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    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1970s
    Movies - 1970s Movies - B 1 Min Read

    Ben (1972)

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    Just your typical “8-year-old-boy-with-heart-condition meets highly-intelligent-killer-rat and wreaks havoc on a small California town” story.

    This sequel to Willard (1971) is probably best known for its theme song (a stirring love ballad sung to the titular rat which was a hit for 14-year-old Michael Jackson), as few horror aficionados have much time for its unconvincing blend of gore and gushing sentimentality.

    Yet it’s a polished piece of work, with director Phil Karlson exercising the restraint he brought to his 1950s crime films, while the experience of 150-plus features is readily apparent in the atmospheric photography of Russell Metty (shooting his penultimate picture).

    ben_002

    Lee Harcourt Montgomery is fine as the kid sheltering the rodent hordes, and Joseph Campanella business-like as the pursuing cop who discovers who is leading a pack of killer rats.

    Danny Garrison
    Lee Montgomery
    Cliff Kirtland
    Joseph Campanella
    Bill Hatfield
    Arthur O’Connell
    Beth Garrison
    Rosemary Murphy
    Eve Garrison
    Meredith Baxter
    Joe Greer
    Kaz Garas
    Kelly
    Paul Carr
    Reade
    Richard Van Fleet

    Director
    Phil Karlson

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    Previous ArticleBeneath The Planet Of The Apes (1970)
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