History Film / NightOfTheLepus

* KarmaHoudini: No one ever calls out the little girl on switching the bunnies, or the boy who allowed the dosed-up one to escape.

->''How often have you seen an awful movie and said to yourself, "What were they thinking?!" Well, after watching ''Night of the Lepus'', the question you'll be asking instead is, "'''Were''' ''they thinking?!"''

->''How often have you seen an awful movie and said to yourself, "What were they thinking?!" Well, after watching ''Night of the Lepus'', the question you'll be asking instead is, "''Were ''they thinking?!"''

->''How often have you seen an awful movie and said to yourself, "What were they thinking?!" Well, after watching ''Night of the Lepus'', the question you'll be asking instead is,'' "''Were'' they thinking?!"''

Interestingly, this movie was famously ''not'' featured on ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'', despite the show having mentioned it a couple of times, indicating that its creators were aware of it. One can only assume they could not resolve the licensing issues (with a much more prominent studio than is usual among their targets)... or else they thought it would be just ''too'' easy. Website/TheAgonyBooth, however, [[http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Night_of_the_Lepus_1972.aspx has no such difficulty]]. And, for that matter, [[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/teamt/phelous/16000-night-of-the-lepus neither does]] WebVideo/{{Phelous}}.

It was, however, featured in the background of a scene in ''Film/TheMatrix.'' In the brief scene where children are levitating blocks, the television in the background shows off a scene with the rabbits hopping down a street. This is even pointed out in the Rifftrax of ''Film/TheMatrix'' where they marvel at how huge the rabbits in the background are, so it looks like Mike Nelson and his friends finally got to riff on ''Night of the Lepus,'' even if it was for only one line.

* CarnivoreConfusion / KillAllHumans: The formerly strictly-herbivorous bunnies lust for flesh after becoming giant-sized, and though they do attack some horses and cattle, man is the main dish on their menu. Is there a trope for animals completely altering their diet when they become giant/armored/whatever?

* CoversAlwaysLie: Or at least, misdirect.

* DisasterMovie: With Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits.

* MonochromeCasting: There's only one black character in the entire movie (Dr. Leopold), and amazingly, [[BlackDudeDiesFirst he doesn't die.]]
* NeverTrustATrailer: The trailer goes out of its way to avoid show any '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''', which, in [[http://www.cinemademerde.com/Night_of_Lepus.shtml this review]], raises the question: if you realize your monsters aren't scary, why would you still make a movie about them?
* NoPronunciationGuide: Everybody throughout the movie pronounces Lepus as either "Leap-Us" or "Leh-Pus".
* NothingIsScarier: Actually, everything is scarier than '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''.
* OurMonstersAreDifferent: Which in this case mostly means 'more stupid'.
* PeopleInRubberSuits: The '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits actually required to attack? Those are guys in bunny suits.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Played straight to FridgeLogic levels. Really now -- if you told a local sheriff that there are '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' heading towards town, they'd automatically assume you're either drunk or hiding a candid camera. The authorities in the movie, by contrast, seem perfectly OK with this concept.
** And people consider them this too. There's a great scene where one police officer interrupts a showing at a drive-in theater to ask for assistance in dealing with a herd of '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''. Not ONE person in the entire drive-in as much as raises an eyebrow and they all just immediately obey.
* TheSeventies: And how!
* ShoutOut: If you look carefully, you can see a few seconds of this movie on the TV when [[Film/TheMatrix Neo]] walks into the Oracle's apartment.
** Bits of footage also appear in the movie ''Natural Born Killers,'' mixed in with the other odd bits that spot the film here and there.

->''How often have you seen an awful movie and said to yourself, "What were they thinking?" Well, after watching ''Night of the Lepus'', the question you'll be asking instead is,'' "'''Were''' '' they thinking?"''

No, really. The idea is that experimental hormone injections intended to stop the rabbits breeding, as an environmentally friendly form of pest control, actually causes them to become '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''. One dosed-up bunny escapes into the wild and starts breeding with the local population. Suddenly there are hordes of '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' running around, and it's all very ironic. Or something.

* DisasterMovie: With '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''

* OurMonstersAreDifferent: Because they're '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''
* PeopleInRubberSuits: The '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' actually required to attack? Those are guys in bunny suits.

----
[[TheStinger And did we mention]] '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''.

-->-- '''''TheAgonyBooth'''''

* [[KillerRabbit '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits.''']]

* NeverTrustATrailer: The trailer goes out of its way to avoid show any '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''', which, in [[http://www.cinemademerde.com/Night_of_Lepus.shtml this review]], raises the question: if you realize ypur monsters aren't scary, why would you still make a movie about them?

Eventually, Our Heroes drive the 'shambling hordes' of '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' over some electrified train tracks, and the viewer is left to imagine them spending the rest of their lives trying to convince people of how brave they were, saving the world from Thumper.

It was, however, featured in the background of a scene in ''Film/TheMatrix.'' In the brief scene where children are levitating blocks, the television in the background shows off a scene with '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' hopping down a street. This is even pointed out in the Rifftrax of ''Film/TheMatrix'' where they marvel at how huge the rabbits in the background are, so it looks like Mike Nelson and his friends finally got to riff on ''Night of the Lepus,'' even if it was for only one line.

* MonochromeCasting: There's only one black character in the entire movie (Dr. Leopold), and amazingly, [[BlackDudeDiesFirst he doesn't die.]]'''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' don't like the taste of blacks, perhaps?

* SlowMotion: Used to make bunnies on miniature sets look big, ponderous and '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''. This fails spectacularly.

In the interests of total fairness, wild rabbits, not necessarily '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' can be surprisingly vicious when pushed to it (ask anyone who's ever read ''WatershipDown''). But trying to cast them as menacing, ''growling'' monsters with a lust for human flesh is...proof that when this idea was greenlit the studio execs had just emerged from a decade spent under a rock, being whacked with a stupid stick and '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''. The clearly miniscule SFX budget of snarling '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' doesn't help.

Eventually, Our Heroes drive the 'shambling hordes' of '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''''''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' over some electrified train tracks, and the viewer is left to imagine them spending the rest of their lives trying to convince people of how brave they were, saving the world from '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''.

Interestingly, this movie was famously ''not'' featured on ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'', despite the show having mentioned it a couple of times, indicating that its creators were aware of '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''. One can only assume they could not resolve the licensing issues (with a much more prominent studio than is usual among their targets)... or else they thought it would be just ''too'' easy. Website/TheAgonyBooth, however, [[http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Night_of_the_Lepus_1972.aspx has no such difficulty]]. And, for that matter, [[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/teamt/phelous/16000-night-of-the-lepus neither does]] WebVideo/{{Phelous}}.

It was, however, featured in the background of a scene in ''Film/TheMatrix.'' In the brief scene where children are levitating blocks, the television in the background shows off a scene with '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' hopping down a street. This is even pointed out in the Rifftrax of ''Film/TheMatrix'' where they marvel at how huge the rabbits in the background are, so it looks like Mike Nelson and his friends finally got to riff on ''Night of the Lepus,'' even if it was for only one line. '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' galore.

* AdaptationDistillation: Albeit chances are you've [[AdaptationDisplacement never heard of the novel]] about '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits.'''

* BMovie: It's hard to believe a major studio (MGM) paid for this movie with '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''', let alone ponied up for a decent cast... but they did.
* CarnivoreConfusion / KillAllHumans: The formerly strictly-herbivorous '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' lust for flesh after becoming giant-sized, and though they do attack some horses and cattle, man is the main dish on their menu. Is there a trope for animals completely altering their diet when they become giant/armored/whatever?
* CastingGag: Paul Fixx, who plays Sheriff Cody, was Dr. Piper in the second ''Series/{{Star Trek|The Original Series}}'' pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before", before being replaced by [=DeForest=] Kelley's Dr. [=McCoy=] for the rest of the series. In a film with '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''', of course.
* ChromaKey: ''Very'' badly done. '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''?
* CoversAlwaysLie: Or at least, misdirect and show no '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''.

* FilmOfTheBook: According to the credits anyway. Since they used a different title and completely different plot it isn't clear why they bothered.
* HairRaisingHare. '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''! Well. It's what they were gunning for. The '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' were disappointing, though.
* HollywoodScience: Hey, let's see what this totally unknown serum does to rabbits! Then we can leave a young child alone with them! And make hordes of '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits!'''
* KarmaHoudini: No one ever calls out the little girl on switching the bunnies, or the boy who allowed the dosed-up one to escape and breed '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''.
* KillItWithFire: How to beat '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''.

* NeverTrustATrailer: The trailer goes out of its way to avoid show any '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''', which, in [[http://www.cinemademerde.com/Night_of_Lepus.shtml this review]], raises the question: if you realize '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' aren't scary, why would you still make a movie about them?
* NoPronunciationGuide: Everybody throughout the movie pronounces Lepus as either "Leap-Us" or "Leh-Pus". Better than "Night of the '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''."

* TheSeventies: And how! With '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''!

** Bits of footage also appear in the movie ''Natural Born Killers,'' mixed in with the other odd bits that spot the film here and there. What? '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''?

* SlowMotion: Used to make bunnies on miniature sets look big, ponderous and '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''. This fails spectacularly, what did you expect from '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''', anyway?

Another legendary bad movie. This is the story of how [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Doctor [=McCoy=]]] (OK, OK, DeForestKelley, but in a ''really'' orange turtleneck) helped Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh and Rory Calhoun save the world from a herd of [[KillerRabbit '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''']].

* KillItWithFire

Another legendary bad movie. This is the story of how [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Doctor [=McCoy=]]] (OK, OK, DeForestKelley, but in a ''really'' orange turtleneck) helped Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh and Rory Calhoun save the world from a herd of ''[[KillerRabbit giant killer bunny rabbits]]''.

* AdaptationDistillation: Albeit chances are you've [[AdaptationDisplacement never heard of the novel about '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''.]]

In the interests of total fairness, wild rabbits can be surprisingly vicious when pushed to it (ask anyone who's ever read ''WatershipDown''). But trying to cast them as menacing, ''growling'' monsters with a lust for human flesh is...proof that when this idea was greenlit the studio execs had just emerged from a decade spent under a rock, being whacked with a stupid stick. The clearly miniscule SFX budget doesn't help.

Eventually, Our Heroes drive the 'shambling hordes' over some electrified train tracks, and the viewer is left to imagine them spending the rest of their lives trying to convince people of how brave they were, saving the world from Thumper.

It was, however, featured in the background of a scene in ''Film/TheMatrix.'' In the brief scene where children are levitating blocks, the television in the background shows off a scene with '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' hopping down a street. This is even pointed out in the Rifftrax of ''Film/TheMatrix'' where they marvel at how huge the rabbits in the background are, so it looks like Mike Nelson and his friends finally got to riff on ''Night of the Lepus,'' even if it was for only one line.

* AdaptationDistillation: Albeit chances are you've [[AdaptationDisplacement never heard of the novel.]]

* BMovie: It's hard to believe a major studio (MGM) paid for this movie, let alone ponied up for a decent cast... but they did.
* CarnivoreConfusion / KillAllHumans: The strictly-herbivorous rabbits lust for flesh after becoming giant-sized, and though they do attack some horses and cattle, man is the main dish on their menu. Is there a trope for animals completely altering their diet when they become giant/armored/whatever?
* CastingGag: Paul Fixx, who plays Sheriff Cody, was Dr. Piper in the second ''Series/{{Star Trek|The Original Series}}'' pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before", before being replaced by [=DeForest=] Kelley's Dr. [=McCoy=] for the rest of the series.
* ChromaKey: ''Very'' badly done.
* CoversAlwaysLie: Or at least, misdirect.

* HairRaisingHare. Well. It's what they were gunning for.
* HollywoodScience: Hey, let's see what this totally unknown serum does to rabbits! Then we can leave a young child alone with them!
* KarmaHoudini: No one ever calls out the little girl on switching the bunnies, or the boy who allowed the dosed-up one to escape.

* MonochromeCasting: There's only one black character in the entire movie (Dr. Leopold), and amazingly, [[BlackDudeDiesFirst he doesn't die.]]

* NoPronunciationGuide: Everybody throughout the movie pronounces Lepus as either "Leap-Us" or "Leh-Pus".

* TheSeventies: And how!

** Bits of footage also appear in the movie ''Natural Born Killers,'' mixed in with the other odd bits that spot the film here and there.

* SlowMotion: Used to make bunnies on miniature sets look big and ponderous. This fails spectacularly.

-->-- ''''TheAgonyBooth''''

->''How often have you seen an awful movie and said to yourself, "What were they thinking?" Well, after watching ''Night of the Lepus'', the question you'll be asking instead is, "'' '''Were''' '' they thinking?"''

Another legendary bad movie. This is the story of how [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Doctor [=McCoy=]]] (OK, OK, DeForestKelley, but in a ''really'' orange turtleneck) helped Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh and Rory Calhoun save the world from a herd of ''KillerRabbit giant killer bunny rabbits]]''.

->"''Attention! Attention! Ladies and gentlemen, attention! There is a herd of {{killer rabbit}}s headed this way and we desperately need your help!''"
->-- '''Officer Lopez'''

Another legendary bad movie. This is the story of how [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Doctor [=McCoy=]]] (OK, OK, DeForestKelley, but in a ''really'' orange turtleneck) helped Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh and Rory Calhoun save the world from a herd of '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''.

Another legendary bad movie. This is the story of how [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Doctor [=McCoy=]]] (OK, OK, [=DeForest=] Kelley, but in a ''really'' orange turtleneck) helped Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh and Rory Calhoun save the world from a herd of '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''.

No, really. The idea is that experimental hormone injections intended to stop the rabbits breeding, as an environmentally friendly form of pest control, actually causes them to become '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''. One dosed-up bunny escapes into the wild and starts breeding with the local population. Suddenly there are hordes of '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' running around, and it's all very ironic. Or something.

It was, however, featured in the background of a scene in ''TheMatrix.'' In the brief scene where children are levitating blocks, the television in the background shows off a scene with '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' hopping down a street. This is even pointed out in the Rifftrax of ''TheMatrix'' where they marvel at how huge the rabbits in the background are, so it looks like Mike Nelson and his friends finally got to riff on ''Night of the Lepus,'' even if it was for only one line.

* ShoutOut: If you look carefully, you can see a few seconds of this movie on the TV when [[TheMatrix Neo]] walks into the Oracle's apartment.

Another legendary bad movie. This is the story of how [[StarTrek Doctor [=McCoy=]]] (OK, OK, [=DeForest=] Kelley, but in a ''really'' orange turtleneck) helped Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh and Rory Calhoun save the world from a herd of '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''.

* CastingGag: Paul Fixx, who plays Sheriff Cody, was Dr. Piper in the second ''StarTrek'' pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before", before being replaced by [=DeForest=] Kelley's Dr. [=McCoy=] for the rest of the series.

Interestingly, this movie was famously ''not'' featured on ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'', despite the show having mentioned it a couple of times, indicating that its creators were aware of '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''. One can only assume they could not resolve the licensing issues (with a much more prominent studio than is usual among their targets)... or else they thought it would be just ''too'' easy. Website/TheAgonyBooth, however, [[http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Night_of_the_Lepus_1972.aspx has no such difficulty]].

Interestingly, this movie was famously ''not'' featured on ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'', despite the show having mentioned it a couple of times, indicating that its creators were aware of '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''. One can only assume they could not resolve the licensing issues (with a much more prominent studio than is usual among their targets)... or else they thought it would be just ''too'' easy. The WebOriginal/AgonyBooth, however, [[http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Night_of_the_Lepus_1972.aspx has no such difficulty]].

* KarmaHoudini: No one ever calls out the little girl on switching the bunnies, which allows the dosed-up one to escape.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Night_of_the_Lepus.jpg
[[caption-width:200:[[NeverTrustATrailer The movie is nowhere near as scary]] as [[ComingAttractions this poster]]... [[CoversAlwaysLie but you knew that, right?]]]]

-->"''Attention! Attention! Ladies and gentlemen, attention! There is a herd of {{killer rabbit}}s headed this way and we desperately need your help!''"
-->-'''Officer Lopez'''

* KarmaHoudini: No one ever calls the the little girl on switching the bunnies, which allows the dosed-up one to escape.

Interestingly, this movie was famously ''not'' featured on ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'', despite the show having mentioned it a couple of times, indicating that its creators were aware of '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits'''. One can only assume they could not resolve the licensing issues (with a much more prominent studio than is usual among their targets)... or else they thought it would be just ''too'' easy. The AgonyBooth, however, [[http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Night_of_the_Lepus_1972.aspx has no such difficulty]].

In the interests of total fairness, wild rabbits can be surprisingly vicious when pushed to it (ask anyone who's ever read ''WatershipDown''). But trying to cast them as menacing, ''growling'' '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' with a lust for human flesh is...proof that when this idea was greenlit the studio execs had just emerged from a decade spent under a rock, being whacked with a stupid stick. The clearly miniscule SFX budget doesn't help.

Eventually, Our Heroes drive the 'shambling hordes' of '''Giant Killer Bunny Rabbits''' over some electrified train tracks, and the viewer is left to imagine them spending the rest of their lives trying to convince people of how brave they were, saving the world from Thumper.