NIGHT OF THE LEPUS / A.C. Lyles Productions - 1972

Welcome to Friday Night Drive-In with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. Tonite's offering had a fairly large budget for 1972, $900,000! It's all about big mutant wabbits (lepus) living underground in Ajo, Arizona!!

Our story starts with a dire warning from the International community when it comes to dealing with wascally wabbits!

The music is by Jimmie Haskell, who's had a pretty interesting career as a composer. He did the music for SURF PARTY, WILD ON THE BEACH, THE WICKED DREAMS OF PAULA SCHULTZ, DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY and a flick near and dear to us at The Dungeon, ZACHARIAH! He also worked on Krofft's DR. SHRINKER for Saturday morning TV.

Lettuce bring in our lil' Friday Night fiend and button pusher, sure 'nuf, Rufus The Gnat!.. Hooray for Rufus! Whenever we see the fly guy, welp, it means that he's ready to start our Eariffic Soundclip, so, push the big red 'GO' button, now, Rufus! Here're some sounds from... NIGHT OF THE LEPUS!

Here are Rory (MOTEL HELL) Calhoun as Cole, our man Stuart (DEATHWORK) Whitman as Roy, Janet (PSYCHO) Leigh as Gerry and what's his name back there. Roy and Gerry are zoologists there to help Cole figure out an ecologically sound way to deal with the varmints on his property.

Let's not forget about DeForest Kelley who plays the pouty, Elgin Clark. Imagine, being named after a clock and have the last name of a candy bar!

Some of the other farmers, though, just like to watch things blow the Hell up...

Lesson: Don't stop your stupid truck in East Podunk late at night just to check your damn load!

...SEE!!

Looks like the Lepus have a bad case of THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN!

Hey, and this looks like it could be from a new version of THEM!

When I saw this shot of looking up from inside the hole, I decided to put up my painting from 1985 called EXTERMINATORS: 2062, because of the likeness.

...A few more explosions before we move along.

Hell, they're no messier than most people!

Hewp, wabbits on da' wun!

They break into the general store and grab a few snacks!

Really nice miniature work!

Looks like the director's going to yell 'cut' here in a second!

Ahhh, the good old days, when things were a bit simpler.

Attention! Attention! Ladies and gentlemen, attention! There's a herd of killer rabbits headed this way and we desperately need your help!.. Officer Lopez needs everbloody to leave the drive-in and go to a designated area so they can line their cars up side by side and form a headlight wall to repel the oncoming horde.

Meanwhile, back at the junction, the electric company prepares a high-voltage death trap for the lumbering mutant invaders!

And... Here they come!!

KA-EFFIN-ZAP-A-ROONIE!!!

Mmmm, mmm! Smews dewicious, weady for some fwied wabbit?..