Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) the golden age of the cannibal film is way behind us. There was a time, not so long ago, when these films were a dime a dozen. The likes of Ruggero Deodato and Umberto Lenzi were cranking these puppies out left and right, constantly trying to outdo each other. Lenzi was always first, and in my opinion, did it better that Deodato ever could have. Not to say that Deodato's films aren't without their charms, he just couldn't keep up with the big boys (that is until he made Cannibal Holocaust, the granddaddy of them all). Much like Lenzi's '73 opus Deep River Savages, Jungle Holocaust tries its hand at sensitivity and character development amidst all the carnage and mayhem. It's a weird combination that oddly enough doesn't make you feel so dirty. Don't worry cause there's still plenty to offend here and it's still an extremely ugly movie that you would never let your mother know you watched (yes, there is some real animal violence thrown in for no reason whatsoever just like all the rest of these fine films). Jungle Holocaust still can't hold a candle to Lenzi's best (Make them Die Slowly) or Deodato's best (the aforementioned Cannibal Holocaust), but it still makes for an entertaining time, and a must have for any completist's cannibal DVD collection. Copycat cannibal films, you gotta love 'em!

Story? What story? We don't need no stinkin' story! (Sorry, I had to get that out of my system) One thing about cannibal films is that they all pretty much developed from the same mold. These "filmmakers" were less concerned with storytelling and more concerned with trying to "out-gross" one another. It was like some kind of "cannibal competition" you know? He cut off an arm so I'll cut off a breast. He cut off a breast so I'll have this guy eat a penis, and so forth (and it goes on like this). That said, Jungle Holocaust is quite tame when compared to later films in the genre. It's still no picnic in the park, but it'll definitely be easier to stomach than some of Deodato's later efforts.

After some plane trouble Robert (Massimo Foschi) and Rolf (Ivan Rassimov, Man from Deep River, Eaten Alive) find themselves stranded and hunted by a tribe of cannibals. Robert is caught, and instead of being eaten is held captive while the natives torture and torment him in many degrading ways. A young native girl earns Robert's trust and helps him to escape; the rest as they say is history. Much like Lenzi's Deep River Savages, the captive male develops a relationship with a tribal female (Me Me Lai also of Deep River Savages and Eaten Alive) in a serious attempt at character development and some semblance of a real story. It's not just carnage for the sake of carnage at this point, it's a valiant attempt, but it's still trash. It's fun trash, but still trash nonetheless.

Shriek Show presents Jungle Holocaust on DVD completely uncut and in its original scope aspect ratio. It's great to finally have a nice edition of Jungle Holocaust to add to one's collection, throw those muddy bootlegs out the window. The film itself is in decent enough shape with some mild print damage. There are some specs and dirt etc. but nothing to get worked up over. The colors are not quite as sharp as one would hope for, most likely a trait of the original source material. Blame it on bad 70's photography. There's no doubt that this is the best this film has ever looked and we're not likely to see a better edition anytime soon.

Sound is presented in Dolby Mono and is quite acceptable. Dialogue is crisp and clear with no signs of distortion. Separation between music, effects and dialogue sounds fine considering what we're dealing with here. I suspect you're not going to be blown away by either the audio or video quality but we do have to keep in mind the title at hand. It ain't gonna get much better than this folks, not that this is that bad to begin with. It may not be reference quality, but for Jungle Holocaust (or any obscure 70's Italian cannibal film) it's pretty damn good.

Shriek Show has given us what is essentially a full-blown special edition as this DVD is just full of some really cool extras. First up is a great audio commentary by the man himself Ruggero Deodato. Of course he speaks in Italian so there are English subtitles. It's a bit odd at first to have to read the subs for the commentary, but it's definitely worth it. There is a moderator who helps to move things along by asking questions, during down times. Next up is a section called Memoirs from the Jungle. This section is split up into 4 parts that you can either watch separately or all at once. Included are interviews with Ivan Rassimov and Massimo Fochi as well as still galleries set to music from the film. The piece runs about 30 minutes in its entirety. There is also a US trailer as well as trailer for other Shriek Show releases (Beyond the Darkness, Burial Ground, Nights of Terror, Eaten Alive). Last up is a Director Filmography and some Actor Biographies. I must say that I was really impressed by the wealth of cool extras featured on the disc. Also worth mentioning are the animated menus that get "munched" away when you make a selection, and the 10 lobby card repros included in the package as well. Deodato also introduces the film itself in a brief video segment.

I know Shriek Show has been given a lot of grief over this release and I cannot see why. I was really pleased with the entire package. The film itself is not stellar in quality, but for a film that has NEVER been available uncut in the US (or in its original ratio) it looks pretty damn good. I wish everybody would just stop their bitching and enjoy what they've been given. Every thing about this release has exceeded my expectations and I'm pleased 100%. Excellent job Shriek Show, keep 'em coming!