Horror/Sci-Fi/Thriller
1 hour and 28 minutes
Rated PG
Written by: Don Holliday & Gene R. Kearney
Directed by: William F. Claxton
Produced by: A. C. Lyles
Cast:
Stuart Whitman
Janet Leigh
Rory Calhoun
DeForest Kelley
How many eyes does horror have? How many times will terror strike?
If you're anything like me, sometimes you'd just like nothing more than to get your friends together, cram into your car, and head out to the closest drive-in theater to catch a creature-feature double-feature. These are the kind of movies popcorn was invented for. If you're ever in a serious drive-in movie kind of mood, Night of the Lepus is one to check out.
The story is a by-the-books eco-terror exploitation film; giant hungry animals attack a small town, and the people living there have to deal with it. In this case the giant hungry animals are giant hungry rabbits ... that's right .... rabbits .... and they're not interested in carrots. Though this may seem ridiculous or laughable, you have to give it credit for creativity - no one else has ever thought of giant killer rabbits ... although maybe there's a reason for that.
The special effects are to be expected - again this is an eco-terror exploitation film from the early 1970s. The giant rabbits are actually normal sized rabbits running around on blatant miniature sets (seriously, you could've accomplished more believable miniatures with popsicle sticks) and captured through trick low-angle closeups. But how do they accomplish interaction (eating) people if they're normal sized bunnies? Stuntman in a bunny suit captured with quick cuts and closeup shots focusing on the blood and gore (surprisingly, a lot of which is in this film - how it got away with a PG rating baffles me).
But these special effects/maybe-too-creative-storyline don't hurt Night of the Lepus, in fact they help it. If you're sitting down to watch this film, or any eco-terror exploitation film, with the mindset that it's going to be a serious movie, then you're not viewing this film correctly. Bad special effects and weak plots are what's to be expected. Anything else is just a disappointment.
The performances in Night of the Lepus are decent enough, but again, it's hard to really sit and focus on the acting when giant bunnies are jumping in through windows and ripping people's throats out. Janet Leigh (yes, the Janet Leigh) apparently agreed to star in the film only because filming took place near her home. Even still, I can't understand why this film would have been appealing for her to star in. Perhaps her career had taken a serious nosedive after Psycho.
All in all, Night of the Lepus is a standard, comical-for-all-the-wrong-reasons, exploitation creature-feature. And if you're looking to fill that drive-in movie nostalgia, or perhaps have a laugh-fest with some friends, it may be the perfect movie for you.
6.5/10
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