Editorials
[Butcher Block] Italian Cannibal Gore Classic ‘Anthropophagus’
Butcher Block is a weekly series celebrating horror’s most extreme films and the minds behind them. Dedicated to graphic gore and splatter, each week will explore the dark, the disturbed, and the depraved in horror, and the blood and guts involved. For the films that use special effects of gore as an art form, and the fans that revel in the carnage, this series is for you.
Sometimes you revisit movies from the infamous Video Nasty list and find them pretty tame, especially by today’s standards for extreme horror. Granted, some horror movies that were prosecuted under the Obscene Publications Act were targeted solely because of their title and VHS cover art, but some featured just enough gore that it drew the ire of the censors. Then there were the movies that flat out tested the boundaries of taste. The movies that definitively earned their spot on the list. The title of Joe D’Amato’s gory cult horror movie gives a hint of the madness within; anthropophagus is a synonym cannibal, after all. But still, if you were to go in blind, you’d probably start to wonder if maybe this was another tame horror movie undeserving of its Video Nasty status. Don’t worry. It belongs on the list.
The movie opens with a pair of German tourists enjoying a day together on a remote beach with their dog (don’t worry, the dog is smart enough to hightail it out of there when it notices something is off). They’re brutally murdered by an unseen foe. With that bloody opening kill out of the way, the movie introduces us to our core group of characters. They’re a group of friends touring the Greek islands by boat and find themselves intrigued by a remote island that seems inhabited, but upon further investigation find it to be completely empty of people save for one or two unhinged women. While there, the boat leaves them behind, and they soon discover why the island has been abandoned.
All of this takes time. D’Amato is trying to create an eerie atmosphere. We don’t see the killer for a long time, and at least a third of the film is the characters wandering the empty streets in search of answers. There’s one decapitation and a kidnapping of a pregnant woman, but again, we never see the killer and it’s fairly bloodless. But things to pick up, and the final act of the film delivers on the gore and then some; there are two particularly grisly, taboo-breaking scenes that earned this film its reputation (and Video Nasty status no doubt).
The group of friends start getting killed one by one in violent ways, and the anthropophagus finally makes his appearance known. They piece together that he’s the reason the island is empty; he’s eaten just about every living thing on it. He’s fond of gnawing on throats, eviscerating the flesh and gushing blood everywhere. But it’s nothing compared to the infamous scene that sees him tear out the pregnant woman’s fetus and devour it- umbilical cord and all. Yes, this scene was the one that no doubt turned the censors green, then red with rage. The anthropophagus’ final moments are also pretty extreme, but still doesn’t manage to revolt quite in the same way.
The anthropophagus is played by George Eastman, who also produced and wrote the screenplay based on the story idea he and D’Amato came up with. Makeup was handled by Pietro Tenoglio, an artist with a lengthy list of credits to his name, but StageFright and Castle Freak are the most recognizable titles for genre fans. D’Amato was a director that dabbled in all sorts of genres, but he was best known for his work in porn and horror. He approached shooting his horror films the same way he did his erotic films; simple and straightforward with a focus on the titillating bits. In this case, it meant a hyper-focus on slurping, munching, stabbing, and gruesome moments of gore.
Anthropophagus is a movie that’s been released under various titles; Anthropophagous: The Beast, The Grim Reaper, Man Beast, Man-Eater, and The Savage Island. That’s an important distinction here, as they indicate different cuts. For example, in the U.S., the film was initially released as The Grim Reaper, which was an abridged version of the original. As for Anthropophagus’ Video Nasty status, it finally passed uncut in 2015.
Whereas most of the notable Italian cannibal horror offerings took place in the jungle and presented a no holds barred frenzy of visceral violence, Anthropophagus takes a quieter, slasher approach to its man-eater. Like Cannibal Holocaust, many people believed it to be a snuff film at time of release. It’s not nearly as brutal, but it does offer some truly jaw-dropping moments.
Editorials
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom
There are thousands of passionate fans decked out in gothic chic and champing at the bit like feral creatures. They’re screaming for Lestat, a legendary vampire-turned-rock star, as if the entire crowd has been glamored into submission.
The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.
It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.
For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.
It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim.
Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.
To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.
This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.
For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.
The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?
It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.
Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!
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