DbcultAccessing Vault...
5.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Call of the Savage remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you are already a fan of vintage cliffhangers or just want something to watch while you fold a massive pile of laundry. If you hate stilted acting and sets that look like they were built out of cardboard and hope, you are going to be miserable here.
It’s a 1935 serial, so expect everything to be a little bit unhinged. The plot is basically just people running away from other people in the woods, with Chicma the chimpanzee usually being the most talented performer on screen.
The pacing is genuinely strange. One minute someone is delivering a life-altering monologue, and the next, everyone has wandered off to a completely different location for no reason at all. It feels like the filmmakers just picked whatever patch of dirt looked most 'jungly' that morning.
I couldn't stop looking at the background extras. There is one guy in the back of the second episode who looks like he’s just waiting for his ride home, completely bored by the 'secret formula' drama happening ten feet away. It's those little things that make me think of Mike, where you just get lost in the weird, small details of the frame.
Sometimes the movie gets too quiet. You just hear the birds from the stock audio track looping over and over again. It’s hypnotic, but probably not for the reason the director intended.
If you have seen Kid Courageous, you know that specific brand of 'we have to finish this scene before lunch' energy. This movie has that in spades. Nobody is winning an Oscar, and honestly, that feels like a relief.
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely a coherent story. But watching these people charge through the brush with absolute conviction is a weirdly relaxing way to spend an hour. Just keep your expectations somewhere near the floor and you'll be fine. 🐒