Rabid (1977)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writer:

David Cronenberg (writer)

Release Date:

8 April 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Pray it doesn't happen to you.

Plot:

A young woman develops a taste for human blood after undergoing experimental plastic surgery, and her victims turn into rabid, blood-thirsty zombies who proceed to infect others, which turns into a city-wide epidemic.

Plot Keywords:

Blood | Accident | Outbreak | Garbage Truck | Death

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Marilyn Chambers	...	Rose
Frank Moore	...	Hart Read
Joe Silver	...	Murray Cypher
Howard Ryshpan	...	Dr. Dan Keloid
Patricia Gage	...	Dr. Roxanne Keloid
Susan Roman	...	Mindy Kent
Roger Periard	...	Lloyd Walsh
Lynne Deragon	...	Nurse Louise
Terry Schonblum	...	Judy Glasberg
Victor Désy	...	Claude LaPointe
Julie Anna	...	Nurse Rita
Gary McKeehan	...	Smooth Eddy
Terence G. Ross	...	Farmer
Miguel Fernandes	...	Man In Cinema
Robert O'Ree	...	Police Sergeant

Also Known As:

Rage (USA)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Italy:VM14 | Australia:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | Ireland:18 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC)

Trivia:

Sissy Spacek was David Cronenberg's first choice to play Rose. Ivan Reitman suggested Marilyn Chambers because he wanted sex appeal.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Rose is wandering through the streets at night, she enters a cinema hall. As she opens the glass door, a couple of crewmembers and spotlights are reflected in it.

Quotes:

Murray Cypher: Potato man loves ketchup man.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Id Proxy (2009)

Soundtrack:

Hideout

David Cronenberg's second feature film!

Rabid (1977) is a strange film about a parasitic virus that inhabit's the body of a young woman (Marilyn Chambers). She receives this strange mutation after a new experimental procedure is performed upon her after she and her boyfriend were involved in a motorcycle accident. The doctors at a plastic surgery clinic save her life but her body revolts and mutates against the new cellular structure. The staff at the clinic and it's patients must answer for trying to defy nature.

A very good film from David Cronenberg. He further explores the topic of man fighting mutations from within or trying to change human nature. it's a topic that he returns to from time to time. He started off from Shivers and continued it in Rabid, The Brood, Scanners and Videodrome. Like most of his earlier films, this one was shot in around around the province of Quebec. Partially funded by the Canadian government, this twisted low budget wonder is a must for cerebral horror fans and Cronenberg devotees. Rabid benefits from the director's trademark clinical and cold aura.

I have to highly recommend this flick. the one I saw clocked it at almost 92 minutes. I haven't seen this film in awhile. I watched it on a D.V.D. import from Canada. I don't know how long the U.S. release was but this version seemed to have a little more blood than the one I watched seven years ago on an old V.H.S. copy. The Canadian Disc had a feature length commentary by David Cronenberg, a twenty some odd minute interview and a few other extras. The movie was restored and in it's proper film format.

Highly recommended.