We shot the bear. . . What about William Girdler? So this is a man whose directorial work is a curious sight, on the verge of low-budget thrashing and really interesting movies. This is his second directorial work (after Animal Day) I am very happy, but in fact there are still Sheba baby with the incomparable Pam Grier and Abby - the Nigerian version of The Exorcist. Something tells me these movies won’t disappoint me. Well, Mr. Girdler, you've already booked a seat in Favourite Directors.
In a review of the same "Animal Day" I once said that the genre of "animal" horror is dying because of films like "Grizzly", "Roy" and "Barracuda". I apologise and remove the Grizzly from this list, solemnly replacing it with a dull thrashing of Korcha. Fairness, goodness, goodness, goodness.
In general, Korcha is an amazing film, because compared to this crap, any horror film has a chance to become much more watchable than before. What was Grizzly like to me before? Boring thrash, where at the end blow up a bear from a grenade launcher (!). What has this movie become for me now? A very strong thriller with brilliant music, cute actors and... yes, explosion at the end. I apologize for this spoiler, it's just a really bizarre fact.
So, the soundtrack. Usually for such films (low-budget, but pretty) the music was either balakal on synthesizers or on pianos (of course, after Tubular bells from The Exorcist, it just couldn’t help but get into fashion). Here we are already in the opening credits are stunned by the remarkable beauty of the music performed by the London National Philharmonic Orchestra (!), and the unbearably beautiful outdoor shooting drives us into awe, as if setting up not for a horror, but for a documentary about nature.
Regarding the blood, special effects and the horror component in general - well, for the whole film I was never afraid, but the murders are done at the proper level, because the blood is fine here, makeup is present, and sometimes body parts will fly away. Although, at times you can raise an eyebrow from bewilderment, because in some places with a budget still did not care. As for the killer, it's a pretty big bear. Of course, he ruined men, women, a child (and children in horror movies are not often touched!) and even a horse, just when he is shown close-up, he is so funny waving his paws and roaring, I liked it the first time. So you don't know who to cheer for more - for people or for the bear.
The actors are surprisingly nice. As it happens in horror - among sane actors there is necessarily at least one talentless person, who according to the ancient sacred tradition is killed already in the first half of the film. Here it is not, because the actors played surprisingly normal, not faked, and sometimes their characters can even empathize. Girls are beautiful here too, but Girdler acted cleverly and did not undress them (well, except in one scene, and even then to underwear), so as not to get lost and show what he wanted to show.
Grizzlies is one of those rare films that I don't lose when I watch them again, but gain value. A simple script and often slipping low budget are more than bathed in beautiful music and charming actors. Including, of course, a grizzly bear.
8 out of 10