The Grim Reaper (aka Antropophagus) (1980)

*Get a physical copy of "Antropophagus: The Grim Reaper" on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Antropophagus: The Beast" on Amazon here*
*Watch "Antropophagus II" on Amazon Prime Video here*
*Get a physical copy of "Inferno Rosso: Joe D'Amato on the Road of Excess" on Amazon here*

Joe D'Amato produces a creepy film that will scare the willies out of you- if you do not dwell on the proceedings too much.

Julie (Tisa Farrow) hitches a ride with a group of tourists to a mysterious, isolated Greek island. The group includes a pregnant woman, her husband, a psychic and her boyfriend, and the leader (Julie's love interest). On the island, the village is completely deserted. They arrive at Julie's employer's house and find their blind teenage daughter, who has been hiding from a psychotic monster who has cannibalized everyone on the island. The group then spends the rest of the film fighting off the killer, and discovering the gruesome reasons behind its killing spree.

Of the many versions of this film floating around, I watched the R-rated version released by the old Monterey Home Video label- it is still very effective and scary. The killer is one ugly, ticked off dude. D'Amato does not resort to planting a mask on him, just to be unveiled in the climax. He lets natural lighting reveal the killer's features. The creepy abandoned village also works well. The editing is very crisp, adding to the suspense. The dubbed English voices are also adequate. The film plays like good Lucio Fulci. The minuses here are also a little scary. Because this is edited from the original version, there are a few loose ends here and there. The infamous "fetus scene" is trimmed, and it is obvious. The rest of the cast, save Farrow, go through the motions of being victims. There are not very many memorable scenes for the actors to work with to create any sort of sympathetic characters. The screenplay will often take incredible leaps in logic, as cast members wander off by themselves, or forget to defend themselves when they are getting murdered. The special effects are also hot and cold, with one memorable scene with an obviously fake severed head in a bucket of water. I have seen more realistic papier mache heads in children's puppet shows. The ending is abrupt, possibly the result of more post production tampering. D'Amato, never my favorite director, does some very good things here. He uses locations to the fullest extent, making for a very believable abandoned island. His direction is over-the-top, but manages to scare at the same time, much like Wes Craven's direction in the first "Scream." Actually, this might be ripe for a Hollywood remake, with better effects and a cast of recognizable faces- nah, they still wouldn't get it right. I do recommend this film, but it is not for the squeamish, and this is not for those who are looking for a "fun horror film."

"The Grim Reaper" is grim, and pretty good. Also known as "The Beast," "Antropophagus: The Grim Reaper," and "Antropophagus."

Stats:
(1980) 92 min. (* * * 1/2) out of five stars
-Directed by Joe D'Amato
-Screenplay by George Eastman, Story by George Eastman & Joe D'Amato
-Cast: Tisa Farrow, Saverio Vallone, Serena Grandi, Margaret Mazzantini, Mark Bodin, Bob Larson, Rubina Rey, Simone Baker, Mark Logan, George Eastman, Zora Kerova, Joe D'Amato
(R)