Ahem.
One man's trash is another man's treasure, and we would all do well to keep that in mind when glancing into the past of film history to an age wherein Special Effects were a bit more charming than they were authentic. Take note, happy readers: it wasn't easy to spin a great deal of these yarns of yesteryear, and talented storytellers had to make do with the best that the could. Even modest looking CGI was a decade or two still away, so the only way director William F. Claxton could bring -- ahem -- giant rabbits to life was to use -- ahem -- regular-sized hares but set them against the best man-made miniatures a production could get their hands on.
This one was called Night Of The Lepus, friends, and -- yes -- it featured giant rabbits.
Interestingly enough, I've read that this story of -- yes -- giant rabbits didn't in fact use any giant rabbits in its advertising. Allegedly, the marketing staff specifically avoided pictures of them because there was a fear that prospective ticketbuyers wouldn't take their Horror/Fantasy seriously if they showed what had been captured on film ... and so the story goes. Just looking at the professionally-rendered theatrical one-sheet poster above, you can see that -- ahem -- there weren't no obvious rabbits there, so it must be true that they went out of their way to scare viewers away. Maybe that was best ...
One man's trash is another man's treasure, and we would all do well to keep that in mind when glancing into the past of film history to an age wherein Special Effects were a bit more charming than they were authentic. Take note, happy readers: it wasn't easy to spin a great deal of these yarns of yesteryear, and talented storytellers had to make do with the best that the could. Even modest looking CGI was a decade or two still away, so the only way director William F. Claxton could bring -- ahem -- giant rabbits to life was to use -- ahem -- regular-sized hares but set them against the best man-made miniatures a production could get their hands on.
This one was called Night Of The Lepus, friends, and -- yes -- it featured giant rabbits.
Interestingly enough, I've read that this story of -- yes -- giant rabbits didn't in fact use any giant rabbits in its advertising. Allegedly, the marketing staff specifically avoided pictures of them because there was a fear that prospective ticketbuyers wouldn't take their Horror/Fantasy seriously if they showed what had been captured on film ... and so the story goes. Just looking at the professionally-rendered theatrical one-sheet poster above, you can see that -- ahem -- there weren't no obvious rabbits there, so it must be true that they went out of their way to scare viewers away. Maybe that was best ...
Oh, the horror ... the HORROR!
This is a picture that I believe I saw on television sometime during the 1970's, but I'll be honest: it didn't make that much of an impressive, so I'll chalk it up to only the vaguest of possible memories. I might've laughed at it -- even as a young'un the campiness of it would have been obvious -- but I'll withhold any critical commentary because I do believe in being fair 'round these parts.
Based on the 1964 novel "The Year Of The Angry Rabbit" by Russell Braddon, Lepus's script shows credited to Don Holliday and Gene R. Kearney. The film stars Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh, Rory Calhoun, Star Trek's DeForest Kelley, and Paul Fix (who also enjoyed a guest visit to Trek). Here's the plot summary as provided by our friends at IMDB.com:
"Cole Hillman's Arizona ranch is plagued with 'mongrel' rabbits, and he wants to employ an ecologically sound control method. As a favor to college benefactor Hillman, college president Elgin Clark calls in zoologist Roy Bennett to help. Bennett immediately begins injecting rabbits with hormones and genetically mutated blood in an effort to develop a method of disrupting rabbit reproduction. One of the test subjects escapes, resulting in a race of bloodthirsty, wolf-sized, man-, horse-, and cow-eating bunnies. Eventually the National Guard is called in for a final showdown with the terrorizing rabbits."
This is a picture that I believe I saw on television sometime during the 1970's, but I'll be honest: it didn't make that much of an impressive, so I'll chalk it up to only the vaguest of possible memories. I might've laughed at it -- even as a young'un the campiness of it would have been obvious -- but I'll withhold any critical commentary because I do believe in being fair 'round these parts.
Based on the 1964 novel "The Year Of The Angry Rabbit" by Russell Braddon, Lepus's script shows credited to Don Holliday and Gene R. Kearney. The film stars Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh, Rory Calhoun, Star Trek's DeForest Kelley, and Paul Fix (who also enjoyed a guest visit to Trek). Here's the plot summary as provided by our friends at IMDB.com:
"Cole Hillman's Arizona ranch is plagued with 'mongrel' rabbits, and he wants to employ an ecologically sound control method. As a favor to college benefactor Hillman, college president Elgin Clark calls in zoologist Roy Bennett to help. Bennett immediately begins injecting rabbits with hormones and genetically mutated blood in an effort to develop a method of disrupting rabbit reproduction. One of the test subjects escapes, resulting in a race of bloodthirsty, wolf-sized, man-, horse-, and cow-eating bunnies. Eventually the National Guard is called in for a final showdown with the terrorizing rabbits."
So if you're like me, then you'll likely find it kinda/sorta cool that Hollywood's fascination with giant-sized creatures and critters has never been limited to just bugs, snakes, lizards, and the like. When something so lovable as the ordinary rabbit can be turned into a humongous carniverous menace, you know that -- as a viewer -- you're in for something special.
Happy birthday, Night Of The Lepus! Let's hope we all look so good at 52 years young!
-- EZ
Happy birthday, Night Of The Lepus! Let's hope we all look so good at 52 years young!
-- EZ
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