NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Canadian International Pictures Blu-ray (April 2025): Canadian International Pictures has transferred Ivan Reitman's Cannibal Girls to Blu-ray. It is cited as being "Scanned in 2K with new color grade and extensive dirt and damage repairs". In 2011, Eric reviewed the UK DVD HERE from Nucleus. It was in 1.78:1 and had 1/5 the bitrate and PAL speedup ... but it had a few of the repeated extras in this Blu-ray edition. Cannibal Girls, shot by cinematographer Robert Saad (Shivers, The Return of Billy Jack, The House by the Lake,) is obviously constrained by the film’s modest $12,000 budget, but still employs a raw, functional style that prioritizes atmosphere over polish, aligning with the grindhouse aesthetic of the period. The natural film grain is preserved via the 1080P and maintains the film’s authentic 1970s texture, though some intermittent softness persists due to the elements. The new color grade enhances the film’s visual impact and it is exceptionally clean. It's a massive upgrade over previous SD transfers.

NOTE: We have added 78 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE.

On their Blu-ray, Canadian International Pictures uses DTS-HD Master dual-mono tracks (24-bit) in the original English language. The audio of Cannibal Girls has likewise been remastered as part of the restoration process with the alternate AIP "warning bell" soundtrack option included. The ambient soundscape - howling wind, crunching snow, creaking floors - is rendered clearly, enhancing the isolated setting. The dinner scene’s squishing flesh, dripping blood, and snapping bones are stomach-churning, complementing Saad’s visuals. Doug Riley’s (The Naked Peacock, Ivan Reitman's Foxy Lady) score, featuring organ, guitar riffs, and percussive stabs, is presented with improved fidelity. The organ’s droning notes, used during the farmhouse scenes, create an eerie atmosphere, while the funky guitar riffs add a playful 1970s vibe to the comedic moments. Percussive stabs during the dinner scene enhance the shock value, aligning with Saad’s close-ups. The alternate AIP "warning bell" soundtrack, which chimes before gory or erotic scenes, adds a gimmicky charm. The audio restoration is effective via the lossless, delivering a clean presentation that enhances Riley’s score and the film’s sound effects. Canadian International Pictures offers optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Canadian International Pictures Blu-ray offers a new commentary that features Paul Corupe (of Canuxploitation.com) and Jason Pichonsky, who discuss the film’s production, its place in Canuxploitation cinema, and Reitman’s early career. They cover the improvised script, the 1970s Canadian film industry, the cast’s contributions, and the film’s distribution history with AIP, including scenes that didn’t make the final cut. It provides valuable context for Canuxploitation fans, detailing the film’s quick production and cultural impact. It is a thorough, insightful commentary that fans should appreciate. Included is 2 Guys and a Chainsaw Episode on the Film - a podcast episode, featuring hosts Craig Higgins and Todd Kuhns, discussing Reitman’s career, the film’s grindhouse quality, cast performances, and release history with a new epilogue on Canadian horror. They cover the strange farmhouse setting, the film’s wacky ending, and Reitman’s other works. The episode offers a fan-friendly perspective with the epilogue providing broader context on Canadian horror trends. It’s engaging for genre fans, though less scholarly than the commentary. It's a fun addition. Reitman the Fright Man is a 20-minute interview with Chris Alexander who explores Reitman’s horror period, including his work with Cinépix and producing David Cronenberg’s early films. The Horror Horn is also from 2024. It's a 5-minute featurette by Alexander who explains the AIP "warning bell" soundtrack, its history, and its role in the film’s marketing success. Cannibal Guys runs 26-minute and it's an archival interview, carried over from the 2010 Shout! Factory DVD, that features Reitman and Goldberg (interviewed by Joe Medjuck) discussing the film’s production, their early careers, and selling it to AIP. They recount challenges, like reshoots and financial struggles. Meat Eugene! is a 20-minute archival interview, also from the 2010 US DVD and 2011 UK DVD, featuring Eugene Levy interviewed by Richard Crouse in a butcher shop, discussing his work on the film. Levy reflects on his early role with humor. More Meat is a 20-minute collection of outtakes from the Meat Eugene! interview offering never-before-seen footage of Levy’s reflections. Included are the French Opening Credits, a theatrical trailer, 3 TV Spots and Radio Spots plus the AIP Pressbook of promotional materials from the film’s release and an archival image gallery collection of stills, likely including production photos and promotional images. Lastly is Orientation, a 25-minute short film by Reitman, made at McMaster University with Daniel Goldberg. It is a faux-documentary spoof about student orientation. It’s presented in a grainy and decent 1.33:1 format. This offers an optional commentary by Stephen Broomer. The package has a booklet that reprints a 1973 Take One magazine interview with Reitman and Goldberg, detailing the film’s production, plus a comic strip by Rick Trembles. There is a reversible cover.

Ivan Reitman's Cannibal Girls plays with exploitation cinema’s trope of female predators, presenting Anthea (Randall Carpenter,) Clarissa (Bonnie Neilson,) and Leona (Mira Pawluk) as seductive yet deadly, a nod to the "vamp" archetype. As a horror-comedy, Cannibal Girls balances gore with absurd humor that is evident in scenes, like the cannibals eating raw meat at a formal dinner table while wearing evening gowns. Clifford and Gloria’s naive reactions - Levy’s bumbling nervousness, Martin’s wide-eyed shock - add comedic levity, undercutting the horror with SCTV-style absurdity. The uneven pacing - slow buildup, chaotic climax - reflects its grindhouse roots, with a tone that shifts between horror and absurd comedy. Filmed in Canada with a $12,000 budget, Cannibal Girls marks Reitman’s early career before mainstream hits, like 1984's Ghostbusters. The film’s cannibalism theme taps into 1970's horror obsession with taboo subjects, influenced by Night of the Living Dead. Cannibal Girls is a quintessential example of 'Canuxploitation' horror (Cathy's Curse, Devil Times Five, The Bloody Brood, Blue Monkey,) a term coined in 1999 by Broken Pencil magazine to describe Canadian B-movies from the 1960s to 1980s, particularly those produced during the "tax-shelter era" when generous tax incentives fueled a boom in low-budget genre filmmaking. 'Canuxploitation' films often emphasize Canadian settings, turning small towns or urban fringes into eerie stages for genre antics. Cannibal Girls uses Farnhamville - a fictionalized stand-in for rural Ontario - as a claustrophobic, snow-covered trap, with its motel, bar, and farmhouse embodying the quiet menace of isolated communities. A hallmark of many 'Canuxploitation' films is their willingness to blend horror with dark humor, often poking fun at genre conventions. Canadian International Pictures Blu-ray is a strong effort to preserve a quirky piece of 'Canuxploitation' history. The video offers a beautifully remastered 2K transfer that enhances the film’s grainy aesthetic, making it the best it has ever looked. The extras provide a deep package, balancing scholarly, archival, and promotional content. Inclusion of the William Castle-esque "warning bell" gimmick as an option adds more nostalgia flavor. For fans, this stacked package is essential.  

Gary Tooze