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.

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Plot Keywords:

attempted rape | egotist | survival | helicopter | creature feature | 

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Taglines:

The terrifying movie of a world gone mad!

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Riffed by the guys from Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988) under the RiffTrax name, Michael J. Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy.

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Goofs

When Frank is coming down the rocks to help Mandy being attacked by the birds, you can see a foot moving in the upper left corner of the screen.

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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.

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Connections

Referenced in 10 Items or Less (2006)

User Reviews

Surely you can't expect Leslie Nielsen to wrestle a grizzly. He does, and no calling anyone Shirley.

Eco-horror was one of the notable genres of 1970s cinema. William Girdler's "Day of the Animals" is a prime example. It depicts ozone depletion causing all wildlife above 5,000 feet to turn against humans. Of course, the best scene is Leslie Nielsen - still a few years away from his career in comedy* - wrestling a grizzly. This is a movie that, ridiculous as it is, must have been really fun to film. The animals really look like some mean mothers.

Yes, it's one of the many silly exploitation flicks of the era. Totally enjoyable, I might add. Unfortunately, the director got killed in a helicopter crash in the Philippines less than a year after the release. Too bad.

Also starring Christopher George, Lynda Day George, Richard Jaeckel, Andrew Stevens (Stella Stevens's son) and Michael Ansara (Barbara Eden's former husband).

*As late as 1987, Nielsen co-starred in the dead serious "Nuts".

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 May 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Day of the Animals

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hollywood West Entertainment, Mid-America Pictures, Montoro Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1