Color, 1976, 91m. / Directed by William Girdler / Starring Christopher George, Andrew Prine, Richard Jaeckel, Joan McCall / Media Blasters (US R1 NTSC) / WS (2.35:1) (16:9)
Barely concerned with character development or anything resembling an unusual plot turn, Grizzly strips down the shock-ride tactics of its Spielberg model to even more primitive basics. The camper kill scenes are staged with plenty of verve, though the sight of obviously fake, giant paws swatting at the expendable supporting cast can be unintentionally hilarious in a certain frame
Poorly served for years via washed-out, horrendously cropped transfers (including a prior cheapie edition on DVD), Grizzly finally gets its due courtesy of Media Blasters in a two-disc(!) special
Color, 1977, 97m. / Directed by William Girdler / Starring Christopher George, Leslie Nielsen, Lynda Day George, Richard Jaeckel, Ruth Roman, Andrew Stevens / Media Blasters (US R1 NTSC) / WS (2.35:1) (16:9)
Loads of fun without being even remotely good, Day of the Animals marks another Girdler attempt at creating a pseudo-studio film with expansive
Usually inflicted on video consumers in a wretched, blurry, pan-and-scanned transfer, Day of the Animals gets a bit of an upgrade from Media Blasters, though the presentation still has its drawbacks that may draw the ire of fans. The more watchable option is the original theatrical version (presented under the alternate title of Something Is Out There) with its full 2.35:1 framing intact. Girdler
One of the first and most successful Jaws rip-offs, Grizzly is remembered far more today as the box office high point for beloved drive-in hack William Girdler, the endearing genius who assaulted the world with The Manitou and Three on a Meathook. Here goes all-out for mainstream acceptance with a bloody, sexy,
fast-paced action/horror concoction shot in panoramic scope and featuring the best talent the meager budget could afford. The familiar storyline kicks off with a string of vicious grizzly bear attacks on young female campers (ain't it always?) at Yellowstone National Park. Chief ranger Michael Kelly (George) aims to stop the furry menace with the aid of resourceful chopper pilot Don Strober (Prine) and great white hunter Arthur Scott (Jaeckel), though the powers-that-be (concerned about keeping the campers coming at the height of tourist season, natch) throw numerous obstacles in the trio's path before their final confrontation with the clawed one.
of mind. On the other hand, Girdler also manages to pull on the blood to a surprising degree for a PG-rated film, though this was tagged with one of those "May be too intense for younger viewers" warnings that became all the rage during the late '70s when the MPAA was persuaded to avoid handing out R ratings. However, unlike its aquatic inspiration, Grizzly doesn't keep the nasty fates of its child actors discreetly off-camera; instead, one cute moppet gets it in a red-spattered sequence so intense it gave entire generations of younger drive-in attendees nightmares. On the other hand, the trained bears (one of them used again to brief but memorable effect in Girdler's Day of the Animals) are a little too cute to inspire stark fear in the climax; their lip-curling antics seem more appropriate to a Disney film, and the rocket-launcher climax is a wonderfully ridiculous high point in nature-amuck cinema.
edition. The original widescreen dimensions are finally preserved (though Girdler rarely makes inventive use of the framing), and viewers only familiar with TV prints will enjoy all the extra nastiness on display. (Even stronger footage was reportedly shot for international markets but has yet to surface on home video, if it even exists.) The feature includes a commentary track with producer/writer David Sheldon and actress Joan McCall, both of whom seem to recall the film very well and talk about the contributions of everyone involved in affectionate detail. The commentary tends to veer all over the place at times, but the stories contained within are worth hearing. The other major extras include a lackluster early '80s video trailer, a much better behind-the-scenes featurette prepared for the film's theatrical release (complete with priceless Girdler interview footage), and a new featurette ("Jaws with Claws") with Sheldon, McCall, Prine, and co-producer/writer Harvey Flaxman running through the film's history from origin to release with a focus on Girdler and the film's remarkable distribution tales. In addition to the two featurettes, the second disc also houses a photo gallery, video footage of an L.A. theatrical revival, some fun radio spots, and promos for other Shriek Show horror releases.
Hot on the heels of his immortal trash-classic Jaws copy, Grizzly, late director William Girdler decided to up the ante by taking the popular nature-strikes-back subgenre to its loopy, logical conclusion with Day of the Animals. Sort of a Destroy All Monsters for
the Irwin Allen crowd on a very low budget, this kinda-star-studded bash takes place in an idyllic mountain community where the rapidly-diminishing ozone layer (Al Gore, where are you?) is causing all of the wildlife to turn nasty and vent its frustrations on any humans in sight. Thus the screen is filled with pissed-off dogs, rats, birds, and, yes, bears lunging after the actors, drawing as much blood as a PG rating will allow. Most of the action centers around a group of hikers whose trek into the wilderness turns horrific as a result of very bad timing, with anti-gun tour guide Steve Bucker and anchorwoman Terry Marsh (that unbeatable team of Christopher and Lynda Day George) guiding the rest of the cast around the rampaging critters. Unfortunately the destructive atmosphere also has an unpleasant effect on Jenson (Nielsen), an ad exec whose more barbaric tendencies result in a hilarious bear-wrestling climax.
Panavision framing and slumming guest stars (a tactic he took to even dizzier heights with his next and final film, The Manitou). Nielsen really steals the day as the reprehensible Jenson, whose abusive behavior tops anything the animals manage to pull off. Even the normally hammy Ruth Roman can't hope to compete with him, and his big bear scene really should have been the climax of the film. Alas, it continues on a bit for a more traditional wrap-up reminiscent of Food of the Gods, but that's a minor complaint in a film otherwise brimming with unexpected surprises (some intentional, others not so much). And believe it or not, the music score comes courtesy of Lalo Schifrin!
never really uses the spacious framing in an interesting or imaginative way, but at least it's nice to watch the film without half of the speaking actors cropped offscreen. Alas, the print (one of the few left surviving) has plenty of wear and tear, with hairline scratches visible throughout and more than a few splices. Still, if you watch it in a cheap-theater frame of mind, this may do the trick. A much cleaner but slightly softer TV print (under the more famous title) is also included, but it's cropped on the sides and zoomed-in to 1.78:1 for anamorphic televisions. Unless the debris on the other version is just too much for you, skip the TV version. Neither version features exclusive footage, so you're not missing anything either way (apart from visual information in the second case). However, the TV print does include a fun but rather idiosyncratic commentary by Lynda Day George, actor Jon Ceder, and fan/producer Scott Spiegel, moderated (more or less) by Walter Olsen. Most of the anecdotes are quite enjoyable, with the animal tales obviously getting the biggest laughs. Also included is a new featurette, "Something Was Out There," in which Cedar, Paul Mantee and animal trainer/wrangler/thespian Susan Backlinie share their thoughts about the making of the film and their memories of working with one of the wildest directors of the '70s. A still gallery and a dupey-looking trailer (that looks an awful lot like the TV spot that's circulated for years on trailer comps) round out this essential package for fans of nature run rampant.
