GRIZZLY
US, 1976, 91 minutes, Colour.
Christopher George, Andrew Prine, Richard Jaeckel, Joan Mc Call.
Directed by William Girdler.
Grizzly is one of the many animal menace horror films very popular in the mid-70s. The main influence, of course, was Stephen Spielberg’s 1975 extravaganza, Jaws. Other more modest films included Empire of the Ants, Food of the Gods.
The film was directed by William Girdler who had made an Exorcist imitation, Abby. He was to go on to make two other animal menaces, Day of the Animals and The Manitou. Unfortunately, he was killed in a helicopter crash, hitting electric power lines, in the Philippines in 1978 at the age of only thirty-one.
1. Audience interest and enjoyment of this kind of film? The horror and shudder response? How healthy is this kind of trend in films?
2. How did the film reflect the film for animal horror of the mid-seventies? Was this an original kind of film or was it derivative - in plot, in story techniques, in cinematic techniques? Does this matter?
3. The film's attempt at creating an authentic atmosphere: how important? The amount of information given about bears, the detailed information about Grizzly bears, life in the EX American forests, animals? The authentic atmosphere for nature and contemporary questions of conservation? The authentic atmosphere for plausible horror?
4. The subjective photography for appearances of Grizzly? How did this create menace, atmosphere of the monster who was not seen, cruel? Audience fear and hatred? The cruelty with the glimpse of the claws (and the emphasis of the music)? The technique of our gradually seeing Grizzly? The atmosphere of the killings, the audience wanting to stalk him as he stalked his victims? The audience build-up for the destruction of Grizzly? Was there any audience sympathy for the animal?
5. How well did the film visualize the forests - especially with the aerial photography? in stalking sequences, Grizzly moving through the forest? The detailed atmosphere of the forest and the protection of the other animals?
6. The camping and holiday atmosphere with the presentation of the campers? The presentation of the victims in this light? Did they deserve their fate?
7. The characters of the victims and what this did to audience sympathies and antipathy towards Grizzly, the two girl campers at the beginning, the Forest Ranger and her death under the waterfall, the terrifying of the hunter, the camping wife clawed in the tent, the Ranger toppled from the post$ the little boy and his mother, Scott, and the attack on Don?
8. The unsympathetic portrayal of the hunters? Did the audience agree with this antipathy towards the hunters? The ambiguous attitude of the authorities? The sensationalism of the television reporters?
9. How convincing was Kelly as the hero? The personal details of his character, his dedication to his job and liking it, his relationship with Alison and her protection? The characterization of Alison as a heroine, photographer? Kelly's chips on the shoulder and his antipathy towards the head of the forest? His friendship with Scott and reliance on him? How credible a character was Scott with his knowledge of the animals, yet his presumption of tracking Grizzly, his being attacked and buried, and his being killed? Kelly's reliance on Don and Don's explanation of his own lack of feelings after the Vietnam war? The risks that Kelly took? The obsession for the search, his final killing of Grizzly?
10. How well did the film explore the human values of fear and terror, of hunting?
11. Did the - film exploit the horror and the shudders? The emphasis on gore and blood, the close-ups, the atmosphere of cruelty, the decapitation of the horse and of limbs etc?
12. What value is there in making this kind of horror film?
