Perhaps more befitting its Argentinean title, CROCODILO – A FERA ASSASSINA (“Crocodile – The Killer Beast”), Sergio Martino’s THE GREAT ALLIGATOR (1979) has unfortunately garnered a very poor reputation over the years, and while we don’t pretend to be expert herpetologists here at Unpopped, the film’s rather misleading English-language export title, which can’t seem to differentiate between that of an alligator or crocodile, is definitely amusing to say the least. But you take what you can get, as they say, and THE GREAT ALLIGATOR has plenty to like about it, especially via Severin’s outstanding UHD/BD combo, so cut it some slack, okay?
Shot in the jungles of Sri Lanka (the year previous Martino had directed the substantially more gruesome cannibal picture, THE MOUNTAIN OF THE CANNIBAL GOD[a.k.a. SLAVE OF THE CANNIBAL GOD, 1978] in the same locales), this cost-conscious, thinly-veiled pseudo-“Jaws” imitation stars Claudio Cassinelli as Daniel Nessel, a photographer who is hired to take publicity shots for Paradise House, a new resort located deep in an unspecified jungle, which also has to contend with a highly superstitious tribe of natives living nearby. Although referred to as a “conservationist’s dream” by Joshua (Mel Ferrer), the owner of this tropical getaway, he maintains the natives are “good peaceful folk”, and that Paradise House has “a total respect for the ecology,” but in the very next scene, Joshua’s unscrupulous modus operandi becomes glaringly evident as more of the surrounding rainforest is cut down. While Daniel’s working relationship with Joshua is often a strained one, which keeps them frequently embattled with one another, Daniel seeks support with the resort’s manager Ali (Barbara Bach), who just happens to be an anthropologist as well, which will come in handy as the natives deliver a curse on the interloping foreigners in the form of Kruna, a giant man-eating croc…
Similar to many of the emerging jungle cannibal adventures of the late ’70s (Ruggero Deodato’s CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST [1979] was shot the same year halfway around the world), THE GREAT ALLIGATOR is also replete with some superfluous if poignant social commentary about the harmony of nature and the ever-increasing encroachment of civilization on the natural world. Martino and his cadre of scriptwriters admirably illustrate just how deeply-entrenched the indigenous cultures are intertwined with the environment, tribal lore and mythology, but once “the great God of the river” manifests itself as a giant croc, which has a penchant for offing minor cast members regular as clockwork, this intriguing set-up is lessened. As expected, Daniel and Ali continue to be at loggerheads with Joshua, leaving formulaic dialogue to bear the burden of instilling tension and suspense (e.g., “What in the hell has gotten into those damn savages!”), and when the giant croc is finally revealed for too long a stretch, the impact is likewise cheapened care of some painfully obvious miniature work, which will surely become lodged in your brainpan afterwards, either for its resounding shoddiness or endearing ingenuity.
In keeping with the film’s exotic motif, the film also pays reference to Adalberto Albertini’s hugely-successful BLACK EMANUELLE (1975) and its many sequels and spin-offs. Cassinelli’s character is a prominent fashion photographer, who is even accompanied by a stunning ‘exotic’ black model named Sheena (Geneve Hutton), whom he photographers in various outdoor shoots; and just like Emanuelle, Sheena also has a nocturnal riverside tryst with one of the locals. Here making his third appearance for Martino after THE MOUNTAIN OF THE CANNIBAL GOD and ISLAND OF THE FISHMEN (a.k.a. SCREAMERS, 1979), Cassinelli again stars as a man of cast-iron integrity, who forges an alliance with Barbara Bach, his co-star in ISLAND who also comports herself once more with feminine dignity even as she is abducted by the local tribe as a potential sacrifice. Wearing some snappy attire and a humourless barracuda grin, Mel Ferrer is also well cast as the ruthless developer, who will stop at nothing to see his “pilot experiment” come to fruition, plus Ferrer dubs his own voice in the English version, which always adds an aura of believability to the role. Having previously starred in the aforementioned ISLAND OF THE FISHMEN, British thespian Richard Johnson (who starred the same year in Lucio Fulci’s ZOMBIE [1979]) also appears herein with a hilarious, over-the-top bit-part as a former missionary and lone survivor after an earlier run-in with this “demon.”
Although released on U.S. videotape in the ’80s via Gorgon Video, this was one of the company’s more obscure, lesser-seen VHS videocassettes, which didn’t do the film any favours, reducing Giancarlo Ferrando’s lush, carefully-composed photography (easily one of the film’s strongest assets) into a heavily-cropped, incoherent mess. However, for those that could afford it or find dubbed-down copies, the Teichiku videocassette from Japan retained the film’s proper 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Outside of some early European disc releases, the film’s first North American DVD came in 2005 via the long-defunct No Shame Films, where it was renamed THE BIG ALLIGATOR RIVER, a literal translation of the film’s Italian title. This disc includes a nice anamorphic transfer (which finally allowed most viewers to appreciate Ferrando’s dynamic camerawork) and Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio in English and Italian, the latter with English subtitles. Extras include In the Croc’s Nest (34m55s), a solid interview with Martino who discusses working on the film, the slowly declining film industry at the time, and working with many of his favourite actors. Production designer Massimo Antonello Geleng (credited on the film as Antonello Massimo Geleng) also shows up to give us his thoughts on the film and working alongside Martino. Other extras include the film’s English and Italian trailers (both 2m48s), a brief photo gallery (1m00s) and a 15-page liner notes booklet with writing on the film by Richard Harland Smith and Matthew Weisman. In 2011, the still-mysterious and highly dubious MYA Communications released the film as ALLIGATOR, which includes the very same transfer along with the same audio options (albeit without the benefit of English subtitles on the Italian track), minus all the extra features.
In 2017, Code Red released the film on BD, and the image herein is very clean with a pleasing depth of field and plenty of detail not seen in earlier standard definition editions. Unlike No Shame’s DVD, audio is offered in English only and sounds just fine in this DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono track especially when Stelvio Cipriani’s propulsive score is heard. Extras include the aforementioned In the Croc’s Nest, and several other featurettes including 3 Friends and an Alligator (15m55s), which is a nice panel interview with special effects guru Paolo Ricci, set and costume designer Massimo Antonello Geleng and DP Giancarlo Ferrando wherein they casually reminisce working on the film, the various “problems of making it credible”, the special effects, the copycat nature of these productions, and some of the film’s newcomers including Lory del Santo (who provides some very brief, but requisite cheesecake) and Anny Papa. In Alligator Rock (16m30s), camera operator Claudio Morabito relates lots of funny anecdotes during the shoot and admits that the “crocodile could have turned out better”, but also misses making many of these “much simpler, much more thrown together” films; he also fondly remembers actor Claudio Cassinelli whom he regards as a “good, well-rounded actor.” In Shooting Underwater (7m18s), DP and underwater photography specialist Gianlorenzo Battaglia discusses the difficulties of shooting in water, his background as a scuba diver, and how he became a specialist in his field. The film’s theatrical trailer (2m51s) and trailers for some of Code Red’s other product conclude the extras.
Earlier this year, Severin Films brought the film to UHD, and the image quality is even more impressive with naturalistic colours and superb detail, which adds even more vibrancy to the picture – it really looks fantastic. The only extra on the UHD disc is the film’s English-language export trailer (2m58s). The second disc (a Region A locked Blu-ray) also contains the feature-length film and all of the film’s extensive special features, which begin with Down by the River (10m42s), a terrific new interview with Sergio Martino conducted at the Severin office wherein he talks about the imitative nature of these films and how popular they were the world over. He also humbly states that it’s “not one of his best films” but he enjoyed travelling the world and working in Sri Lanka despite the “terrifyingly humid conditions.” In Minou (16m34s), the always charming Silvia Collatina (best remembered for her role in Lucio Fulci’s gothic masterpiece THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY [1981]) is given a chance to speak about her time on the film as a child actor, which she does with great fondness. It was her first trip overseas, and she admits it was a “pretty wild experience”, which at times felt like a “school trip.” She developed a good rapport with both Cassinelli and Barbara Bach, while Martino was the “father/director” whom she says was always “very calm with his actors.” In Later Alligator (16m48s), Massimo Antonello Geleng returns to discuss the film’s relatively “comfortable shoot”, which was done entirely at the hotel where the entire cast and crew were residing. He also remembers the vicious mosquitos, the challenges of building everything the story called for, the film’s interior shoots at De Paolis studios in Rome, and the “scarcity of available assets” on location in Sri Lanka. In the brief, but very welcome Alligator Land (6m12s), signore Geleng returns yet again to discuss all of his striking artwork, concept art, and promotional art related to the film. In Paradise House – Christianity and the Natural World in Sergio Martino’s The Great Alligator (18m48s), the late – and sorely missed – Lee Gambin contributes a visual essay, which points out the film’s Christian belief system and how it has its “foundation in the planet”, the role of commerce and the detriment it has on the environment and the natural order, ecohorror in general, zenophobia, and more in this wonderful and well-thought out essay.
Thankfully, Severin have also ported over 3 Friends and an Alligator (16m19s, which includes far more legible English subtitles), while Beware of the Gator (16m28s) and Underwater (7m18s) are the same interviews from Code Red’s earlier disc with Claudio Morabito and Gianlorenzo Battaglia, respectively. The same trailer from disc one is also included.
Ignoring its obvious imitative streak and humble origins, THE GREAT ALLIGATOR is professionally constructed and makes for great entertainment, especially via Severin’s superb UHD/BD package. Order it directly from Severin Films (which includes an exclusive slipcover) or DiabolikDVD.
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