''Cannibal! The Musical'' (originally known as ''Alferd Packer: The Musical'') is a 1993 American
musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
black comedy
Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...
film directed, written, produced, co-scored by and starring
Trey Parker
Randolph Severn "Trey" Parker III (born October 19, 1969) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, director, and musician. He is best known for co-creating ''South Park'' (1997) and '' The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative part ...
in his
directorial debut while studying at the
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a Public university, public research university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a Federated state, state, it is the fla ...
, before reaching fame with ''
South Park
''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand the ...
'' alongside his friend
Matt Stone
Matthew Richard Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, and musician. He is best known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and ''The Book of Mormon (musical), The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his cre ...
who also stars in and produced the film. It is loosely based on the true story of
Alfred "Alferd" Packer and the sordid details of the trip from
Utah
Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
to
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
that left his five fellow travelers dead and partially eaten. Trey Parker (credited as Juan Schwartz) stars as Alferd Packer, with frequent collaborators Stone,
Dian Bachar, and others playing the supporting roles.
A live staged version was performed at
Sierra College, in Rocklin, California, in May 1998. It was followed by Dad's Garage Theater, Atlanta Georgia, in the fall of 1998. The Dad's Garage version is highlighted in the special features of Troma's DVD release of the movie. The show has continued to find small theaters and audiences across America and beyond for many years. In 2001, a production was staged
Off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
at the Kraine Theater on East 4th Street in New York.
In 2011, producer Jason McHugh released a book titled ''Shpadoinkle: The Making of Cannibal! The Musical'' which chronicles all aspects of the creation and continuation of the ''Cannibal! The Musical'' cult phenomenon.
Plot
The film begins with a
reenactment of the gruesome act of
cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is also well document ...
described by the prosecuting attorney during Alferd Packer's 1883 trial. During this sensationalized account, a haggard Packer repeatedly insists that was not how it happened. During a break in the trial, Packer is enticed by journalist
Polly Pry to tell his side of the story, which he proceeds to do, via
flashback beginning with his horse Lianne galloping in a field.
In 1873, Packer was part of a group of miners in
Bingham Canyon, Utah who hear of new prospects in
Breckenridge. Together, the small group decide to travel together into
Colorado Territory
The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the 38th State of Colorado.
The territory was organized ...
. Packer is appointed as the replacement for the original guide, since he claimed knowledge of the area. He and Lianne set off on what Packer estimates will be a three-week journey with a party of five miners: Shannon Wilson Bell, James Humphrey, Frank Miller, George Noon and Israel Swan.
Four weeks later, while attempting to visit
Provo for supplies they become convinced they are lost. They are given local warning them of impending doom awaiting them in the mountains. Finally arriving in Provo, they run into a group of three fur trappers bound for
Saguache; O.D. Loutzenheiser, Preston Nutter, and their diminutive leader, Jean "Frenchy" Cabazon. The trappers despise the miners, whom they contemptuously call "diggers", yet seem to like Packer's
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse ( , DIN 31635, DMG ''al-ḥiṣān al-ʿarabī'') is a horse breed, breed of horse with historic roots on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easi ...
, telling Packer that she's a "trapper horse". The next day, Packer wakes up to discover his horse Lianne is missing. The men attempt to cross the
Green River near the Utah border. Eventually, after a disastrous crossing of the Colorado River the Packer party is spotted by two "
Nihonjin" Indians. They are taken back to the tribe's encampment near
Delta
Delta commonly refers to:
* Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet
* D (NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta"), the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet
* River delta, at a river mouth
* Delta Air Lines, a major US carrier ...
where the chief warns them of a winter storm, allowing them to wait it out with the tribe. Packer's party also find the trappers camping out with the tribe, a small altercation breaks out over Lianne, whose feedbag Packer finds in their possession.
In the present time, Packer is sentenced to death by hanging, with his execution to occur in
Lake City. That night, Polly reveals her growing affection for him through song. The next day, Polly visits Packer once again in prison, where he continues his story.
The men set out in the wilderness and begin to suspect that Packer is really only interested in following the trappers to find his horse. They soon run out of food, resorting to eating their shoes as they become lost in the snow-covered
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...
. An optimistic Swan sings about building a snowman; Bell shoots him in the head out of frustration. The men discuss their dire situation that night over the fire, speaking of the
cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is also well document ...
that the
Donner Party
The Donner Party, sometimes called the Donner–Reed Party, was a group of American pioneers who migrated to California interim government, 1846-1850, California in a wagon train from the Midwest. Delayed by a multitude of mishaps, they spent ...
had to resort to in California. They decide to consume the body of their dead companion as Miller cuts up Swan's body, and only Bell refuses to partake in the cannibalism. After a few more days, the party loses hope, which leads to talk of sacrificing one of their own. Packer convinces them for one more chance for a scouting trip, but when he returns, Bell has killed the others, claiming they planned to kill and eat him after Packer left. Packer is forced to throw a cleaver at Bell, seemingly killing him. He is then forced to cannibalize the others to wait out the rest of the winter.
Arriving in Saguache sometime later, Packer finds Lianne, who has taken to Cabazon, upsetting Packer. The sheriff of Saguache, suspicious of Packer arriving without the rest of his party, eventually finds out the fate of the other members and attempts to arrest Packer for cannibalism at a saloon. A bar-fight between Packer and the trappers occurs, which Packer wins after brutally attacking Cabazon's groin using fighting techniques he learned from the Nihonjin chief, leaving Cabazon incapacitated. Following this, Packer attempts to flee to
Wyoming
Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...
, only to later be arrested there and brought back to Colorado to await judgment. However, he is saved at the last minute by Polly, who arrives on the scene with Lianne. Meanwhile, Cabazon, wants revenge against Packer for their fight in Saguache. The Nihonjin chief saves Packer by cutting his rope with a
katana
A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge fa ...
before beheading Cabazon. Packer, seeing that Polly brought back Lianne, he realizes he does not need her anymore and chooses Polly, the two kiss, only to be frightened by a still-alive but badly maimed Bell.
Cast
*
Trey Parker
Randolph Severn "Trey" Parker III (born October 19, 1969) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, director, and musician. He is best known for co-creating ''South Park'' (1997) and '' The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative part ...
as
Alferd Packer (credited as Juan Schwartz)
*
Toddy Walters as
Polly Pry
*
Matt Stone
Matthew Richard Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, and musician. He is best known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and ''The Book of Mormon (musical), The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his cre ...
as James Humphrey (credited as Mathew Stone)
*
Dian Bachar as George "California" Noon
*
Jason McHugh as Frank Miller
* Jon Hegel as Israel Swan
* Ian Hardin as Shannon Wilson Bell
* Duster as Packer's horse, Lianne
* Robert Muratore as Jean "Frenchy" Cabazon
* Edward Henwood as O.D. Loutzenheiser/The
Cyclops
In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; , ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguished. In Hesiod's ''Th ...
* Andrew Kemler as Preston Nutter
* Masao Maki as the Chief of the fictitious Nihonjin Indian tribe (credited as Maseo Maki)
*
Japanese foreign exchange students as Nihonjin Indians
* Junichi as Junichi
* Tomomi as Tomomi, a young Indian girl whom Noon swoons over
* Audrey Stafferd as the Voice of Doom
* Randy Parker (Trey Parker's father) as Judge Jerry
* Jessica James Kelly as
Tiny Tim/Baby Packer
* Martin Leeper as the Sheriff of Saguache (credited as Marty Leeper)
* Brad Gordon as Mills
* Steve Jackson as the Sheriff of
Lake City
*
Stan Brakhage
James Stanley Brakhage ( ; January 14, 1933 – March 9, 2003) was an American experimental filmmaker. He is considered to be one of the most important figures in 20th-century experimental film.
Over the course of five decades, Brakhage cr ...
as Noon's father
* Don Yannacito as Humphrey's father
* Kevin Allen as a passerby who glances over Polly Pry with a confused look as she performs "This Side of Me"
* Lianne Adamo as one of the dancers during the "Hang the Bastard" number (uncredited)
* Chris Graves as a drunken man who plays a
cowbell break in "Hang the Bastard" (uncredited)
* Joe McHugh (Jason McHugh's father) as General Store Clerk (uncredited)
* Brody McHugh (Jason McHugh's sister) as Woman leaving store (uncredited)
Cast notes
Musical numbers
# "Shpadoinkle" – Alferd
# "Shpadoinkle (Reprise)" – George, Alferd, Shannon, Frank, Swan, and Humphrey
# "That's All I'm Asking for" – George, Alferd, Shannon, Frank, Swan, and Humphrey.
# "When I Was on Top of You" – Alferd
# "Trapper Song" – Frenchy (voice of Parker), Loutzenheiser, and Nutter
# "This Side of Me" – Polly
# "Let's Build a Snowman" – Swan
# "Let's Build a Snowman (Reprise)" – Swan
# "That's All I'm Asking for (Reprise)" – George, Alferd, Shannon, Frank and Humphrey
# "Hang the Bastard" – Company
# "Shpadoinkle (Finale)" – Polly, Alferd, and Company
Contrasting with the musical's generally dark and morbid humor are its cheerful songs, all composed by Parker, including "Let's Build a Snowman", "When I Was on Top of You", "Hang the Bastard", and "Shpadoinkle" (pronounced ''shpah-doink-ul''). The last of these is a transparent
parody
A parody is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satire, satirical or irony, ironic imitation. Often its subject is an Originality, original work or some aspect of it (theme/content, author, style, e ...
of the song "
Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" from the
Rodgers & Hammerstein musical ''
Oklahoma!
''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical theater, musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs's 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs (play), Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of ...
''.
Two songs that were originally going to be in the film, but later taken out, were "Shatterproof", a rap song to be sung by Packer during the bar fight scene, and "Don't Be Stupid", a song to be sung by some of the Bingham Canyon miners after the reprise of "Shpadoinkle". An interview with Ian Hardin (now known as Ian Keldin) revealed that Trey thought "Shatterproof" made Packer seem too tough.
Production
The film began as a 3-minute
trailer made for a film class, having been an idea Parker and his friends had for a while but also inspired in part by Parker's resentment towards his ex-fiancée Lianne Adamo after discovering her cheating on him not long before their wedding, with Packer's disloyal horse "Lianne" in the final film being based on her. After the trailer drew much attention, Parker and Stone raised around $125,000 and began shooting the full-length film. The film was shot during weekends and on
spring break
Spring break is a vacation period at universities and schools that includes the Easter holiday, and takes place in early Northern Hemisphere spring. Introduced in the U.S. during the 1930s, spring break has been observed in Europe since t ...
in 1993, and according to Ian Hardin, most of the crew failed their film history class as a result. Filming was done on location throughout Colorado in
Denver
Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
,
Colorado National Monument,
Black Canyon, and
Ouray, with the courtroom scenes being shot in the actual courthouse that Alferd Packer was tried in, in Lake City, and the town scenes taking place in Provo, Saguache, and the hanging scene being shot in different parts of the
Buckskin Joe Old West theme park in
Canyon City.
A few incidents happened during filming, such as Parker getting a hairline hip fracture after being thrown from one of the horses playing "Lianne", fights occasionally breaking out among the crew, some of the main cast experiencing cold shock and almost being swept away by strong currents from crossing the icy
Gunnison River
The Gunnison River is located in western Colorado, United States and is one of the largest tributaries of the Colorado River.
Description
The river flows east to west and has a drainage area of according to the USGS. The drainage basin of the ...
that doubled for the Green River, as well as inclement weather and even an avalanche complicating shooting.
This film was originally titled ''Alferd Packer: The Musical'' in 1993. The
film premiere
A premiere, also spelled première, (from , ) is the debut (first public presentation) of a work, i.e. play, film, dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic ...
d on October 31, 1993, in Boulder, Colorado, at a cinema near the University of Colorado campus. A fake protest organized by friends of Parker and Stone, organized along the lines of an animal rights demonstration, took place in front of the theater. The film then played at Raindance Film Festival in October 2004. Parker and Stone attended.
It was not released generally until 1996, however, when
Troma Entertainment
Troma Entertainment is an American independent film production company, production and film distributor, distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz (producer), Michael Herz in 1974. They are the longest running independent film ...
picked it up and renamed it ''Cannibal! The Musical'' out of concern that not enough people outside of Colorado knew who Packer was. Few people outside of Colorado ever saw the film since Troma did not distribute it widely. Parker and Stone's animated
satire
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposin ...
''
South Park
''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand the ...
'' debuted the following year.
Several live productions of the show have been mounted, with excerpts from one live version available on the DVD.
Home media
Following Matt and Trey's success with ''South Park'', Troma re-released the film on
VHS and
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
and it enjoyed a decent
cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
. The DVD contains a "Drunken
Director's Commentary" where Parker and Stone along with most of the cast get drunk as they watch the film, although there are a few times when the commentary cuts out.
The film has since been released on
UMD for the
Sony PSP. A special edition 13th anniversary DVD was released by Troma with added features, including all-new interviews with the cast and crew.
The film was re-released in November 2008 as the first of the "Tromasterpiece Collection," as Troma considers ''Cannibal!'' to be one of its best films. Included in the new two-disc version, with over three hours of special features, never-before-seen deleted material and stage shows. Songs such as "Shatter Proof" and the early short films of Parker and Stone were considered to be a part of the new DVD, but these additions were ultimately rejected.
In September 2024, Boutique label
Vinegar Syndrome announced the world premiere Blu-ray edition for release in November of that same year. The disc will include a remaster in 4K with the involvement of original stars
Jason McHugh and
Dian Bachar
In September 2024, British studio Refuse Films announced a
Blu-ray
Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
special edition for release in December of that same year. The disc will include a remaster in
HD, with the film presented in its original open matte aspect ratio.
Stage productions
There have been several amateur productions of ''Cannibal! The Musical'' since 1996. The first was at the
Sierra College in Northern California and then at
Dad's Garage Theater where it won accolades by fans and the press.
In 2001, Saturday Players launched a six-month off-off-Broadway run of the show that earned critical acclaim and returning audience members.
In 2004, ''Cannibal'' made its European debut in Rome at the Teatro di Servi.
In 2005, the first High School group attempted the show at The
Ironwood Ridge High School in
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...
, but the show was censored by the school and performed off campus as a benefit. Later that year the show made its German debut at the
University of Regensburg
The University of Regensburg () is a public research university located in the city of Regensburg, Germany. The university was founded on 18 July 1962 by the Landtag of Bavaria as the fourth full-fledged university in Bavaria. Following groundbr ...
and played many small colleges and community houses in the US.
In 2006, the show debuted at its first Fringe Festivals in Minneapolis and Victoria, Canada and continued to find adoption by small colleges and community theaters.
In 2007, the Irish stage premiere took place at the Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny in a production by The Devious Theatre Company.
In 2008, The Insurgo Theater Movement launched the show in Las Vegas for the first of several runs by their company. Unexpected Productions launched the first of four October runs of Cannibal in Seattle.
Also in 2008, The Rival Theatre Company produced the first large-scale professional production. The show ran from July 31 to August 25 at the George Square Theatre, Edinburgh for a total of 26 performances. It starred
Aimie Atkinson as Polly Pry and James Topping as Alferd Packer. Original film cast member
Jason McHugh made a guest appearance as Mr. Mills. Other guest stars included
Jim Bowen and The Q Brothers.
In 2011, M.P.M.M. Productions, performed the musical in
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
, Canada during the 2011 Winnipeg Fringe Festival. It won "The Best of Fest" for its venue (meaning it outsold other shows in the venue and was awarded an additional show). The show also debuted in St Louis and Denver with great reviews and enthusiastic casts and audience members.
In May 2012, Logan Donahoo Presents performed a version of the musical in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
during the 2012
Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival, in the Yellow venue. The show was successful, receiving positive reviews, and winning Patron's Pick for its venue, meaning that it had outsold all of the other shows and was awarded an additional performance.
''Trey Parker's Cannibal! The Musical'' played in Toronto at David Mirvish's
Panasonic Theatre for a four-week run (February 10 to March 8, 2015). Additional book, lyrics, and music by Christopher Bond, Aaron Eyre, and Trevor Martin.
It was announced in early 2014 that a production of the show is being produced at the Waterfront Theatre in Vancouver, B.C. by independent traveling theatre troupe Last Chance Productions. The show ran from June 12, 2014, until March 8, 2015, with two separate seating areas (a "Gore Zone" where audience members are subject to splash-zone-esque involvement, and a less messy "Gore-Free Zone".)
Trey Parker's CANNIBAL THE MUSICAL! had its first national tour in 2017 which rehearsed out of Toronto before heading to the Capitol Theatre in Windsor, ON the Canadian cast featured Greg Carruthers, David DiFrancesco, Shaeane Jimenez, Michelle Nash, Taylor Lavigne, Lucas Popowich, Brandon Knox, and Benjamin Zoëy. This production toured to the Overture Center in Madison, Wisconsin and Tennessee Performing Arts Center Andrew Johnson Theater in Nashville, Tennessee.
In 2019, Cannibal the Musical had its Bay Area premiere. It was performed by The Other Other Theatre Company in San Francisco. The show ran from July 21–29 at MoonSpace.
The
Town Hall Arts Center in Matt Stone's hometown of
Littleton, CO produced a stage production of Cannibal! The Musical for a limited run (October 25, 2024 – November 3, 2024) as part of the 2024-2025 season. Town Hall Arts Center is less than a mile from Alferd Packer's burial site in the Littleton Cemetery.
Reception
Marc Savlov of ''
The Austin Chronicle
''The Austin Chronicle'' is an alternative weekly newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demogra ...
'' enjoyed the film, opining that it was "a ridiculous, over-the-top carnival of gore, sophomorically sly humor, and cheese-whiz choreography that manages -- above all odds -- to be cheerily invigorating as well" before giving it a score of 3/5. Todd Doogan of ''The Digital Bits'' praised the film, labelling it a "wacky meshing of 1950s musicals with
splatter movies and Farrelly Brothers/Zucker/Abrams-style comedies" that was "simply perfect." In a review written for ''
Empire
An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
'',
Kim Newman gave the "Western horror musical comedy" a score of 3/5 and concluded, "It has its longeurs but there's an air of genial enthusiasm, tempered by sick humour, that is surprisingly engaging." Germain Lussier of ''
Gizmodo
''Gizmodo'' () is a design, technology, science, and science fiction website. It was originally launched as part of the Gawker Media network run by Nick Denton. ''Gizmodo'' also includes the sub-blogs ''io9'' and ''Earther'', which focus on pop ...
'' commended the "horror comedy musical" and stated, "It's rough around the edges, gross, offensive, and at times a little hard to watch, but the good outweighs the bad so massively, you can't help but fall in love."
Alex Castle of ''
IGN
''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' gave the film a score of 6/10 and wrote, "So is it a good movie? That depends on what you're looking for. If you're looking for brief flashes of the brilliance that would become far more stable once ''
South Park
''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand the ...
'' got going, you'll find them here. If you're looking for a movie that can stand alone, out of the shadow of its creators' later accomplishments, you may be disappointed." Anita Gates of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' felt the film was "amateurish" and "pretty stupid" but "not completely appalling" with "flashes of real humor" and "refreshingly ludicrous notes that even people old enough to see this movie without a guardian can appreciate." Allan Ulrich of the ''
SFGate'' had a positive response to the film, calling it a "tasty 90 minutes of yummy production numbers and intense spiritual crises" and concluding, "Admittedly, ''Cannibal: The Musical'' seems a bit overextended; the soppy ballad delivered by the newspaper reporter who believes in the hero's innocence doesn't make it even as bogus R & H. But it will take a truly jaded soul to push away from the table before this often hilarious meal is over."
[ ]
See also
* ''
Ravenous'', a similar film about Packer and the
Donner Party
The Donner Party, sometimes called the Donner–Reed Party, was a group of American pioneers who migrated to California interim government, 1846-1850, California in a wagon train from the Midwest. Delayed by a multitude of mishaps, they spent ...
* "
Helen Keller! The Musical", an episode of ''
South Park
''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand the ...
''
* ''
The Book of Mormon'', a
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
-winning Broadway musical about
The Book of Mormon by Stone, Parker, and
Robert Lopez
* ''
Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead'', a 2006 film directed by
Lloyd Kaufman
Stanley Lloyd Kaufman Jr. (born December 30, 1945) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. Alongside producer Michael Herz, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment film studio, and the director of many of their featu ...
* ''
BASEketball'', a 1998 sports comedy film
* ''
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut'', a 1999 adult animated black-comedy musical film
* ''
Team America: World Police'', a 2004 adult puppet film
*
List of cult films
References
External links
*
*
UK Production
{{Trey Parker and Matt Stone
1993 black comedy films
1993 directorial debut films
1993 films
1993 musical films
1990s American films
1990s English-language films
1990s historical comedy films
1990s Japanese-language films
1990s musical comedy films
1990s Western (genre) comedy films
American black comedy films
American courtroom films
American comedy horror films
American exploitation films
American films based on actual events
American historical comedy films
American historical horror films
American historical musical films
American independent films
American musical comedy films
American parody films
American splatter films
American student films
American survival films
American Western (genre) comedy films
American Western (genre) horror films
American Western (genre) musical films
English-language historical comedy films
English-language musical comedy films
English-language Western (genre) comedy films
English-language Western (genre) horror films
Films about cannibalism
Films about horses
Films about mass murder
Films about miscarriage of justice
Films directed by Trey Parker
Films produced by Matt Stone
Films produced by Trey Parker
Films scored by Trey Parker
Films set in Colorado
Films set in the 1870s
Films set in the 1880s
Films set in Utah
Films with screenplays by Trey Parker
Mormonism in fiction
Musical horror films
Parodies of horror
Troma Entertainment films
Works about Alferd Packer
Works by Trey Parker and Matt Stone