Director Paul Bartel sadly passed away at the start of the new millenium, but left behind a collection of cult-classics that all bore his unmistakeable comic signature. From the hilarious Divine-fronted western, Lust in the Dust, to the gleefully over-the-top Death Race 2000, Bartel was truly "indie" before the overused term was coined. His most celebrated work, 1982's Eating Raoul, finally comes to DVD courtesy of Columbia/Tri-Star, and it's a welcome treat.

Paul (Bartel) and Mary (Woronov) Bland are your average folk with your average "American Dream" of opening their own restaraunt in Los Angeles. The quiet and conservative Blands, however, find themselves literally surrounded by sex-crazed swingers who impeach on their relatively staid lifestyle. When Paul stumbles upon a man forcing himself on Mary, he whacks him on the head with a frying pan, killing him instantly. At first, the Blands are ready to kiss their dreams goodbye, fearing that Paul's act would cost them any chance of getting the funding to open their restaraunt, but when they search the body and find a wallet bulging with cash, the Blands have an idea. Soon they are luring swingers into their apartment, killing them, and taking their cash. The scheme works, but it's not long before they start to run out of places to dispose of the bodies. When a burgular named Raoul (Beltran) discovers the Bland's little secret, he devises a method of disposal that guarantees the couple a long and happy criminal career, but demands a piece of the action. All goes well for awhile, but when Raoul's demands go beyond the financial, it isn't long before the deal takes a nasty turn.

Eating Raoul is a gloriously funny black comedy that's sure to please fans of the cinema of John Waters and early Troma. The film is brimming with a wry social commentary that cleverly dissects the pre-A.I.D.S. infancy of the Me-Decade. Bartel and Woronov (both cult-cinema veterans) lend the Blands an air of "square" innocence that slowly morphs into greedy savagery, and Beltran's greasy-as-a-Greek-pizza Raoul serves as the perfect corruptive foil.

The DVD from Columbia/Tri-Star is light on extras, with only a theatrical trailer, but it's a low-priced set, and well worth the purchase for fans of blacker-than-pitch comedies. It's humour has held up remarkably well over time, and this one comes highly recommended!!