~Spoiler~
Before viewing the remake, I decided to take a look at the lost original. Willard is an unusual piece of horror from the early 70's. It portrays an interesting character study of Willard Stiles, a Momma's boy who seemingly can't even think for himself. As far as that goes, I think it's a brilliant film. Bruce Davison is fascinating in this role. His character actually grows during the course of the movie and he portrays Willard very well. Ernest Borgnine is at his usual best as well. He plays the villain, and he's good, I just find him too damn likable. Then again, I have never been more p*ssed in my life at someone killing a rat. My only problem with Willard is that it hasn't aged real well. It's unmistakably a film from the 70's and I think that takes away from it a little bit. The thing that surprised me the most was the low body count. This film is more about a young man coming out of his shell than it is about killer rats. That doesn't make it a bad movie, there's just not too much horror in it. I happened to really enjoy it and I'm looking forward to the remake as well. The ending may have been anti-climatic, but it was fitting. You don't turn your back on your friends, even if they are killer rats. Younger audiences will crave more bloodshed but the core story is still very solid and worth watching. Willard could certainly use a DVD transfer.
Before viewing the remake, I decided to take a look at the lost original. Willard is an unusual piece of horror from the early 70's. It portrays an interesting character study of Willard Stiles, a Momma's boy who seemingly can't even think for himself. As far as that goes, I think it's a brilliant film. Bruce Davison is fascinating in this role. His character actually grows during the course of the movie and he portrays Willard very well. Ernest Borgnine is at his usual best as well. He plays the villain, and he's good, I just find him too damn likable. Then again, I have never been more p*ssed in my life at someone killing a rat. My only problem with Willard is that it hasn't aged real well. It's unmistakably a film from the 70's and I think that takes away from it a little bit. The thing that surprised me the most was the low body count. This film is more about a young man coming out of his shell than it is about killer rats. That doesn't make it a bad movie, there's just not too much horror in it. I happened to really enjoy it and I'm looking forward to the remake as well. The ending may have been anti-climatic, but it was fitting. You don't turn your back on your friends, even if they are killer rats. Younger audiences will crave more bloodshed but the core story is still very solid and worth watching. Willard could certainly use a DVD transfer.