Product Details

• Actors: Guy Pearce, Robert Carlyle, David Arquette, Jeremy Davies, Jeffrey Jones
• Directors: Antonia Bird
• Writers: Ted Griffin
• Producers: Adam Fields, David Heyman, Tim Van Rellim
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• DVD Release Date: September 21, 1999
• Run Time: 101 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (178 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00000JSJB
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #31,901 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Ravenous" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

When was the last time you saw a new movie set during the 1840s? The era is the first oddball thing about Ravenous, though by no means the last. This provocatively weird movie is essentially a vampire film crossed with the Donner party, that unfortunate band of hungry pioneers who got stuck in the wilderness with only themselves to eat. The setting here is Fort Spencer, a dismal collection of shacks huddled in the snows of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Mid-winter, a nearly dead Scotsman (Robert Carlyle, from The Full Monty) staggers into camp with a story of desperate cannibalism. The skeleton crew (so to speak) manning the fort sets out to investigate, when... ah, but the twists and turns of this dark yarn should remain shocking. Be assured, however, that the cannibalism has just begun; this movie has cannibalism like Titanic had an iceberg. Director Antonia Bird (Mad Love, Priest) blends some humor into this scenario, especially in the final reels, but otherwise this is a fairly serious gore picture; a confused Twentieth Century Fox tried to market it as a black comedy, and the movie flopped anyway. It deserves a better fate--at the very least, it's not quite like anything else out there. The music, a brilliant collaboration between Michael Nyman (The Piano) and Blur's Damon Albarn, is an offbeat blend of period twang and modern drone. Carlyle and Guy Pearce (of L.A. Confidential) are fascinating in the lead roles--their sunken faces would look at home in Civil War photographs--and the eccentric supporting cast, including Jeremy Davies and David Arquette, adds flavor to the dish. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best movies of the 1990s, April 6, 2003

By	ewomack "ewomack" (MN USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This is going to sound strange, but "Ravenous" is a very intelligent movie about cannibals, vampirism (of an unusual sort) and the history of the west. At it's heart is a metaphor about power, exploitation, and ravenous greed. It is much more than simply a thriller, horror, slasher picture.

It is set during the time of westward expansion in the youthful United States, which is significant for discovering what the movie is all about. This movie wouldn't make sense in 20th century Manhattan, or in 1930s Chicago. It is set during a time when european settlers still had a long way to go towards 'conquering' most of North America.

Without giving too much away of the bizarre and twisted plot, the movie explores not only cannibalism, but cannibalism as a means of regaining life, energy, or power. You eat another, you take the life energy of that person. This notion of cannabalism (which is more along the lines of mythology than of a slasher movie) allows the movie to be completely unpredictable, disturbing and poignant all at once. At the end of the movie, one realizes that it would've been almost impossible to have guessed what was going to happen at each plot turn. If you enjoy bizarre, almost surreal surprises, this movie is packed with them.

The crucial moment in the film is towards the end when Robert Carlyle's character is rhapsodizing about "manifest destiny." Here it is revealed that what's behind the ravenous hunger depicted in the film is a statement about how the west was won, and perhaps still being won. There's a lot in this film to chew on (it's impossible to avoid stupid puns when writing about movies in which people are eaten, sorry), and "Ravenous" does not belong in the same category as B-slashers or gore or shock flicks.

In fact, it's almost impossible to determine what category to put "Ravenous" in. People who avoid gore movies will probably also want to avoid this one (it can be pretty disgusting), and people who enjoy gore and slash will probably feel disappointed because there's simply more going on than random and senseless killing. It's no surprise that this movie bombed, and it will probably gain cult status and continue to confuse most viewers, but for that reason it will probably be around for a while.

The performances are great all around, but Robert Carlyle really, really shines. The story is so original it nearly defies categorization, and the opening sequence is one of the best I've ever seen. The music is meant to be off-kilter and dissonant, which adds to the film's offbeat tempo.

Overall a great movie, but one that may confuse viewers. It's not a comedy (though it is funny), it's not a slasher/thriller (though it is gorey and thrilling), and it's not a western (though it is set in the right era). The best thing to do is see it and find out. You may hate it, or you may never be able to stop thinking about it. There are not many movies like this out there.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wickedly Delicious!!!, September 4, 2001

By	"vincentarlock" (Lakeland, Florida United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ravenous [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Underrated, this is a hardcore, dark, macabre masterpiece. Guy Pearce (Captain John Boyd) is a soldier, who, though decorated, is actually a coward. After faking death in a battle against Mexicans, he is tossed among the dead in the enemy's encampment. He crawls out from a beneath a pile of oozing bodies and successfully takes the base from the enemy. His commander knows he isn't a real soldier and so, as he is disgusted by the sight of him but for politics sake can't reprimand him, the captain is sent to an isolated military outpost called Fort Spencer. Living there is a skeleton crew assisted by several indians and everything goes fine until a near dead man(Robert Carlyle) staggers into camp during the middle of a very cold winter. After being warmed up and fed, he tells a grisly tale of desperate cannibalism as he and the party he was traveling with got punished by the elements and were forced into a cave. A select small band soldiers and one indian set out to assist the remaining people in the cave, who by chance might just still be alive and so the movie truly begins. Nothing is quite what it seems as the twists and turns reveal the terrifying realities of the plot which eventually climax in a very satisfying and unexpected ending. The acting is excellent all around but especially with Guy Pearce and Robert Carlyle. The weak nature and mental struggles of Guy Pearce are incredibly believable and completely balance the innocent appearance yet sinister nature of Robert Carlyle. The cinematography creates a creepy, desolate atmosphere as the ingenious soundtrack(as good or better than that of Suspiria) by Damon Albarn and Michael Nyman truly fits ever scene and action, allowing for a true horror experience to be felt. With moments of twisted humor tastefully spread throughout, this is the total horror package and definitely not a movie to be rented...it should be purchased.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Horror Movie Never Seen, October 9, 2006

By	Christopher Michael "takethekman" (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ravenous (DVD)

Bloody, funny, smart, artistic, and wonderfully acted. Robert Carlyle heads a flawless cast in a film that is so surprisingly good it puts most horror movies to shame. This is something so unique it has to be seen to be believed. There is depth here among the gallons of blood; Every character is constructed nicely, and each has their moment; The locations and snow add a nice visual layer, and the cinematography captures the drab, depressing, grim overtones nicely. Hard to beat that whole cave scene, not to mention two(yes, two...) genuine, shocking surprises in this one. But this movie is about going all out with it's premise; It's crazy and outlandish, but it runs with it...all the way. But it's also refreshing. How many countless crappy serial killer/japanese ghost kids/70's horror remakes do we have to sit through before we get something like 'Ravenous'? Way too many. I'm surprised this movie even got made. But thank God it did.