Rating: 2.5/5
Cult Movie Challenge 2024 | 29/52 | Leslie Nielsen
In June 1974, Drs. F. Sherwood Rowland and Mario Molina of the University of California startled the scientific world with their finding that fluorocarbon gases used in aerosol spray cans are seriously damaging the Earth's protective ozone layer. Thus, potentially dangerous amounts of ultraviolet rays are reaching the surface of our planet, adversely affecting all living things. This motion picture dramatizes what COULD happen in the near future IF we continue to do nothing to stop the damage to Nature's protective shield for life on this planet.
Steve Buckner leads a group of tourists in Northern California on a hike. Only he and Santee, the Native American assistant, know how to survive the wilderness.
Before they head out, the sheriff warns Steve that several weird accidents have occurred this week. He doesn’t stop Steve or anything — he just wants Steve to know that he is mucking about in God’s Domain. A hawk from up high comes down to scree and confirm the sheriff’s concerns.
Nevertheless, they persist. So when the wild animals descend the mountain to escape the sun’s rays, Santee is the first to notice the absence of their sound. Then, all at once, assorted birds descend on the group. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a Birds on our hands.
But it gets worse. The hikers come across a campsite that appears abandoned, the campfire is still burning. And that night, at their camp, a wolf attacks.
With no way out except to get to the end, will these folks make it alive? Probably not, right?
After the success of Grizzly, the team reassembled to make this unambiguous eco-warning film. Weirdly, I like this a little bit more. I guess it’s because it’s not so obviously a Jaws rip-off as Grizzly is.
If you missed the opening crawl, where they tell you how crucial the ozone layer is, don’t worry — the movie will recapitulate this several times. The science of the movie is suspect at best. The film suggests that the sun will get hot one day and all at once the animals will…?
Leslie Nielsen’s character says the most out-of-pocket racist shit throughout. He also tries to rape one of the other hikers?! So, you know some animals are going to murder the fucker. When he’s not doing awful shit, his performance is so unhinged that it’s entertaining.
I can’t say this was a good time, but I appreciate how much animals wreaking havoc we get.
I need to track down the Rifftrax!