CINEMA OF DEATH

CUT AND RUN (original title: Inferno in Diretta) 

Director: Ruggero Deodato

Year: 1985

Star rating: ★★★★ 4/5

Synopsis

A reporter (Lisa Blount) and her cameraman connect a surviving Jonestown leader and a TV exec's missing son (Willie Aames) to a drug war led by a renegade colonel (Richard Lynch) where jungle installations are being massacred by an army of natives and a skilled white assassin (Michael Berryman). Their 'big story' has become a nightmare of sudden violence where the ultimate assignment is survival...and the most brutal animal in the jungle is man. 

Firstly, before I review this movie let me add that this film must be viewed in its full uncut and uncensored glory of how it was originally intended to be shot and the best DVD release for this is the Anchor Bay version. Avoid all other versions of this film. The presentation is complete and uncut, featuring scenes omitted from all previous English language releases, because these scenes were never dubbed into English, they are presented in Italian with English subtitles. 

Being familiar with Ruggero's work and admiring his classic Cannibal Holocaust (1980), I decided to look into more of his films and came across Cut and Run. When first watching the film, I had seen it on an old VHS version that had been butchered by the sensors. The film was presented as an action flick rather than a horror. It was not until later on in which I had researched into the film and came across the uncut version, which let me tell you, was almost a completely different film. From what I had read, it was trying to follow the same formula as Cannibal Holocaust but delivered more on the action side rather than the realism that caused so much controversy with Holocaust. 

Being a lover of all things gore and a big fan of the talented Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes, Deadly Blessing), the film drew me in from the first moment Berryman leaped out of the river and pulled his victim back in with him. The film tries hard to bring in many different genre elements and looses focus of the main stories plot, but the scenes of action and gore are what keeps the film moving, and the surprise elements of Berryman's scenes. 

Women seem to be the main victims and are objectified on all fronts. Their bodies are raped, humiliated and mutilated for the visual pleasures of our entertainment. The film sets up nice jump scares and surprise elements by using the scenery thats available. Set in the jungles of South America, the reporter and her cameraman are faced with all sorts of obstacles. From crocodile infested rivers, traps, the night of the jungle, natives and a tall white man that appears out of the river in moments of suspense. The soundtrack which was composed by the master that is Claudio Simonetti, who is known for working on a few of Dario Argento's films, lends his talent to the film nicely and helped enhance the films visuals.

The film holds its own and is packed with plenty of gore and action to keep you glued to the screen. The only negative which let the film down just slightly is the ending in which Berryman's character gets one last shot at capturing his victims but gets sprayed in the face with a fire extinguisher before being shot by a rifle. This comedic element, almost slapstick ruined the mood and atmosphere (although this could have been intentional, to present this almost invincible wild killer and then expose of him in seconds with a spray to the face). Regardless of this, even though his scenes were short and he could of had more screen time. Berryman's performance, in my opinion is what held the film together. 

Happy New Year everyone, just a quick review of a favourite of mine. I will try and get more up on the blog and start looking into more obscure horrors that are out there. These are by no means professional reviews and may sound amateur but hopefully I can introduce you to a wide range of bizarre, gore infested, edge of the seat, can't go to sleep films that will keep you interested and talking for years to come. 

Michael Berryman and Director Ruggero Deodato on the set of Cut and Run.