Ultimo mondo cannibale (1977)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Ruggero Deodato

Writers:

Tito Carpi (screenplay)
Gianfranco Clerici (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

March 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Horror

Tagline:

Can this modern man survive in a Stone Age world?

Plot:

An oil prospector escapes from capture by a primitive cannibal tribe in the Philippine rain forest and heads out to locate his missing companion and their plane to return home.

Plot Keywords:

Cannibal | Escape | Jungle | Primitive | Part Of Trilogy

Cast

Massimo Foschi	...	Robert Harper
Me Me Lai	...	Pulan
Ivan Rassimov	...	Rolf
Sheik Razak Shikur	...	Charlie
Judy Rosly	...	Swan
Suleiman	...	Native
Shamsi	...	Native

Directed by
Ruggero Deodato

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tito Carpi		screenplay
Gianfranco Clerici		screenplay
Renzo Genta		screenplay
Renzo Genta		story
Giorgio Carlo Rossi		story (as Gigi Rossi)

Produced by
Giorgio Carlo Rossi	....	producer

Original Music by
Ubaldo Continiello

Cinematography by
Marcello Masciocchi

Film Editing by
Daniele Alabiso

Production Design by
Walter Patriarca

Makeup Department
Marcello Di Paolo	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Giovanni Masini	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lamberto Bava	....	assistant director
Stefano Rolla	....	assistant director

Art Department
Carlo Cascioli	....	props

Sound Department
Nick Alexander	....	dubbing editor

Special Effects by
Paolo Ricci	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Giovanni Ciarlo	....	camera operator
Alberto Emidi	....	key grip
Tullio Marini	....	gaffer
Mauro Masciocchi	....	assistant camera
Mauro Pezzotti	....	grip

Editorial Department
Ivana Boggian	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Lamberto Bava	....	continuity
Ernesto Poli	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Erre Cinematograsica S.r.l.

Distributors

• Interfilm (1977) (Italy) (theatrical)
• American International Pictures (AIP) (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Producers Releasing Organization (1978) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (1978) (Canada) (theatrical) (as "Last Survivor") (dubbed)
• Video City Productions (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Shriek Show (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Shriek Show (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Viking Video (2004) (Russia) (DVD)
• Century Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Cine Art Pictures (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Cinefear (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Filmfreak Distributie (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Future Film (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• M.I.B. (Germany) (DVD)
• Mondo Home Entertainment (2005) (Italy) (DVD)
• Omni Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Unknown Video (video)
• Video Classics (Australia) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Cannibal (UK) (video title)
Carnivorous (USA) (reissue title)
Jungle Holocaust (USA) (DVD box title)
Last Cannibal World (International: English title)
The Last Survivor (USA) (censored version)

Runtime:

92 min | Sweden:82 min (heavily cut) | USA:82 min (R-rated version) | South Korea:85 min (heavily cut) | UK:87 min (heavily cut) | Australia:82 min (heavily cut)

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:18 (re-rating: 2005) (uncut) | Norway:(Banned) (1982-2005) | Australia:R (re-rating: 1984) (heavily cut) | USA:X (1984 release) | USA:Unrated (uncut) | UK:18 (re-rating: 2003) (heavily cut) | USA:R (heavily cut) | Australia:Refused Classification (original rating: 1977) | UK:X (original rating: 1977) (heavily cut) | USA:X (1984 re-release) | Germany:Not Rated (DVD rating) | West Germany:18 (uncut) | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating: 2007) | Finland:K-18 | France:-18 | Iceland:(Banned) | Italy:VM18 | South Korea:18 (1995) | Sweden:15 (heavily cut)

Filming Locations:

Malaysia

Company:

Erre Cinematograsica S.r.l.

Trivia:

The conception of the alternate title "Jungle Holocaust" was spurred by the popularity and notoriety of Ruggero Deodato's later film, Cannibal Holocaust (1980).

Movie Connections:

Edited into Dying: Last Seconds of Life, Part II (1988) (V)

Deodato's Beginning

This is the first cannibal film that was brought to the screen by infamous director Ruggero Deodato. This was the film that really kicked the jungle/cannibal genre into gear. The influence that this film had put on this genre was at amazing. In fact scenes from this film have been taken, or re-enacted by other directors of films such as Primitif, and Eaten Alive.

Robert Harper, his friends Rolf, along with two other people have crash-landed into the middle of the jungle on their way to Borneo. They are quickly picked off one by one, and soon only Robert and Rolf remain. Unfortunately almost as quickly as the group broke down to only two, they were separated as well.

Robert is now relying on his own instincts to survive, but makes a bad decision and eats poison mushrooms and passes out. He awakes to see himself surrounded by natives poking and jabbing him with spears and axes. He is taken against his will to the village, were he is abused and violated repeatedly.

A young and beautiful native (played by Me Me Lai) finds sympathy for Robert and begins making frequent visits, giving him food, pleasure, etc. Robert soon makes a desperate escape and brings the young native with him.

He is soon re-united with his friend Rolf and the three flee to make a desperate attempt to go back to their plane. On their way they run into some nasty cannibals, an the native played by Me Me Lai is captured and than graphically eaten.

Jungle Holocaust is a beautiful and well done masterpiece by Ruggero Deodato. This film is often looked the other way because of Deodato's better known cannibal film Cannibal Holocaust. None the less this is by far one of the greats in the jungle/cannibal genre.