It is animal attack month at Severin Films, well aside from the tremendous 4k Santa Sangre release, and in a way that HAD ANIMALS in it (that elephant funeral kills me every time). Earlier in the month we got an excellent release of the underseen sharksploitationer Deep Blood by Italian exploitation king Joe D’Amato, and now they’re following it with the one-two punch of William Girdler’s Grizzly and Day of the Animals.

Grizzly is familiar territory for those who watch basically any amount of “Animals attack” films. A string of grizzly attacks begin at Yellowstone National Park involving female campers (of course). The Chief Ranger (Christopher freakin’ George), alongside a local chopper pilot, and a bear hunter, begin to hunt down the bear and stop the terror!

So Grizzly is one of those PG movies, that came about where it wasn’t hard enough for an R, but probably should have been. In other words where Jaws was restrained this one is not quite, and there are moments that will SHOCK most viewers. Of course, we also get Christopher George in a lead role, and I will always happily take it. It’s not like he’s any different from role to role, but he’s always damn good and fun to watch in whatever he’s in.

We then come to Day of the Animals. This is a follow up from Girdler to Grizzly, not quite a sequel, but he’s playing in the same ballpark. But, here is the thing Day of the Animals makes Grizzly look restrained in comparison so apparently Girdler was having more fun with these as he goes. So this one again features Christopher George with his wife Lynda Day George in tow! They play a pair of tour guides who are guiding a group of hikers on a trip up a mountain. They get a helicopter ride up to the site and after that ALL BETS ARE OFF. Apparently, due to the aerosols that took out the O-Zone layer nature has gone amok, and is now seeking revenge. As the trip begins the hikers begin to get attacked by all sorts of creatures. Down in the local community the military have taken over, because this isn’t just a minor issue local to the mountain.

Grizzly I’d seen before Day of the Animals I’d heard of, but not seen. I had zero expectations going in, and those non-expectations were blown out of the water. We had Leslie Nielsen as a sleazy rapist hiker, who gets his in a vicious way. Lots of crazed animals, soldiers right out of the Crazies roaming the community trying to save people from crazed animals. This film is NUTS.

Both of these films have seen a release from Scorpion Releasing circa 2013, but now they’re back via Severin with new scans. Both films are presented 2:35:1 with very filmlike and natural looking transfers. Audio is handled in English mono tracks that come through crisp and clear. Extras for both are stacked. We get interviews with Stephen Thrower on both, audio interviews and commentaries, multiple on camera interviews, radio spots, trailers, TV spots, and so much more.

Sold separately, but paired extremely well together Severin’s releases of Grizzly and Day of the Animals are extremely necessary Blu-ray experiences for the “Animals Attack” fan in your life. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!