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Long Pigs: A Film About Cannibalism (Anthropophagy)

Written by Jonathan Jacobs

When watching independent films I often overlook the description provided for a given film and jump into it mentally blindfolded. Tonight I decided to review a documentary entitled Long Pigs. It turns out the picture is about cannibalism. Normally the subject is reviewed by a myriad of scientists, doctors, paleontologists, anthropologists and biologists. In this instance we are privy to several murders and human dissections that will make most peoples’ stomachs turn upside-down in horror and disgust. Many brave enough to watch the murders and the butchery will regurgitate. Others will turn off the film in sheer horror. I am a film reviewer and I promised to offer my expert opinion about Long Pigs and I will do just that.

Doesn’t it strike you as ironic and hypocritical that the American people love Hannibal Lechter who is a fictitional cannibal that enjoys homo sapien’s meat with a side of Chianti and fava beans but real cannibalism is heinous and punishable by death? How often do we quote the Hannibal films (Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal)? Even Sylvester Stallone performed in Judge Dredd which is partially about human’s base instincts and inclination toward cannibalism.

There are three major parts of Long Pigs. The first is the subject of the documentary Anthony McAlister (Anthony Alviano). Anthony offers an introspective glimpse into the mind of a serial murderer who eats his victims. He carves them up into pieces meticulously, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination and nothing to chance. He is actually a health nut and a clean freak who worries about contaminating the meat he consumes. His multivariable philosophies about eating people are sinister, but also rational and comical at times. Why does the food chain stop with humans? Why are pigs (the only domesticated animal that cannibalizes) regarded as filthy beasts because they eat bacon and pepperoni? Who created our morals and values and food practices and standards? How did it come about that cannibalism would be regarded as a cardinal sin? Anthony loves his mother and prefers to eat fleshy prostitutes. So what?

The second part of the film is the interview sessions with prominent law enforcement officials serving us something far less delectable than human; they spoon feed us intellectualized explications for why one would commit an act of cannibalism, YAWN. As a professor of history and someone who strongly resents spinning everything and placing some extraneous intellectual label or narrative on all human thought, behavior and emotion, I can honestly say the real motivations of a killer can usually be diagnosed by…wait for it…wait for it…the killer himself. Big shock, let’s write books on how someone else thinks without ever having a shred of solid evidence to support our diagnosis.

The third part of this film and perhaps even more intriguing than the subject of inquiry, cannibalism, is the two desperate filmmakers (Chris Power and Nathan Hynes) who skirt all known codes of ethics and morality and break the law as accomplices to premeditated acts of gruesome murder. The entire production is a mockumentary if you will. That much is certain. Still, the carving up of human bodies and the methodologies proffered by Anthony seem eerily real. Hell, until I did my research I was convinced this picture was real. Is it inconceivable that two wannabe filmmakers would go to these lengths to become recognized in the industry? Is it commensurately inconceivable that a serial killer would offer his services on demand and on video for nothing in return?

I will say that Long Pigs will make you think about cannibalism and its place in society. On the other hand, the road to the philosophical debate about the savage act of one human eating another is not without pitfalls. Most of the scenes will make you nauseas at least and infuriated at worst. Most unsuspecting viewers will be tempted to turn off the television. All I can say is this is both groundbreaking and really unnecessary at the same time. What is entertainment? When have we gone too far? It is not paranormal but is it normal at all?

Jonathan Jacobs

Member Florida Film Critics Circle

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