The Great Alligator (1979) - 3 of 3: Westerners in the Wild Trilogy

Their god is an angry god

"The Great Alligator" is an action-adventure film that takes advantage of the tranquil scenery, humble natives and beautiful wildlife...except, of course, there's Kruna, a monstrous alligator or divine creature, that decides to go on a rampage after its habitat gets turned into a money-making machine of a hotel and resort. Take heed westerners: don't mess with nature and it won't mess back.

This takes place somewhere on an isolated island with the only way to get in or "out" being boat or plane. The local inhabitants have their rituals and superstitions, and the encroaching vacationers have their drinking and dancing to get on with. The hotshot photographer, played by charismatic Claudio Cassinelli, gets a whiff of something ominous in the air, as well as the employees work discreetly behind the scenes to investigate these mysterious disappearances. Although at that point it might be too late.

There are realistic characters and a few straightforward struggles are thrown in the mix between the humans. Though the alligator is the big attraction here and its on-screen presence is more comical than scary, as instead of being portrayed as this mysterious, what-if beast it almost becomes a caricature along the lines of "Jaws 2" where it can be anywhere and everywhere. The effects in wider shots make the gigantic gator a paralyzed battering ram as the molding used to make it doesn't flex an inch. Indeed the movie set out to be serious, this isn't going to be the equivalent of a modern day Sci-Fi channel creature feature, but it's still hard to ignore that the main attraction isn't able to even remotely nudge the safety barrier away from its audience.

Rating: 4/10


Director: Sergio Martino (A Man Called Blade)
Stars: Barbara Bach, Claudio Cassinelli
Link: IMDB


Facts from the Black and Red:

- Alligators are only indigenous to China and the US.

- Alligators are unidirectional breathers.

- Alligators have been known to attack humans in self-defense, even if they don't regard them as prey. Though they are known for eating their own kind.

Island of the Fishmen (1979) - 2 of 3: Westerners in the Wild Trilogy

Island of the goggly eyes

This ambitious film is set in the 19th century, gave a dab of action-adventure with mythology to boot, some shocks of horror and a nod to science fiction if that wasn't enough. "Island of Dr. Moreau" it wasn't entirely, though the initial premise is no doubt given nod to.

The zoom ins, dated synthesizers and blatantly overdubbed sound effects that usually came with campy Italian cinema can give these pictures charm like no other. However, the inconsistent creature effects and cringe worthy miniatures unabashedly shown in close-ups, instead of rolling in the fog or covering up with shadows, were just asking too much from a viewer's imagination. Most of these films have flaws from cheap production to speedy filmmaking, mirroring what was done in the '50s/'60s, but it's just a matter of how many you are willing to overlook (especially by '79). If really easy, this could be more up your alley. If not, take the detour.

The acting and even the English dubbing were of decent and serious caliber to moving this along without being one giant accidental farce; which leads me to believe the producers gave the green light with a tight cast but without realistically scaling back their overzealous production costs. The owner of the island was villainous though a charming and eccentric gentleman, his former Bond-girl (Barbara Bach of "The Spy Who Loved Me") wife was an exquisite treat to look at, and the guest of honor, that got there from a shipwreck, was a commanding and confident presence on screen.

"Island of the Fishmen," aka "Screamers," was not as mystifying as set out to be as an adult fantasy film. Applied to the goals the filmmakers had and their ability to realistically pull them off, the old idiom "less is more" usually works better in these cases, otherwise it's a challenge to step in with both feet and truly let yourself go minus the unintentional smirks.

Rating: 4/10


Director: Sergio Martino (Torso)
Stars: Barbara Bach, Claudio Cassinelli
Link: IMDB


Facts from the Black and Red:

- Actor Claudio Cassinelli died in a helicopter accident in 1985 while on location in Arizona for another Sergio Martino movie called "Fists of Steel/Hands of Steel."

- Mudskippers, snakeheads and Senegal Bichir are fish that can survive for periods outside of water.

- The 1912 accident of Titanic had a total of 1, 517 lives lost, making it one of the most fatal peacetime disasters.

The Mountain of the Cannibal God (1978) - Part 1 of 3: Westerners in the Wild Trilogy

You never forget the taste of human flesh

"The Mountain of the Cannibal God" is an action adventure film intertwined with intrigue, shock and candid looks at nature and those closet to it. This is far from other films that share the tag as this goes for realism rather than fantasy or heroism, is a party pooper when it comes to fun, and is steady with violence and gore to appease a depraved fan of horror compared to someone looking for a safe and easy ride in the jungle.

This is going for a documentary feel with an intimate look at how beautiful and cruel the wild can be. A group of brave westerners with some natives are assembling a trek to this mysterious, remote mountain in New Guinea. When the urbanized natives steer clear and give warning even if it means saving someone, take heed. Though the party members are tightening their boots and stuffing their packs with purpose no matter the peril. But maybe that's because they have their own hidden motives to drive them forward or that cannibals are just things for the imaginative daydreamer. Just maybe.

There's credible tension between the characters as they battle the terrain and encounter deadly animals, along with experiencing inquisitive peaks into odd customs and superstitions along the way. A big sensationalist draw here is there are non-simulated animal vs animal and man vs animal attacks. Its stark and unnecessary realism will be argued from here to the moon, but it ultimately creates an environment where no one is safe and it could be your turn at any moment, so best to keep a blade handy and one eye open when you sleep.

Time is taken with "Cannibal God" to pace the story and build up surprises. The atmospheric and sometimes downright uncomfortable music leaves emotion on the screen like another appendage of the actors. This is structured so the audience feels the tension as much as the performers do in the moment it's occurring. It gives the film a sense of believability over other Mondo cinema that falls short of maintaining that the events taking place could actually happen. Compared to "The Great Alligator" and "Screamers/Island of the Fish Men," this is by far the best in the Sergio Martino, as I like to call it, "Westerners in the Wild Trilogy" starring the late Claudio Cassinelli due not only to a bigger budget but most importantly a more refined focus.

Rating: 8/10

Director: Sergio Martino (The Case of the Scorpion's Tail)
Stars: Ursula Andress, Stacy Keach, Claudio Cassinelli
Link: IMDB


Facts from the Black and Red:

- Cannibal derives from the Spanish word "caníbales" for the Carib people.

- Michael Rockefeller--son to former NY Governor/Vice President Nelson Rockefeller--mysteriously disappeared in 1961 in the New Guinea area while researching a tribe called Asmat that were known for cannibalism and headhunting.

- Survivors from Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 in 1972--after running out of their only food and with nothing to hunt or gather in the cold climate--ate the flesh of their dead friends for sustenance.