Cheap Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (DVD) (Shannon Tweed, Bill Maher) (J.F. Lawton) Price

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Customer Reviews of Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death

Movie Is Great, DVD - Questionable.
I love this movie. The comedy may be getting a little dated these days, but 'tis still great. I had been trying to get a copy on videotape for years, but now that it is available on DVD I was super pleased!

The actual DVD however is kind of a let down. It's great to see the trailer. And the menus are nice. But I suppose I was looking for a little bit more in regards to a wider screen, but it's just set to normal full screen. Still a great classic for the collection if you like these kinds of flicks.

Banal but a curio of sorts
I usually try to avoid movies with titles so long that writing the name out on a piece of paper could cause carpal tunnel syndrome. But "Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death" was too quirky of a label to pass up. I probably would have watched this schlockfest eventually since one of the stars appearing in it is Adrienne Barbeau. This actress, if you aren't familiar with her, has turned up in some of the great B budget masterpieces of the last twenty-five years or so. You can see Barbeau in "The Fog," for example, or "Escape From New York." She's a pretty lady, a good actress rarely given over to fits of ham handed acting who usually elevates whatever movie she decides to appear in. Well, nothing can really save "Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death," not even Barbeau, but the movie does have a certain cheesy charm that could endear it to certain segments of the low budget crowd. Also turning up in this over the top film are Shannon Tweed and a pre-"Politically Incorrect" Bill Maher, who must have signed on to do this picture when he noticed his residual checks from "D.C. Cab" were rapidly diminishing.

A threat with serious implications to the nation's avocado supply leads military and government leaders to seek the help of Dr. Margo Hunt (Tweed). They approach this professor because her academic work as a feminist makes her a natural to plunge into the deep jungles of California (?) to meet with the Piranha women, an ancient clan of cannibals who consume the male members of the tribe. Apparently, America could fall to the communist menace if cheap avocados aren't readily available on the market, or some such nonsense. Hunt agrees to go after the dean threatens to cut off her funding, taking along with her a bubble-headed Home Economics major named Bunny (Karen Mistal). The two women must employ a guide to lead them into the unforgiving jungle, a guide who is strong, knowledgeable, brave, and cool in stressful situations. Predictably, they choose Jim (Maher) for the job. He's anything but strong, knowledgeable, brave, or cool in stressful situations. Rather, Jim is a politically incorrect, testosterone driven guy who thinks feminism is a ridiculous product of the modern age. He's also largely helpless once he gets five feet outside the city. Can you see the endless potential for hilarious hijinks?

The three head out into the jungle and promptly get lost. Jim can't read a map to save his life, so the trio stumbles around in the wilderness for ages before encountering another human being. Along the way, Jim makes the move on Bunny, reminisces about his brief fling with Dr. Hunt, and argues against the merits of feminism. Not much happens until they meet a tribe of docile men, a clan that is completely subservient to women. Their sycophantic behavior outrages Jim, who proceeds to show these guys how to drink beer, approach women, and generally act like the slobs they really are. By the time Jim, Margo, and Bunny reach the Piranha women they discover even more surprises. It turns out that a colleague of Hunt's, a radical feminist named Dr. Kurtz (!) (Barbeau) who disappeared some time ago on an expedition, now rules over the tribe as their leader. The Piranhas lock Jim up for future sacrifice and offer Margo and Bunny membership in the tribe. Too, another tribe of women emerges as enemies of the Piranhas. It's all about as ridiculous as you could imagine, and the conclusion attains a level of sappiness that would make Walt Disney heave. Only the iron willed viewer used to such banality could watch "Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death" without losing IQ points in the process.

Actually, the performances of the principals aren't too bad. Tweed, known for making dozens of schlock films since the 1980s, plays Margo Hunt with an overweening sense of seriousness that fits the character. Maher, a stand up comedian by trade, gets all the "best" (I use this term carefully) lines as the archetypical male who can't use a map or admit that he's wrong. Mistal portrays Bunny competently in the stock 1980's dim bulb role pioneered by the likes of Judy Landers. Barbeau is just fun to watch. "Cannibal Women" is a cheap film, shot on a shoestring budget that stretches at the seams when the characters are supposed to be battling their way through the jungle or fighting wildlife. The biggest surprise here is that the filmmakers actually tried to inject a noteworthy theme as the central plot point, namely feminism and how it pertains to the glaring differences between men and women. It's all played for amusement, obviously, but sadly you'll find barely a belly laugh here. I think I cracked a smile when Jim taught the male tribe how to stand tall, but everything else fell flat.

The DVD version of the film isn't anything to write home about. You get a few trailers for other cheesy movies and that's about it. I guess they couldn't get Maher to sign on for a commentary track since he's too busy passing himself off as a pundit on the news channels. I think someone should call in the next time he's on a talk show and ask him about this movie. Who knows, maybe someone already has. In the meantime, give "Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death" a chance if you like over the top, spoofy movies that doesn't require too much effort in the brain department. It's a mindless, slightly amusing film with which to pass the time.