Rabid (1977)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writer:

David Cronenberg (writer)

Release Date:

8 April 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Pray it doesn't happen to you.

Plot:

A young woman develops a taste for human blood after undergoing experimental plastic surgery, and her victims turn into rabid, blood-thirsty zombies who proceed to infect others, which turns into a city-wide epidemic.

Plot Keywords:

Blood | Accident | Outbreak | Garbage Truck | Death

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Marilyn Chambers	...	Rose
Frank Moore	...	Hart Read
Joe Silver	...	Murray Cypher
Howard Ryshpan	...	Dr. Dan Keloid
Patricia Gage	...	Dr. Roxanne Keloid
Susan Roman	...	Mindy Kent
Roger Periard	...	Lloyd Walsh
Lynne Deragon	...	Nurse Louise
Terry Schonblum	...	Judy Glasberg
Victor Désy	...	Claude LaPointe
Julie Anna	...	Nurse Rita
Gary McKeehan	...	Smooth Eddy
Terence G. Ross	...	Farmer
Miguel Fernandes	...	Man In Cinema
Robert O'Ree	...	Police Sergeant
Greg Van Riel	...	Young Man In Plaza
Jérôme Tiberghien	...	Dr. Karl
Allan Moyle	...	Young Man In Lobby
Richard W. Farrell	...	Camper Man
Jeannette Casenave	...	Camper Lady
Karl Wasserman	...	Camper Child
John Boylan	...	Young Cop In Plaza
Malcolm Nelthorpe	...	Older Cop In Plaza
Vlasta Vrana	...	Cop At Clinic
Kirk McColl	...	Desk Sergeant
Jack Messinger	...	Policeman On Highway
Yvon Lecompte	...	Policeman
Grant Lowe	...	Trucker
John Gilbert	...	Dr. Royce Gentry
Tony Angelo	...	Dispatcher
Peter McNeill	...	Loader
Una Kay	...	Jackie
Madeleine Pageau	...	Beatrice Owen
Mark Walker	...	Steve
Robert A. Silverman	...	Man In Hospital (as Bob Silverman)
Monique Bélisle	...	Sheila
Ronald Mlodzik	...	Male Patient
Isabelle Lajeunesse	...	Waitress
Terry Donald	...	Cook
Louis Negin	...	Maxim
Robert V. Girolami	...	Newscaster
Harry Hill	...	Stasiuk
Kathy Keefler	...	Interviewer
Marcel Fournier	...	Cab Driver
Valda Dalton	...	Lady in Car
Murray Smith	...	Interviewer
Riva Spier	...	Cecile
Denis Lacroix	...	Drunken Indian
Sherman Maness	...	Indian
Basil Fitzgibbon	...	Crazy In Plaza

Directed by
David Cronenberg

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
David Cronenberg		writer

Produced by
Don Carmody	....	co-producer
John Dunning	....	producer
Danny Goldberg	....	associate producer
André Link	....	executive producer
Ivan Reitman	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
René Verzier

Film Editing by
Jean LaFleur

Casting by
Sharron Wall

Art Direction by
Claude Marchand

Makeup Department
Heather Allan	....	assistant makeup artist
Joe Blasco	....	special makeup design
Kathy Flynn	....	special makeup effects assistant
Byrd Holland	....	special makeup artist
Mireille Recton	....	makeup supervisor
Sharron Wall	....	makeup artist: second unit
Mike Bacarella	....	sculptor lab work (uncredited)

Production Management
Don Carmody	....	production manager
Sarah Dundas	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Phil Desjardins	....	second assistant director
John Fretz	....	first assistant director
Jean LaFleur	....	second unit director

Art Department
Andrew Deskin	....	property assistant
Jean Lavigne	....	property master
Roméo Turcotte	....	set constructor

Sound Department
Len Blum	....	sound assistant
Patrick Dodd	....	assistant sound editor
Danny Goldberg	....	sound supervisor
Austin Grimaldi	....	post-sync recording
Joe Grimaldi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill Henderson	....	sound re-recording engineer
Richard Lightstone	....	sound recordist
Jim Thompson	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Joe Elsner	....	special effects assistant (as Joe Elzner)
Al Griswold	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
John Berrie	....	gaffer
John Daoust	....	key grip
Louis de Ernsted	....	camera operator: second unit (as Louis D'Ernstead)
Marc de Ernsted	....	grip (as Marc D'Ernstead)
Jean-Jacques Gervais	....	second assistant camera
Denis Gingras	....	first assistant camera
Jean-Paul Houle	....	best boy electric
André Ouellette	....	best boy grip
Joel Sussman	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Erla Gliserman	....	wardrobe supervisor
Carolynne Roberts	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Debbie Karjala	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Ivan Reitman	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Norma Bailey	....	production assistant
Patricia Cahill	....	production assistant (as Tricia Cahill)
John Caradonna	....	production assistant
Jacqueline Carmody	....	production assistant
Tatiana Mihailoff	....	continuity (as Tanya Mahilloff)
Claude Moreau	....	wrangler
Carolyn Zeifman	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC)
• Cinema Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.
• Cinépix
• Famous Players Film Company
• The Dilbar Syndicate

Distributors

• Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (1977) (Canada) (theatrical)
• New World Pictures (1977) (USA) (theatrical)
• Astral Video (Canada) (VHS)
• CIC Video (Canada) (VHS)
• F.J. Lucas (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Indipendenti Regionali (1977) (Italy) (theatrical)
• New Concorde (USA) (DVD)
• New Concorde (USA) (VHS)
• Roadshow Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
• Somerville House (2004) (Canada) (DVD)
• Somerville House (2004) (North America) (DVD)
• Ventura Distribution (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (video)

Other Companies

• Air France  special thanks
• Boutin Sanitary Services Inc.  special thanks
• Brimaco Cycle Leathers  special thanks
• Cahill Lingerie  special thanks
• Carl Zeiss Canada Ltd.  special thanks
• Clarke Transportation Ltd.  special thanks
• Coca Cola  special thanks
• Department of Transport Quebec  special thanks
• Empire Dehydrated Products  special thanks
• F.I.T.S. Ltd.  special thanks
• Frito-Lay Canada  special thanks
• Helen Harper Sweaters  special thanks
• Hotel Meridien  special thanks
• Liberte Jeans Ltd.  special thanks
• M.U.C.T.C.  special thanks
• McGregor Clothes a division of S. Cohen Ltd.  special thanks
• Melo Polystyrenes Ltd.  special thanks
• Missy House Inc.  special thanks
• Molyclaire Ltd.  special thanks
• Notre Dame Hospital  special thanks
• S. Kuretsky Furs  special thanks
• The Cavendish Mall  special thanks
• Uniroyal Ltd.  special thanks
• Verdun Excavation Inc.  special thanks

Also Known As:

Rage (USA)
Überfall der teuflischen Bestien (West Germany) [de]
Coma Profundo (Portugal) [pt]
Kuduz (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Rabia (Spain) [es]
Rabid - Bete, dass es nicht Dir passiert (Germany) (DVD title) [de]
Rabid - Der brüllende Tod (West Germany) [de]
Rabid, sete di sangue (Italy) [it]
Rage (France) [fr]
Verenimijät (Finland) [fi]
Wscieklosc (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Italy:VM14 | Australia:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | Ireland:18 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC)

Trivia:

Sissy Spacek was David Cronenberg's first choice to play Rose. Ivan Reitman suggested Marilyn Chambers because he wanted sex appeal.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Rose is wandering through the streets at night, she enters a cinema hall. As she opens the glass door, a couple of crewmembers and spotlights are reflected in it.

Quotes:

Murray Cypher: Potato man loves ketchup man.

Movie Connections:

Featured in David Cronenberg: Long Live the New Flesh (1986)

Soundtrack:

Vulcain

A Plague on all Your Houses

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.