DAY OF THE ANIMALS
Dir. William Girdler. 1977.
United States. 97 mins.
In English.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 – MIDNIGHT
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 – MIDNIGHT
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 – 7:30 PM
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 – 10 PM

Fluorocarbon gasses from aerosol cans damaged the ozone layer, and the dangerous level of ultraviolet rays affected animals in high altitudes. A group of hikers must fight for their lives as they experience the consequences of environmental apathy first-hand.

DAY OF THE ANIMALS (1977) was directed by Wiliam Girdler one year after his hit film GRIZZLY (1976). Both films share similar DNA, featuring live wild animals running amok, beautiful woodland settings, and Christopher George trying to save the day. Whereas GRIZZLY is widely considered a JAWS (1975) rip-off, DAY OF THE ANIMALS is an ecological thriller that showcases an environmentally conscious perspective.

When the movie was released, many critics were, unsurprisingly, dismissive of this ‘sci-fi’ film for its on-the-nose environmental themes. In one sense, the critics were indeed correct: DAY OF THE ANIMALS does place environmental themes front and center, with the opening title card reading, "This motion picture dramatizes what COULD happen in the near future IF we continue to do nothing to stop this damage to Nature’s protective shield for life on this planet." Almost fifty years later, amid a climate of near-constant environmental catastrophe, DAY OF THE ANIMALS is more poignant than ever, and ready for reevaluation.