The film starts the late Robert Urich (Spenser For Hire) as a washed up cop, nursing a number of scars both physical and emotional, wanting time with his daughter in a new town. His character Ruben has a friend living in a small farming community and figures that this is an ideal place to start. Having been in the town only a short time it becomes apparent that something is not quite right, tension is among the town leading characters, and rumours of cattle mutilation are rife. Ruben’s friend Joe Hiatt (Paul Dooley) suspects government conspiracy, or possibly even aliens. As each day new cattle turn up mutilated, with no evidence of any tracks surrounding the corpses, Joe gets vocal about his views, when this leads to his sudden death its down to Ruben to solve a mystery and avenge the death of his friend.
Director Alan Rudolph has always been an interesting character; his movies however always seem very similar, particularly during the 1980’s. So this 1982 offering is a stark contrast from the glossy gangsters, and sleepy laid back nature of other movies of that era in his career. There is nothing glossy about Endangered Species its dark, gritty and incredibly unpleasant but at the same time addictive viewing. It’s a thriller movie, but with its heart firmly set in horror.
You do have to say that with leading lights of Urich and Jobeth Williams, you cannot help but expect something a little “TV” like, and no disrespect to the actors, but I firmly believe its this stereotype that prevented the movie from getting the audience it truly deserves. While Williams was in the Poltergeist movies, you cannot deny that although they were horror movies, they did have a somewhat Disney feel about them. So combine this duo with images of peoples intestines bursting out through their stomachs, and it is quite a surprise.
Endangered Species reeks of menace; there is the aroma of threat in almost every scene of the movie. And it’s this unpleasantness that for horror fans makes the movie all the more appealing. Further unpleasant vibes emanate when you realise that although the movies events are fictional, that its roots are coming from something that is very much fact. Cattle mutilation was indeed rife in America in the 60’s and 70’s and no real solutions were found, only the odd leaked document, and rumours that seem to form mass opinion now. Endangered Species gives one solution to these terrible mutilations, but in offering a solution it leaves further questions.
The movie is served well by its supporting roles; the rather interesting Peter Coyote turns up as a rather ruthless individual determined to meet his agenda. While Hoyt Axton, and Gailard Sartan offer roles as individuals who conspire.
Gary Wraight’s soundtrack is twenty years ahead of its time, its cutting edge, and very modern even 29 years after it was made. The majority of the movies fear factor is heavily indebted to Wraight’s score.
Endangered Species starts strong and runs most of the running time this way, but after 90 minutes of threat and adrenalin-rushing storylines the movies conclusion is very much a damp squib. You almost feel as if you are watching a movie recorded on Videotape, and the tape ran out before the movies conclusion, it’s only the end credit sequence that assures you the movie has ended.
If you like your movies dark, and you like to really feel the presence of true unpleasantness in a movie, they you’ll really love Endangered Species, and despite its rather sudden and unfinished ending, it remains one of my favourite movies of the last 30 years.
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