Night of the Lepus (1972)

Director: William F. Claxton

Starring: Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh, Rory Calhoun, DeForest Kelley

More info: IMDb

Tagline: They were born that tragic moment when science made its great mistake... now from behind the shroud of night they come, a scuttling, shambling horde of creatures destroying all in their path.

Plot: Fed up with the bunnies hopping across their land, a group of ranchers tries to stunt the rabbits' growth with a hormone. But instead of reducing the bunny populace, it makes the animals 150 pounds larger and gives them an appetite for human flesh. Are the ranchers any match for the ravenous rabbits' reproductive skills?

My rating: 4/10

Will I watch it again? Nope.

#65 on Dusk to Dawn Drive-In Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 1 (part of the TRAILER TRASH PROJECT)

Giant killer rabbits. You've got to know that you'll need to check your brains at the door. I'm sure the name actors who took this gig thought as well but at least they got paid. I watched this Easter weekend on a double bill with JESUS CHRIST VAMPIRE HUNTER (2001) with a group of friends outside under stars on a big screen. It's cheesy fun with everyone in it taking it very seriously. Just like in other classic humans-versus-giant-animals flicks (like THE FOOD OF THE GODS (1976)), the giant bunnies are filmed in slow motion on model sets. It's dorky as hell but it provides a lot of laughs. LEPUS isn't the campy home run you'd hope for but with several friends and alcohol, it can make for a reasonable evening.