Rabid

Rabid (1977)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Directed by: David Cronenberg

Starring: Marilyn Chambers, Frank Moore, Joe Silver, Howard Ryshpan, Patricia Gage

From: Several Canadian companies

Once again I am playing catch up; once I post another review (in the evening) I'll be caught up: 

My having seen a trailer for this, its director, its run on the Criterion Channel ending in a few days and how like some movies of its type does seem more relevant in the past year... that is why I gave Rabid a whirl. It does have a simple premise where Marilyn Chambers suffers severe injuries in a motorcycle wreck that just happened to occur close by a special plastic surgery clinic. She receives experimental surgery but it goes quite wrong and develops something that-not surprising for the director-was overtly sexual and results in the spread of a rabies-like illness which does remind people of “zombies” and like some movies of its type, it is easy to be reminded of how life has been since March of last year.

It is not my favorite David Cronenberg movie and was rough around the edges. That said, it may help me that I've never seen the similar Shivers, which I've seen quite a few say is better. Rabid was still a nice bit of body horror and paranoia over a mysterious illness set in rural Quebec and then Montreal, full of garish and large 70's vehicles, including station wagons that are probably as rare as hen's teeth now. That and the amusement of legendary adult star Chambers having a scene in an X-rated joint did help provide enjoyment when there were some rather harsh and sad moments. If you look at Marilyn's Wikipedia page, what a life she had: she was in and out of the adult scene as she wanted a mainstream acting career but her past did haunt her... she had some disco songs-one of which actually is heard in the film-dabbled in politics, was arrested for BS reasons while performing in strip clubs, had drug issues that she was able to beat, and died in her late 50's due to an aneurysm.

Anyhow, it was still an entertaining piece of Canuxploitation which does in part suffer because the director went on to bigger and better things; the fact that Chambers actually delivered a solid performance-perhaps she would have had a legitimate career if she hadn't stumbled into X-rated features-does help. Apparently, the 2019 remake from the Soska sisters actually isn't bad, although at times I've disagreed with those that say a horror remake is worth seeing (most will disagree, but that Suspriria remake was overlong pretentious claptrap). I am sure that one day in the future I'll find out for myself.