Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death

Ah, the classics!!!!

 

==========================================

==========================================

 

 Looks like OSer good 'ol Bill Maher had a couple of months to kill back in 1989 and decided to do some acting in a rather interesting "B" movie.

 

  This goofy movie actually deals with/spoofs a series of societal trends.

 

The plot:

 

 The U.S. government grows worried for the nation's avocado supply after some confrontations with the "Piranha" tribe of cannibal women, who live in the mysterious "Avocado Jungle" (westernmost outpost: San Bernardino) and ritually sacrifice and eat men. The government recruits Margo Hunt (Tweed), a professor of feminist studies at a local university, to travel into the Avocado Jungle and make contact with the women to attempt to convince them to move to a reservation/condo in Malibu. Along the way, she and her travelling companions -- male chauvinist guide Jim (Maher) and ditzy undergraduate Bunny (Karen Mistal) -- meet a tribe of subservient men called the "Donohue" (a reference to talk-show host Phil Donahue) and face dangers in their path.

 

 Eventually, the group meets the Piranha women, including Dr. Kurtz (played by talk-show psychologist-celebrity Adrienne Barbeau), Dr. Hunt's former colleague in feminist studies and now her nemesis, who has joined the tribe of Piranha women with her own exploitative agenda. The two argue about the morality of sacrificing men and the exploitation of the Piranha women, and Bunny decides to join the tribe, her first sacrifice being Jim. Bunny cannot go through with the kill, however, and Dr. Hunt makes her escape, aided by the handsome, intelligent, and sensitive Jean-Pierre (Brett Stimely), who also was to be sacrificed. Dr. Hunt finds in the jungle a rival tribe of cannibal women who are at war with the Piranha women due to differences over which condiment (guacamole or clam dip) most appropriately accompanies a meal of sacrificed man. Hunt returns to the Piranha stronghold with this other tribe, rescues Bunny and Jim as well as Jean-Pierre, with Dr Kurtz perishing as she falls into a pit filled with water and piranha fish. Having discovered the government plot to domesticate the Piranha women through aerobics classes and frequent exposure to Cosmopolitan magazine, Hunt refuses to bring the Piranha women with her, and instead persuades the warring cannibal tribes to reunite, maintaining the peace by means of consciousness-raising groups.

 

 The film ends happily for the trio of main characters: Bunny and Jim are to be married, and Jean-Pierre has enrolled at Dr Hunt's university as a feminist studies major, becoming in the process the ideal companion for Hunt.

 

 The fact that the movie takes a shot at Phil Donahue is a plus.

 

Back to Bill Maher.

 

While Bill may describe himself as a Libertarian, I'd say he was more of a left wing kook. (He is on PETA's Board of Directors for instance) Having said that, there are some areas of agreement I have with him. Maher sits on NORML's Advisory Board. While I do not smoke pot, I support the legalization of Hemp farming and would not have any real problem with decriminalizing pot for personal use. I do not follow his belief in global warming, but I am with him on limiting government and partially privatizing social security. I agree that we also need to end corporate welfare. There are also a few other areas where we see eye to eye.

 

While he won't be getting an Academy Award for his role in Cannibal Women, it is a flick we can all get a chuckle out of.