Cannibal: Anthropophagous 2000
Directed by Andreas Schnaas
Anthroproject
scribbled by LM Campbell
There is an art when the topic of anthropophagi is mentioned. Certain parts of the body should always be avoided and there has been a great debate raging over the toxicity of the human brain; additionally many of the internal organs are rife with bacteria and pathogens; what if the person was ill, or dying? You really must be careful when selecting from the menu.
Add to which the controversy over the degrees in which cannibalism has been practised throughout time immemorial and eating humans can leave you with a foul taste in your mouth. Anthropophagous (the original film from 1980) caused a stir two decades ago due to one specifically odious clip of the individual, from whom the film borrows its title, rends a fully-developed foetus from its mother’s womb and eats it; uncooked! I look back on that moment in silent, moribund reverie. Now with English subtitles included, Andreas Schnaas’ remake of Joe D’Amato ‘s gore opus has finally reached North American shores.
Everyone remembers the infamous scene in the original Dawn Of The Dead where Tom Savini falls off of his bike and has his entrails spread out like an all-you-can-eat zombie buffet – now try to mentally digest 30 minutes of such insanity crammed into a ninety minute film. The anthropophagous’ homo sapien diet in the remake also includes freshly procured foetus in which he eats with ravenous aplomb. And eating babies is probably the safest (and most delicious) route. They may be small, but they are soft and without the infestation of carcinogens that fill an older body; the insides are pink and red, not grey and tattered like in older adults.
The meat on the leg and arm bones is tender and succulent. Just ask Mr Schnaas…
