Paul Day From the opening and obvious lie that this is a true story to the closing bathos there's really no good reason to watch this outside of the stunning body of the lead actress.The framework of the film is a court trial and it's about as interesting as it sounds. The meat of the story is told in flashback with occasional intercutting of sweaty Hispanic lawyers spouting the most trite legal blather such as "OBJECTION! This is irrelevant!" and then going back into the jungle. Even the anthropology sounds made up.If you haven't guessed the ending by two minutes after Cathy's parents are killed then you really need to get out more.I lost track of the number of times I said incredulously shouted "WHAT??" after one scene or another. The prime example: Cathy watches some white guys in a helicopter gun down some natives and turns to her noble savage lover (who she believes chopped off the heads of her parents)and cries out, "HOW CAN MEN BE CAPABLE OF SUCH THINGS?!" Um, chica? Your boyfriend allegedly committed the same act of violence.Sadly, the film making and acting are at a level that's just slightly above competency so rather than being amusing, it's just dull.This movie is best summed up by a line from one of the lawyers: "This just more cheap sentimentality."

Steve Van Kooten Contains nudity, some blood, and a reckless disregard for virginity. A supple young lady spends time with her parents by taking a tour down a South American river; however, a deadly tribe of natives attack and leave her stranded in the jungle. She is then taken in and forced to bear their brutish form of society. - - - As far as cannibal movies go, this one is very polite, unassuming of its expectations, and toned down to the bare minimum of violence. All that being said, these are the problems with this movie because it doesn't concoct a dynamic story to meld around their handful of standout moments (which aren't all that great to begin with). The characters are developed though, even the natives end up looking more dignified than anybody else, and there are some nice twists in the story to make it interesting. It's certainly a mixed bag, but I think I can live without the non-exploitation cannibal flicks.*1/2 out of 4

bensonmum2 I think most fans of cannibal/jungle type films will agree that Cannibal Holocaust is the Granddaddy of the genre. Amazonia: The Catherine Miles Story was originally marketed as a sequel to that film. But, Cannibal Holocaust it ain't. To my surprise, most of the reviews of Amazonia that I've read have been positive. And while I certainly found elements of the film enjoyable in the way that only a good exploitation film can be, there are far too many problems I have with the film for me to consider it much more than average at best.What Works: The Gore: If you're a fan of the red stuff, Amazonia delivers. While the total number of scenes of gratuitous gore may be fewer than in some other films of this type, the gore is very well done and, for the most part, reasonably realistic. I was especially impressed with a scene depicting a human head being cut off. There are scenes in this movie that are definitely not for the squeamish.Plot Ideas: It may not be completely original, but I liked the idea of the kidnapped young girl living with and growing in the Headhunter society. It presents the opportunities for some interesting set-pieces.What Doesn't Work: It's Not Really a Cannibal Film: Regardless of how it was marketed, Amazonia isn't really a cannibal movie. The film's only real cannibals are dispatched within five minutes of making their appearance.The Acting: Elvire Audray as Catherine Miles is positively wretched. Everything she does and says further reinforces the notion that she's a second rate actress. The rest of the acting is no better. One look at the courtroom scenes should be enough to demonstrate to anyone just how bad the acting is.A Sappy Love Story: If I sit down to watch a trashy, Euro-cannibal film, I want a trashy, Euro-cannibal film. Unfortunately, Amazonia is full of too many melodramatic, sappy moments. And that ending is straight out of a Lifetime movie. It's beyond ridiculous.The Headhunters: I hate to compare any film of this genre with Cannibal Holocaust, but it's hard not to. The cannibals in Cannibal Holocaust look like the real deal – wild, savage, dirty, and all but alien. In contrast, the natives in Amazonia are too clean. Most look like they've just had a shower, a shave, and a hair cut. And am I seriously supposed to believe that one of these Headhunters knows English (or Italian or whatever language)? That must have been some kind of correspondence class she was taking.Overall, Amazonia is a weak film when compared with other movies of its ilk. It's neither as good and powerful as Cannibal Holocaust nor is it as silly and fun as something like Massacre in Dinosaur Valley. If you're a fan of this kind of movie you might find something worthwhile, but, overall, it's liable to be a disappointing experience.

Greensleeves Despite it's shortcomings this film remains watch able because there's never a dull moment. A young woman and her parents are apparently attacked by Indians in the Amazon, the parents are butchered but their daughter (Elvire Audray) is taken alive as a trophy. This initial attack is sudden, unexpected and gorily shocking even in the censored version of the film. The rest of the film concentrates on the girl's ordeal in the Amazon Jungle where she suffers attempted rape and is ritually deflowered after it is discovered that she is still a virgin. She eventually falls in love with the head hunter who saved her from death when she finds out the truth behind her parents murder. This leads to an act of revenge and the story is framed by the girl's appearance in court on a double murder charge. The location photography is often stunning but the script is weak and the acting is barely competent throughout although the leading man (Alvaro Gonzales) has an imposing physical presence. A very fake crocodile attack and a fight during which one of the participants is suffocated with a handful of grass provide some unintentionally hilarious moments. The laughter ceases though when real scenes of animals preying on each other are served up as entertainment.