fertilecelluloid Eloy de la Iglesia's "Cannibal Man" is an exceptional study of sociopathic isolation that also comments on the gulf between how the rich and poor were treated by the authorities in Spain in '72. Vicente Parra is Marcus, a slaughterhouse worker who accidentally kills a taxi driver. Convinced that the police will not believe his account of the incident, he refuses to turn himself in. His girlfriend has other ideas and wants him to go to the police (her social status is higher than his). When she refuses to understand his position, he is left with little option but to kill her. Thus begins a chain of bloody murders as Marcus is threatened with exposure by his friends, family members, and colleagues. Eusebio Poncola, who starred in the brilliant Spanish detective series, "The Adventures of Pepe Carvahlo", plays Nestor, a wealthy local who introduces himself to Marcus. Though subtly conveyed by Iglesia, Nestor's interest in Marcus extends beyond friendship. A surreal pool scene, in which the men become entangled in the water, perfectly communicates unspoken ambitions. It turns out that the affluent Nestor is, ironically, Marcus's only potential ally in his descent into depression and madness, but his offer of help may come too late. Similar in tone to "Henry - Portrait of a Serial Killer", this is a well written, thinking man's thriller that doesn't blush at its atrocities. The film is full of magnificent, clever details. For example, Marcus is slow to rid himself of the corpses piling up in his bedroom, so the place has started to reek. Iglesias conveys the situation with wonderful black humor by showing us packs of dogs loitering at his front door for a taste of the rotten meat inside. Every night Marcus arrives home, he has to scream at the dogs as they swarm about like flies. During one of the murder scenes, the director intercuts a game of soccer going on outside. Much more than a standard horror flick, this touches on the perils of becoming more successful than your friends and the consequences of tough decisions. We sympathize with Marcus's situation, even though his actions are illegal. Putting a cherry on top of the cake is a minimalist score and creepy, electronic sound effects. Unfortunately, most versions available (including the one I saw) are dubbed. I'd kill to see this in its original language.

Maciste_Brother I finally watched this overlooked Spanish film and I have to say that I enjoyed it a lot, much more than I expected. I rarely heard anything from it and the reason I saw it was because I'm collecting VHS tapes released by Anchor Bay during the late 1990s and CANNIBAL MAN was part of those horror films. It's a horror film but the horror aspects are not what makes it work. It's more the tone, the actors and the whole look which are all excellent and unique. In fact, the horror elements are at times pretty weak and unconvincing and anyone watching it as a horror film will probably be disappointed. The killings or the repetitive reasons for the man in question to kill are not always convincing but that's because the film is totally symbolic of the time it was made. When you view CANNIBAL MAN as that, the film becomes unique and almost brilliant. I won't describe anything about the film itself. I'll just leave it up to you to see and decide.The closest thing I can compare it to is APARTMENT ZERO, which I now believe was probably , eh, "inspired" by CANNIBAL MAN. The ending is a bit murky but the better for it. It gives me something to think about. Well worth watching for fans of quirky cinema.

capkronos Even though there's only a hint of (accidental) cannibalism in this misleadingly titled effort, CANNIBAL MAN is an underrated psycho-thriller/character study well worth checking out. Vicente Parra stars as Marcos, a disturbed slaughterhouse worker who lives in a small one bedroom house with his usually-absent brother. With his sanity barely in check as it is (notice the loud, ticking clock sound a la REPULSION, an obvious influence), Marcos finally snaps when a lecherous taxi driver attacks him and his girlfriend Paola (Emma Cohen). After fatally clubbing the man with a rock, Marcos and Paola can't agree on what to do and during an argument about whether to go to the cops or not, Marcos ends up strangling her to death, sticking her under the bed and closing the door (out of sight... out of mind). His brother rolls into town, Marcos confesses to the murder and his brother also tries to talk him into turning himself in and is immediately clubbed over the head with a wrench. More people will show up to the house (the brother's fiancée, her father, a sluttish, lonely waitress from a café down the street...) looking for missing loved ones and none are ever heard from again. The bodies, all kept in the bedroom, are beginning to stink and all the neighborhood dogs aren't the only ones to notice. Marcos decides to dispose of the corpses a little at a time by chopping them up with a meat cleaver, sticking them into a small bag and taking them to work with him, where they're mixed in with the meat. He stocks up on perfume and air fresheners in the meantime. And all the while, he's befriended by a peculiar young man named Nestor (Eusebio Poncela) who lives on the 13th floor of an upscale high-rise apartment right down the road and keeps an eye on what's going on around him with a pair of binoculars. It's this aspect of the film, the subplot about Nestor and Marcos, very different but social outcasts all the same, and their ability to relate to one another, that gives this film an extra spark of originality and much needed subtext. Though there are some gruesome scenes at the slaughterhouse where real cows are butchered and some fairly bloody murder scenes, the climax is surprisingly non-gory, mature and believable and the director seldom dwells on the blood-and-guts aspect of his film, but more on the psychological profile. The production values are pretty good, the English dubbing is tolerable and the acting (particularly the two male leads) is competent, if not excellent, throughout, plus there are even a couple of black comic suspense scenes worthy of Hitchcock, particularly one with some neighborhood bullies playing keep-away with Marcos' bag.Originally titled LA SEMANA DEL ASESINO (THE WEEK OF THE KILLER), but released in the US as APARTMENT ON THE 13TH FLOOR (with an exploitation ad campaign reminiscent of Last House on the Left). Supposedly banned in many countries upon release, the version I saw from claims to be uncut and uncensored. Director De La Iglesia also made several other horror films, including GLASS CEILING (1971). Too bad they're so hard to track down.

The_Void Contrary to what it's title suggests, Cannibal Man has nothing to do with cannibals or people being eaten; it's more a story about insanity in the mould of the 80's classic Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, only the blame is deflected onto society rather than the character himself. Despite not being about cannibals, the movie features more than enough blood and the opening scene, which takes place in an abattoir, will adequately set most audience members up for what is to follow. What follows is a rampage of violence, as our character slips deeper into insanity and kills the people around him. It all starts with the (sort of) accidental death of a taxi driver. After that, our hero kills his girlfriend for fear that she might tell the police, and follows that murder up with his brother's, his brother's girlfriend's etc etc. This chain of murders could become rather dull, but the relaxed tone of the film and the way that we always focus on the escapades of the central character throughout his decent into insanity ensures that the film never turns into a riotous slash-fest.Aside from the fact that Franco was in power, I really don't know anything about Spain at the time that this was made. Cannibal Man reflects life in the country at the time, but to be honest; whatever social study there is really gets lost under the murders and putrid atmosphere of the film. Rather than looking for social comments, I recommend viewing this film more as a look at insanity, as it can be enjoyed much easier that way. If looked at as an insight into insanity; Cannibal Man is a rather potent film, which shows insanity doesn't have to be something that a murderer is born with. The atmosphere that director Eloy de la Iglesia has created is fabulous. The film feels rotten, like a slab of meat left out at the abattoir, and this helps to ensure that we always view our central character's plight with disgust and regret, rather than simply enjoying the killings. Many of the murders in the film are standard stuff, with the exception of one great one that sees a thrown hatchet lodged in some poor guy's face! On the whole, despite the homoerotic tone towards the end; Cannibal Man is cleverer than it looks and even if viewed without intelligence - the film can be enjoyed.