I've seen this film before, and it's Cronenberg's 1975 film "Shivers". Where "Shivers" was set in a swanky hotel-like housing development, "Rabid" is set in a hospital, but basically it follows a very similar storyboard, that of the parasite/virus realeased in a contained environment which eventually drives everyone into a state of zombie-like mania.

(One anecdotal observation: in the opening scene where the girl is rushed in to the emergency room, a member of the public goes to the desk and asks "What was all that about?" to which the E.R. administrator replies "Somebody said something about an accident." - Probably the stupidest conversation that could occur in an Emergency Room).

The acting varies from the completely lame (e.g. the girl's baby-faced boyfriend) to the better (the innocently seductive vampire herself).

It's probably quite an engaging sci-fi/vampire horror and if I'd never seen "Shivers", I'd probably have enjoyed it much more. As it's repetitious it didn't really do it for me.

Excellent box set
Review date: 2004-01-31 Rating: 10 out of 10

shivers:
On a remote island near Montreal there is a large apartment block made for modern living, completely self sufficient with its own dentists and doctors.
One of these doctors seems to go a bit mad, attacking a patient with a scalpel which he then turns on himself. He was actually trying to destroy a leech-like parasite he had created that turns people into sex-crazed lunatics. Similar to Romeros crazies, together with the pessimistic ending, this is Cronenbergs first feature film.
Its evidently low budget, the same scene can go from dim to well lit and the sound is sometimes bad but it all adds to rather than diminishes the films overall effect. Some excellent gore effects and genuinely stomach churning scenes that make you wanna puke (like a parasite jumping out of one mans stomach and down another mans throat). This is a very dark film, not just in look but in tone, and as with many Cronenberg movies, theres no salvation at the end. A great downbeat film then! Inspired by Cronenbergs love for the New York underground film movement of the 60s, Cronenberg even refused to have this film funded by Hollywood after Roger Corman became interested in the script. What a guy, fight the power!
If you like dark, low buget, gory horror where the good guys dont always win, youll love this.

Rabid is another dark, low budget shocker. A couple are involved in a motorbike accident, the woman is taken to a near-by plastic surgery hospital and given skin grafts. She becomes infected with some sort of virus which causes her to need blood. She attacks people, using a phallic-like object that is under her arm, to suck their blood (the fx here are stomach churning!). they in turn become infected by some sort of rabies virus and attack anyone and everyone. Another downbeat film with a downbeat ending from Cronenberg, isnt this guy great?!
If you like these, check out his masterpiece Videodrome, as well as Scanners and Naked Lunch

Both films have an introduction by Cronenberg, production notes and stills galleries. Well worth the money.

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