Afterwards, we all three headed back over to the Dobie for the midnight showing of CANNIBAL: THE MUSICAL, Trey Parker’s masterpiece of over the top gore and hilarity. Trey directed, produced, wrote, did music, did sound and played the lead of Alferd Packer in this Troma Release. First of all, it’s released through Troma, so you KNOW what you’re in for. Second, this is the same cat who created SouthPark for a nation of Beavis and Butthead fans, and I LOVED IT!
As I’ve heard a million times and as I’ve stated a million times, the beauty of film is that no one film is the same to everyone, in fact, a movie is subject to the viewer and we all know that no two viewers come away with the same reaction, this to me, is beauty of movies! No one is right, no one is wrong, everything is open to opinion. I have been looking forward to this film for over a year, of course no video store in Oklahoma is gonna carry this film, it’s tough enough to track down an unedited copy of THE TOXIC AVENGER, and that one’s been around since ’85! Anyway, I have been looking forward to this big screen presentation since I heard about it’s screening a few month back, so my opinion is gonna be a tad influenced by the anticipation of it all.
By and large, most of the group I was with hated this film. Often a common reaction from one after viewing a Troma film, but I was surprised nevertheless. I know the Troma team of Lloyd Kauffman and Michael Hertz must have shit their pants when this one came across their desks. Pure Parker, through and through, and a perfect vehicle for the Troma label, cannibals, gore, hilarious song and dance numbers choreographed with true hilarity prove to me that SouthPark is indeed the brainchild of Parker.
The comedy is played out on many different levels, some of which work and some of which don’t, most of which will appeal to a broad audience of midnight movie fans. Definitely not for the seriously serious and stern, but this is a film I must tip my hat to, if nothing else, just out of sheer audacity. Many of the scenes are played out with live-action cartoon outrageousness, which on occasion proves to be too much. But the great songs will have you hummin’ along in spite of yourself. Sure, there are dead spots and some of the humor simply doesn’t work, but by and large, most will come away from this one wondering how they haven’t heard talk of if before.
Detailing the story of Alferd Packer, the only American to be convicted of cannibalism, and his story of how he became just that, is one of the better midnight movie experiences I’ve had – I squealed with glee and laughed right along with the majority of the Austin crowd. Seek this gem and alarm your friends, they may thank you for it, they may hate you for it, but you never know, and it’s worth a try.
