Rats: Night of Terror is a 1984 Italian post-apocalyptic science fiction horror film directed by Bruno Mattei (Shocking Dark; Hell of the Living Dead; et al) and Claudio Fragasso. The original title is Rats – Notte di terror
Plot:
After a nuclear holocaust in 2015, the survivors are divided between those who live in comfortable underground cities and the “New Primitives” who live in the sunlight. A group of these, composed of men and women of various humanity, comes across a mysterious village.
Despite the presence of numerous horribly mutilated corpses, the adventurers decide to settle in town after discovering a large amount of food, a greenhouse with various fruit trees and a reservoir of drinking water. The following night hundreds and hundreds of hungry genetically mutated rats are ready to attack them, one by one…
Reviews:
“The repetitive use of Luigi Ceccarelli’s ominous synth moans and occasional noodling effectively halts the film’s pacing, in a sense that, it feels like the narrative never actually goes anywhere with any real intent, and that the cast just run around to the sounds of Ceccarelli, in a derelict building, frightening furry critters with fire.” 42nd Street Cinema
” …these rats are about as docile as vermin get; we’re supposed to ignore the fact that production assistants are hurling them at the actors from off-screen. Heads up! The utter lack of interest from the rats and the utter lack of excitement in the plot makes this film a lot less interesting than the premise implies.” Black Horror Movies
“Rats, in fact, comes to resemble a zombie film with fuzzy, squeaking little f*ckers in place of reanimated corpses. The movie’s cheapness keeps it from being scary but also makes it hilariously memorable.” Mike “McBeardo” McFadden, Heavy Metal Movies
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” …it isn’t all bad here, but the good is few and far between. It’s also pretty easy to guess what few redeeming qualities there are: some gratuitous nudity, good gore effects, and a somewhat atmospheric quality that seems to be inherent in most Euro-horror films, no matter how bad they really are. The early, desolate setting actually does give off a nice, creepy, haunted-house and crypt-like vibe.” Oh, the Horror!
“…the rats aren’t even particularly scary – it’s pretty easy at any given moment for the characters to run past them, or brush them away, but in the universe of this movie, it’s par for the course to have eight or ten rats jump on you and then for the leader of your clan to decide the best way to help is to give you a blast from his flame-thrower. I mean, these people are so uncivilized, they have sex in front of each other, revealed after a curious, unexplained sound cue.” When the Dead Walk the Earth
Cast and characters:
Ottaviano Dell’Acqua … Kurt (as Richard Raymond)
Geretta Geretta … Chocolate (as Janna Ryann)
Massimo Vanni … Taurus (as Alex McBride)
Gianni Franco … Video (as Richard Cross)
Ann-Gisel Glass … Myrna
Cindy Leadbetter … Diana
Henry Luciani … Duke
Fausto Lombardi … Deus (as Tony Lombardo)
Jean-Christophe Brétigniere … Lucifer (as Christoph Bretner)
Katharine Troth
Laura Avakian
Release:
On August 26, 2014, the film was released on Blu-ray in the US by Blue Underground on a double-bill with Bruno Mattei’s Hell of the Living Dead.
Special features:
Bonded By Blood – Interviews with Co-Writer/Co-Director Claudio Fragasso and Stars Margit Evelyn Newton, Franco Garofalo, Ottaviano Dell’Acqua & Massimo Vanni
Hell Rats Of The Living Dead – Interview with Director Bruno Mattei
Theatrical Trailers
Poster and Still Galleries
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Trailer:
