalypse from its 35mm negative. Colors are rich and vibrant, especially the reds of the blood that flows through the film from beginning to end. A movie like Cannibal Apocalypse has no business looking this good. This is masterful work.

Cannibal Apocalypse is presented on a lossless DTS HD-MA 2.0 soundtrack, with an optional DTS HD-MA 5.1 surround soundtrack. For the purpose of the review I listened to both and they're real close. The 5.1 mix sounded more or less like a duplication of the 2.0 stereo mix, with a few errant sound effects, like the "woompf" of a flamethrower, or throttling motorcycle, thrown into the rears. A few arbitrary effects make their way to the rears, like some echoing voices in the sewers in the film's climax, but for the most part, even with the 5.1 mix, this is going to be a very front-heavy presentation. Half the time, even the film's score doesn't even come through on the rear speakers.

Please note, I'm not complaining. Between the two, I'm going to say the 2.0 mix is the better one, but they both sounded excellent. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear, favored over the numerous effects and never gets lost in the bass-thumping, funky exploitation score. The score produces plenty of LFEs to get the subwoofer in on the fun.

All special features for Cannibal Apocalypse are found on the Blu-ray disc, also housed in the same case as the 4K UHD Blu-ray. Some of the special features, like Cannibal Apocalypse Redux were available on previous releases, such as the Image Entertainment DVD, but are very much worth seeing (either again or for the first time). The documentary/making-of compiles interviews with the cast and crew, many of whom are veterans of the Italian cannibal movie genre.

The special features here are enough to keep you entertained and provide you with a history on the making of Cannibal Apocalypse and the overall history of the late 70s, early 80s exploitation films. They're curated for both newbies, just discovering these films, or for longtime veterans who want to learn a little more about this specific entry.

• Audio Commentary by Film Historian Tim Lucas
• Cannibal Apocalypse Redux: Documentary (SD 54:11) 
• Cannibal King: Interview with Actor Tony King (HD 10:01)
• Apocalypse in the Streets: Video Tour of Filming Locations (SD 6:40)
• Alternate Opening Title Sequence
• Trailers

Cannibal Apocalypse ain't high art, but it is a well-made, disgusting exploitation film with a bit of conscience and something to say about a world gone mad. Kino Cult's work on the film's restoration is beyond reproach--visually, and with a well-balanced sound mix. The special features are well-curated and dig into the fascinating history of Italian exploitation, and cannibal films, and serve as a great introduction for those unfamiliar with the genre, but has enough information for long-time fans, too. Kino Cult's release of Cannibal Apocalypse comes Highly Recommended. Just try not to watch it right after  eating.