Cannibals in the Streets

A cannibal-movie that actually tries and succeeds to be different. This movie transcends the cannibal genre and becomes something else. You'll have to get past the silly & inept Vietnam opening-scene, but then this movie turns into an urban tale of virus-outbreak. A cannibal-virus, that is. There's some violence, there's some drama, there's some nudity, there's some very nice gore and there are four cannibal-fugitives on the run. Awesome mixture that works! Add to that a satisfying ending, and we've got a hit! A hit with John Saxon in it, no less. "Cannibal Apocalypse" indeed feels, at times, a bit like Romero's "Dawn of the Dead" (1978), but the one movie that kept coming to my mind was David Cronenberg's "Rabid" (1977). So if you're tired of all those "half naked cannibals eating human flesh and slaughtering animals in the jungle"-flicks, and if Umberto Lenzi's "Nightmare City" (1980) just made you laugh instead of anything else, then go watch Antonio Margheriti's "Cannibal Apocalypse" (aka "Invasion of the Flesh Hunters"). And make 100% sure you get a hold of the uncut version.

Renting this movie I thought it would be the usual cannibal carnage only set in the city and it was but with a surprising difference it had a zombie type virus in it as well.Two of my favourite genre's in one and I thoroughly enjoyed it.Its about a group of vietnam vets who return to America with a cannibal virus and anyone they attack also become cannibals.It stars John Saxon,Tony King and Giovanni Lombardo Radice(my favourite actor)as the vietnam vets. I recommend this movie to any cannibal and/or zombie movie fan so check it out if you can find it.

With a title like CANNIBAL APOCALYPSE, one might go into this movie expecting an all-out war between humanity and roving bands of flesh-eaters, seeking out human snacks. Well, that would have been great. Instead, we get a few hungry people chomping on a few necks.

John Saxon is serviceable as the Vietnam vet plagued by anthropophagic flashbacks about his former military comrades. Also, the idea of a viral, cannibalistic epidemic is a good one, hearkening back to Cronenberg's RABID. So, the story isn't bad, as long as you don't expect it to live up to it's overblown title...

Cannibals in the Streets occupies that peculiar middle ground where ambitious exploitation cinema meets budgetary reality, resulting in a film that's neither memorably trashy nor genuinely effective. This 1980 entry into Italy's zombie boom feels like a workmanlike effort from a director clearly more comfortable behind the camera than wrestling with coherent storytelling.

The film's greatest asset lies in its grimy urban atmosphere. Margheriti and his cinematographer capture a decaying cityscape that feels authentically post-apocalyptic, with shadowy alleyways and abandoned buildings providing a suitably oppressive backdrop. The practical effects, while uneven, occasionally achieve moments of genuine visceral impact - particularly in the film's more intimate attack sequences where close-quarters camera work heightens the claustrophobic terror.

John Saxon delivers a committed performance as the weary scientist, bringing gravitas to material that doesn't always deserve it. His weathered presence anchors scenes that might otherwise drift into unintentional comedy. Elizabeth Turner, as the resourceful journalist, demonstrates solid screen presence despite being saddled with dialogue that veers between exposition-heavy and laughably stilted.

Where "Cannibals in the Streets" stumbles is in its pacing and tonal consistency. Margheriti seems uncertain whether he's crafting a serious horror film or embracing the genre's more exploitative elements. This indecision results in sequences that feel disconnected, with momentum frequently grinding to a halt for unnecessary subplot diversions. The film's final act, while featuring some of its most intense moments, feels rushed and somewhat arbitrary in its resolution.

The score deserves particular mention for its effectively minimalist approach, using synthesized drones and sudden musical stings to create unease without overwhelming the sound design. However, some dubbing issues typical of the era occasionally pull viewers out of crucial dramatic moments.

Maybe the fact that this particular cannibal movie wasn't directed by one of the usual suspects (Lenzi, Deodato) is what makes it so tolerable. Saxon plays a soldier who goes back to some south Asian country to rescue his POW buddies. He doesn't seem too bothered by the fact that when he finds him, they're eating human flesh, or that one of them bites him, and infects him with some kind of cannibal virus. Fast forward a number of years, and Saxon is gettin a hankerin for some human meat. This all happens about the time that his buddies decide to break out the mental hospital they're in. It all ends up with Saxon and his buddies infecting a bunch of people, and running from the law in the sewers. Cannibal city, baby.

Radice getting his abdomen blown clean out with a shotgun is reason alone to watch this movie (if you can figure out how they did this effect, let me know). The rest is pretty standard, as far as movies go, but it is a lot better than most cannibal movies. At least it takes place in the city and not in some jungle. Worth a look, if you're a cannibal or John Saxon fan.