From Ruggero Deodato, the infamous director of "Cannibal Holocaust", comes this return to gory and sadistic jungle-based goings-on. It's an interesting mixture of the Italian jungle genre (albeit without cannibalism), drug-based action pictures, and blood and guts horror. Overall, it doesn't make nearly the same impact as "Cannibal Holocaust", but it's still a solid diversion for any cult movie lover who is into this sort of thing.
Lisa Blount and Leonard Mann play reporter Fran Hudson and her cameraman Mark Ludman, who are hot on the trail of a story involving wars between competing drug cartels. They come to realize that a man named Brian Horne (Richard Lynch) is involved. It turns out Horne was a prominent associate of the notorious cult leader Jim Jones. Fran and Mark are also trying to find Tommy Allo (Willie Aames), son of their boss Bob (Richard Bright); Tommy has been prisoner to one of these cartels for some time.
As you can see, there are a fair amount of familiar American actors in this rousing bit of entertainment. Karen Black makes a "special appearance", a young Eriq La Salle plays an informant, and the legendary cult actor Michael Berryman turns up repeatedly as a relentless and REALLY nasty white henchman. His scenes tend to be the most fun. Blount doesn't look too happy to be here, and Aames is too whiny and annoying, but the rest of the cast do some good work. Sexy Valentina Forte, Deodatos' girlfriend at the time, exploitation veteran John Steiner, Barbara Magnolfi ("Suspiria"), and Ottaviano Dell'Acqua (the worm eye zombie in "Zombi 2") co-star.
One gory highlight involves a person being ripped in half. The location shooting adds a lot of atmosphere. And ever reliable Claudio Simonetti of the groups Goblin and Daemonia composed the groovy music score.
Not too memorable once it's over, but it does hold ones' attention.
Seven out of 10.
