THE SEVERED ARM (1973)
Earlier today, my gullet was met with a wicked case of heartburn. I suspect that today's subject was the culprit. For future reference, 70's exploitation may rankle your windpipe and turn the folds of your gorge into an aqueduct for molten lava to carry sediment from your stomach to your throat. So, y'know...proceed with caution. Actually, this is a wry slasher that acts as a dress rehearsal for filmmakers to try out a few tropes before they became tropes. I'm always interested to see just how far back certain ideas go, at least in relation to mainstream horror. The Severed Arm is an archetype for revenge-themed "body count" pictures a la Prom Night and I Know What You Did Last Summer.
A group of spelunkers wind up trapped in a decidedly dank cave. Against their better judgment (and against the wishes of one unlucky bastard), they decide to eat the disembodied limb of whomever draws the shortest straw. And wouldn't you know it? As soon as the deed is done, they are rescued by a fashionably late search party. Five years pass and our covey of would-be speleologists (google it, kids) is beginning to shrink, as someone is killing them off. This is a straightforward, entertaining little flick. Director Tom Alderman gets a surprising amount of mileage out of simple set-ups and spooktastic shadows. Keep it hush-hush, but you might be able to find it for free on YouTube. You didn't hear it from me, though.
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