At long last, I got the opportunity to vindicate this gonzo cannibal comedy for the brilliant social satire it was: Light-years ahead of its time. I offer Eating Raoul (1982) as a candidate for the Weird Movies’ List apocrypha.
Paul Bartel was writer, director, and co-lead, which makes this probably his magnum opus in his too-short career. But for what few opportunities he did find, Paul Bartel was a master of deadpan black comedy, albeit a little too reserved for the tastes of modern audiences.
Eating Raoul was inducted into the Criterion Collection. Here’s a couple bonus videos about that:
That second one provides some intriguing context to Bartel’s career.
Character actor spotters: The baby-doll voiced lady in furs at the party is Edie McClurg, a prolific comedy actress well-known to fans of everything from Cheech & Chong to John Hughes. Would you believe she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Education and a Master of Science degree from Syracuse University, and taught radio at the University of Missouri-Kansas City for eight years?
