Making my return from the Last House, I'm feeling a little hungry. So here I am, settling down to chew the fat on a 'cannibal' film. Tonight I indulged upon what was once considered a Video Nasty. Eloy de la Iglesia's The Cannibal Man.
For starters this title is misleading, there is no cannibalism what-so-ever. There maybe some spoilers though this film is short on plot. The basis is a normal guy turning into a homicidal maniac within a few days. Imagine Taxi Driver...with very minimal cannibalism.

The film however starts in a particularly nasty fashion as the first few scenes of the film are from inside a slaughterhouse. Showing workers dispatching cattle with up close shots of blades penetrating the cows throats and the blood flowing in torrents. This alone sets the grimy tone for the film. It's pretty down beat.

The Story follows Marcos (Vicente Parra) a slaughterhouse worker who's life changes for the worse in less than a week. It all starts when he is out on a date with his girlfriend and decide to get a taxi back home, getting a bit frisky on the back seat annoys the driver so he asks them to get out. Marcos agrees but refuses to pay, this small dispute turns to a game of fisticuffs ending with the taxi driver having his head tenderized by Marcos with a rock. After the accident Marcos gradually becomes more homicidal, as after a small disagreement with his girlfriend they kiss and make up. During this kiss Marcos puts his hands round her throat and begins throttling the life out of her.



Hiding the body under his bed his brother returns home unaware of the atrocious act. They decide to hit the town and have a drink and a good chat. Marcos decides to come clean to his brother and admitting to the murder, as you'd expect he urges and does his best to persuade Marcos to turn himself in to the police. This scene ending with Marcos bashing his brothers head in with a wrench. That's brotherly love for you. He puts both his girlfriend's body and his brother's body on his bed locking them in his bedroom.

Across the street in one of the new high rise buildings for the rich lives a young and very strange man with an affection for Marcos. This character introduces a slight homosexual themes to the film, as he appears to try and persuade Marcos become more intimate with him.

As stated previously, this film doesn't involve any REAL cannibalism, only thing that relates to cannibalism here is how Marcos disposes of the bodies...at his work place...a soup factory.
So for cannibal lovers this film I couldn't recommend this film to you as there is relatively no cannibalism. To be quite honest...It's hard to give this film any recommendation, its slow paced, minimal action and piss poor dialogue make it more boring than shocking. I am incredibly surprised this got banned, unless it was for being slow paced with minimal action and piss poor dialogue.

DVD: Blue Underground
Running Time: 98 Minutes
Extras: Theatrical Trailer