"Connoisseurs" of adult movie material got a big surprise watching David Cronenberg's Rabid. Following on from the cerebral Canadian's body horror classic Shivers, this effort saw a young woman go on a sexually-charged, highly infectious rampage through the metropolis after she acquired weird, zombie-like tendencies after an operation. Foreshadowing the likes of Under The Skin and other predatory female films, the production became as memorable for its casting as its vivid subject matter. After attempts to hire Sissy Spacek fell through, Cronenberg was pointed in the direction of porn star Marilyn Chambers. In some ways it made perfect sense to give Chambers her first major acting role. Her desirability would fuel enough gory spectacle to put The Walking Dead to shame. In others, it was an extraordinary piece of surprise casting that some never recovered from. The section of the audience who knew who she was (without wanting to admit it!) were faced with an alarming new take on their erotic performer of choice. A Triffid-like attack prong coming out of her armpit ensured her fans got scarred for life!
I am a journalist and comedian who enjoys American movies of the 70s, Amicus horror compendiums, Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Naomi Watts and sitting down. My short fiction has been published as part of the Iris Wildthyme range from Obverse Books.
