A Review of One Fucked Up and Wonderful Movie

South Park is, hands down, one of my favorite shows on television (second only to Conan O’brien.) It’s funny, clever, and down right enchanting! Trey Parker and Matt Stone are two of the smartest, funniest guys in the entertainment industry today. They take current events and use them in their shows to help convey their opinions on the world (see Red Hot Catholic Love or Ladder To Heaven.) However there was genius long before South Park ever came to be. This is a genius known as “Cannibal: The Musical.”
This piece of cinematic orgasm is based on the true story of Alfred Packer, a miner who led a group of 6 men across the Colorado Territory in hopes of reaching a place with more prospects for wealth. The miners fell on hard times and resorted to cannibalism in hopes of survival.
Cannibal!: The Musical takes this story and adds to it until its filled to the brim with side splitting laughter and hilarious musical numbers. Packer (played masterfully by Trey Parker who was billed under the name Juan Shwartz) is a young, doe eyed dreamer who has a song in his heart and a horse named Liane. The opening number is an upbeat ditty called Shpedoinkle Day. *Side note* At the end of every South Park episode the little song is the opening few notes of the song.
Parker is coerced into leading a rag tag group of miners on an expedition to Colorado Territory. As the trek goes on it becomes very clear that not only does Packer not know the way, but they are going to have some serious turmoil within the group. The icing on the cake of trouble (ooh! Metaphor) is when the ill fated miners meet up with a group of rough and tumble trappers, lead by the short but tough Frenchy Cabazon ( played by Robert Muratore.) After Liane disappears one morning along with all the supplies in her pack, the trouble grows even stronger. Lead by his desire to have back his beloved horse, Packer leads the miners deeper into the snowy Colorado Territory. Is Packer leading the miners to the promised land? Is he just following the trail that leads him back to his horse? Are they going to survive the snowy mountains? And what exactly does shpedoinkle mean? Find out!
The most amazing thing about this movie, asides from the wonderful and catchy musical movies, is the fact that this was done on spring break by Parker and his friends. Produced by Troma Pictures, you really can’t go wrong with this cinematic darling. I highly recommend you also watch it with the commentary. It is Trey and Matt and their friends getting drunk throughout the entire movie, and knocking things over. Run, don’t walk. Get this movie!