CANNIBAL FEROX (1981) – Episode 271 – Decades of Horror 1980s

“No! Stop! That meat might be Rudy!” You finally gave up on the cannibals-are-a-myth idea, aye? Join your faithful Grue Crew – Crystal Cleveland, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they feast on their second Italian cannibal film. This time, it’s Umberto Lenzi’s Cannibal Ferox (1981).

Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 271 – Cannibal Ferox (1981)

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Synopsis: Three friends set out to disprove cannibalism on a trip to the Amazonian jungle, where they meet two men trying to escape a vicious cannibal tribe.

• Written & Directed by: Umberto Lenzi
• Special Effects by: Gino De Rossi
• Selected Cast:
  • Giovanni Lombardo Radice as Mike Logan (credited as John Morghen)
  • Lorraine De Selle as Gloria Davis
  • Danilo Mattei as Rudy Davis (credited as Bryan Redford)
  • Zora Kerova as Pat Johnson (credited as Zora Kerowa)
  • Walter Lucchini as Joe Costolani (credited as Walter Lloyd)
  • Fiamma Maglione as Myrna Stenn (credited as Meg Fleming)
  • Robert Kerman as Lt. Rizzo
  • John Bartha as Mafioso
  • Venantino Venantini as Sgt. Ross
  • Miguel Ángel Rincón as Juanito (credited as ‘El Indio’ Rincon)
  • Giovanni Bergamini as Clerk (uncredited)
  • Riccardo Petrazzi as Hunter (uncredited)
  • Perry Pirkanen as Paul (uncredited)
  • Dominic Raacke as Tim Barrett (uncredited)
  • Jake Teague as Professor (uncredited)

First, Decades of Horror 1980s covered Ruggero Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust (1980) in episode 176. Now comes Umberto Lenzi’s Cannibal Ferox (1981)! The 31 countries that initially banned the film can’t all be wrong. It even comes with its very own pre-movie warning, and The Last Drive-In host, Joe Bob Briggs, gave it a “98 on the vomit meter.” By the way, “ferox” is Latin for cruel or ferocious. They’re not lying. But what will the Grue Crew think of this cannibal exploitation horror film? You can bet they’ll have plenty to say. They also play catchup on Grue Believer feedback. Enjoy their talkabout!

At the time of this writing, Cannibal Ferox (1981) is available to stream from Tubi, Kanopy, and AMC+. It is also available on physical media as a deluxe 3-disc set (2 Blu-ray + CD soundtrack) from Grindhouse Releasing. 

Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode’s film, chosen by Crystal, will be The Gate (1981). Kids, absent parents, a mysterious hole in the backyard, a demon horde, stop-motion animation, forced perspective, and… well, let’s just say, shenanigans ensue!

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