Anthropophagus (1980)

"Shut up, Carol!" - Andy

aka: The Grim Reaper
Tourists become stranded on an island with a hungry killer.
Starring: Tisa Farrow, Saverio Vallone, Zora Kerova, Mark Bodin, and George Eastman

Link to IMDB

Julie

A group of tourists are enjoying their adventure through the Mediterranean countryside, and along the way they meet another traveler named Julie. The group decides to invite Julie with them, and together they all head out on a rented yacht to visit a beautiful island. They are unaware of a killer in the area, so they expect that this will be a "totes perf vacay."

It takes a tedious 30 minutes before anything of note happens but they finally arrive on the island and discover that the little town there is completely deserted, and an eerie atmosphere is firmly established. The one guy that remained on the yacht is promptly murdered by an unknown person and the boat drifts out to sea, effectively trapping everyone on the island.


Frightened, they search the town for clues on what has happened, but the only person they find is a young lady named Rita. She's blind and suffering from some sort-of trauma, so she doesn't do much except warn them that a deranged man is coming for them.
Despite moving along slow, the plot isn't completely dull because the tension is rising among the group and the creepy vibes are palpable. The sensation that something terrible is on the horizon becomes captivating, and thankfully, the payoff is worth the wait.

The demented man begins relentlessly stalking the group, biting his way through any throats he can get his hands on! Things gets intense, as the movie delivers some wonderfully disturbing and gory violence in the last 30 minutes. Julie and her friends better find a way to survive, because there's nowhere to hide!

Rita makes an entrance

This movie has aged quite well and deservedly earned its cult following, but it's far from perfect. There are some truly shocking moments near the end, but I don't think it lives up to its reputation as being a classic of Italian giallo horror.
Despite the bleak and sever atmosphere, I was still able to find a few good laughs here. I also liked the character dynamics (even the annoying Carol,) and that the killer gets a much appreciated backstory to explain his motives.
I really did enjoy how everything was presented here, but it is damn slow at getting to the point.

Be sure not to miss:
- The dog at the start has a silly face. It's a solid performance.
- What was with that wonky circus music Arnold had in his van?
- Rats enough!

Internet review:
"It should be on the agenda for any horror aficionado." - Dante7000

Should I watch it?
It is worth seeing, but it's a slow one.

Where can I find it?
Here on YouTube. (and I'm pretty sure it's the uncut version)

Anthropophagus gets...