Quick Reviews: Roar (1981)

After the Story of this one made a return in 2015, it was only natural that I'd eventually get around to it.  Let' see if this really so bad...

Before the Film begins, we get this message that seems like more of a confession than anything else.  To note...

"Deputy Sheriffs had to shoot three lions during the flooding of the Marshall ranch. One of these lions was Robbie, the Lion King of the picture. Robbie was a unique black-maned Rhodesian lion."

Basically, this guy- the Director/Writer/Star- is running a Preserve where the Animals run free and basically go where they want.  His aim is honorable, but...

"During production, director/star Noel Marshall was attacked and severely injured by one of the lions in the film. He was hospitalized and it took him several years to completely recover from his injuries."

Due to a miscommunication, his Family arrives early and while he's away.  They have company.  Bear this in mind...

"The lion attacks in Roar (1981) were real."

It is hard to watch the Scenes of the Family in peril when you read stuff like this...

" During filming in 1977, Melanie Griffith was mauled by a lion and required plastic surgery. Griffith reportedly received fifty stitches to her face."

"Tippi Hedren fractured a leg during production when an elephant bucked her off its back when she was riding on top. Moreover, also during production, Hedren was bitten on the back of her head by a lioness called Sheri. Hedren received thirty-eight stitches to the open wound. The incident can be seen in the finished picture. Hedren is hanging to the branch of a tree when thirty-four lions run across her. The thirty-fifth lion bites at her head."

Enjoy watching a man torture his family with animal attacks to teach you that animals are your friends?  This is your Movie!  The End.

 Wow.  Just...wow.  The Film has been described as a $17 million Home Movie.  Given the content, how did we not see this as evidence at a Trial?  Nobody died, but alot of people sure suffered.  Noel Marshall takes his sons (all but one appear in the Film), his wife (the two separated in 1982) and his step-daughter (who allegedly didn't talk to him after she was 23) and throws them into his animal attack house.  Mind you, Noel Marshall died in 2010, so I'm hesitant to talk *too badly* about the dead.  Here's the real thing: did the Movie serve its purpose?  Marshall's point was about showing the beauty and majesty of nature.  Why?  To push people to conserve it, obviously.  I completely agree with his point...but I already did before I watched this.  Seeing this Movie in 2015 makes me afraid to go to Africa now.  We lost someone in the Movie Industry this year due to an unsafe Safari, so this isn't exactly a safe thing.  I can certainly love Nature without having to let numerous Apex Predators live in my house with me.  Roar is what happens when well-meaning people with money do stupid things.  Tippi Hedren still runs the Roar Foundation to actually do stuff, so that's something at least.  One more factoid for the road...

"Cinematographer Jan de Bont was mauled and scalped by a lion on the set. de Bont required over 120 stitches to sew his scalp back from where a lion had bitten his head."

A super-awkward Film to watch for a whole number of reasons.  It is shot well...but all of the shots are super-awkward.