Day of the Animals (1977)

A battle for survival ensues after a group of hikers encounters a chemically imbalanced forest.

Director:

William Girdler

Writers:

William W. Norton (screenplay) (as William Norton), Eleanor E. Norton (screenplay)

Stars:

Christopher George, Leslie Nielsen, Lynda Day George

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christopher George	...	Steve Buckner
Leslie Nielsen	...	Paul Jenson
Lynda Day George	...	Terry Marsh
Richard Jaeckel	...	Professor MacGregor
Michael Ansara	...	Daniel Santee
Ruth Roman	...	Shirley Goodwyn
Jon Cedar	...	Frank Young
Paul Mantee	...	Roy Moore
Walter Barnes	...	Ranger Tucker
Andrew Stevens	...	Bob Denning
Susan Backlinie	...	Mandy Young
Kathleen Bracken	...	Beth Hughes
Bobby Porter	...	John Goodwyn
Michelle Stacy	...	Little Girl
Michael Andreas	...	Sheriff

Storyline

The depletion of the earth's ozone layer causes animals above the altitude of 5000 feet to run amok, which is very unfortunate for a group of hikers who get dropped off up there by helicopter just before the quarantine is announced.

---

Plot Keywords:

lion | mountain | ozone layer | survival | helicopter | 

---

Taglines:

There's no place to hide on...The Day of the Animals

---

Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 May 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Something Is Out There

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Film Ventures International (FVI),Mid-America Pictures,Montoro Productions Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shooting took place at Long Barn, California, on Todd-AO 35 film.

---

Goofs

When the hikers are running for the cabin with the dogs chasing them, there appears to be a crew member sitting on the hill in one shot.

---

Quotes

Daniel Santee: You know, when I was a boy, my father couldn't wait to get off the reservation. He even changed his name to Mr. White.

---

Connections

References The Birds (1963)

User Reviews

Entertaining film from a master B-movie filmmaker

The earth's diminishing ozone layer is affecting the animal life in a very negative way and a few hikers are in real trouble.

Well, after reading countless reviews here and elsewhere stating that the animal attacks are laughable, I find myself in the minority group that actually was quite impressed at how the filmmakers managed to pull them off. They don't occupy much of the screen time but when they happen; well, I was impressed. Bear in mind that this is a low-budget feature film from a specialized B-movie filmmaker who used his wits and drive instead of money. As such I was very impressed with the end result.

The story here ain't much to write home about. Basically the hikers gradually learn that the animals look extremely mad and before long they're fighting for their lives.

The cast is good, a nice assembly of B-movie actors; Christopher and Linda Day George are always appealing and Leslie Nielsen really chews up the scenery as the crazy ad exec who takes on a giant bear.

The film is stretched and not much happens for quite a while but it's strangely atmospheric in a way and climaxes with some impressive stand-offs against the animals (again, I believe I represent the minority here).

William Girdler was a master copycat filmmaker, taking into account what was captivating to audiences and making a film on that subject while it was still fresh. The diminishing ozone layer was a hot topic in those days and he concocted a really neat little film (which looks much more expensive than it really was with that Panavision framing and impressive cinematography) that entertains without doing too much damage to our brains.