Jaws of the Jungle

Considered one of the earliest examples of American "exploitation cinema" thanks to its exaggerated, hyper-sexualized depiction of native life in Ceylon (modern day Sri Lanka), Jaws of the Jungle is nonetheless a thrilling, fast-paced adventure film for the wild at heart. Written and directed by Eddie Granemann (The Lost City) and starring a cast of largely unknown actors, the film follows a tribe of Ceylonese natives after they are forced to flee their village into the dangerous jungle after an attack by a vicious swarm of vampire bats. For all of the film's lurid, boundary-pushing imagery, the final version available today was significantly edited down from its original cut thanks largely to the intervention of the Hays Office (as well as state censor boards), who considered it their duty to delete offensive material so as not to taint the moral character of American audiences.