Las ratas asesinas

Cat-sized rats, laced-up on steroid enriched grain apparently destined for starving kids in Africa, overrun the city as former chop-socky filmmaker Clouse applies his unique, high contact brand of action/horror. Breaking with convention early, his sewer mob spirit away a toddler from its high chair – a trail of blood and an empty wonder suit greets the hysterical mother, a scene sure to disaffect plenty of parents so early in the piece, they may not stay for the blood bath still to come. Local teacher and single dad Groom investigates the strange goings on, while courting the attentions of Health official (Botsford) and attempting to dissuade those of an infatuated student (Langlois).

The versatile vaudeville performer Crothers is wasted in a frivolous supporting role, while veteran Canadian actor Linder is also given little respect. Langlois is the most vivacious characterisation, giving conviction and dimension to the sexually confident and nubile young student, enamoured by the worldly but unattainable Groom. Clouse even manages to stage a rat attack during a Bruce Lee cinema retrospective at which his film "Game of Death" is played on the big screen, for those who might appreciate an in-joke.

It's formula filmmaking and Clouse handles both the characterisations and action sequences with adept skill, albeit with little attention to detail or continuity. Groom is an affable leading man, Botsford a more attractive proposition (there's even a fire-lit love scene to really set the mood), and the daschunds dressed in sewer rat costumes, almost look cute in some scenes, as they scamper from one mark to the next below aerial shots that clearly display their canine features. Extremely bloody with plenty of limb gnawing, bone chewing gore, "Night Eyes" is the perfect late night viewing experience.

Giant rat movie based on excellent book "The Rats", this is a definite addition to the So-Bad-It's-Almost-Good hall of fame. You think you have seen it all until you see the little dogs in rat costumes running everywhere, munching on fleeing, screaming humans. Lisa Langlois plays the standard doomed "bad girl" role well, you just know her days are numbered. Fun no brainer flick, don't expect too much.

Even if you know they're really dachshunds in rat suits, they're still pretty gruesome! It doesn't matter how fast you run, they'll still catch you!! There's a classic scene- an attack on a movie theater-- which you'll be thinking about for days afterward. This flick has a gritty, wintertime dinginess which I like. Plus, it's got Mr. Scatman Crothers- how can you go wrong?? Definitely worth a rental, especially for fans of low-budget horror films of the early 80s.

This movie was pretty good to watch. It wasn't boring at all. The rats were very interesting. This is what really bought the movie out. I also thought the movie was comical. I searched hard for this movie until I only found it for rental at blockbuster video. I was hoping to own this movie also (it was good enough to be a part of my horror collection). My rating of this movie would be 7 out of 10 stars.

Yeah the movie sucks but we had a great time making it.

I got thrown through a glass window, hurled down a flight of stairs, and had dog food and corn syrup plastered on my face so the dogs would "eat" me...

I gotta tell ya, the dogs were treated like kings.

Each dog could only work 2 hours and they could only shoot for 5 minutes at a time.

They all had air conditioned kennels.

The humans on the other hand... well we just had to fend for ourselves...

George "Stompy" Hollo