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From Amazon.co.uk
One of David Cronenberg's most successful early films, Rabid features porn star Marilyn Chambers as a woman who becomes infected with a virus after an operation. As result she grows a kind of phallus with which she penetrates her victims as she sucks their blood and thus the disease spreads rapidly. The film displays all Cronenberg's usual horrified fascination with the human body and its sexual function. Looking back, it can be read as a kind of parable about AIDS, but it works perfectly well as an effective low-budget shocker.
On the DVD: the widescreen image on the DVD is acceptable quality, as is the sound. The fairly routine extras consist of excerpts from a TV interview with Cronenberg, lasting about 10 minutes; a collection of stills from the film; some written notes by horror expert Kim Newman that give useful background, though in part reproduce what is said in the interview; full filmographies for Cronenberg and the three principal performers, including a long list of Chambers' porn credits. --Ed Buscombe
Product Description
When Rose (Marilyn Chambers) is involved in a motorcycle crash in a remote spot she is taken to a local research centre where she receives emergency treatment. Rose survives, but with an unexpected addition - she is now carrying a new strain of rabies, which she propagates using a murderous addendum, that pops out from her armpit when sexually aroused, to impregnate her victims. Director David Cronenberg orchestrates the rising panic in low-budget style, as a whole Canadian city is devastated.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Nelson Viper
Format:DVD
Cronenberg's early work has not been served well on DVD. Although in widescreen and featuring an interview and introduction, the picture quality of Rabid is on the grainy side. The film itself is great.
Rabid is a sort science fiction/horror reworking of the psychosexual themes associated with vampirism crossed with the story of Typhoid Mary. After a motorcycle accident a young woman (Marilyn Chambers) is given a skin graft which leaves her with a retractable organ in her armpit and an insatiable desire to infect others. It's very Cronenberg and very effective. Whilst not as icky as Shivers, Rabid is very bleak.
Adult movie star, Chambers gives a surprisingly effective and vulnerable performance as the confused and desperate girl. The ending is sad and oddly poignant.
Rabid is one of my favourite Cronenberg movies, along with The Brood, Scanners and The Dead Zone.
Rabid is a sort science fiction/horror reworking of the psychosexual themes associated with vampirism crossed with the story of Typhoid Mary. After a motorcycle accident a young woman (Marilyn Chambers) is given a skin graft which leaves her with a retractable organ in her armpit and an insatiable desire to infect others. It's very Cronenberg and very effective. Whilst not as icky as Shivers, Rabid is very bleak.
Adult movie star, Chambers gives a surprisingly effective and vulnerable performance as the confused and desperate girl. The ending is sad and oddly poignant.
Rabid is one of my favourite Cronenberg movies, along with The Brood, Scanners and The Dead Zone.
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Even after more than 30 years, rabid works as an effective horror film, and it clearly shows Cronenberg's talent for horror without horror cliches. The low budget shows in many scenes, but it is saved by the acting, even in the small supporting roles. Marilyn Chambers is especially good in the lead.
I would have rated this film 4 or even 5 stars, but I can not give more than 3 stars, due to the transfer. It is not bad. It is very, very bad. The picture looks like a grainy VHS transfer from another century, and for the most time, parts of the image are missing: you only see half a face of an actor who is talking, or heads or feet are cut off at the top and bottom. Do not get me wrong, this is a 1:1.78 anamorphic transfer, so the only explanation I have for the cropped images is this: they had a pan-and-scan transfer in 1:1.33, but wanted to release the film in an anamorphic version. Instead of creating a new transfer, they simply cut off the top and bottom of the image until it fitted the 1:1.78 frame. So it looks like a film, that has been pan-and-scanned in both directions. I have never seen anything like it, and I hope I never will again.
But even with these limitations, Rabid is still gripping, fascinating, horrifying.
I would have rated this film 4 or even 5 stars, but I can not give more than 3 stars, due to the transfer. It is not bad. It is very, very bad. The picture looks like a grainy VHS transfer from another century, and for the most time, parts of the image are missing: you only see half a face of an actor who is talking, or heads or feet are cut off at the top and bottom. Do not get me wrong, this is a 1:1.78 anamorphic transfer, so the only explanation I have for the cropped images is this: they had a pan-and-scan transfer in 1:1.33, but wanted to release the film in an anamorphic version. Instead of creating a new transfer, they simply cut off the top and bottom of the image until it fitted the 1:1.78 frame. So it looks like a film, that has been pan-and-scanned in both directions. I have never seen anything like it, and I hope I never will again.
But even with these limitations, Rabid is still gripping, fascinating, horrifying.
By Jayke1981
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Rabid surprised me. Marilyn can actually act - who knew? Now maybe I'm being over critical - I only knew her by her porn reputation by name. This was the first time I saw her on screen. and I was actually impressed!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
rabid
the david cronenberg classic Rabid, is essentially an outbreak movie, pretty much a zombie movie at its base with a lady infecting people and turning them into rabid flesh hungry... Read more
Published 3 months ago by whitetrashtrixie
4.0 out of 5 stars
Rabid
I really liked the action that happened in this movie Rabid. It was really entertaining to watch. Rabid is one of those movies that you will never get tire of watching. Thank You!!
Published 3 months ago by cherron
5.0 out of 5 stars
Remembering Marilyn Chambers -- 1952 - 2009- best film
THE FILM--One minute they're perfectly normal, the next: rabid!
Marilyn Chambers stars as Rose, a motorcycle accident victim. Read more
Marilyn Chambers stars as Rose, a motorcycle accident victim. Read more
Published 11 months ago by S. F. husseiny
4.0 out of 5 stars
Salivating Rabid Outbreak!
Firstly the Dvd picture quality isn,t the best, but it's o.k. for an old 70's low budget horror. The film is at least in widescreen and there are some extras. Read more
Published 24 months ago by j.r
3.0 out of 5 stars
Early Cronenberg - cheap but effective
This is Cronenberg's 2nd proper movie. Baring that in mind, together with the limitations of the budget for a film of this nature made in Canada in the 1970's its actually a lot... Read more
Published on 22 April 2008 by S J Buck
2.0 out of 5 stars
Shivers, again
"Rabid" is the story of a woman who, inhabited by an alien entity, feeds vampire-like from her victims using a proboscis located under her armpit. Read more
Published on 11 Jan 2006 by Green Man Music
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bravo Bravo!!!
My hats off to who ever had the guts to keep
this film in print.Let me first say as this and
shivers are my fav works from david they both show
his work and talent... Read more
this film in print.Let me first say as this and
shivers are my fav works from david they both show
his work and talent... Read more
Published on 19 Sep 2003 by "highwaymen13"
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bravo Bravo!!!!
Thank god for region 2!!! They had it here in the states
for oh two weeks and since it didnt sell a milion copys
they threw it out of print. Read more
for oh two weeks and since it didnt sell a milion copys
they threw it out of print. Read more
Published on 19 Sep 2003 by "highwaymen13"
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fun in the 70s with rabies
Rabies, armpit vampires, marilyn chambers, what more can you want in a 70s horror movie from Canada. Read more
Published on 31 Dec 2002 by Doug White
4.0 out of 5 stars
cronenberg at his weirdest
i have seen most of cronenberg's films but this one rates as his weirdest. marilyn chambers plays a woman who after a skin graft develops a blood sucking tentacle in her armpit(i... Read more
Published on 24 Jan 2002
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