"Night of the Lepus"

And one more. You know this one. You probably think this one's pretty silly, but hey, this is one from my youth (okay, early teenager) that I have a fondness for. "Night of the Lepus." 1972 killer bunny film. That's right, killer bunnies.

My memory was that this was a TV movie, but apparently not. Released to theatres, it has a fair number of medium-sized names within its furry walls: Stuart Whitman (probably why I thought it was a TV movie), Janet Leigh, and Rory Calhoun. Poking around on review sites before this viewing, I was surprised to see how reviled it is. Now, sure, the fact that the eco-monsters are rabbits is silly on its face (which member of Monty Python saw this first?), but the movie does build some tension. I've always liked the pulsing sound when the rabbits are shown terrorizing the countryside, and it's pretty damned gory for 1972.

Another surprise to me is the derision this movie faces when reviewed by "serious reviewers." Well, I suppose I just explained that with the word "serious." You can't take this movie seriously, but it is well made and somewhat suspenseful, and above all, fun. It takes me back to being a goofy little 12-year-old with a few pimples and not much film taste. Yes!