Today, Trey Parker and Matt Stone are best known for their long-running hit adult animated series, South Park. However, in the late 1980s, they were attending the University of Colorado, Matt a math major, Trey a film major. The two became fast friends and started making short films together showcasing their brand of anti-authoritarian and absurd humor. In 1992, Parker and Stone, alongside Jason McHugh and Ian Hardin formed the production company Avenging Conscience. Around this time, Parker was going through a horrible depression after learning that his fiancee was having an affair. Rather than sulk, Parker focused his efforts on making a 3-minute trailer for a fictional movie, Alfred Packer: The Musical. After getting some money together, they expanded the trailer into a feature film and premiered it in Boulder in 1993. Troma eventually picked the film up for distribution and released it in 1996 as Cannibal! The Musical.
%
Rating
Synopsis
In 1883, Alfred Packer (Trey Parker) is being tried for supposedly killing and eating his group during a gold expedition. While imprisoned, Packer’s visited by journalist Polly Pry (Toddy Walters), who asks him to explain his side of the story. Cut to 1873 in Bingham Canyon, Utah, where a group of men is planning on an expedition to Breckenridge. Led by Mormon priest Shannon Wilson Bell (Ian Hardin), Packer is brought on given his time in Colorado territory. They’re joined by James Humphrey (Matt Stone), Israel Swan (John Hegel), Frank Miller (Jason McHugh), and George Noon (Dian Bachar). Along the way, they encounter a group of fur trappers, Japanese Indians, and a cyclops, as well as harsh weather. Back in the present, Packer is sentenced to death by hanging, but Polly decides to fight for his innocence. What will happen to Packer, and is he guilty of murder and cannibalism?
Review
Cannibal! The Musical has very amateurish production qualities and was clearly made by film students who didn’t entirely know better. What it lacks in production value, the film more than makes up for in energy, absurd humor, and catchy songs. Before becoming a film major, Trey Parker was a music major, which he puts to good use here. Taking inspiration from musicals like Oklahoma and the works of Rogers & Hammerstein, each song stands out from the rest. From the opener, Shpadoinkle, to the love ballad, I Was On Top Of You, you’ll be humming at least one. Parker and Walters are easily the best singers here, though you can tell the rest of the cast is trying. Hegel has probably one of the film’s best songs, Let’s Build a Snowman, an upbeat song during a hopeless scene. These songs are great despite the Casio-sounding score.
South Park fans will notice some elements that would appear in the show, including a grey alien in the background. The musical numbers are predecessors to the numbers in South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut and Team America: World Police. Even the amateurish production value is similar to South Park, showing that entertainment can be made for little money. Admittedly, there are some noticeable flaws present, such as awfully fake beards, plastic weapons, obvious doubles, and ADR. However, much like The Toxic Avenger and Class of Nuke ‘Em High, these flaws give the film its charm. This feels like a home movie some friends made to later watch while drinking, though there’s some artistic merit. Even with its crude production, questionable acting, and cut corners, this film was what laid the groundwork for South Park. Overall, Cannibal! The Musical is a fun time if you don’t take it too seriously.
Buy Cannibal! The Musical on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3mZ4JRN
