DVD REVIEW: PAPAYA LOVE GODDESS OF THE CANNIBALS
DVD REVIEW: SEVERIN FILMS [ 2008 ] 88'
DVD REVIEW: AVG. BITRATE: 5.54 Mb/sec
DVD REVIEW: MSRP: $29.95
WTFFILM RATING:

You can help support WTFFILM by purchasing this and other titles from HFLIX.com, WTFFILM's first stop when it comes to imported DVDs.

Joe D'Amato gained a lot of notoriety for his explicit horror sex romps EROTIC NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD and PORNO HOLOCAUST, both of which saw release a few years ago from Media Blasters in the US. Now, Severin Films has seen fit to unleash upon the American public the softcore cousin to those films - CARIBBEAN PAPAYA, here advertised under its UK video title of PAPAYA LOVE GODESS OF THE CANNIBALS.

The story involves Sarah (Sirpa Lane), a reporter on vacation in the tropics, who happens into a mystery when engineers involved with the construction of a new nuclear reactor begin turning up dead. It seems that a village of natives is right in the way of the new construction, and the engineers want them gone. The natives aren't so hot on this idea, and send out the lovely Papaya (Melissa) to seduce and murder the workers.

CARIBBEAN PAPAYA has little going for it for horror or gore fans, save for the opening scene in which Papaya bites off the penis of an engineer and a brief sequence in which Dakkar, in a minor role, overseas the gutting of a pair of dead pigs. The film fares a bit better from an erotic angle, with several well done segments of softcore debauchery, but suffers in the long run from languid pacing and a storyline that sounds considerably more interesting than it actually is. A saving grace is the active score from Stelvio Cipriani, which proves far more entertaining than the film it inhabits.

THE FEATURE PRESENTATION:

As has come to be the norm with Severin Films, CARIBBEAN PAPAYA is presented in its original aspect ratio (approximately 1.82:1) via a fine anamorphically enhanced progressive transfer. Colors and contrast seem to be pretty much spot on throughout and there's a good amount of detail to the image. Print damage is minimal and grain is present but not overpowering. The encoding seems to be solid at 5.54 Mb/sec, with no instances of pixelation or other encoding issues noted. Only an English audio track (dubbed) is provided in the audio department and it sounds more than satisfactory given the age and quality of the film at hand. This is another solid feature presentation from Severin.

THE EXTRAS:

Extras are a disappointment this go around, with only a trailer for the film present. There is a German release of this film available on R2 DVD from X Rated Kult that features considerably more in the way of supplements, including deleted scenes, image galleries, and alternate openings. Given my lack of interest in the film itself I can't see myself forking out the $25 to pick that disc up, but fans of D'Amato and CARIBBEAN PAPAYA should definitely check it out.

THE OVERALL PRESENTATION:

As with all the other Severin Films releases, CARIBBEAN PAPAYA comes housed in a standard Amaray style display case with an attractively sleazy insert. Menus are well designed, mildly animated, and feature bits of music and sound effects from the film in the background. No complaints are to be had here.

THE VERDICT:

This is an unremarkable release from Severin and the least of the ones I've viewed thus far. The film will offer little to those who aren't already fans of the varying degrees of euro-sleeze and the disc, with its deal-breaking lack of supplemental material, isn't likely to entice anyone who isn't already itching to own this mediocre D'Amato excursion in digital. The final detracting factor is definitely the price - $29.95 for what is ostensibly a bare bones release of such a lowly title is utterly outrageous.

Not recommended.