Rabid Dogs (1974)

Rabid Dogs, or Cani arrabbiati, (1974) is a cheesy but enthralling thriller. While it may not stand the test of time due to how unintentionally funny it can be, this film has some of the best pacing I have ever seen. There is not a single boring moment in the entirety of its runtime. Everything is consistently being pushed in one singular motion, with no signs of ever stopping. As goofy as this may sound, Italian is somehow the perfect language for this film to be set in. There's just something so entertaining about Italian men frustratingly yelling at each other. The acting is also quite believable, and after a while, it didn't even feel like they were even acting in the first place. Like I previously mentioned, the biggest flaw in this entire movie is how dated it feels. The tension is still high, but it is extremely over-the-top. Nevertheless, 'Rabid Dogs' is still an exhilarating watch.

After the heist of the payment of the employees of a chemical industry where the treasurer and a security guard are murdered, the driver of the runaway car of the criminals Dottore (Maurice Poli), Bisturi (Don Backy) and Trentadue (Luigi Montefiori) is shot and a bullet hits the gas tank. The car runs out of gas and the trio is forced to run to the parking lot of a mall where they kill one woman and kidnap her friend Maria (Lea Lander) and use her car to escape from the police. They are chased by the police but they carjack the car of the middle-aged Riccardo (Riccardo Cucciolla), who is driving his unconscious ill son to the hospital for an emergency surgery. They force the calm RIccardo to drive them out of the city using secondary roads to escape from the blocks in the highway. During the trip, the tension increases but Riccardo and Dottore manage to control the situation until an unexpected conclusion. "Rabid Dogs" is a masterpiece of tension and suspense of Mario Bava. The immediate association that I made was with the famous Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" that is visibly inspired in this movie, but less realistic and tense. This is the first time that I have seen "Rabid Dogs" and the dialogs and situations are still very impressive; imagine thirty-five years ago the impact of this movie. The claustrophobic location inside a car where most of this feature was shot transmits the horror of Maria with the cruelty and sadism of Bisturi (that means scalpel and not blade) and Trentadue. The final twist is totally unexpected but makes a perfect sense to the plot. Now I intend to see the restored version "Kidnapped" also available on the DVD. My vote is nine.Title (Brazil): Not Available

Four criminals rob the weekend payroll of a pharmaceutical company.After one is killed by the police,the others ditch the getaway car.They steal another belonging to everyman Riccardo.They take him,his young sick baby and a woman off the street named Maria hostage and head for the open road."Rabid Dogs" is easily the darkest and most cynical film of a talented horror director Mario Bava.It concentrates on the character dynamics and the growing suspense on what will happen to unfortunate hostages.The violence and abuse is mean-spirited and the ugliness oozes from the screen.The scene,where two thugs force Maria to urinate is unforgettable in its grim nastiness.There are a lot of twists and turns in a surprisingly straightforward story.Overall,I'd highly recommend "Rabid Dogs" to fans of Mario Bava and exploitation movies.9 out of 10.

This is one of my favorite Bava films. The way the characters and plot evolves throughout the picture is so intense and exciting. Acting is great. Great dialog, music, atmosphere and just about everything is perfect.The movie is very realistic. And it doesn't try to blow you away with cheesy explosions or wild car chases. Rabid Dogs simply shows you a realistic view of a hostage takeover. If you are interested in a dark and violent thriller then I highly recommend Rabid Dogs. It kind of reminds me of Reservoir Dogs, just without all of the flashbacks.Overall this is a great movie with a different kind of genre from Bava. I won't spoil anything for you; all I can say is that everything can happen.