Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Jungle Heat" or "Piranha Women" or "Piranha Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death")

directed by J.F. Lawton
USA 1989

Spritzer College's rogue feminist studies professor Margo Hunt (Shannon Tweed, NIGHT EYES) is approached by Department of Food and Agriculture's Ford Maddox (Barry Primus, AUTOPSY) and Colonel Mattel (Paul Ross), the head of Avocado Affairs. It seems that the manhunting practices of the feminist, cannibalistic Piranha Women of the Avocado Jungle - deep in the "Avocado Belt" between San Bernardino and the Mexican border - are jeopardizing the avocado harvest since the Avocoado Belt is responsible for 90% of California's avocado supply. Naturally the US government would prefer a military solution, but that approach has proved unsuccessful (it seems that the myth that the Piranha Women tear men into strips like beef jerky and eat them with guacamole is all too true). Maddox and Mattel coerce Margo to mount an expedition deep into the jungle to reason with the tribe and convince them to move to a Malibu condominium complex. With a sophomore home economics student Bunny (Karen Mistal, RETURN OF THE KILLER TOMATOES) - who Margo decides would be safer in the jungle than in a wet T-shirt at toga parties - and bumbling, chauvinistic guide Jim (POLITICALLY INCORRECT's Bill Maher), Margo faces off against maneating hippos, tame leopards, and a tribe of peaceful, handicraft-making men called The Donnahews - whose role models include Phil Donahue, Alan Alda, and Walter Mondale - and Jim manages to contaminate the society with a six-pack of beer and a stack of Penthouse magazines. None of this, of course, prepares them for the Piranha Women who are being ruled over by Dr. Kurtz - get it? - (Adrienne Barbeau, THE FOG), author of the successful "Smart Women, Stupid Insensitive Men" who vanished from the talk-show circuit several years before.

Eric Cotenas

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Theatrical Release: 15 March 1989 (USA)

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DVD Comparison:

Koch Vision/Full Moon Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC vs. 88 Films (Grindhouse Collection) - Region 0 - PAL

Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for all the Screen Caps!

(Koch Vision/Full Moon Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. 88 Films (Grindhouse Collection) - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	Koch Vision/Full Moon Entertainment Region 0 - NTSC	88 Films Region 0 - PAL
Runtime	1:25:21	1:25:15
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.7 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.98 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Koch Vision/Full Moon Entertainment
Bitrate: 88 Films (Grindhouse Collection)
Audio	English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono	English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
Subtitles	none	none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Koch Vision/Full Moon Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Trailer (4:3; 2:10) • Full Moon Merchandise Contact Info • Biographies for Shannon Tweed, Adrienne Barbeau, and Bill Maher • Acovados (fills the main menu screen with animated avocados) DVD Release Date: 12 January 1999 Amaray Chapters 24	Release Information: Studio: 88 Films Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Theatrical Trailer (4:3; 2:05) • Trailers for SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-O-RAMA, PUPPET MASTER, THE DEAD WANT WOMEN, PUPPET MASTER II, TOURIST TRAP, ZOMBIES VS STRIPPERS, THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM, SKULL HEADS, CASTLE FREAK, • and PUPPET MASTER III DVD Release Date: September 17th, 2012 Amaray Chapters 8

Comments

88 Films dual-layer disc seems to utilize the same aged video master that Cult Video did for their OOP NTSC from 1999. Taking that into account, the import is only marginally softer while any motion problems from the framerate conversion are nowhere near as pronounced as seen on some other NTSC-PAL conversions on other labels.

The Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo audio seems a tad more boisterous on the PAL disc. Extras are comparable (the ten Full Moon trailers the import offers up are not that much of a bonus). New copies of the Cult Video edition can be found cheaply at Full Moon's website, but the difference is not so much that UK viewers will want to bother (the 88 Films' edition also has a niftier cover).

- Eric Cotenas

DVD Menus
(Koch Vision/Full Moon Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. 88 Films (Grindhouse Collection) - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)