Redundant and unnecessary.

Perfect cast and a good story

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

RABID DOGS is an Italian thriller of the 1970s, directed by master of horror Mario Bava, and perhaps better known for the unfortunate production wranglings surrounding it than for being a top thriller in its own right. The movie's producer died, money dried up, and RABID DOGS never saw the light of day until after the director died in 1990. Since then, Bava's son Lamberto did his own version, KIDNAPPED, which was by all accounts an inferior work, and a French remake of the same name came out in 2015 which is probably better known than the original film.Thankfully, Marc Morris and the team at Arrow have finally put together Mario Bava's original movie and released it onto a stunning Blu-ray which no doubt took a lot of blood, sweat, and painstaking work to achieve. The result is an edge-of-the-seat thriller that throws the viewer into a real-time story of crazed robbers and their hostages in exceptionally harrowing way. This low budget film is set in the interior of a car for most of the running time and yet the suspense never lets up. It's very adult, very gritty, and downbeat too; the performances of the larger-than-life characters are quite electrifying. The first twenty minutes of this film are as well directed and stylish as anything else I could mention. Elements of the movie are inspired by Wes Craven's LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, but Bava's palm-sweating style is all his own.

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.

Robbers take three civilians hostage as they make their getaway via a long cross-country drive. Bava is regarded as one of the masters of Italian cinema, particularly when it comes to horror films. He supposedly is admired by Quentin Tarantino, and the influence can be seen in some of the latter's films. Unfortunately, it's these influential moments featuring repugnant violence that mar Tarantino's films. The problem with this film is not just the violence; it's inept in every way. The acting is dreadful. The camera work is annoying. The dialog is pedestrian. The characters are so one-dimensional that there are cartoon characters with more depth. The plot twist in the end is interesting, but not enough to save this turkey.

"Rabid Dogs" is without a doubt, the best Bava film I've seen. I've seen a lot; if you read my other reviews you'll get a small taste. The pace of this film is unbelievable. You can't take your eyes away from the screen. The criminals are so good you forget at times that you're watching a movie. The nihilism with which Bava conveys the torture and mayhem on screen is a testament to his genius. Films nowadays can't touch the suspense and tension that "Rabid Dogs" builds in the viewer and it's all done with such insane creativity and with what appears to be a minimal budget. George Eastman, aka Luigi Montefiori is classic as 'Thrity Two,' a sadistic criminal who cannot be stopped until one of his own put an end to his carnal rampage.Then there is the ending. I cannot for a moment imagine a better twist and I never saw it coming. I bet you won't either unless you've been clued. Absolutely classic. Awesome music too! Tarantino wishes he was this cool...9 out of 10, kids.