Deadly Eyes is a 1982 Canadian horror film about contaminated grain that causes rats to become huge and attack the residents of a city. Also known as The Rats and Night Eyes
Directed by Robert Clouse (Enter the Dragon) from a screenplay co-written by Lonon F. Smith and Charles H. Eglee, very loosely based on the horror novel The Rats by James Herbert. Co-roduced by Charles H. Eglee, Paul Kahnert and Jeff Schechtman.
The movie stars Sam Groom, Sara Botsford, Scatman Crothers (The Shining), Cec Linder, Lisa Langlois and Lesleh Donaldson.
Plot:
Corn grain contaminated with steroids produces large rats the size of small dogs who begin feeding on the residents of Toronto. Paul, a college basketball coach, teams up with Kelly, a local health inspector, to uncover the source of the mysterious rat attacks. They rush to try and prevent the opening of a new subway line as well as find the mutant rats nest. The whole of the city is under threat…
Dachshunds wearing rat suits were used in the filming of Deadly Eyes to achieve the effect of super-sized rodents.
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Reviews:
“Go along with the formulaic plot and you’ll be rewarded with some solid characters, a fair bit of gore and a decent enough early 80s horror TV movie-like experience.” Eat My Brains
“Despite its pedestrian plot, Clouse pays tribute to the midnight movies before him. In a Blob-like moment and one of the better set pieces, the giant rats descend upon a movie house where unsuspecting teenagers are watching Clouse’s Bruce Lee epic Game of Death (where the bride of Kill Bill got her get-up). One wishes Clouse had more fun, campy moments like this…” JBDRecords
“ …kind of fun in its own lowbrow way, retaining some of the sleazy energy of James Herbert book while at the same time providing yet another good argument to the opponents of genetically modified foodstuffs… add to that some nice photography by the steadfast “human dolly” René Verzier, and plenty of TTC streetcars clanging their way beneath a fluttering American flag, and you have one of the most Canadian horror films ever made.” Caelum Vatnsdal, They Came from Within: A History of Canadian Horror Cinema – Arbiter Ring Publishing, 2014 (revised and expanded 2nd edition)
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Buy The Rats novel from Amazon.co.uk
Trailer:
Cast and characters:
Sam Groom … Paul Harris; Sara Botsford … Kelly Leonard; Scatman Crothers … George Foskins; Cec Linder … Doctor Louis Spenser; Lisa Langlois … Trudy White; Lesleh Donaldson … Martha; James B. Douglas James B. Douglas … Mel Dederick; Lee-Max Walton … Tim Harris; Joseph Kelly … Matt; Kevin Foxx … Hoserman; Jon Wise … Skip; Wendy Bushell … Liz; Charles Jolliffe … Henry Younger; Dora Dainton … Mrs Trumbull; Michael Fawkes … Motorman; Michael Mark McManus … Mayor Rizetti; George Merner … Lester Hymes; Roger Dunn … Doctor Gordon; Jaime Hyland … Baby Caroline; Bridget O’Sullivan … Bowling Shoe Lady; Bunty Webb … Bowling Lady; Gus Sanvido … Neighbour; David Cardoza … Fumigator; Jack Van Evera … Tommy Da Spiva; Paul MacCallum … Reporter; David Hughes … Official; Til Hanson … Ticket Lady; Steven Fearnley … Liz’s Boyfriend; Tod Woodcroft … Youngster; Michael Hogan … Cop in Subway; John Stephen Hill … Police Official
Filming locations:
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Technical specs:
1 hour 27 minutes
Audio: Mono
Aspect ratio: 1.85: 1
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