#primitive desires

[silveragelovechild]

There’s a scene in the final episode of Westworld (season 2) where Bernard and Ford are standing in a beach. I half expected to see the Statue of Liberty half buried in the sand. A Delos Property populated by talking apes would be possible. Guests could get captured by gorillas and have to plot their escape.

[videoreligion]

Mountain of the Cannibal God (1978)

“Who doesn't love a good sleazy jungle cannibal flick? Well actually, lots of people. Probably more people do not, then do. Zombies are ok and maybe the occasional family of hungry hillbillies, but the living, breathing, remote variety of flesh eaters depicted in things like Cannibal Holocaust (1980) or  Cannibal Ferox (1981) may come with too much baggage for some people.. Even Eli Roth's attempt to Tarantino’ up the genre with The Green Inferno (2013) didn't garner the infamous horror subgenre many new fans. In fact, out of all the trashy, offensive or out of time media I consume, a good old-fashioned cannibal movie is among the hard sales for the “regular” viewer, and it’s even harder to get them to sit through the whole thing. The category has gained a strong seedy notoriety for its grizzly effects and controversial subject matter. It took center stage in Britain's video nasty scare, sometimes based solely on the over-extended artistic license of those in charge of advertising.  The mean-spirited nature of the films, people's fear of outside cultures and the overall grimy feel even famously lead some to believe that they had watched snuff films. Of course It didn't help that the filmmakers played into the mondo “real” footage angle for sales . I struggle to explain my own love for the off-putting shock-fest of murder, sensitive subjects, and human-based diets. Without  a discussion of motives, speculation on public awareness or (much needed) discourse on the depictions used, it can be said that I enjoy the cannibal film as horrors trashy answer to the the jungle explorer adventure trope. Much In the same way a high school slasher film spends a good amount of its time playing a teen sex comedy, the Italian cannibal film takes cues from classics like White Witch Doctor (1953), The Naked Prey (1965) or even Tarzan films. Sensationalist media depicting “civilized man's” seemingly heroic interactions with untouched lands and peoples is one of fictions oldest go-to cliches.  The Jungle explorer elements were used commonly as a setting for formulaic serials, alongside things like medieval swordplay, space battles, and fucking good old fashion cowboy shit.  Fictional hordes of “savages” made easy targets for carbon copy protagonists as a substitute for evil aliens or pillaging Indians.  Some of the early cinema’s most popular films depicted explorers taking a break from discovering shit to save some chick from grunting, violent jungle natives. The genre used public anxieties and ignorance to provide thrill to the same old recycled princess rescue tales, to varied success. Horror films then, of course, doubled down on the fear aspect, pushing the antiquated idea culture clash to a more gruesome (but still mostly uninformed) level . Like the privileged highschool scream-queen's prom night, the valiant explorer is not guaranteed the happy resolution that its counterpart enjoyed in more traditional tales. I like that.  Personally, I can get down with a good, culturally stunted cinematic romp through the rainforest with some heroic invader now and then, but it sure can be a lot more fun if there is a chance Mr. Manifest-destiny will get his ball sack roasted over an open fire at some point. A good example, that I think showcases the seemingly natural transition from ignorant adventure classics into offensively gruesome cult favorites, is Mountain of the Cannibal God (1978).”- RevTerry

Read the Full Review