{"id":24024,"date":"2017-01-25T23:04:19","date_gmt":"2017-01-26T04:04:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=24024"},"modified":"2017-01-25T23:04:19","modified_gmt":"2017-01-26T04:04:19","slug":"rabid-1977-collectors-edition-blu-ray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/25\/rabid-1977-collectors-edition-blu-ray\/","title":{"rendered":"Rabid (1977): Collector\u2019s Edition [Blu-Ray]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>David Cronenberg\u2019s \u201cShivers\u201d and \u201cRabid\u201d are pseudo-erotic statements based around violent anomalies rooted in science fiction that are metaphors sexual elements of civilization. While \u201cShivers\u201d was a lot about a parasite that unleashes taboos of human sexuality, \u201cRabid\u201d is a very eerie metaphor for STD\u2019s and what happens when a very promiscuous woman with a lust for blood begins spreading it around Canada. The late great Marilyn Chambers is enticing and alluring in the role of Rose, a buxom and beautiful young girl indulges in motorcycle riding with her boyfriend Hart. One day while riding the country side, the pair gets in to a vicious accident that leaves Rose deformed.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Opting to perform an experimental surgery on Rose to save her life, the results end up successful but absolutely nightmarish. Rose is alive but garners a hunger for blood that she can\u2019t satiate. From within her armpit, she develops a phallic projectile from her armpit that stings unwitting victims and paralyzes them as she drinks their blood. While the aftermath is grotesque, Cronenberg has a knack for depicting the process in an almost erotic vein, depicting Rose as seducing many of her victims before stinging them, prompting an almost euphoric moan from them as she pets their heads, sapping their blood. After fleeing the hospital and preying on more victims, the stings have a horrific effect, as soon those stung become violent and vicious monsters that bite and maim their victims.<\/p>\n

Filled with the uncontrollable urge to attack others, soon Rose\u2019s victims begin spreading their disease all across Canada creating a surefire epidemic. \u201cRabid\u201d is a definite creepy and often spooky tale of a pandemic that creeps up on Canada before they can ready themselves for the fall out. Cronenberg creates drastic tonal differences in both storylines. One instance finds Rose prowling for men in movie theaters, while another see rabid growling victims chasing after their victims, and wreaking havoc on crowded trains. Rose is almost like a nymphomaniac with thirst she can\u2019t quite settle, and before long her quest to fix her lust creates a chain of victims she\u2019s transmitted her horrific disease to. Chambers is very good here, alongside Joe Silver and Frank Moore. \u201cRabid\u201d is one of Cronenberg\u2019s grittier and creepier body horror movies, and it\u2019s still an effective cult gem.<\/p>\n

Scream Factory compiles a great edition for fans, offering some archive extras, and brand new bells and whistles for fans, as well as from the Arrow UK Release. Featured is an eighty two minute series of interviews, one of which involves a twenty one minute conversation with David Cronenberg from years ago who discusses the result of \u201cShivers,\u201d the scale of \u201cRabid\u2019s\u201d script, and how Sissy Spacek was his first choice for the lead role in the film. It\u2019s a wonderful and very informative look at the master\u2019s process and working with smaller budgeted films. Among the extras from the Arrow release, is a twelve minute interview with producer Ivan Reitman and a sixteen minute interview with producer Don Carmody. Here they speak about what inspired them to cast Chambers, nearly working with Cronenberg on a \u201cHitchhiker\u2019s Guide to the Galaxy\u201d adaptation, the budget for \u201cShivers,\u201d and how \u201cRabid\u201d was five times more expensive to make.<\/p>\n

Mainly for Scream Factory, there\u2019s a thirty three minute interview with actress Susan Roman, who briefly discusses her time making \u201cRabid,\u201d and delves in to her career as a voice actress for \u201cHeavy Metal\u201d and \u201cRock & Rule.\u201d It\u2019s a very neat interview, with Roman explaining how it\u2019s not a good idea to play Backseat Director, and what it was like to wear those hideous glasses. \u201cFrom Stereo to Video\u201d is a twenty six minute video essay by Caelum Vatnsdal who explores Cronenberg\u2019s life, his art from his first feature Stereo, and all of his work right through \u201cVideodrome.\u201d Caelum Vatnsdal focuses mainly on Cronenberg\u2019s mid-film work, avoiding a lot of later modern works, and very early works. Among the audio commentaries there\u2019s one with David Cronenberg, which originated from the 2004 DVD, and it\u2019s been a constant extra ever since, since Cronenberg is a wonderful speaker who explores the affliction Rose suffers from, the freedom horror grants storytellers, and his lack of interest in the supernatural.<\/p>\n

As an added bonus, Cronenberg has such a love for motorcycles, he can make out which engines are which during the film. There\u2019s William Beard, the author of \u201cThe Artist as Monster: The Cinema of David Cronenberg\u201d who is the focal point of the second commentary. This was originally in the Arrow release, and discusses the parallels of Rabid and Shivers, the difference between Canadian and American screen heroes, and the slick mix of horror an satire in \u201cRabid.\u201d It\u2019s a thorough and well done analysis for film buffs. There\u2019s also the odd track with Jill Nelson and Ken Leicht which only runs for about an hour, and gives a different approach to the former commentaries. Here Nelson and Leicht focus mainly on Chambers, and her rise to stardom during the porn era, her near rise to mainstream fame, her small library of adult films, and the low profile she kept in her later years, which included rejecting a small role in \u201cThe Devil\u2019s Rejects.\u201d Finally, there\u2019s a photo gallery with a montage of stills, lobby cards, and poster art, and four minutes of promotional material with trailers, TV commercials, and three radio spots.<\/p>\n