The Cannibal Man
The Cannibal Man (Spanish La Semana del asesino, literally "Week of the Killer") is a 1972 horror film, directed by Eloy de la Iglesia and written by de la Iglesia and Antonio Fos. Despite the international title, the film contains no scenes of cannibalism. The film is also known as The Apartment On The 13th Floor.
| The Cannibal Man | |
|---|---|
 Blue Underground DVD cover | |
| The Cannibal Man | |
| Directed by | Eloy de la Iglesia |
| Produced by | José Truchado |
| Written by | Eloy de la Iglesia Antonio Fos |
| Starring | Vicente Parra Emma Cohen Eusebio Poncela |
| Music by | Fernando García Morcillo |
| Cinematography | Raúl Artigot |
| Distributed by | Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA; DVD, 2003) Blue Underground (USA; DVD, 2007) |
Release date |
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Running time | 98 min. |
| Country | Spain |
| Language | Spanish |
The film was featured on the British Director of Public Prosecutions' list of "Video Nasties".
Plot
After accidentally killing a taxicab driver, Marcos (Vicente Parra), a young man who works as a butcher, wants to cover up his crime. Marcos's girlfriend Paula (Emma Cohen), the only witness, wishes to go to the police, so he strangles her. Marcos finds himself killing others, including members of his family, as they become suspicious of his actions, butchering his victims' remains at his workplace in order to dispose of the bodies.
Background
TV Guide opined that "this bloody, politically inflected drama is not at all what the exploitative English-language title suggests. [...] Though the US title suggests a zombie gut-cruncher and the marketing campaign was designed to make Eloy de la Iglesia's film look like a Last House on the Left (1972) knock-off, The Cannibal Man is both a study of an apparently ordinary person spiraling into madness and a slyly satirical evocation of life in Spain under the oppressive Franco regime."[1]
Cast
- Vicente Parra as Marcos
- Emma Cohen as Paula
- Eusebio Poncela as Néstor
- Vicky Lagos as Rosa
- Lola Herrera as Carmen
- Charly Bravo as Esteban
- Fernando Sánchez Polack as Señor Ambrosio
- Goyo Lebrero as Taxista
- Ismael Merlo as Jefe de personal
- Rafael Hernández as Agustín
- José Franco as Tendero
- Valentín Tornos as Obrero
- Antonio Orengo as Camarero
- Antonio Corencia as Obrero burlón
- Antonio del Real as Obrero burlón
Critical reception
PopMatters called the film "a refreshing forgotten gem".[2] DVD Verdict called it "an extremely well-made Euro thriller with welcome social commentary and subtext. Suspenseful, disturbing and graphically violent, the film succeeds in its depictions of both physical and psychological horror."[3]
References
- "The Cannibal Man Review". TV Guide. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- Bill Gibron (28 October 2007). "Cannibal Man". PopMatters. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- Becker, Tom (24 October 2007). "DVD Verdict Review – Cannibal Man". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2014.