Night of Fear (1972)

A killer in the forest stalks his victims.
Starring: Norman Yemm, Carla Hoogeveen, Briony Behets, and a bunch of rats

Link to IMDB

I'll say this first; this is only 50 minutes long and there's no dialog, but damn it's an effective little horror.

Even before the opening credits we see a lady wandering around in the forest get attacked (and presumably murdered) by a Man when she stumbles upon his secluded shack.
Just with these few opening minutes the movie already establishes a tense and disturbing mood, with creepy, jarring music and a savage killer out of his mind.
It's only going to get weirder!

Next we see a young Woman as she meets her boyfriend in the countryside for a bit of afternoon love-making. As she's driving back into town she gets diverted down an unused dirt road, where her car crashes into a hole and has her stranded alone for the night. The Man comes along and instantly terrifies the Woman when he attacks her! She escapes into the woods, with the maniac intently following.



When the Woman finds her way to a shack, she hopes that she's found someone to help her or at least a place to hide. Her nightmare has just begun though, because she's wandered right into the bloody, rat infested home of the Man!

Wow, this movie sure does a lot with very little.
Without a plot, this is more of a psychological exploration of what happens when fear and madness collide, but it's so effective and stylish that it's a complete thrill to watch. There's an overall experimental quality to how the story is told, with the editing and camera work adding to the sensation that we are witnessing something twisted.
It's unnervingly fun, steeped in hysteria and a macabre atmosphere; and things only get crazier when we learn what the Man does with his victims!



This was an independent project originally intended as a television pilot, but was deemed too obscene for TV. Although tame by today's standards of R ratings, the filmmakers had to fight the Australian censors just to get a small run in theaters.
It's doubtful that Tobe Hooper saw this obscure project before he made The Texas Chainsaw Massacre a year later, but it definitely feels like a precursor to that classic.
Night of Fear is an outrageous and voyeuristic glimpse into madness that was ahead of its time. A hidden gem from the beginnings of modern horror worth seeing.

Be sure not to miss:
- The photo of butts made me laugh.
- With no dialog, the Man instead yells some wacky gobbledygook worth hearing.
- Rats enoooouuuugh!!

Internet review:
"It was like watching an actual nightmare unfold. This was fucking great!" - CropsyABC

Should I watch it?
Yes. Even on historical cred alone, this is worth a watch.

Where can I find it?
Here on YouTube.

Night of Fear gets...