Day of the Animals (1977)

32% of users liked it
(1,512 ratings)

An interesting low-budget entry in the post-Jaws animals-run-amok genre (which also owes more than a little to Hitchcock's The Birds), this noisy, violent thriller features the prophetic premise of a widening gap in the ozone layer (thanks to human indulgences in hairspray and other aerosol… More An interesting low-budget entry in the post-Jaws animals-run-amok genre (which also owes more than a little to Hitchcock's The Birds), this noisy, violent thriller features the prophetic premise of a widening gap in the ozone layer (thanks to human indulgences in hairspray and other aerosol products) which unleashes brain-frying radiation and causes assorted woodland creatures to go for the throats of unsuspecting Sierra backpackers. As if that weren't horrific enough, the poor kids are also placed in the position of defending themselves against a rampaging Leslie Nielsen -- whose hammy performance will probably have fans of the Naked Gun series and their ilk waiting for a punch line that never arrives. Perennial B-movie couple Christopher George and Lynda Day George round out the cast. Day of the Animals is also known as Something Is out There. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: William Girdler
Genres: Action & Adventure, Horror, Mystery & Suspense

On DVD: Dec 2, 1998
Studio: Film Ventures International In

Critic Reviews

Chuck O'Leary, Fantastica Daily
A highly entertaining nature-goes-wild thriller. What's not to like about a movie where a macho, bare-chested Leslie Nielsen literally tries to fight a grizzly bear?
Staci Layne Wilson, StaciWilson.com
Every dog has his day... and he doesn't choose to spend it watching this movie.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Tim S

Here we go again with another Jaws rip-off, right down to the font of the text that opens the movie explaining the plot to us before we can even get a chance to get involved in it. Day of the Animals is another in a long line of 'nature goes awry and attacks human beings'… More
Here we go again with another Jaws rip-off, right down to the font of the text that opens the movie explaining the plot to us before we can even get a chance to get involved in it. Day of the Animals is another in a long line of 'nature goes awry and attacks human beings' movies. However, this is a sort of reunion of sorts, as some of the actors (Christopher George and Richard Jaeckel), director and crew worked on Grizzly the year before, and they came back for more as they just couldn't seem to get enough of animals on a rampage - particularly bears on a rampage. This one also has some other interesting aspects to it. It has Lynda Day George and Paul Mantee in it, the latter one of my favorite actors, and it also has Leslie Nielsen, who turned in probably his most evil performance. The scene when he goes toe to toe in the rain shirtless with a grizzly bear must be seen to be believed. Anyway, it's not a great movie, but like always has some entertainment value for being so schlocky, so see it for that reason. I haven't yet seen the theatrical version entitled Something is Out There, but I'll put it on my list.
Luke B

Fun and face-palmingly brilliant killer monster nonsense. It was awesome to see so much use of real animals. I was also very surprised at who bought it and when, and in a film like this, sometimes who gets killed is the best part. The characters all turn against each other, or… More
Fun and face-palmingly brilliant killer monster nonsense. It was awesome to see so much use of real animals. I was also very surprised at who bought it and when, and in a film like this, sometimes who gets killed is the best part. The characters all turn against each other, or splinter off into groups. It's also fun to see a mother and child relationship which isn't all cuddles and sunshine. Best of all though, is Nielsen, in a performance that shows him as a tough mans man. He goes topless, he manhandles women, and he fights a fucking bear. That, my friends, was an unexpected performance.
Ken S

Leslie Nielson fights a bear!
Christopher B

William Girdler, Christopher George, a racist Leslie Neilson and plenty o' animal attacks make this a great entry in the nature gone amok film. Sure it's a product of it's time, but oh what a time it was.