gory plotline. Martin and Levy mostly improvised their own dialogue, and just can’t seem to help adding deadpan absurdity to the proceedings, such as in one scene where his cigarette hilar- iously dances around on the end of his guitar string. But more importantly, Cannibal Girls intro-
duced the world to a new, schlockier brand of Canadian horror unlike anything audiences had seen before. While the film obviously emulates 1970s American drive-in fare, it also stands at an ironic distance from it, gently poking fun at genre conventions through both the actor’s ad libs and Reitman’s macabre visuals, which de- pict a town, under the Reverend’s sinister con- trol, caught up in a feverish yearning to consume flesh. Shout! Factory has delivered a beautifully re-
mastered version of this shocker. Offered with a handful of extras, including interviews with Levy, Martin and Reitman and an alternate audio track that incorporates American International Pictures’ “warning bell” gimmick, this undeni- ably fun release is a succulent morsel indeed. PAUL CORUPE
Righteous Raysploitation
GRINDHOUSE (2007) Blu-ray Starring Rose McGowan, Bruce Willis and Kurt Russell
That Ain’t Back Bacon!
CANNIBAL GIRLS (1973) DVD Starring Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin
and Ronald Ulrich Directed by Ivan Reitman Written by Daniel Goldberg, Ivan Reitman and Robert Sandler Shout! Factory
Long before Ivan Reit-
man taught us that it just doesn’t matter (Meat- balls) or that bustin’ can make you feel good (Ghostbusters), the savvy producer/director was among the first to stain Ontario’s crisp, snowy landscape with crimson spray. Now, Reitman’s early genre effort Canni- bal Girls, which trans- planted the dreamy mood of ’70s American indie horror north of the 49th parallel, sees its first home video release in decades. Much of Cannibal
Girls’ notability is due to the presence of future SCTV comedians Andrea Martin and Eugene
RM92 R E I S S U E S
Written and directed by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino Vivendi
Levy (who sports a wildly large afro and a ridicu- lous tie). The two star as sweethearts Cliff and Gloria, whose car breaks down in a picturesque town in the middle of winter. Deciding to dine at a local inn, the couple is greeted by Reverend Alex St. John (Ronald Ulrich), a campy Charles Manson-type in a top hat, who regales them with stories about the previous own- ers of the house – three girls who lured eager men home in order to murder and de- vour them. After their meal, the Reverend con- vinces the couple that it would be safer if they stayed the night, only to later slip into their bed- room, with three hun- gry young waitresses in tow… Cannibal Girls is
anything but polished, but despite the confus-
ing story and crude camerawork, it is a fine cult item that brings a large helping of humour to its
Watching the faux-damaged prints of Grind-
house’s double feature – Robert Rodriguez’s gory chemical outbreak epidemic Planet Terror and Quentin Tarantino’s hot rod killin’ machine Death Proof – on the ’ray is a little like drinking dirty moonshine out of a golden chalice. But the l o n g - awa i t e d pairing of both films (originally released sepa- rately on DVD) in the original back- to-back theatrical exhibition format, plus two hours of new bonus con- tent make this a must-have for fans. Rounding up all
of the special fea- tures from the
previous DVD releases, this two-disc Blu-ray adds an extended cut, making-of featurette and commentary by Rob Zombie for his fake trailer Werewolf Women of the SS. The same treatment and storyboard-to-trailer comparisons are of- fered for Shaun of the Dead maestro Edgar Wright’s phony clip Don’t, and there’s a well- produced making-of featurette for Eli Roth’s
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