Prophecy

Prophecy (1979)

The Plot: A mining company is dumping mercury into the water and mutating the local wildlife. A doctor is asked to join the EPA to investigate and they find more than they bargained for.

  The Prophecy starts with local doctor Rob being recruited by the EPA to find out what is happening at a paper mill suspected of polluting. Since it's still the 70's Rob looks the part with shaggy hair, unkempt beard and bell bottoms. He takes his pregnant (Although he does not know that yet) chelo playing wife, Maggie played by Talia Shire (Rocky III) along for the ride. There they meet up with irascible company man Richard Dysart (The Thing) who is upset with the local Native Americans causing a fuss and refusing to get off the land (Sound familiar?) For years the locals have lived with a variety of mutated animals that"grow large" out in the woods. Probably not connected to that paper mill they're investigating.
Let's hear it for the hairy 1970's!

  Rob and Maggie meet the wildlife first hand when, while in their cabin, they are attacked by 2 feral raccoons, in what is surely the greatest raccoon attack in cinema history. Go ahead, I dare you to find me a better raccoon attack in another movie. Meanwhile, in the best death in this movie, a boy who is camping with his family, tries to escape a creature by hopping in his sleeping bag until he is whacked and sent hurling across the campsite into a rock and is exploded into a feathery mess due to the stuffing of his sleeping bag. I tired not to laugh here, but I failed miserably. 
Hop for your life, sleeping bag boy!

  Well, after some back and forth between the locals, it becomes all too evident that the mercury they are dumping in the river has mutated many animals. Including a giant bear that is now stalking the party in the woods. Leonard Maltin famously called this mutant animal a cross between a bear and a salami. And I cannot really disagree with him there. It does have a certain salamiesque feel to him. Or perhaps it's more of a pepperoniesque look. It definitely requires a closer examination to determine what cold cut resembles the beast more, but for know I will defer to Maltin's salami description.
Half bear, half salami

  You know the rest from here, the Salami bear attacks, people get killed one by one until our vigilant hero jumps on the salami bear and impales him repeatedly with an arrow to the eye until the bear dies. I am sure it's trying to say something about environmentalism and it's probably a good thing too as who wants mutant salami bears roaming the woods.
Salami Bear MAAAAAD!

 I give Prophecy 6 salami bear attacks!

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