Papaya dei Caraibi (1978)

Director:

Joe D'Amato

Writer:

Roberto Gandus (story)

Release Date:

16 November 1978 (Italy)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

A team of geologists attempt to remove a native cannibal population from an island to perform atomic research, but the cannibals' female leader disposes of them one by one by seduction. |

Plot Keywords:

Erotica | Oral Sex | Caribbean | Vampire | Fruit In Title

Cast

Melissa Chimenti	...	Papaya (as Melissa)
Sirpa Lane	...	Sara
Maurice Poli	...	Vincent
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dakar	...	Ceremony Leader (uncredited)
Ted Rusoff	...	Vincent (voice: English version) (uncredited)

Directed by
Joe D'Amato

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Roberto Gandus		story

Produced by
Carlo Maietto	....	producer

Original Music by
Stelvio Cipriani

Cinematography by
Joe D'Amato		(as Aristide Massaccesi)

Film Editing by
Vincenzo Tomassi

Production Design by
Mimmo Scavia

Costume Design by
Mimmo Scavia

Makeup Department
Marcello Di Paolo	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Alessandro Di Luca	....	unit manager
Ugo Valenti	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Donatella Donati	....	assistant director

Art Department
Mario Ciccarella	....	property master

Sound Department
Pietro Spadoni	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Gino Conversi	....	assistant camera
Fernando Massaccesi	....	chief electrician
Luciano Micheli	....	key grip
Guglielmo Vincioni	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Franco Malvestiti	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Aureliano Luppi	....	script supervisor
Massimo Zaccariello	....	cutting room assistant

Production Companies

• Mercury Cinematografica

Distributors

• X-Rated Kultvideo (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Severin Films (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Caribbean Papaya (International: English title)
Die of Pleasure (Europe: English title)
Papaya: Love Goddess of the Cannibals (Europe: English title) (video title)
Et mourir de plaisir (France) [fr]
Fruta sexual del Caribe (Spain) [es]
Papaya - Die Liebesgöttin der Cannibalen (West Germany) [de]

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Telecolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Not Rated (Severin films DVD) | Italy:VM18 | West Germany:18

Company:

Mercury Cinematografica

Trivia:

German Import DVD has a Super-8mm Version (German language only), as a special feature on the disc.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Joe D'Amato Totally Uncut (1999)

A lot of sex, a little gore and an anti-imperialist message!

If you're looking for gore in this film, you'll probably be disappointed. Apart from two brief moments of cannibalism and the slaughtering of two dead pigs, there is nothing else worth mentioning. I believe that this time D'Amato's heart was more in the erotic aspect. And he either got lucky or he got smart with the casting here, because it is spot-on: the actress who plays Papaya has a face that looks a little like Pam Grier's and a body to die for (and some men do!), and the blonde female lead is even more gorgeous, and a fairly capable actress as well. The true climax of the film is a 3-minute lesbian scene between them that is very well-done - one for the anthology books, as these things go. To sum up, as a horror film this gets a ** but as an erotic film it gets a ***.