Reviews (14)

Childhood memories of the best film ever.
It was around 1988, I was 12 years old and returned from the video shop with my best mate Dave clutching this absolute classic. It was a toss up between 'The Barbarians' and the latest Van Damme movie, thank you fickle fate for guiding my young hand. It's got it all, big muscley warriors, girls in fur bikinis, sword-fights, fist-fights, gladiator-fights (to a 12 year boy fighting is very important), a magical belly stone and top quality bad dialogue. The best bit is when the brothers get hanged but escape by - wait for it - bursting the nooses by tensing their neck muscles! Dave's Mum had to come in to stop the cheering! I thought this movie was lost to me forever but now I've tracked it down I will be handing over my dollars with a mile wide grin on my face. This is a must-see, must-own, amazing movie.

A Must Have for My DVD Collection!!!
I am so happy to hear that I am not insane and other people like this movie as well. This was my favorite movie growing up and still is in my personal top ten! It is a hilarious movie about two barely audible barbarians who fall into the classic fantasy adventure! Being a huge fantasy fan I must say that if you have not seen it, it is deffinately worth the time to watch. I promise you will not regret it!!!

The Barbarians
This movie, when I was a kid was the best movie Ive ever seen. I still rememeber the whole movie from beginging to end. It gave me inspiration for my fantasy art that I do today. I would tell anyone who loves scifi or frazzeta art would love this cult classic.Reminds of great memories of being a kid.

This Movie should Be on DVD
I have too many copies of this classic, perhaps my FAVORITE, Sword and Sorcery movie that have deteriorated due to over-use. If one movie were to ever wish be realeased on DVD...it would be this...probably on a double disc with Think Big...The Barbarian brothers are my heroes...

In a time of savage splendor...
... from an age of ripped jeans, cropped sweatshirts, high-top Reeboks and feathered hair... when inarticulate body builders made movies celebrating inadvertant homoerotica... comes this sword-and-sandal epic adventure about two brothers captured by evil men and raised to fight as gladiators. Somehow, the film's producers were competent enough to hire two sets of twins to play the brothers, as children and as adults. That seems to have strained everyone's moviemaking capacities to the breaking point.

Eventually, the backstory borrowed from "Conan the Barbarian" (but twice as good, because there are two Conans!) gives way to some sort of slapdash plot about a magical belly stone, and a lot of oily people named Lemone and Canary and Kadar and Zibbidy-zoh and Flappity Jackson (okay, I made that last one up) do oily things to each other while extras in rags stumble around. Then someone pulls a sword, like people often do when their feelings get hurt. At that point, the screaming starts, which startles you... until you realize it's you who's screaming and you turn this off immediately.

"The Barbarians." Named for its stars, David and Peter Paul, also in "DC Cab" and the truck-driving comedy adventure "Think Big." Quite a filmography. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

A gory, but definitive classic!
Like the similar 'Last House on the Left', you're either going to love this film, or hate it with a passion - there's no down the middle. Director Ruggero Deodato takes rape, suffering and violence to near-unbearable extremes, almost trying to out-do the terrors we witnessed in 'Cannibal Holocaust'.

This is only going to appeal to a certain crowd, and that crowd involves any serious horror fans, as well as fans of cult exploitation. Often, 'House on the Edge of the Park' is grim, unsettling and horridly disturbing. All in all, it actually does it's job as a horror film - it shocks, chills and disturbs in equal measure, with enough blood-letting to keep many gore fans happy.

The story follows the psychotic rapist Alex (an outstanding performance by David Hess, no matter how the film pans out), who takes his mentally-challenged friend Ricky (John Morghen) to a posh party. After being mistreated by the upper-class yuppies, Alex eventually reaches boiling point, and the party results in a tense and terrifying hostage situation, in which anyone can drop.

'House on the Edge of the Park' is an interesting and sometimes brilliant work, which has the disadvantage of not being everyones cup of tea. The violence is extreme, and uncomfortable to watch. In most respects, this isn't a mainstream film, since it's sleazy feel often makes it hard to sit through.

At the end of the day, this film does have it's flaws, but it doesn't stop it from being a classic of the genre. It's essentially a rip-off of 'Last House on the Left', but if you liked Craven's film, you'll know doubt like this too.

At least give it a try, since there are worse films out there...

Regards,
D.J. Nock

Would someone please tell David Hess his is not scary.....
Very rearly does a villan come along that just knocks us on our back and scares the hell out of us, Hanabil Lechter, Norman Bates, etc. David Hess, of Last House On THe Left and other horror movie fame is agian trying desperatly to show us just how mean and scary he is.

The movie is about a murdering loony, played by Hess, and his slow witted side kick who go to a party thorwn by rich, upper class snobs and terrorizes them. Just like Hitch-hike and Last House. The movie doesn't cover new ground but the real proble is it just shows you how bad movies can be. The plot is weak, the acting is bad, the story moves at a snails pace and the twist ending is just plain to proposterouse for anyone over the age of ten to find interesting.

For some unknown reason David Hess plays the villan is this movie and the other I mentioned. I can never ubnderstand just what people saw in him to make me belive he is a good bad guy. As an actor I can't say if he's good or bad becouse this is the only type of movie I have ever seen him in. I heard he's quite a good singer. Good, at least he has somthing to fall back on.

The movie never realy seemed to have any intention of giving us our money worth. At this time a lot of movies were beinmg made like this and it just seemed like they were trying to show us enough gore and skin to make us forget that the movie we are watching sucks.

It didn't work.

A Big Zero
The real mystery about this film is how it got made. Who would bother? The film doesn't seem to have a script- it barely has a plot. One has to wonder if there was any planned dialogue. Even more bizarre is how it found its way to DVD. In the 80s when the film was first released and video tape was a new medium, throw away flicks like this were popping up everywhere. But how did it survive?

I like exploitation films, but this isn't exactly exploitation. It sort of resembles a soft-core S and M film, but it isn't. It's like a porno movie, but it isn't. It's kind of a horror movie, but it isn't that either. It's one of those films that doesn't add up to much of anything- a big zero. If you like masochism, horror, and sex, then there are plenty of other flicks to choose from.

A Giallo, Not Horror -- and Not That Great
I can see why horror fans would be disappointed by "House on the Edge of the Park." It may have a psycho lead character (played to perfection by David Hess, of "Last House on the Left" fame), some tense moments and some vicious violence, but it's not what I'd consider a horror movie, and, consequently, a large reason why I was disappointed by it.

But misleading marketing isn't the movie's only problem. As a giallo, it's not particularly noteworthy, either. The "story," about a psychopath and his dim-witted sidekick (Giovanni Radice, a.k.a. John Morghen) who get invited to a party of young rich people then terrorize them, has a twist ending that's full of holes. The "good" characters are just as grating as their violent guests, looking down their noses at these working class interlopers while cheating them at poker or sexually teasing them. It just adds to the movie's hateful tone. In a review of "House on the Edge of the Park" included on the inside sheet, Casey Scott writes "'House' is, technically speaking, a pedestrian affair." Shriek Show at least gets a nod for including such an honest assessment of their product. There's nothing truly remarkable about Ruggero Deodato's direction, and much of the movie appears videotaped. There have been porno movies filmed with more style. And speaking of porn, there are several scenes that seem headed in that direction, made all the sleazier and nastier by the violence accompanying them.

"House on the Edge of the Park" does have some tense moments, and if you can forgive a lot of the dubbing (seemingly done by the same group of people who dubbed all Euroschlock released between 1969-89), the acting is more than passable, with Hess leading the pack. And if you're a fan of bargain-bin disco, rejoice: the soundtrack to "House" is the audio equivalent of a skin-tight leisure suit. Extras include interviews with Hess, Radice and Deodato (whose interview is in Italian--without subtitles; thanks, Shriek Show). There is the original trailer for this movie (note the botched title: "House of the Park on the Edge") as well as trailers for such Italian-made gore-fests as "Eaten Alive!" and "Zombie" (parts 3 and 4).

I know this movie has a cult following, but it's a cult I can't bring myself to join. Only recommended for Deodato or Hess completists.

piece of anoying crap!
This is just another last house on the left, but even more anoyingly disturbed. Give me a break, did david hess think he was make it big doing crap like that, well he did not, so david if you come across this you suck! when I met you at a movie convention you was a jerk a burnt out bitter ass person I'm glad you are not making them stupid movies anymore, HA HA I guess now you gotta make at dum ass conventions. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Lame post-apocalyptic fun
The basic storyline behind this movie is simple girl gets in trouble, Miles O'keefe saves girl. This is done over and over again until it numbs the mind and dulls the senses. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Ahhhh...The Pasta Land Chunk Blowers
Anyone into Italian horror movies during the mid to late '80's should know about the "Past Land Chunk Blowers" from reading Chas Balun's "Piece 'O Mind" column in GoreZone magazine or his other publication, Deep Red. They include such juicy titles as Cannibal Holocaust, Dawn of the Mummy, Burial Ground, Buried Alive, Dr. Butcher MD, and a score of others. Jungle Holocaust (aka Ultimo Mondo Cannibale) was Ruggero Deodato's first cannibal movie, made a few years before Cannibal Holocaust. It's not quite as well known, or notorious, as Cannibal Holocaust, but it does have a pretty good story. A plane crash lands in the jungle. At nightfall the cannibals creep out of the jungle and end up killing all but two of the survivors. They build a raft in order to escape down river, but it crashes on some rocks. The two survivors get separated and the rest of the movie chronicles the capture of Robert (one of the two survivors) by the cannibals. Of course the plot is secondary to the humiliation and torture that the main character goes through at the hands of the cannibals. Near the end of the movie, Robert escapes with the help of a hot looking cannibal babe (played by Me Me Lai, who went on to become a cannibal movie veteran). The tribe eventually catches up to them, and they get some really gory revenge on the traitorous cannibal woman. Here's some other "Third World Cannibal Movies": Cannibal Ferox (aka Make Them Die Slowly, Trap Them and Kill Them (aka Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals), Man from Deep River, White Cannibal Queen, Eaten Alive (aka The Emerald Jungle).

Wow! Dynamite!
Woooo! I wasn't expecting too much,frankly, but I couldn't take my eyes off this real jolt of a cinematic experience. Released in l977, this one-of-a-kind film has played constantly around the world--in a thousand different versions. On this sumptuous Shriek Show DVD production, you're finally watching the uncut version. First of all, my DVD package contained numerous hand-size posters from the movie. They're beautifully reproduced. Then you've got commentary by the film's director/producer, Ruggero Deodato, but best of all--you've got a very recent on-camera interview with the fabulous Massimo Fosche who makes this movie the gem it is. Thirty years after making this movie, Massimo looks amazingly fit, handsome and charismatic. And charm galore. This is what comes across in this supposedly "true" story of an explorer who descends into cannibal hell. You've got to see Massimo to know what I'm talking about. Luckily for us addicts of totally naked machismo, you see all of Massimo for much of the movie. Early on, he's stripped of all his clothes and he stays that way until near the end. His performance is simply stunning. As he and Ruggero state during their commentary/interview, no American actor would have accepted this brutal role. A George Clooney or a Bruce Willis would have demanded a trailer, a private gym, etc. The movie was made in four weeks right in the jungle. They had no stunt people, or special effects wizardry. As Ruggero tells the totally strange interviewer repeatedly, this movie was filmed ALL on location. As soon as he finishes saying this, the unseen interviewer then asks him: "What studio did you film these scenes in?" Huh? Even more bizarre, when the brutal scene of the femme lead--Me Me La--is shown, being butchered and her entrails devoured, the interviewer then thoughtfully asks: "Was this really the actress here?" Even the unflappable Ruggero is momentarily stunned and after a pause says quietly: "No, this was not a real actress. This was a dummy." An on-camera interview with the secondary male lead, Ivan Rassimov reveals an obviously ailing man who looks like Massimo's grandfather. He doesn't even remember where the movie was shot! (It was on location, Ivan, in the jungles of Malaysia). One has to admist that Ruggero does wander a bit in his commentary. In one scene, where the glorious Massimo is being held captive and the native girl uses her hand to, uh, pleasure him, you're dying to know how this scene was filmed. But our wonderful Ruggero has wandered way off the wall as he discusses the New York subway system! Just one personal note: Massimo is pure machismo in the best sense of the word. He's the type of strong, powerful man that you'd definitely want along in the jungle. As he states himself, he loves taking risks and living in the jungle. Next time you go, Massimo, let a couple of thousand of your new fans who've just discovered you via this DVD know so we all go along!

ATTENTION! GOOEY MOVIE ALERT!
Love this flick. Sicker they are, the better I say. Deodato was truly one of the masters of this style. I don't know if I would rank this up there with Cannibal Holocaust, though. Incidentally, CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is available on dvd. (...)The name of the dvd website has been edited out. It is the last name of the character Michael Ironsides plays in SCANNERS. Enjoys

early cult fav-o by deodato
unfortunately, cannibal holocaust isn't available yet on dvd that i'm aware of but i have faith shreik show will eventually unleash it to the masses just like they did with jungle holocaust. this has to be one of the finest releases i've seen on shriek show & there are many goodies here. there is a packet of lobby cards for starters, some interviews with the cast & director, & original theatrical trailers for other disturbing cannibal or pyschological films released by none other than wonderful shreik show. muchas gracia shreik show! although i've never seen any of the much talked about cannibal classics by lenzi or deodato, i have to admit this film was quite entertaining & not nearly as sickening as i thought it would be. infact, this is more of an old-fashioned "we braved the wilderness" type of survival story with a bit of a romantic twist. having said that, i couldn't watch this film every anymore than one would watch hannibal lector films around the clock. jungle holocaust has moments of suspense which will literally make your skin crawl & scenes of graphic violence so it's certainly not intended for all viewers but most horror/ action fans will find this to be a real find. the acting here is incredible & i agree with the reviewer who stated that hollywood actors nowadays wouldn't go through what these guys did back in the '70s. jungle holocaust does have a relatively good ending although it's far from being a happy ever after. as you've probably read or heard, the love affair between our protagonist & the lovely phillipina is relatively shortened & doesn't end up very pretty. cannibal holocaust evidentally was based upon a true story from what i've read & is bound to generate atleast an upset stomach after viewing from many a viewer but certainly recommended if you are curious or if have seen other films in this genre. needless to say, i'd definately give ruggero deodato another try after viewing this disc in the future. happy viewings!

awful
I stopped this film half way through and put it in the bin.
There is no excuse for such animal cruelty being passed off as entertainment. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Three and a Half
Here's something a little new, yet a little different. Yes, it's Ruggero behind the camera again with his buddies, the cannibals. Ths time around he decided to use his flair for the gruesome to make an 80s Cannon-esque action flick. You can tell this film had a so-so budget; It looks and plays out like on old Charles Bronson/Chuck Norris type flick. It's not bad. Richard Lynch(still unable to escape playing a crazy villian) does a good job though he can't have more than ten minutes of screen time. The plot seems awfully similar to Apocalypse Now(watch it and you'll see), but Italian directors have never been the mark of originality. Michael Berryman (as usual) is great to watch, I wish we'd seen more of him. The other actors are nothing special, though it is cool to see Eriq Lasalle as a pimp. Check it out, but don't spend too much.

reasonable film and DVD
Although I always found the movie a little on the dull and plotless side, I do have to admit that it has enough well-edited good gore scenes to warrant a couple viewings. The cast is pretty good too, but it doesn't seem like any of them are used to the best of their abilities, especially Berryman, who needed much more of a dramatic exit than he gets at the end of the film.

The DVD is a mixed bag. They erroneously claim that a lot of the dialog was never dubbed in English, but I have the European uncut version on tape and it has all the dialog in English. This makes watching the DVD an infuriating experience as actors constantly switch from using English to Italian and back at random. Also, the DVD often looks quite shabby, such as the scene where Steiner gets ripped in half by the jungle trap. It's obvious that they took that scene from a video source and unsuccessfully tried to mix it in with the film. It's distracting, and with the dubbing thing only reflects laziness on Anchor Bay's behalf.

However the rest of the DVD looks good with bright, crisp colors, good sound, and a silly introduction by Ruggero Deodato in which is literally brags about the fact that he was dating Valentina Forte at the time.

Violence Is Fun!!!
Anchor Bay's 'Uncut and Uncensored' release of Ruggero Deodato's (Cannibal Holocaust, Jungle Holocaust,
House on the Edge of the Park, Body Count) CUT AND RUN (1985), is a brutal kick in the face, to say the least.

Previously seeing the butchered version a few years back, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this 'hard' version of the film.
The man being torn in two is quite inventive and should quench most gore freaks blood-lust. There are a couple of graphic rapes that had me wincing, so you've been warned if that ain't 'yo cup 'a tea. Be prepared, this movie is only for people with strong stomaches and an appreciation for gory special effects.

Also, the cut scenes from this film were never dubbed into English on initial production (there was no point), only Italian,
and are therefore restored into this version in Italian with English subtitles.

The story in my opinion, was lacking, focusing on two news reporters trekking to the Amazon in search of a renegade Colonel (Richard Lynch) in charge of a drug cartel, yet also to find the long lost son (Willie Aames) of their boss, who just coincidently happens to be caught up in the whole mess. Come on!

It's obvious Richard Lynch put his whole heart into this role as the evil drug lord and is quite convincing as a man totally in his own world from too much Blow. The biggest downer to this film is having to sit through the scenes with Willie Aaames
(In the featurette of the DVD 'Uncut and Run', Deodato explains he was having problems), who pretentiously acts as if he could have received an Oscar, HA!

The DVD itself is great, though, with a cool interactive menu, containing a fifteen minute featurette 'Uncut and Run', the original theatrical trailer, a lengthy Ruggero Deodato bio, and an introduction from Deodato himself at the beginning of the film.
Good work Anchor Bay.

On a final note, if you are considering purchasing the film from Amazon.com, and have not yet seen this uncut version,
avoid watching the featurette first, as they expose all the cut scenes from previous versions. Watch the film first. Enjoy!

Average euro-cannibal thrills
Deodato's semi-follow-up to his notorious "Cannibal Holocaust" is pretty much a mess of clashing genres. It's all over the place and doesn't really make a heck of a lot of sense, but there's enough graphic violence to satisfy the more patient gorehound (that is, if you can take watching Willie Aames running around the jungle in a Mickey Mouse t-shirt for 90 minutes). This DVD presents the uncut "hard" version of the film for the "first time ever in America" (what about the uncut bootlegs that have been floating around for 10 years???). Ya, all the beheadings and the complete man being ripped apart scene are now available to see in digital glory. How fun. All of that was edited from the original R-rated cut of the film, of course, thanks to the MPAA censors. It was cool to track down uncut boots of the film years ago, but now after all these years, the gore just doesn't have any impact and looks fake...especially after all we've seen since as well as the film itself just being so unbelievable. This ain't no "Cannibal Holocaust", that's for sure.

The DVD looks great, though. Fantastic job all the way. Extras include a featurette called "Uncut and Run" which is somewhat interesting. Deodato talks about working with the various actors (Willie was "having problems at the time") and discusses his disinterest in making "Cannibal Holocaust 2". He made this instead. Whatever. Also included is a neat trailer for the original New World release of "Cut and Run" which definitely makes the film look better than it actually is. But the funniest thing on the DVD is Deodato's brief introduction before the film itself where he basically brags that he was dating the voluptuous actress Valentina Forte at the time. Who cares? Oh, those crazeeee Italians!

If you're a cannibal junkie, this dvd is essential, of course. Others would be advised to skip it and run.

from Fringe Video Fanzine Issue #005
This eruo-sludge film is the closest thing to a splatter and gore Cannibal Holocaust (1979) sequel that you are ever going to get from director Ruggero Deodato. After losing all mainstream respect by releasing the nasty cannibal films, and House on the Edge of the Park (1980), he decided to tone things down "a little" after taking over this project from soon to be Hollywood super director Wes Craven Nightmare On Elm Street (1984). I would consider this film to be Deodato's best work. Close to Joseph Conrad's Hearts of Darkness tale that was touched upon in Apocalypse Now (1979). A South American jungle cocaine operation is brutally shut down by Indio tribesmen, under the command of a mute assassin [played by Michael Berryman / The Hills Have Eyes (1977)]. After killing everyone in sight, nailing some women to the floor and raping them, our eyes are now awakened to the brutal world of the drug trafficking. A Miami reporter hot on the story somehow connects the drug murders with a Colonel Horne, seen in an old news clip of Jim Jones. The reporter flies to the jungle to interview the Colonel, make the connection to Jonestown, and help save the kidnapped son [played by Willie Aames / Eight Is Enough (1977)] of the owner of the network. Broadcasting "live" from the drug manufacture's camp, among hundreds of corpses (The result of an ongoing drug war), Horne is determined to carry on in the footsteps of the cult leader. Much like Deodato's previous Cannibal Holocaust (1979), this film also use's the documentary type style, and film within a film technique. The director places actor [Richard Lynch / God Told Me To (1977) / Invasion U.S.A. (1985)] into real stock footage of a Jonestown news reel, then also places himself in the same scene. Many thanks go out to Anchor Bay for restoring this film from many vault collections. The censored scenes can now be seen (in Italian with Subtitles), finally giving North Americans the chance to see the "hard" version of this film. Complete with disembowelments, beheading's, and a guy being ripped completely in half. Feature contains clips from director Ruggero Deodato, Writer Dardano Sacchetti, Star Richard Lynch and Music Composer Claudio Simonetti / Goblin. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Lame post-apocalyptic fun
The basic storyline behind this movie is simple girl gets in trouble, Miles O'keefe saves girl. This is done over and over again until it numbs the mind and dulls the senses. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Childhood memories of the best film ever.
It was around 1988, I was 12 years old and returned from the video shop with my best mate Dave clutching this absolute classic. It was a toss up between 'The Barbarians' and the latest Van Damme movie, thank you fickle fate for guiding my young hand. It's got it all, big muscley warriors, girls in fur bikinis, sword-fights, fist-fights, gladiator-fights (to a 12 year boy fighting is very important), a magical belly stone and top quality bad dialogue. The best bit is when the brothers get hanged but escape by - wait for it - bursting the nooses by tensing their neck muscles! Dave's Mum had to come in to stop the cheering! I thought this movie was lost to me forever but now I've tracked it down I will be handing over my dollars with a mile wide grin on my face. This is a must-see, must-own, amazing movie.

A Must Have for My DVD Collection!!!
I am so happy to hear that I am not insane and other people like this movie as well. This was my favorite movie growing up and still is in my personal top ten! It is a hilarious movie about two barely audible barbarians who fall into the classic fantasy adventure! Being a huge fantasy fan I must say that if you have not seen it, it is deffinately worth the time to watch. I promise you will not regret it!!!

The Barbarians
This movie, when I was a kid was the best movie Ive ever seen. I still rememeber the whole movie from beginging to end. It gave me inspiration for my fantasy art that I do today. I would tell anyone who loves scifi or frazzeta art would love this cult classic.Reminds of great memories of being a kid.

This Movie should Be on DVD
I have too many copies of this classic, perhaps my FAVORITE, Sword and Sorcery movie that have deteriorated due to over-use. If one movie were to ever wish be realeased on DVD...it would be this...probably on a double disc with Think Big...The Barbarian brothers are my heroes...

In a time of savage splendor...
... from an age of ripped jeans, cropped sweatshirts, high-top Reeboks and feathered hair... when inarticulate body builders made movies celebrating inadvertant homoerotica... comes this sword-and-sandal epic adventure about two brothers captured by evil men and raised to fight as gladiators. Somehow, the film's producers were competent enough to hire two sets of twins to play the brothers, as children and as adults. That seems to have strained everyone's moviemaking capacities to the breaking point.

Eventually, the backstory borrowed from "Conan the Barbarian" (but twice as good, because there are two Conans!) gives way to some sort of slapdash plot about a magical belly stone, and a lot of oily people named Lemone and Canary and Kadar and Zibbidy-zoh and Flappity Jackson (okay, I made that last one up) do oily things to each other while extras in rags stumble around. Then someone pulls a sword, like people often do when their feelings get hurt. At that point, the screaming starts, which startles you... until you realize it's you who's screaming and you turn this off immediately.

"The Barbarians." Named for its stars, David and Peter Paul, also in "DC Cab" and the truck-driving comedy adventure "Think Big." Quite a filmography. ... Read more