Rabid - Sete di sangue

It's only marginally better than Cronenberg's earlier work Shivers and in some ways, it feels like a sequel to it. It takes the hyper-sexualized, extra-gory zombies that the first film utilized and expands them over a wider area. No longer just contained to an apartment complex on an island, these bad boys are free to roam around downtown Montreal. The slices of apocalyptic action near the end of the film elevate this one above the earlier film, as it's a much darker consequence to the story's identical problem. Basically all the technical aspects remain the same, from amateurish acting to dated sets to a distinctive atmosphere, and the warning against scientific tampering is still there, but the aforementioned wider scope and subtle nods to the sociopolitical environment of 1970s Montreal make this one just a bit better. Cronenberg was just warming up, though.

Two bikers careen and crash in the Canadian countryside very close to a cosmetology clinic. The girl biker has received serious injuries and needs lots of surgery involving skin grafts. After that there is virtually no scientific or general explanation for how this young lady develops a blood-sucking mouth in her armpit, that after having bitten its victims transfers the same desire for blood; thus creating a plague in Montreal of all places. Now, the story has some obvious holes that needed to be filled and were not, but writer/director David Cronenberg can make even the most absurd stuff seem real and scary. This was his real second feature after Shivers, and he delivers the goods with some artful direction, more than ample suspense, and a pervasive mood of uneasiness in a city being besieged by a viral plague. Money constraints seem obvious as well. Whatever happened to the French detective? I found his character rather interesting.

Cronenberg made me jump from my seat more than a few times, and his style really absorbs all elements of the film even when you know what is going to happen - the shock is still there. A lot of people haven't ever been fond of Cronenberg's work, but I think that in the world of horror he is definitely one of the underestimated craftsmen. As a final note it would be remiss of me not to mention Marilyn Chambers. She does a pretty good job acting here. I found her very believable and beautiful. After all I guess there are worse ways to go then being sensuously cradled in Ms. Chambers arms as she caresses your hair and her carnivorous armpit dweller locks into your bloodstream. Perhaps. Perhaps not. I don't know - guess I'll chew on it a bit.

`Rabid' is a film that fits quite nicely, albeit inconspicuously so, in David Cronenberg's full body of work. The film carries its director's signature on it in terms of content, but lacks the Cronenbergian style that viewers would later see more developed in films such as `Videodrome,' `The Fly,' and `Dead Ringers.' Here, in what is essentially Cronenberg's second `commercial' feature film, we as an audience are treated to many of the same themes that pop up in the later films of this master of the sci-fi/horror fusion genre: faceless medical/scientific corporations that do more harm than good, a main character that is reluctant to serve whatever purpose he or she is destined to perform for good or evil, and a pervading sense of an impending plague or epidemic that cannot be prevented. In `Rabid' along with Cronenberg's first feature `Shivers' this last theme is exemplified in an almost completely literal way.

While the technically amateurish (when compared to later Cronenberg films) nature of `Rabid' may seem off-putting to some, it nevertheless does not detract significantly from the wildly original content at the film's core. Cronenberg has crafted a story so unique and yet so accessible that it is hard to dismiss this or any of his films as puerile or insignificant. The situation and events presented in `Rabid' seem straight out of a science fiction novel or comic book and yet they tap into some of our deepest and most contemporary fears. What one must do when watching early Cronenberg is to remind oneself that the director was still trying in many ways to fully find himself and the best way to express his ideas. And if the viewer will put the technical inefficiencies of `Rabid' aside, he or she will find a truly enjoyable and frightening film.

The performances are all-around good, although they never seem to be able to rise above the level of typical sci-fi/horror acting. Marilyn Chambers, the most interesting casting decision of this film, plays her part relatively well, although her perpetual forced-innocent attitude becomes a bit tiresome as the film progresses. Frank Moore shows a considerably larger range of emotions than any other actor, but when nothing much is happening in terms of action, his stoic look and bland dialogue only serve to reiterate the fact that not much is happening. Bob Silverman, a minor player in a few of Cronenberg's films, also shows up for a brief cameo, although those used to his idiosyncratic performances may be left a little disappointed.

On the whole, `Rabid' is an interesting film to watch if for no other reason than to get a sampling of the director's unique sense of story and theme. In terms of technical style it definitely looks dated and is lacking in many departments, something that Cronenberg would later correct in his films from the 80's. But what this film lacks in style it more than makes up for in substance. Cronenberg is a genius in his own right, a master of the scientific side of horror and fantasy. Fans of the director will most certainly want to seek this film out, while newcomers may want to view a few of his later films before delving into this and his other early works.

I'm a fan of David Cronenberg, so I've gradually been unearthing his earlier work. I watched Rabid last week, and, too my surprise, it was a pretty good B horror flick. Sure, it had plenty of bad acting (though Marilyn Chambers was good-*gasp*), was a bit too long for what it was, and was uneven overall, but I could definitely see the genius that was too come from this very young Cronenberg. Interesting flick--give it a try. **Another interesting note--look for Ivan Reitman's name in the opening credits as a producer**

If compiling a list of favourite directors, David Cronenberg if to be honest wouldn't be on it (having only properly started seeing his work fairly recently). If compiling though a list of the most fascinating and unique directors, he would almost certainly be on it and high up the more work seen of his. A vast majority of his films disturb in his use of imagery and make one feel uncomfortable with his tackling of challenging subjects, but as said in some of my other reviews for his films there is much more to his work than just full on horror as seen with him moving away from it in later years.

While nowhere near close to being one of his best (not one of his worst either, 'Cosmopolis' for me is a contender for that title) and do prefer 'Scanners' and 'The Brood' as far as his early/body horror films go, 'Rabid' is an interesting and more than decent effort. For so early on and with limited resources, for all its obvious faults, 'Rabid' impressed me and admired it for its ambitious premise (like with 'Shivers'). The rest of the films that are part of his filmography are far more refined visually, explore their themes/subject much deeper and are far better written and acted, but there is a good deal to like here.

Admittedly the low budget is obvious, with 'Rabid' making for one of Cronenberg's worst-looking films. It does look better and less amateurish than 'Shivers' though. The effects and make-up are well done and pretty freaky, but 'Rabid' does have a drab look and looks simplistic and unfocused, and like a low budget television film made by an experimenting student.

The script is also very clunky and too often vague with too many parts not going into anywhere near enough explanation. It did feel that a lot of time went into most other components and the script was left at the bottom of the pile.

Do think that the acting is quite a lot better in general than in 'Shivers', which only had two good performances while most of the performances were acceptable (if not always much more than that). But Frank Moore did have ropey moments from personal view.

'Rabid' has a lot of things worth praising. As said the special effects and make-up are freaky, surprising as one does expect for minimal budget for the effects to be the worst part when it comes to production values.

Cronenberg gave himself a lot to take on and does so admirably, even if his style had not fully formed yet. Yet his style can still be found all over 'Rabid', with the famous themes and ideas often re-visited in later films present but much deeper and with more subtlety later on. The story is interesting with the ambitious concept not wasted, with the pace being slicker than before.

Especially good here in 'Rabid' are two things. One being the atmosphere. The other being the horror. 'Shivers', 'Scanners' and 'The Brood' (which also all had the better scripts) to me were more disturbing and stomach churning, but that is not to say that 'Rabid' isn't either of those things, quite the contrary, with the violence still being shocking today. There are some genuine chills and shocks and the sense of dread is handled very suspensefully. The threat is scary too and the imagery does churn the stomach in typical Cronenberg fashion. Enough of the acting is acceptable, with Marilyn Chambers being a surprisingly good lead (was honestly expecting her to be a disaster).

Summarising, decent film. 7/10