Review of Primal Rage

Primal Rage (1988)
7/10
Almost a gem. How have I never heard of this before?
3 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
The low number of ratings and reviews for this film is evidence that it is a little-seen flick and after having just watched it I am surprised that it is so well hidden and also that I have never come across it before (I am always on the lookout for 80's hidden gems).

OK, this isn't quite a hidden gem but it's a lot better than I expected, a lot better than its rating suggests and also a lot better than more famous yet higher rated horror films.

What stops this being a gem is the mid-point lull, some poor acting from the supporting cast and some daft bits in the storyline.

It's a bit frustrating because with some tweaking this could have been one of the great 80's horror films along with the likes of The Lost Boys and American Werewolf in London. There is a great soundtrack by Goblin's Claudio Simonetti, a fun pop-rock song in the intro, excellent special effects, some great death scenes, a highly enjoyable Halloween party sequence near the end and a decent storyline (that had huge potential to be a lot more fun and engaging had it perhaps been re-written a few more times before filming).

In a way I'm glad there a still some decent old horror films out there that are worth discovering but it's just a shame that this one could have been so much better. Still, it was a decent watch and would have been more enjoyable watch with some mates and a few beers.
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