Primal Rage

 


Primal Rage (1988)


The Plot: A journalist investigating a scientist experimenting on brain cells of baboons accidentally gets bitten by the baboon and infected with a virus that turns him into a rage induced killing machine.


It's the late 80s at a Florida university. The corporation is about to cut funding to the baboon experiments unless results could be produced. A young moped driving college journalist senses something amiss and is on the case. He unfortunately tells his self professed "gonzo journalist" about this who breaks in and gets infected with the baboon rage virus and sets a world of pain in motion. Never trust a self professed gonzo journalist I think is the moral of this movie. Sure, he thinks he may be Hunter S. Thompson, all edgy with his 3 day beard and dangling earring and chain smoking Marlboros. But in reality, he did let himself get bitten by a rage virus infected baboon. Turns out he was more like Nick, Mallory's boyfriend on Family Ties than he is Hunter S. Thompson. 

Never trust a scientist with a tiny ponytail

One thing leads to another and beer swilling jock frat boys get infected. The the violence really ratches upwards. The cops once again are no help. Usually dispatched with ease by the infected rage people. It's left to our intrepid moped driving journalist. The fun climaxes at the Halloween dance where the jocks are dressed as skeletons, who end up ironically killing a guy dressed as Dracula by ripping his throat out. Eat your heart out Dalton! But fortunately, our hero prevails. My favorite kill is when one of the baboon rage induced frat boy skeletons gets crushed by the automated bleachers closing in on him. Top notch!

Dracula's last stand


Did I mention this movie takes place int he 80s? And boy does it! Big hair, acid washed jeans, mopeds, jazzercise, but the piece de resistance are the posters. Since this movie takes place on a college there are lots of dorm scenes, were the poster game is really A++. There is an Avoid the Noid poster, A Bruce Springsteen poster, Spuds McKenzie poster, Bartles and James pitch men poster, It's a veritable who;s who of 80s pop culture posters! Bravo, Bravo!

Some clearasil could do you wonders

Primal Rage is a time capsule of 80s fun, the type that you just don't see in movies nowadays anymore. I give it 6 Mopeds!









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