TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

romanorum1 The opening caption tells us that in 1974 two UCal scientists revealed that fluorocarbon gases used in aerosol spray cans were seriously damaging the earth's protective layer of ozone. It warns that the potentially dangerous amounts of radiation (ultra-violet rays) that subsequently reached the earth's surface were affecting living things in adverse ways. Then the movie is supposed to dramatize what COULD happen if mankind didn't change its methods: the day of the crazed animals, especially those at high altitude! The movie begins with twelve campers, dropped off by helicopter, who hike in high country as spooky-looking animals (mountain lions, coyotes, bears, eagles, vultures, etc.) watch. Dogs growl menacingly; eagles screech. The owl looks like it has an evil eye. Sunrays shine menacingly. The unnerving music tells us that the folks are in danger. The campers have almost no food. Before long the animals attack the human campers; even the sheriff is attacked in his house. The police and rangers have notified the area's population to evacuate their houses in the high country. The campers split into two groups: (1) those with Buckner (Christopher George) head to lower country where it is safer but longer (35 miles), a route recommended by authorities and (2) those with Paul Jenson (Leslie Nielsen) head upland away from the safe areas but closer to a ranger station (15 miles). Jenson had been riding Buckner during the whole trip. Along the way he is a crazed man who loses his way. Wonder how many will return? HINT: the way these movies go you can bet that one-half will make it safely. Near the end there is one interesting scene that I have never seen in cinema. Three survivors of one group barely escape from wild dogs on a moored river raft. But before the raft can move quickly along the rapids several wild dogs overtake it. The humans hang on along the sides of the raft in the water while the animals are on the platform. As they struggle to stay afloat when the raft is caught up in the current, they cannot really harm the humans. Helpless, they will soon be tossed into the big drink. Gulp! Movie is rated so-so despite a rather impressive veteran cast that includes Nielsen, Richard Jaeckel, Michael Ansara, and Ruth Roman. Linda Day George, not a great actress, contributes next to nothing. Christopher George is a macho-man, along with Ansara. Out of character, Nielsen plays an advertising man who chews up the scenery, repels everybody, and calls team leaders George "Hotshot" and Ansara "Kemo Sabe." Later deranged by the sun's rays, he does despicable things and even charges a bear! Personally I doubt that the animals would act this erratic way and turn against humans if the ozone layer shrinks, but the idea does provide a story-line. By the way, did you notice that the animals did not attack one other? Smart! THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION: Women, stop using hair spray!

Bjorn (ODDBear) The earth's diminishing ozone layer is affecting the animal life in a very negative way and a few hikers are in real trouble.Well, after reading countless reviews here and elsewhere stating that the animal attacks are laughable, I find myself in the minority group that actually was quite impressed at how the filmmakers managed to pull them off. They don't occupy much of the screen time but when they happen; well, I was impressed. Bear in mind that this is a low-budget feature film from a specialized B-movie filmmaker who used his wits and drive instead of money. As such I was very impressed with the end result.The story here ain't much to write home about. Basically the hikers gradually learn that the animals look extremely mad and before long they're fighting for their lives.The cast is good, a nice assembly of B-movie actors; Christopher and Linda Day George are always appealing and Leslie Nielsen really chews up the scenery as the crazy ad exec who takes on a giant bear.The film is stretched and not much happens for quite a while but it's strangely atmospheric in a way and climaxes with some impressive stand-offs against the animals (again, I believe I represent the minority here).William Girdler was a master copycat filmmaker, taking into account what was captivating to audiences and making a film on that subject while it was still fresh. The diminishing ozone layer was a hot topic in those days and he concocted a really neat little film (which looks much more expensive than it really was with that Panavision framing and impressive cinematography) that entertains without doing too much damage to our brains.

Woodyanders Man's foolish, environmentally unsound overuse of aerosol spray cans causes the ozone layer to deplete; this in turn makes all the animals in the High Sierras go totally crazy and become nastily aggressive, brutally assaulting and, yes, even killing numerous hapless homo sapiens. A motley bunch of campers led by macho expert trail guide Chris George get jumped by the assorted righteously ticked-off wildlife, who have declared open season on us unfortunate humans.Directed with commendable assurance and competence by late, great seasoned 70's schlock movie maven William ("Abby," "Grizzly") Girdler, further enhanced by Bob Sorrentino's pretty, polished cinematography and Lalo Schifrin's eerie, understated score, "Day of the Animals" passes muster as a reasonably creepy, fast-paced, and hence way above average eco-fright item. The top-notch all-star junk picture cast includes Chris George's hot blonde wife Lynda Day, a nicely cast against type Richard Jaeckel as a nerdy, jolly, bespectacled outdoors loving scientist, Ruth Roman as a stressed-out single mom trying to bond with her estranged teenage son, Michael Ansara as a proud and dignified Native American, Andrew Stevens as some goofball young guy, Paul Mantee as a tough jock pro football player who's dying of cancer, Susan Backlinie (the sexy skinny-dipper who gets munched by the great white shark in "Jaws") as an early victim, Michelle ("Demon Seed") Stacy as a traumatized mute little girl who's rescued and protected by Jon Cedar, and, best of all, Leslie Nielsen, who gloriously overplays his ripe hammy part as a hateful racist advertising executive who goes completely bonkers (Leslie roughs up a young lady, impales Stevens with a tree branch, and even wrestles a bear during a raging thunderous storm!). One especially juicy animal attack occurs when a folksy small town sheriff gets pounced in his kitchen by cute, yet lethal rats. Overall, this baby sizes up as loads of highly diverting and entertaining low-budget drive-in horror fun.

franciscovillar9 This was one of the first films I ever saw that dealt with the depletion of the ozone layer. I loved the scene's with the animal attacks and it did produce the odd jump especially the guy who was bitten by the snake in the town near the end. Leslie Neilsen is so hammy you could coat him maple syrup and slap him between some bread, but the main cast of Christopher George, Richar Jaekel and Linda Day Georgewere excellent. The scene that still creeps me out is where the above, along with Santee & Moore arrive at the abandoned camp site, and one, then three then a wholepack of German Shepards appear and give chase. definitely one of the better "animals v man" movies of the seventies