How B can you be?
Wow. Last night, I saw one of the best films I think I ever have. As part of the IFI’s Horrorthon festival, the inimitable Night Of The Lepus was shown. Astonishing, simply astonishing.
The plot? Simple. Giant killer rabbits terrorise a small town.
Rory Calhoun, Janet Leigh and, a very snappily-dressed DeForest Kelley star (and I do mean star). Great plot and great dialogue. Some of my favourite lines:
As Janet Leigh shoots at a giant rabbit that’s attacking a bloke, it scarpers, leaving him all bloody and with shredded clothes. She rushes to him saying, “It’s ok John, the rabbit’s gone”.
As a white-coated lab guy examined some debris before the rabbits were discovered, he mentioned that it had been gnawed and had traces of saliva. “Like a vampire?” someone asked him. “Possibly”, he said.
As a military policeman addressed people at a drive-in movie, “There is a herd of giant, killer rabbits heading this way”.
Overall, it was amongst the funniest films I’ve ever seen and I urge you to see it if you can. Night of the Lepus, people. Make it so.
Incidentally though, it was made in 1972 on a very small budget and has a distinct lack of ‘no rabbits were hurt in the making of this film’ disclaimers. I’m pretty sure there was a rabbit on fire at one point.
Behold, the terror that is Night of the Lepus:
