Cinépix Film Properties released Rabid in Canada and New World Pictures released it in the United States — both on 8 April 1977.
It was David Cronenberg‘s second feature film. (He made two hour-long films to start his career but most people don’t consider them features.) His first film was Shivers, which did well at the box office. Rabid did even better.
The story is bizarre. But if you know Cronenberg’s work, you will find it straightforward. After an experimental surgery, a young woman (Marilyn Chambers) becomes infected and grows a kind of sexual organ under her arm. She is compelled to use it to suck victims’ blood. She gets nutrition and the victim gets the virus that basically turns them into zombies.
The film is explicitly political. The second half of the film shows Montreal under martial law. But mostly, the film is interesting because of the body horror and the action.
This period of Cronenberg is typified by a lack of control in terms of setting. He just didn’t have the kind of budget to create the kinds of cinematic worlds that we get in later films like The Fly or Spider. But despite this limitation, he makes these films work. He just has a great eye. He holds the viewer’s attention without being flashy.
But for all its excellent rendering, I’m more interested in the writing of Rabid. Cronenberg does something very unusual. He creates a monster that is very pleasant and at first doesn’t know that she is a monster. We do get to enjoy her infecting the creep in the movie theater (Miguel Fernandes). But the “will she or won’t she” with her friend (Susan Roman) is almost unbearable (in a good way).
So on this 49th anniversary of the film’s release, let’s watch it! (If you’ve already seen it, there is a version with David Cronenberg’s commentary.
Other April 8th Anniversaries
Actors:
- Mary Pickford (1892-1979)
- Tim Thomerson (1946-)
- Kane Hodder (1955-)
- Robin Wright (1966-)
- Patricia Arquette (1968-).
Filmmakers:
- John Madden (1949-).
Films:
- Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)
- Demon Seed (1977)
- Bad Dreams (1988)
- Leprechaun 2 (1994)
- The Players Club (1998)
- Day of the Dead (2008).
Rabid (1977) poster via Wikipedia under Fair Use.
