Description
Title: In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro (1985)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Horror, Thriller
Plot Synopsis: Set during a severe drought in Kenya in 1984, the scarcity of food and water drives 90,000 wild baboons to aggressively attack humans and animals to survive. As the baboons become increasingly desperate, a group of people find themselves hunted by the starving primates and must do whatever they can to stay alive.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Raju Patel
- Writers: T. Michael Harry, Jeffrey M. Sneller
- Cast:
- John Rhys-Davies as Chris Tucker
- Timothy Bottoms as Jack Ringtree
- Irene Miracle as Lee Ringtree
- Michele Carey as Ginny
- Calvin Jung as Mitushi Uto
YouTube Trailer: In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro | Trailer
IMDb Link: In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro (1985)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
- cameron fetter – ★★★★☆ “I’ve been meaning to watch this for a long time but I recently impulse bought a giant vintage poster of it so now I had to lol. Shitty VHS rip, but still so fun to watch. Insane amount of baboon action, truly an unbelievable amount of baboons sprinting towards actors simultaneously, Lord of the Rings Helm’s Deep style throngs of baboons just going fucking crazy, beautiful. Didn’t pay so much attention to the plot but you don’t need to when it’s a movie about 90,000 baboons. Wow. A movie about 90,000 baboons. And 1 named Goldie that drinks beer.”
- More_Badass – ★★★☆☆ “That’s In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro, aka Night of the Living Dead by way of The Ghost & The Darkness. Despite releasing in the mid-80s, Raju Patel’s sole directing credit treats its shot-in-Kenya animal attack premise with post-Jaws seriousness and suspense. Largely average with thin characters, awkward editing, uneven pacing, and an overreliance on stock footage, but the baboon attacks are genuinely thrilling and the film’s commitment to its premise is admirable.”
- Bob R. – ★★★☆☆ “In this Kenyan-made shocker, an animal reserve warden butts heads with the local mine-owner over whether or not to evacuate the area when a severe drought results in a horde of 90,000 angry, hungry baboons. Before long, everyone is running for their lives from a tidal-wave of brittle fur, tiny hands, and shiny, sharp teeth. This is the horror of In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro. Timothy Bottoms is solid as the warden, and the film does a good job building tension, but some of the effects haven’t aged well.”
Meta Description: “In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro” (1985) is a thriller directed by Raju Patel, depicting the harrowing events during a severe drought in Kenya where 90,000 starving baboons turn aggressive, forcing humans to fight for survival.
Title: Savage Harvest (1981)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Horror
Plot Synopsis:
A family in Africa finds itself under attack by a pride of lions, driven to desperation by a severe drought. As the lions become more aggressive, the family must devise a plan to survive multiple attacks and escape the relentless predators.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Robert L. Collins
- Writers: Robert L. Collins, Robert Blees
- Cast:
- Tom Skerritt as Casey
- Michelle Phillips as Maggie
- Shawn Stevens as Jon
- Anne-Marie Martin as Wendy
- Derek Partridge as Derek
YouTube Trailer:
Savage Harvest | Trailer
IMDb Link:
Savage Harvest (1981)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
- The Horror of Marna Larsen – ★★★☆☆
“Deadbeat Safari dad leads a Beatles sing-a-long. But don’t worry, someone will get killed soon. I’m not lion. Look I take pride in these reviews so I wouldn’t – whatever that’s all I had. I’m done.” - Bob McQueen – ★★½☆
“Something tells me that animals were harmed during the making of this. Also, like one white person died while the white family got to sing a Beatles song together while the lions took out their African servants.” - Curtis – ★★★☆☆
“Hey, it’s that movie from 1981 about the lions attacking the white family in Africa. No, the other one… Ok, Savage Harvest can’t possibly be as ‘good’ as Roar, thanks to the lack of insane irresponsibility going on in the background. But it’s got enough of its own idiosyncrasies to be worth a look. Michelle Phillips and her family live on a large plantation in Africa. Her new husband, Derek, goes away on some business just before an endless horde of starving cats closes in on the compound. Previous husband Tom Skeritt shows up in his little jeep just as things are getting really bad, allowing the family to enjoy some airing of grievances as the big cats relentlessly strip…”
Meta Description:
“Savage Harvest” (1981) is an action-adventure horror film directed by Robert L. Collins. The story follows a family in Africa besieged by a pride of lions driven to desperation by drought, forcing them into a harrowing fight for survival.
Title: Variola Vera (1982)
Alternate Title: Вариола вера
Genre: Drama, History, Horror
Plot Synopsis:
An Albanian pilgrim returns to Yugoslavia from the Middle East, unknowingly infected with a disease believed to have been eradicated. As his condition deteriorates, he is transferred to a hospital in Belgrade, where the medical staff struggles to identify his illness. By the time they realize it’s smallpox, the virus has already begun to spread. The hospital is quarantined, and both patients and staff must confront the ensuing epidemic, revealing various facets of human nature under duress.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Goran Marković
- Writers: Goran Marković, Milan Nikolić
- Cast:
- Rade Šerbedžija as Dr. Grujić
- Erland Josephson as Dr. Dragutin Majcan Kenigsmark
- Dušica Žegarac as Dr. Marković
- Varja Đukić as Dr. Danka Uskoković
- Rade Marković as Superintendent Čole
YouTube Trailer:
Variola Vera | Trailer
IMDb Link:
Variola Vera (1982)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
- Michelle – ★★★★☆
“Variola vera is the virus that causes smallpox. This is a Yugoslavian film about smallpox spreading in a hospital, but it’s shot like a horror movie! Everyone has to quarantine for 21 days AFTER the last case but it keeps spreading so they end up staying in the hospital for a long time and subsequently people start going crazy. Has a super creepy score (there is a flute cue that pops up every time someone gets infected). Not your usual outbreak flick.” - Justine de Sade – ★★★★☆
“Now that’s a real life horror story. Inspired by the events from 1972 (smallpox epidemic which probably serves here as a metaphor for the Yugoslavian system), Variola Vera provides truly claustrophobic atmosphere of a hospital cut off from the world with people being trapped in it, missing supplies and the army guarding all the gates. Fear of the invisible enemy, hopelessness, mistrust, the worst and the best in people coming out. Great movie.” - solh – ★★★☆☆
“Titled after the Latin name for smallpox and inspired by actual events, this Yugoslav movie follows an outbreak of the disease at a Belgrade hospital with panic ensuing. The film is cut from the same cloth as Contagion, and while never as engrossing as that with less enticing characters, the film has enough effective small touches that the overall movie works. A flute has particularly eerie connotations here, playing whenever someone is infected, and the film does well depicting the chaos that ensues as the hospital is quarantined with nobody allowed in or out.”
Meta Description:
“Variola Vera” (1982), directed by Goran Marković, is a Yugoslav drama-horror film that portrays the outbreak of smallpox in a Belgrade hospital, exploring human behavior under quarantine and the ensuing chaos.
Title: Deathmoon (1978)
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Plot Synopsis:
Jason Palmer, an overworked executive, is advised by his doctor to take a vacation to alleviate stress. He chooses Hawaii, where his grandfather once served as a missionary. Unbeknownst to him, his family is cursed by a voodoo clan, causing male descendants to transform into werewolves under the full moon. As Jason begins his holiday, he experiences terrifying changes, leading to a series of gruesome events on the island.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Bruce Kessler
- Writers:
- Jay Benson
- George Schenck
- Producer: Roger Gimbel
- Cast:
- Robert Foxworth as Jason Palmer
- Joe Penny as Rick Bladen
- Barbara Trentham as Diane May
- Dolph Sweet as Lt. Russ Cort
- Charles Haid as Earl Wheelie
IMDb Link:
Deathmoon (1978)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
- BA_Harrison – ★★☆☆☆
“Deathmoon recycles that hoary old horror cliché, the cursed descendant; in this case it’s work-weary property developer Jason Palmer who pays for the sins of his great grandfather…” - Tom Zoerner – ★★☆☆☆
“A manager is sent to vacation by his doctor due to symptoms of stress. He chooses Hawaii, because that’s where his grandfather worked as a missionary…”
Meta Description:
Deathmoon (1978) is a horror mystery directed by Bruce Kessler. The film follows Jason Palmer, an executive who vacations in Hawaii to relieve stress, only to discover a family curse that transforms him into a werewolf under the full moon. Starring Robert Foxworth, Joe Penny, and Barbara Trentham, the movie delves into themes of ancestral curses and supernatural terror.
