A vicious male grizzly
bear kills and buries many victims in the
deep forest mountains. He quickly moves
to a state park which is populated by
hikers, tourists and campers.
A tough forest ranger named Michael Kelly
(Christopher George) tries to hunt it
down along with his assistants named Don
Stober (Andrew Prine) and Arthur Scott
(Richard Jaeckel) but he is being stopped
by a park supervisor named Charley
Kittridge (Joe Dorsey) and many drunken
hunters as they all seem to get in the
way and the area is becoming a circus
woith these people.
The grizzly kills many people there
including two rangers but Michael and his
people tries to tranquilise the bear
before it does other damage to locals
there since this beast is also
terrorising people in their own houses.
However, to their surprise the bear is
more powerful than they imagined.
A low budget but
sometimes enjoyable and other times it
lacks a good strong plot. I enjoyed Day
of the Animals better and this
one was by the same makers too.
It very much resembles to other types of
movies with killer animals being more
powerful than the average one in a horror
film. That's what the good part of this
movie is since it's so out of the
ordinary.
If you like cheesy outdoor horror films
with killer animals then watch this one
but don't expect an excellent plot.
The acting is
fairly good for it's time but however
some of the smaller cast members are
awfully stale with their performances.
Cult icon, the late Christopher
George always seems to perform well
in his films and if you are a fan of his
horror films then you may very well enjoy
this one as he plays a great tough forest
ranger showing perfect aggressive
attitude to his character since he's
mainly typecast as those sorts of roles
in his films.
Cast features many locals or people near
the area of Georgia like Joe Dorsey
who does a perfect job as an arrogant
park supervisor and is a true character
actor by all means.
Joan
McCall has that heathy and wholesome
girl next door type of look but can she
act too than just show off her looks? She
doesn't do too bad,. She's not up for an
award with her supporting role in it but
I've seen worst.
The grizzly
slashes many people to pieces as well as
a horses head and legs. It's quite
graphic looking with lots of blood. True
horror violence.
William
Girdler seems to do and okay job
with his direction even if it's slightly
cheesy.
He shows great locations on the forest in
Georgia and the helicopter scenes plus
with the grizzly moving in for the kill
and heavy breathing too.
However when it shows the grizzly
slashing a victim you can tell the hand
of the bear is really a prop.
The first killing scene he is extremely
rough coaching the actress who played the
first victim played by Mary Ann Hearn
as she shows very little energy due
to his direction.
He directs Christopher George very
well with his aggressive attitude on the
phone making an urgent report about the
killings
He also made George look good
with his dialogue sequences with Joan McCall
as they worked together perfectly in the
film.
We have a nice shot in the forestry area
with George, Andrew Prine and
Richard Jaeckel with their
discussions on how to track down the
killer grizzly.
We have a great camera shot on the local
campers singing campfire songs as well as
a Georgia local played by Sandra
Dorsey (Yes Joe's real life
wife) inside her tent and then the
grizzly claws at her tent and then throws
her around which showed great suspsen to
the picture.
An actor who played a lone hunter played
by David Holt was terrific at
run away in the woods from the grizzly
showing great terror.
There's a hilarious camera shot on the
grizzly pushing down a ranger watchtower.
We have a terrific shocking performance
by two small time actors named Susan
Orpin and Brian Robinson as
mother and son when the grizzly attacks
them at their house as they have perfect
terrifying expressions.
Girdler also gives
the film the perfect touch when he shoots
the woods at night.
We have some good ole
southern great outdoors style
orchestration by Robert O. Ragland almost
giving a Disney feel to it but
by any means this film is not suitable
for children.
Ranger
Michael Kelly: Well let me tell you
something Kittridge, while you've been
sitting around here on your fat ass, I've
made this forest part of me!
Charley: You listin here...
Ranger Michael Kelly: No you
listen. Those campers are in my
jurisdiction, now I'm going to deal with
it the way I've seen it fit. Now you just
try and stop me!
Charley:
Kelly, you're a maverick. We don't have
room for mavericks!
Don:
Well let me tell you a little story boy.
A long time ago their was a tribe of
Indians up here in these woods. They were
all laying down in these parts... or
something I can't remember. Any way these
herd of grizzlies smelt them out. They
came in an they ate them. They thorn them
all up. Little children, sick ones
everybody! Their were few braves to go
out on the hunt. They came back and them
grizzlies turned on them! So their you
got yourself a little situation. A whole
herd of man-eating grizzlies. Just
running around tearing up them Indians!
Arthur Scott: That's kind of hard
to believe Don.
Don: Unless of course you happen
to be one of them Indians!
Kelly:
But there's something I'm not doing!
Allison Corwin: Sure you're not
killing the bear!
Don:
Let's give that son-of-a-bitch bear a run
for his money!
Ranger
Michael Kelly: Bears don't eat
people!
Dr. Hallitt: This one did.
Don
Stober: If ya feel a wet snout in ya
face, whatever you do, don't move. And
don't kiss it back 'cause it ain't me.
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