13 Great Animal Attack Films
13 Great Animal Attack Films
In the mid 70’s and early 80’s animals in the movies and on TV were constantly trying to kill us! This could have something to do with the Give A Hoot Don’t Pollute, Crying Native American ecology conscious climate of the Carter/ Ford era or it could have everything to do with a little summer movie called Jaws (1975). And when I say ‘little summer movie’ I mean a summer blockbuster—the first summer blockbuster—an instantly iconic horror animal attacks movie that delivered one of the greatest movie monsters and directors of all time.
Yeah the glut of animal attack movies had everything to do with Jaws. Typically movie creatures would turn on us in retaliation for some slight, be it destroying their natural habitat through industry (habitat invasion), destroying or altering them with pollution or waste dumping (eco-horror), or simply the unlucky randomness of purchasing a Dog possessed by Satan (magical influence/possession). Below I have compiled a list of my favorite Animal Attacks Man movies of the 70’s and 80’s. I limited it to that time frame post Jaws because Hitchcock’s The Birds (1963) gets much love and frankly I didn’t want to deal with those cheap ass Syfy Shark-nado TV movies. Those movies are trying to be cheesy and cheap. The eco-horror of the 70’s and 80’s simply didn’t know any better. Let’s celebrate them now, shall we? No? Well then log the fuck off, motherfucker! Even if you don’t stick around to actually read my article, I already got credit for the page view. Sucker!!
#13 Bug (1975)
Directed by: Jeannot Schwarz
Starring: Bradford Dillman, Joanna Miles & Richard Gilliland
Plot: An earthquake releases some psychokinetic cockroaches which are probably twice as annoying as the one that crawls across the TV screen when company is over.
Sub-genre classification: Habitat invasion
Animals Attacking: Bugs
Justified: Nope
Cockroaches that can set your hair or bed or even ears on fire ain’t no joke and neither is this 1975 adaption of The Hephaestus Plague which took itself incredibly seriously. The movie used an interesting angle in the protagonist’s deteriorating mental state and inadvertent aiding in the Bugs evolution to a more dangerous species. I know, right?
#12 Jennifer: The Snake Goddess
Starring: Lisa Pelikan, Bert Convy, and Nina Foch
Directed by: Brice Mack
Plot
Carrie White…err, Jennifer….has problems with her religious mother played by Piper Laurie—no wait—I mean, has problems with her religious father played by Jeff Corey and bullies at school. In retaliation, she uses her strange powers to wreak havoc on her oppressors. They’re all gonna laugh at you but when they do they will also be gasping on the ground begging for anti-venom.
Sub genre Classification: Demonic possession/magical influence
Justified homicide? Not really. It’s not like her classmates sicked mongooses on her or anything.
Animals Attacking: Snakes
I swear I thought I dreamt this damn movie. Jennifer The Snake goddess sounds like something that would come on Cinemax After dark back in the 90’s. It’s really a rather obvious Carrie rip off replacing telekinesis with . . . um, I guess snake conjuring? Crazy religious nut parent? Check. Cruel bullying classmates? Check. Psychic powers? Check. First name movie title? Check. Huge hit for Brian Depalma and Author Stephen King with Oscar Noms for Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie? Not so much.
#11 Squirm
Sub-Genre Classification: Habitat invasion/eco horror
Animals Attacking: Electric Worms
Justified: Not really
So according to this movie if a power line falls into a certain type of soil and electrifies earth the worms become electric worms. Electric Worm sounds like this dance they did at a wedding I catered the other night. This movie has multiple sub-genre classifications in the worms habitat was invaded by power line which also qualifies as eco horror!
#10 The Swarm
Starring: Michael Caine, Katharine Ross, and Richard Widmark
Plot
Africanized killer bees are gunning for aging Hollywood royalty, including Henry Fonda, Fred McMurray, Slim Pickens, Michael Cain, and Olivia freakin’ de Havilland! What is causing these bees to attack a local army base? Can the army and townspeople survive until an answer is found? Well, hopefully some of them will die or what’s the point?
Sub-genre Classification: Habitat invasion: Well, the Africanized killer bees invaded OUR habitat. This is also sort of a disaster movie along the lines of The Towering Inferno, Adventure, and Earthquake directed by the master of the genre, Irwin Allen.
Animals attacking: Bees
Justifiable homicide? No
Ok first of all what the hell are Henry Fonda and Michael Cain (not to mention Olivia de Havilland) doing in this movie? This plays a lot more like an Irwin Allen disaster movie than a nature run amok flick and that’s probably because Allen directed it. Sadly or luckily (depending on your mindset) like Rattlers and Piranha before The Swarm allows its wild animals to kill innocent children. Sadly or… no, just sadly, none of said dead kids are not Justin Bieber or Jaden Smith. This movie is silly, absurd, dark cheesy and fascinating all at the same time. Google ‘guilty pleasure’ and the trailer comes up.
#9 GRIZZLY
Christopher George, Andrew Prine, and Richard Jaeckel
Directed by: William Girdler
Plot
Hikers are being attacked by a Grizzly at a national park. The perturbed bear seems to have developed a taste for human flesh. Can park ranger Michael Kelly and photographer Allison Corwin figure out where the bear will strike next?
(Singing: I Am Woman Hear me roar!)
Horror Sub-genre Classification: Habitat invasion. The bears were there first dammit!
Animal Attacking: Bear
Justifiable Homicide? Yeah I guess but there but it seemed extreme.
(Ok this is the plan. You go look for the bear. I'll stay here where it's safe and fret!)
Grizzly is another Jaws rip-off that doesn’t try very hard to disguise the fact. Ranger Michel Kelly (Christopher George), like Jaws’ Roy Schneider, is a well-meaning guy in way over his head who has to deal with not only a larger than usual predator but also uncooperative disbelieving officials. It’s Jaws with Claws. This movie also features a number of cast members from Day Of The Animals (see #1) and was directed by the same director of that flick. William Girder, who tragically died in real life at age 30 in a helicopter accident while scouting locations for a new movie. Sorry to end this review on such a dower note but hey…it’s all I got.
#8 FROGS
PLOT
Ray Milland is the wealthy patriarch of the dysfunctional Crockett family who’s members meet every July 4th on the remote southern Island to celebrate his (and a few other less important family members) birthdays and destroy nature all in one fell swoop. Will the fed up local wildlife led by the vocal and slow moving Frog population destroy the annoying family? Lets hope!
Sub-genre classification: Eco-Horror
Animals Attacking: Oddly almost every reptile/amphibian you can think of including Snakes, gators, snapping turtles and lizards but oddly no Frogs!
Was the attack justified? Absolutely.
Frogs is a 1972 awesomely cheesy eco-horror film directed by George McGowan. What really makes this movie awesome is it is called Frogs, has a picture of a Frog eating a human on the cover art for the DVD case yet not one Frog is involved in the death of any humans in the actual movie. They serve as more of the generals directing various other reptiles to attack members of the well off….family. I loved the fact that this movie featured 3 characters of color non of whom died onscreen. I loved that the environmentalist name was Pickett Smith and I freaking loved Joan Van Arks Onesie! The use of real live snakes and other critters added to the creepiness factor!
#7 FOOD OF THE GODS
Directed by: Bert I. Gordon
Starring: Marjoe Gortner, Pamela Franklin, Ralph Meeker, and Ida Lupino
Plot
A farmer and his wife discover a weird substance coming out of the earth that they then feed to their chickens which make them grow exponentially until the worms, wasps, and rats get a hold of it. Much screaming and horror ensue.
Horror Sub-genre classification: Organic eco horror? The substance that transforms the animals seems to come from the earth.
Justified? No
Animals attacking: Rats, worms, and wasps
What can you say about a movie adaption of an H. G. Wells novel that features Ida Lupino attacking a giant rat with a meat cleaver? Well you can say “Yeah, baby!” or you can just smile and sigh. The effects are horrible; the acting uneven; and the plot altered from the source material but what this move has going for it is sheer gall! Like Ida Lupino with a meat cleaver.
#6 DEVIL DOG HOUND OF HELL
Directed by: Curtis Harrington
Starring: Richard Crenna, Yvette Mimieux, and Kim Richards
Plot
A family’s dog dies and they decide to replace it with a demonic German Shepherd hell-hound. This is exactly why I start at the Humane Society when looking for a new pet. As soon as the new puppy is home he begins possessing the kids, burning the maid alive, and—I’m sure—digging through the neighbor’s garbage. Can Patriarch Richard Crenna figure out a way to put down Satan’s pooch?
Horror sub-genre classification: Doggie Demonic Possession
Justifiable Homicide? No not at all.
Animal attacking: A Dog
Oh who could not like a movie about a demonic dog adopted by Richard Crenna and the child actors (Ike Eismann and Kim Richards) who played Tony and Tia in those Escape to/Return from Witch Mountain movies? Not this guy! This dog has the power to control human beings’ thoughts and he uses said powers to make mischief such as causing Richard Crenna to put his hand in a lawnmower and burning the maid alive. If my dog had telepathic powers he would force me to carry snausages around the house all the time.
#5 KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS (1977)
Plot
Something is killing the livestock, house pets and eventually citizens of a rural Arizona town and Robert “rack” Hansen (William Shatner) super vet is on the case. Soon giant spider hills are discovered and it becomes apparent that ultra aggressive and venomous tarantulas are on the lose. Can “Rack” (snicker) Hanson and sexy archaeologist Diane Ashley (Tiffany boiling) save the town and the day? Spoiler alert! NO!
Horror Sub-genre classification: Eco horror
Animals attacking: Spiders!
Justifiable homicide? Yes indeed. I mean William Shatner is annoying under normal circumstances. As a Veterinarian named “Rack” he is incorrigible!
Kingdom of The Spiders is the first and last word on attacking spider movies for sobbing out loud. Before this movie spider attack movies typically consisted of one or two Giant monster spiders (Tarantula) not normal sized swarming spiders. The fact that this movie was made before PETA had people 0on the set means lots and lots of real tarantulas crawling over real people and being squashed by real cars. Kinda unfair and cruel but effective as a special effect. The last scene when the town is covered in a giant web is chilling even though it’s obviously a matte painting. Beam him up Scotty!
#4 Piranha (1978)
Plot
Two skinny dipping teens discover the hard way that swimming pool they happened upon and decided to try out is actually some type of breeding pool for government created super piranha! I fucking hate when that happens. Before you can chicken of the sea the carnivorous goldfish are loose and on their way to a local resort/ water park! Can the usual team of investigator/amateur/grizzled expert save the local camp kids from being fish food? Well this is the pre pc 70’s so the answer is sorta.
Animals attacking: Piranha
Are they justified? Well they were programmed and conditioned so yes
Piranha is THE best example of a Jaws rip off. I mean check out the movie poster. Plagiarize much?
One of Joe Dantes earliest efforts this sucker boasts input from Roger Corman Dick miller among others. It would also create a sequel which was the first movie to be directed by James Cameron. Oh and like Rattlers it is mean spirited enough to allow children to be attacked and killed which while dark and disturbing is at least a bit more realistic that today's monsters inability to kill anything under the age of 15. Go dead kid movies!!
#3 RATTLERS (1976)
Plot
A family vacationing in the desert are attacked and two little boys are viciously killed by a legion of rattlesnakes somewhere in California. It’s always somewhere in California. After a few more attacks in the area a herpetologist (Sam Chew) teams up with a reporter to try and stop the slithering sociopaths.
Horror sub-genre classification: Eco-Horror and Habitat invasion
Animals Attacking: Rattle Snakes
Was the attack Justified? Sorta. The government poured some wasteful chemicals down mine shaft where a den of rattlesnakes lived. The Snakes were not to discerning on whom they attacked though.
OMG I have a soft spot in my heart for Rattlers. It was incredibly mean spirited (the two little boys falling into the den of snakes and being bitten to death at the beginning of the movie, the lady in the bathtub full of snakes scene were both pretty cruel) creepy silly and unevenly acted. I love the fact that this experiential chemical the government dumped down the rattlesnake den not only made the snakes swarm but also increased their venom and made their fangs sharper than Wolverines claws (a snake bites clean thru a jeep tire). Oh extra points for featuring John Carpenter day player Darwin Jonston (Assault On Precinct) in a featured roll.
#2 CUJO (1981)
Starring: Dee Wallace, Daniel Hugh Kelly, Danny Pintauro
Directed by: Lewis Teague
Plot
When a St. Bernard named Cujo is bitten by a rabid Bat hi-jinks ensue. By “hi-jinks” I mean genre supermom, Dee Wallace Stone (E.T., The Howling, The Hills have Eyes), trapped in a Pinto with her son (a pre-Who’s The Boss Danny Pinturo) and wielding a baseball bat against a vicious killer canine. It’s like something out of a Stephen King nightmare.
Horror Sub-genre Classification: Demonic Possession (OK more like rabies from Bats, but everyone knows all bats are really vampires hence demonic possession. If you don’t like it write your own fucking blog.)
Animals Attacking: A Bat and one very big and very slobbering dog.
Was the attack Justified: No, not really.
Cujo is one underrated movie. And Stephen king knows it. King said in 2010 that he felt Dee Wallace deserved an Oscar nod for her performance and that it was (in his opinion) the best performance from any of his many movie adaptions! And that includes Kathy Bates in Misery. Tense, scary and harrowing Cujo brings new meaning to the term Bad Doggie!
#1 DAY OF THE ANIMALS
Starring: Christopher George, Leslie Nielsen, Lynda Day George
Directed by: William Girdler
What can you say about a man versus nature movie that culminates in a pre-Naked Gun Leslie Nielsen murdering a Andrew Stevens and wrestling a grizzly bear? Well I say Fuck Yeah! The previous sentence is but 1 of the reasons Day of The Animals is the greatest Post Jaws Animals Attack human eco-horror movie of all time! `
PLOT
A group of Hikers go hiking in Northern California and thanks to a depleted ozone layer are stalked and attacked by various wild animals! The higher the altitude, the more dangerous and frequent the attacks become until only a handful of survivors are left. Will the hapless humans be able to escape nature on the rampage before radiation from the sun starts to affect man, the most dangerous animal of all?
Animals Attacking: Everything! Birds, wolves, rattlesnakes, spiders, a mountain lion, and a Grizzly bear among others.
Was the attack justified?
Sorta. The animals went crazy due to a weak ozone layer which was caused in part by aerosol spray and if you look at Lynda Day George’s hair she looks like a freaking Breck girl to me!
Why It’s #1
First of all, Day of The Animals was directed by none other than William Girdler, the late great prolific director of such genre fair as The Manitou and Grizzly, another Animals Attack movie that shared some cast members with Day of The Animals. Day takes itself incredibly seriously and it’s a good thing too because with a cast that includes Leslie Nielsen, Lynda Day George, and Andrew Stevens it could have very well played like a bizarre episode of The Love Boat. As it is, this flick is incredibly creepy and disturbing and--with a few exceptions—the various animal attacks hold up very well. The idea that we were talking about a depleted ozone layer over 35 years ago is interesting and (frankly) heartbreaking. This movie with its various species of attacking wildlife, taut direction and topical plot points epitomizes eco-horror animal attack films in a way no other movie ever has.
