Grizzly [Blu-ray]

This Hi Def version of the 1976 film is well worth the money.It is a French import so you will have to use the audio button on your remote control to select Englis language as there does not seem to be an option on the disc menu.

!!!WARNING!THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN TERRIBLE BEAR PUNS!!!Campers in a National Park are being killed and eaten by a bear. Naturalist and Bear Expert Arthur 'Scotty' Scott(Richard Jaeckel) is convinced it isnt one of the parks resident bears, but a Grizzly of prehistoric size. Not only does Park Ranger Mike Kelly(Christopher George) have to contend with the bear attacks, but he also has to overcome thew obstacle of a power hungry, selfish Mayor, who won't supply the right resources at Kelly's disposal. Soon a dangerous hunt is underway to track and kill the giant beast, which is all the while killing again and again.Lets just paws(groan!) for thought for a moment. In reviewing a previous DVD release by Video International, of Alfred Sole's Communion, I was highly critical of the quality of the DVD transfer. I've got to say that I'm a bit more tolerant towards this release. Firstly, the product review is a lot more honest now, saying video to DVD transfer in brackets after the title. Secondly, the audio and video are in sync, which wasnt the case with Communion. Apart from a few shaky scenes, the transfer is good. All in all, a DVD release that just about covers the bear(sorry!) necessities, even though we dont even get a menu screen, and theres no time to even scratch your balls before the film starts.Anyway, moan out of the way, now onto the film. Superficially, it resembles another 70's monstermovie 'Snowbeast' in that we get here a lot of scenes shot from the Grizzly's POV. This was also the case with Bigfoot in 'Snowbeast'. Both films also contain a climatic hunt for the killer beast. Thats where the similarities end though. This is a far more exciting film, with better performances and no dreary romantic sub plot. Christopher George is excellent as the cynical, world weary Kelly, and Jaeckel is just as good as the eccentric Scotty, who has hopes of tranquilising and capturing the Grizzly. Hell, Scotty even has his own theme tune. The third real performance of note is that of Andrew Prine who plays Kelly's sarcastic deputy Don. The three men make for a very likeable combination. The Grizzly attacks are handled well, and are also quite gory at times, the odd limb flying here and there. The only criticism I really have of the film is that the hunt for the Grizzly at the end of the film meanders a bit at times. Apart from that, its great fun.I'm just hoping that one day we'll see a Region 2/0 release of Girdler's great nature's revenge opus 'Day Of The Animals', a film which contains a totally insane performance from Leslie Neilsen. No offence to Video International, but I hope they don't release it! To round things up, 4 out of 5

The most important movement of the 70s was surely the animal attack/nature's revenge movies, of which many forget Alfie Hitchcock's 'The Birds' was the first of them, with Robert Gordon's 'Black Zoo' following just two months later in the same year (1963), but while 'Jaws' is credited with starting off the population growth, surely the fact 'Frogs' predated it by three years gives it the crown itself. William Girdler contributed two films of the nature's revenge kind to the genre, and it's with rather subdued acceptance I declare this the better, though, technically the follow-up, 'The Day Of The Animals', should have been even better, but due to several unassailable factors, stumbled badly (as stated in my review of that film), though I add swiftly both are worth owning. This now almost extinct subgenre was one of the best.Boringly often referred to in all criminal laziness and without any hint of irony in the hypocrisy as a 'Jaws' clone or rip-off (and when was there ever a bear in 'Jaws' or a national park for it to hunt in?), this big furry ball of fun and excitement , an apparent rogue bear is munching and crunching, tearing and paring his way through the yummy campers of a National Park, which soon has to be counteracted by its Chief Ranger and two naturalists before things get any worse, yet the Park remains open, allowing more victims to be ;opened' up too. It's easy to scoff at the hammy acting from many-the two girls killed at the start are intentionally ridiculous as they die, and some other maturer members aren't much better. The same problem exists in 'The Day Of The Animals' too, but in addition to those already there, and not all the attacks are professional looking, but on the other hand, there are remarkable scenes of heavy gore to make you wince at times, a young kid is attacked (a daring move usually absent in film, the Bear herself (actually a Kodiak) is expectedly great (best actor in it-though Christopher George-also present in 'The Day Of The Animals' and Joan McCall do well together) and the aeriel photgraphy catching the glorious looking forests of Clayton, Georgia.I know full well some of the 'Jaws' comparisons are justified, and an 'exploding animal' doesn't help matters, but come on. A Grizz is a Grizz (or Kodiak) and a Great White a White Great. Things are surely FAR blacker for 'The Fury' following 'Carrie' and 'Halloween' following 'Black Christmas' and 'Psycho'. And as for every so called living dead movie made-how is there even the possibility of the tiniest difference? Speaking of which, is 'Jaws' really that original? Isn't it just in fact 'Frogs' or 'The Birds' at sea, if we're swimming down this ridiculous stream-or walking it as you'd do with a land animal.This copy I own is Danish but has the English audio too, and the anamorphic presentation is impressive. Even better there's a wide range of extras, suprising for a film like this, especially when they're usually on the Region 1 American copy, when at all. A making-of-featurette and chat with those involved self-deprectaingly titled 'Jaws With Claws' and memories about the film, slidehow, biographies, audio commentaries; taken in adddition to the film it's a real sound package. It does deserve its 60% Rotten Tomatoes support at the very least, and the watch-tower death in the film is quite an eye opener. And the pretty white bunny who escaped. Good. Makes up for the bear cub.I'll not bother with the obvious, but as a real animal-fan, I'll state in more detail that while 'Grizzly' is nowhere too near as accomplished, masterful and exciting and enjoyable as the essential 'Jaws 2', 'The Pack', 'The Birds' or 'Frogs', it's still a bloody great shaggy success, totally of its time but roars perfectly into this one, not least as films like this don't get made any more. A real pity Girdler was prematurely killed just two years after it, who knows what could have followed. We know a sequel was pretty much completed, but when the funding was plundered, so were its chances of ever being seen, but then again, the fact Clooney and Charlie Sheen were in it, does make you think it was maybe a merciful move.Either way give 'Grizzly' the bearhug it deserves.