Rabid **** (1977, Marilyn Chambers, Frank Moore, Joe Silver) – Classic Movie Review 9514

Writer-director David Cronenberg’s deeply shocking, decadent and disturbing fourth movie, the 1977 Rabid [Rage], is one of the key horror films of the Seventies.

It centres on accident victim Rose (Marilyn Chambers), who is injured and burned in a road accident and then undergoes experimental radical plastic surgery, which results in her becoming the host for a deadly parasite that lives in a slit in her armpit.

Rose awakens from her coma a month later and realises she needs to feed with blood and her victims become blood-thirsty zombie-like creatures.

When she comes into sexual contact with anyone, she infects them with a disease that causes them to become rabid and attack everyone they meet. Eventually the whole of Montreal succumbs to the virus in a city-wide epidemic, and martial law is imposed.

Rabid is an apocalyptic vision of death that is spread by an innocent carrier who remains uncomprehending despite the destruction that follows her every kiss.

Even with its schlock-style premise, touches of black humour and the presence of former sex-cinema star Chambers, this is an extremely dark film, with distress and loneliness to the fore, and, like most of Cronenberg’s work, should be viewed with caution.

It runs 91 minutes, cut from 94 minutes.

It won Best Screenplay and Best Special Effects (Al Griswold) at the Sitges – Catalonian International Film Festival (1977).

Also in the cast are Frank Moore, Joe Silver, Patricia Gage, Susan Roman and Howard Ryshpan, Roger Periard, Lynne Deragon, Terry Schonblum, Victor Désy, Julie Anna, Gary McKeehan, Miguel Fernandes, Robert O’Ree and Terence G Ross.

Rabid [Rage] is directed by David Cronenberg, runs 91 minutes, is made by Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC), Cinema Entertainment Enterprises, Cinépix Film Properties (CFP), Dunning/Link/Reitman Productions and Famous Players, is released by Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (1977) (Canada), New World Pictures (1977) (US) and Alpha Films (1977) (UK), is written by David Cronenberg, is shot by René Verzier (Eastmancolor), is produced by John Dunning, Don Carmody (co-producer), Ivan Reitman (executive producer) and André Link (executive producer), is scored by Ivan Reitman (music supervisor) and designed by Claude Marchand.

Cronenberg wanted Sissy Spacek to star but the studio vetoed her because of her accent. Spacek’s hit film Carrie was released during this film’s production and a movie poster for it appears when Chambers walks past a cinema.

It follows Stereo, Crimes of the Future and Shivers.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9514

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