Oh, My God!!!!!!!!!!! "Night Of The Lepus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                     Last night, I was sitting in my reading chair, absorbed in Hilary Mantel's conclusion to her trilogy, "The Mirror And The Light," when David shouted from the bedroom, "Hey, you know what is on?  'Night Of The Lepus' !!!!!!!!!!!"

                                      This was the 1972 trash classic, with a cast including Stuart Whitman, Rory Calhoun, DeForest Kelley, Paul Fix, and, in her final film appearance, Janet Leigh!  To think, she was Oscar nominated for "Psycho," just twelve years before, and now this!

                                       I have only seen this film, pardon the pun, in bits and pieces.  The scene where the rabbit paw breaks through a wall to menace someone is so fake, you can see it is a hand on a human!  The exterior shots of the giant rabbits are simply trained ones photographed against micro slides and miniatures.  The plot is actually "THEM!," minus the tension, terrifyingly realistic giant ants, and the brilliant acting performance given by little Sandy Dresher.  No one in this entire film approaches the brilliance of her 30 second performance.

                                      Now, I only saw the ending.  Watching these cute little bunny rabbits being killed was offensive to my love of animals.  The last shot is of two people running through a crop of greens, where a rabbit lies in hiding.  Will it be another Lepus?  Heh!  Heh! Heh!  This moment should have been more detailed--like the camera zooming in on the bunny, who bears its sharp, blood spattered teeth, or another scene altogether, where a little girl receives a pretty Easter basket with a rabbit inside, who gnashes its monstrous teeth at her.

                                         Nor is it explained, at least from what I could see, how the rabbits mutated to their giant size.  In "THEM" it was atomic testing in the dessert, but, in this film, shot in Arizona, it is anyone's guess; giant rabbits just turn up!  Another good reason NOT to visit Arizona!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          Someday, I hope to see this entire trash classic.  But the poor little bunnies are so cute, it is a shame when they are killed.

                                            And, couldn't they have worked in Grace Slick's signature song, "White Rabbit" into this?

                                           Forget about getting the rights.  Doing so would have required too much wit and imagination!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       

                                             "Hopping down the bunny trail," darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!