Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals - Written & Directed by Joe D’Amato

         Hey everyone in Flesh Farmville!  It certainly has been a while since I got a review up and for that, I apologize.  But fret not - for the last couple of years I’ve been ferociously working on my very own Italian Horror Film from the 70’s - aptly titled "Mondo Holocausto!" to ‘respectively’ join the ranks of some of the most treasured and insane Italian Horror of yesteryear!  We are currently in pre-production and are set to shoot June 1st, 2009!  Keep you posted!
          Visit the IMDB page: http://farm.imdb.com/title/tt1380991/

          So, to kick off this long hiatus, I’m placing ‘Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals’ on the reviewing block.  Here she goes...

          This flick can be summed up in three words:  Pure Italian Exploitation!  I found this gem years back when I was around 8 or 9 and I knew then that this was a “special” piece of cinema.  Sure, I loved the usual fare that was at the local theaters, e.g. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Spaceballs and Batteries Not Included - but those were day films; this is strictly a night flick.

          From the start of this quick production, one can immediately recognize and appreciate the sweet disco jam (sang by Ulla Linder, music by Nico Fidenco) “Make Love on the Wing” against the usual New York stock footage that has graced countless other films.  We find Emanuelle (the beautiful Laura Gemser) as a photo-journalist going undercover at a Mental Hospital.  It isn’t long that a patient attacks one of the nurses, biting her breast clean off!  Through an odd tattoo on the girl’s stomach, they link it to a lost cannibal tribe in the Amazons; where the girl was found.  So, Emanuelle is off to meet a famous anthropologist, Mark Lester (played by Laura Gemser’s real life, late husband - Gabriele Tinti) so they can gear up and she can get her story.  The two hit it off so quickly that in one hours time, they are breeding.  Once finished, Emanuelle must handle some last minute business and meets another man for some quick outside sex under the Brooklyn Bridge!

          Once off to the Amazons, we get into nearly every jungle cliche that we come to expect. D’Amato mixes genres a bit more and throws in a nun, Sister Angela (Annamaria Clemente, of The Night Nurse and The Pleasure Shop on 7th Avenue) - also a young virginal woman named Isabelle (Monica Zanchi, of Sister Emanuelle and The Erotic Dreams of Cleopatra) join the ranks.  Before departing on the boat to reach this lost civilization, Emanuelle and Mark have a long steamy session while Isabelle watches and pleasures herself.  Once on the island the danger begins; but not before a sweet river bathing scene with Emanuelle and Isabelle - gosh they’re so nice to have washed each other!  Enter Donald Mackenzie (Donald O’Brien, from Dr. Butcher, M.D aka Zombie Holocaust) and his cheating wife, Maggie (Nieves Navarro).  Donald is introduced by shooting a snake in the head and saving Emanuelle’s life.  So, off they go to Donald’s camp to get updated on “the plot” and so Maggie can satiate her jungle fever by getting banged by their ranch hand, Salvador (Percy Hogan, from Black Emanuelle, White Emanuelle).  Donald watches his wife get handled for awhile, then he goes to peep on the sleeping beauties in the nearby tent.  The next morning they find that the boat and supplies have been stolen (but a dead corpse remains). Lester finds the place too dangerous to stick around and urges Donald and his wife to come with them - they follow only because they have a hidden agenda; to find a crashed plane said to be carrying a fortune in diamonds.  All hell breaks loose!  Cheesy traps are sprung, fights break out, leeches attack, you name it.  Now, time for some cannibals.  These aren’t the best bunch on the vine if you compare them to Cannibal Holocaust (or even Cannibal Ferox) - but they get the job done and in a humorous manner.  Three people end up getting kidnapped by these cannibals (that are of Spanish and some even Asian descent!) and it’s up to Emmanuelle and Mark Lester to save the day...

         D’Amato combined his signature softcore with the rising cannibal genre and mildly succeeded.  It’s almost mathematical where the sex scenes are placed and the cannibal violence does come up a bit short - but it is an enjoyable film and anything with Laura Gemser is worth watching.  This films succeeds on a few levels; mainly due to Gemser and Gabriele Tinti; the cheesy acting and the accidental charm that came after receiving it’s English Dub helps too!  DVD comes from Shriek Show, has three trailers and a still gallery of lobby cards from the film.

THE STORY:  Mildly interesting, but it’s not about the story folks!
THE SEX:  Joe D’Amato does what he does best - Softcore fun.
THE GORE:  Some mildly okay gore scenes, but in my opinion - few and far between.
THE PACING:  Average.
THE DUB:  Charmingly bad!
THE MUSIC:  Outstanding.  Great score and soundtrack.
THE ATMOSPHERE:  No complaints on New York - Amazon ambience comes up a bit short - but Laura Gemser can sit in a stark white room for an entire movie and I’d still be happy.