Horror Extreme Movie Catalog

If you're a fan of the animal attack films from the 70's, then Grizzly will satisfy. I remember attending the theatre as a kid for so many of these pictures (Jaws, Food of the Gods, Empire of the Ants, Orca, etc.). Those were the days--counting bodies and waiting for the next "cool kill." In the following decade, the animals would be replaced by an even greater nemesis--ourselves (in the form of slasher flicks).

Admittedly, many of the "animal attack" films were short on thrill and plot, and Grizzly can't claim to be original in any respect. Its screenplay borrows heavily from the success of Jaws, right down to the characters. Instead of Chief Brody battling a shark, we have Park Ranger Kelly matching wits with an ursine-sized foe. Grizzly also relies heavily upon the POV shot (point of view), where we get to see the unsuspecting prey through the bobbing perspective of the bear. Despite the clumsiness of these scenes, Grizzly has enough B-movie acting and thrills to rank near the top of the films in this particular genre. No, it's not anywhere close to being the masterpiece that Jaws is, but if you have an afternoon to kill--why not feast along with the hairy star of this film? Word of caution: best not to watch this one before the family camping trip.

This was the one movie that actually scared me when I saw it at the theatre. I was 6 or 7 years old and accompanied by my younger brother and grandparents. I guess, besides the fact that I was just a kid, the reason it scared me was that my grandparents found it humorous to insist that all of what I was seeing on the screen was real. I believed it and really had trouble sleeping that night. All I could think of was a bear smashing the bedroom window to get at me. Anyway, I find it interesting that so many other people see the similarities to Jaws as far as the characters go, because, for a long time, I thought I was the only one. I am glad to have finally seen extras on this film. I always wondered whether the bear was real, which it is. I also like the way the Jaws plotline was followed by not showing the whole bear until late in the movie. My advice is to see this movie before you by it. Although I enjoyed it, others may have a different opinion.