Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (1989)
- Cody Iden
- Oct 25, 2021
- 2 min read
Release Date - March 15, 1989
Synopsis:
The United States government, wishing to corner the market on avocados, recruits a professor of feminist studies to make contact with the Piranha Women, a female tribe who believe men are only useful as a food source, in the Avocado Jungle in Southern California.
Directed by - J.D. Athens
Written by - J.D. Athens
Produced by - Gary W. Goldstein
Music by - Carl Dante
Distribution Company - Paramount Home Video
Cast:
Shannon Tweed - Dr. Margo Hunt
Adrienne Barbeau - Dr. Francine York
Karen Mistal - Bunny
Brett Stimley - Jean-Pierre
Special Appearance by:
Barry Primus - Ford Maddox
and Bill Maher - Jim
Run Time - 1 hr. 30 min. Rated - PG-13
Budget - Unknown Gross - Unknown
Review:
A super low-budget affair, Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death sounds like it could be one of those stupid but funny bad movies but unfortunately it's mostly just stupid. Full of bad acting, corny puns, jabs at both feminists and the ultra-masculine, the film flounders around trying to be funny, but much like Bill Maher's character in the film, falls flat on its face. With a concept as strange as the plot of this movie you'd expect some laughs just from the absurdity of it all but everything is so deadpan and boring you have to wonder what anyone saw in it other than a paycheck and even that couldn't have amounted to much. Shannon Tweed is decent in her role as a professor of feminist studies hired by the US military to make contact with the Piranha Women and Adrienne Barbeau does what she can in her handful of scene in the second half of the film but Karen Mistal as Bunny and Bill Maher as Jim are just a little too much and become annoying and grating. There are a few jokes that work, particularly a sequence parodying Disney's Jungle Cruise attractions, but overall the movie really misses the mark at almost every turn.
My Score: 49
Plot - 4 Cinematography - 5
Attraction - 6 Editing & Special Effects - 4
Theme - 4 Sound & Music - 5
Acting - 5 Directing - 6
Dialogue - 5 Enjoyability – 5
Trivia:
The film is a satire of feminism, B movies, politicians and is a spoof of Joseph Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness.
The production was only able to afford Adrienne Barbeau for one day of filming, thus all her scenes were hurriedly shot to ensure she was able to complete her role.
This film was the inspiration for Christine Lavin's song "Piranha Women of the Avocado Jungle of Death."
Availability:
Watched in September, 2021
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