History Film / NightOfTheLepus

In the interests of total fairness, wild rabbits ''can'' be surprisingly vicious when pushed to it (ask anyone who's ever read ''Literature/WatershipDown''). It's also worth noting that the movie's based on a novel, Russell Braddon's ''The Year of the Angry Rabbit'', which is a sci-fi satire of UsefulNotes/AustralianPolitics and the UsefulNotes/ColdWar using that country's perennial efforts to cull [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbits_in_Australia its non-native rabbit population]] as a plot hook. The filmmakers, however, play the story absolutely straight, dropping the novel's Australian setting and comedy elements, resulting in...well, a horror movie about giant, killer bunny rabbits.

Interestingly, this movie was famously ''not'' featured on ''Series/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. Although it did get the ''Podcast/RiffTrax'' treatment.

** Likewise for the title. The studio was obviously counting on moviegoers not knowing what "Lepus" means.[[note]] Technically "lepus" is the genus name for hares, which are considered a separate genus from rabbits, though the difference is sufficiently arcane to make much difference.[[/note]]

** Likewise for the title. The studio was obviously counting on moviegoers not knowing what "Lepus" means.[[note]] Technically "lepus" is the genus name for hares, which are considered a separate genus from rabbits, though the difference is sufficiently arcane for lay viewers to worry about.[[/note]]

** Likewise for the title. The studio was obviously counting on moviegoers not knowing what "Lepus" means.

In the interests of total fairness, wild rabbits ''can'' be surprisingly vicious when pushed to it (ask anyone who's ever read ''Literature/WatershipDown''). It's also worth noting that the movie's based on a novel, Russell Braddon's ''The Year of the Angry Rabbit'', which is more of a satire of UsefulNotes/AustralianPolitics and the UsefulNotes/ColdWar inspired by the perennial efforts to cull [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbits_in_Australia that country's non-native rabbit population]] than a science fiction/horror story. The filmmakers, however, play things absolutely straight, dropping the novel's comedy elements (which, admittedly, may not have easily translated to audiences outside of Australia), resulting in...well, a horror movie about giant, killer bunny rabbits.

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

* FilmOfTheBook: According to the credits anyway, this is an adaptation of ''Year of the Angry Rabbit'', by Russell Braddon. The book was actually a satire on corrupt politicians, with the addition of killer rabbits. Since they used a different title and completely different plot it isn't clear why they bothered.

In the interests of total fairness, wild rabbits ''can'' be surprisingly vicious when pushed to it (ask anyone who's ever read ''Literature/WatershipDown''). It's also worth noting that the movie's based on a novel, Russell Braddon's ''The Year of the Angry Rabbit'', which is more of a satire of Australian politics and the UsefulNotes/ColdWar inspired by the perennial efforts to cull [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbits_in_Australia that country's non-native rabbit population]] than a science fiction/horror story. The filmmakers, however, play things absolutely straight, dropping the novel's comedy elements (which, admittedly, may not have easily translated to audiences outside of Australia) and becoming...well, a horror movie about giant, killer bunny rabbits.

* 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 the interests of total fairness, wild rabbits ''can'' be surprisingly vicious when pushed to it (ask anyone who's ever read ''Literature/WatershipDown''). It's also worth noting that the movie's based on a novel, Russell Braddon's ''The Year of the Angry Rabbit'', which is more of a satire of Australian politics and the UsefulNotes/ColdWar depicted through the perennial efforts to cull [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbits_in_Australia that country's non-native rabbit population]] than a science fiction/horror story. The filmmakers, however, play things absolutely straight, dropping the novel's comedy elements (which, admittedly, may not have easily translated to audiences outside of Australia) and becoming...well, a horror movie 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 ''Literature/WatershipDown''). It's also worth noting that the movie's based on a novel, Russell Braddon's ''The Year of the Angry Rabbit'', which is as much a satire of Australian politics and the UsefulNotes/ColdWar depicted through the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbits_in_Australia perennial efforts to cull that country's non-native rabbit population]] as it is a science fiction/horror story. The movie, however, plays the story absolutely straight, missing the novel's satire (which, admittedly, may not have easily translated to audiences outside of Australia) and becoming...well, a horror movie 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 ''Literature/WatershipDown''). It's also worth noting that the movie's based on a novel, Russell Braddon's ''The Year of the Angry Rabbit'', which is as much a satire of Australian politics and the UsefulNotes/ColdWar depicted through the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbits_in_Australia perennial efforts to cull that country's non-native rabbit population]] as it is a science fiction/horror story. The movie, however, plays the story absolutely straight, missing the story's satire (which, admittedly, may not have translated to audiences outside of Australia) and becoming...well, a horror movie 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 ''Literature/WatershipDown''). But trying to cast them as menacing 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.

* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: Lampshaded in the RiffTrax. "Now THAT'S how you scream like a little girl!"

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

Another legendary bad movie. This 1972 effort, directed by William F. Claxton, is the story of how [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Doctor [=McCoy=]]] (OK, OK, Creator/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'''.

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 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.

No, really. The idea is that experimental hormone injections, intended to stop the rabbits' breeding as an environmentally-friendly form of pest control, actually cause 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.

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.

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d63f5152130cc27f5f3a4b4b4f96290f.jpg]]

Another legendary bad movie. This is the story of how [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Doctor [=McCoy=]]] (OK, OK, Creator/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'''.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d63f5152130cc27f5f3a4b4b4f96290f.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[NeverTrustATrailer The movie is nowhere near as scary]] as [[ComingAttractions this poster]]... [[CoversAlwaysLie but you knew that, right?]]]]

* HollywoodScience: Hey, let's see what this totally unknown serum does to rabbits! Then we can leave a young child alone with them!
* IdiotHoudini: The little girl who switches out the bunnies in the first place, aided and abetted by the little boy who subsequently allows the dosed-up one to escape. The father who ran the experiment is similarly never punished or so much as scolded for his clear lax security measures that allowed this to happen.

* LabPet: The movie's set-up. The Scientist's daughter has grown attached to one of the test rabbits, and she swaps him with one from the control group. When said rabbit escape, it leads to the invasion of giant rabbits.

* TheWatson: Amanda, Roy and Gerry's daughter, who asks all the scientific questions.

* 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.

->''"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?![='=]"''

[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d63f5152130cc27f5f3a4b4b4f96290f.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:200:[[NeverTrustATrailer The movie is nowhere near as scary]] as [[ComingAttractions this poster]]... [[CoversAlwaysLie but you knew that, right?]]]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d63f5152130cc27f5f3a4b4b4f96290f.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[NeverTrustATrailer The movie is nowhere near as scary]] as [[ComingAttractions this poster]]... [[CoversAlwaysLie but you knew that, right?]]]]