Filmed in 1993 as ALFERD PACKER: THE MUSICAL, this film was first released to video in 1996 by Troma Team Video before receiving a limited theatrical release in 1998. Though its new title implies gory exploitation, the film is actually a satire of Hollywood musicals, telling the alleged
true story of Alferd Packer, an 18th century pioneer accused of cannibalism.
The story begins in Lake City, Colorado, circa 1883, with Packer (Trey Parker, billed here as Juan Schwartz) on trial, accused of murdering and eating the rest of his party. In a series of flashbacks, he gives reporter Polly Pry the real story, which began a decade earlier, when Packer was
recruited to lead a quintet of miners from Utah to Colorado in the middle of the winter--where characters break into song at the most inopportune moments. Packer is heartbroken when his beloved horse, LeeAnn, runs off, and fearing that she was kidnapped by a trio of trappers, he foolheartedly
takes his group in pursuit. Soon they're lost and hungry in the middle of the Rockies. When cohort Swan gets on the party's nerves, Bell kills him and divvies up his body for dinner. Soon Bell--a Mormon preacher--goes completely insane, slaughters the others, and is finally killed by Packer after
several gruesome initial attempts go awry (these include a pick ax to the chest and a meat cleaver to the face). Since Packer is the only survivor, he's eventually jailed for the crimes. The story ends with a rousing musical number, as the entire town prepares for an all-singing, all-dancing
hanging, only to have Polly save Packer at the last moment with a Governor's stay of execution.
Though it often resembles an overlong "Saturday Night Live" skit, a surprising amount of wit shines through this otherwise amateur endeavor. This is especially true when CANNIBAL! satirizes cheery Tinseltown musicals--from Packer's campfire love ballad to the missing LeeAnn ("There's nothing I
couldn't do/When I was on top of you."), to a trio of trappers singing about the joy of skinning small defenseless animals. Unfortunately, things get rougher when the creators are obliged to create a coherent narrative. Lacking a real storyline, the laughs become scattered, going to supporting
cast members such as Jon Hegel, who plays the eternal optimist in the group. For better or worse, director Trey Parker isn't afraid to scrape bottom for his humor, whether it's indulging in outlandish violence, or a touching love story of a man and his horse. It's this type of good-taste-be-damned
charm that keeps CANNIBAL! afloat, despite its narrative gaps. (Graphic violence.) leave a comment
