Rabid – Canada – 1977 – Horror
Directed by: David Cronenberg
Written by: David Cronenberg
Main Players: Marilyn Chambers; Frank Moore; Joe Silver; Howard Ryshpan; Patricia Gage
Rose Miller (Chambers) waits for her boyfriend Hard Read (Moore) in order to zoom through the Quebec countryside on a motorcycle. Meanwhile at the Keloid Clinic, surgeon Dr. Dan Keloid (Ryshpan), and his executive team of his wife Dr. Roxanne Keloid (Gage) and compatriot Murray Cypher (Silver) discuss a franchise opportunity for plastic surgery resorts.
As Rose and Hart roll on their two-wheeled journey, a horrific event occurs as a collision with a family van turning around in the middle of the road sends the speeding cycle flying through the air, and eventually exploding. Damn.
A woman in surgery recovery watches the incident unfold from the Keloid Clinic via binoculars, and an ambulance is immediately sent out. Hart is busted up but does not need major procedures, however Rose is burned badly and needs an immediate operation. The Keloids agree they need to do it considering the nearest hospital is three hours away. Dan suggests a neutral skin graft for Rose, despite his wife noting the risks. In this case, a radical plastic surgery technique is utilized.
A month after the procedure and Rose is still comatose, with her body in a state of total shock. As Hart reluctantly leaves to mend in Montreal, no one would expect what happens next. As Rose finally wakes, she brings a shrieking new version of herself back to the waking world.
Rabid plays out as a fairly strange and unique vampire-zombie-adjacent type flick. The method of feeding and blood transmission is certainly one of a kind, and the disease that spreads from this event is an interesting and somewhat familiar result.
The plot is simple, but not that bad, and it is treated seriously. Primarily it does not come across as cheesy despite the odd plot twists. The acting is just fine even if they aren’t all superstars, and the budget was likely modest at best. Effects are decent and the short runtime keeps it moving along. There is violence aplenty, and some of it graphic, but that is to be expected from a story like this. I like most of the director’s work, and this early feature is a solid enough horror show.
There is a 2019 remake of this film, but I haven’t seen it and reviews don’t really make me want to.
See This If You Liked:
The Crazies (1973; 2010); Cabin Fever (2002); Night of the Living Dead (1968; 1990); Dawn of the Dead (1978; 2004); 28 Days Later; Shivers (1975); It Follows; The Signal (2007)
Score:
7.0