Wild beasts - Belve feroci

Franco Prosperi must really get off on killing animals, between this and all the shockumentaries he's done. This one's got some great sequences (shot in Frankfurt-am-Main) but never lives up to its great premise. Filmed entirely at night, the direction is clumsy and only rarely suspenseful. It's never boring or predictable but not terribly exciting or original, either. Though if you've waited all your life to see a naked woman get eaten by rats, here's your chance.

Somehow PCP gets into the water supply that ends up driving the animals to attack people in this mid 80s eurotrash creature feature. Although the movie is never as fun as its concept promises. It still manages to be so utterly absurd especially when it concerns killer ballet dancer kids it's just fun and wild. What's really impressive is the real animals they used and I wonder how it all came together. The training must have been insane and I'm sure the film had some fatalities.

3.25/5

Dangerous zoo animals escape from their cages and run amok in the city after drinking water contaminated by PCP (a hallucinogenic drug also known as angel dust, busy bee, peace powder, zombie dust and jet fuel).

Technically speaking, Franco Propseri's Wild Beasts is far from a good film, with clumsy direction, terrible performances and diabolical dialogue throughout; that said, it sure is entertaining, a cheesy trash-fest full of unintentional laughs and OTT death scenes, and what has got to be the greatest 'cheetah chasing a car' scene in movie history (on account of there being no other contenders for the title).

The bloody death and destruction on offer includes stampeding cattle running down pedestrians, rats devouring a couple having sex in a car, a woman's head stomped by an elephant, a seeing-eye dog savaging his master (he didn't see that coming!), and a savage polar bear attack on a bunch of kids (who, having drunk some PCP themselves, also become killers!).

This being an early-80s Euro-horror, there is also some incredibly un-PC content which only adds to the bonkers exploitation vibe: not only does Prosperi deliver a gratuitous topless shot of obnoxious pubescent schoolgirl Suzy (Louisa Lloyd ) within the first few seconds, but there is enough real animal violence on display to give PETA supporters an instant coronary—animals were most definitely harmed during the making of this motion picture (sucks to be a rat in the European horror movie business).

6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.

WILD BEASTS is the tender, joy-filled tale of what happens when PCP is introduced to the drinking water of zoo animals, driving them berserk. Cuddly critters make their escape, dining on unwary human snacks, after an elephant destroys the cage locking system.

From the infamous "rat attack" and "elephant car stomping" scenes, to the all-out shred-a-thon of the big cats' feeding frenzy, this movie makes other such films appear timid by comparison!

Unfortunately, as with many Italian gore films of the era, animal cruelty is included, sending several real animals to their premature, unnecessary doom. Still, in spite of all of its ludicrous elements, WB does manage to be entertaining throughout. Some of the more memorable scenes show a cheetah, a polar bear, cattle, etc., on the move down city streets or school hallways!

Stars exploitation movie regular, Lorraine De Selle as Laura.

Warning: Nothing can prepare you for the "shock" finale!...

Gloriously insane "Nature Strikes Back" cinema from director Franco Prosperi, the "Godfather of Mondo", who delivers action and violence in very high doses, and has a body count...well, to die for. Much like many entries in this genre, the animal rampage is the result of human screw up. High levels of PCP contaminate the water supply of a zoo in a major European city. As a result, all the animals - including tigers, bears, and elephants - go crazy, bust out of the zoo, and terrorize the unlucky citizens of this city. The hero on the case is zoo employee Rupert "Rip" Berner (John Aldrich, in his only feature film appearance), and his leading lady is journalist Laura Schwarz (French beauty Lorraine De Selle, "Cannibal Ferox").

Prosperi decides early on, to Hell with good taste and common sense, and gives us a messed up horror film to cherish. Among our colorful characters are a daughter (Louisa Lloyd) who mocks and disrespects her mother, and a police inspector (Ugo Bologna, "Nightmare City") who obviously really likes to snack. The animal action is definitely first rate, and the various set pieces are comprised of actual animal attacks choreographed and supervised by circus trainers, and special effects. The delightful highlights include a cheetah attempting to run down a potential victim who's driving away, and elephants suffocating one person with a trunk, and stomping another chumps' head flat. (There really is some first rate gore here, as witness the after effects of a massacre by rats.) Prosperi wastes very little time in getting to the good stuff, and there's an amusing subplot late in the game involving that contaminated water.

Aldrich is a cheesy looking but entertaining guy, De Selle makes for a pretty decent heroine, young Lloyd is a definite hoot, and Bologna is a treat to watch.

If you love this genre, and haven't seen this one yet, I recommend you see it as soon as possible.

Eight out of 10.