Panic (1982)

I have to give full marks to an Italian movie, set in a small town in England, that starts off with infected experimental rats going amok in an aspirin-manufacturing company's laboratory, then straight to two of the monster's first victims having sex in a car--all in the first five minutes. That's fine pacing for a low-budget film. It was certainly enjoyable and a fun watch--too bad the film was uneven, and that breakneck (pardon the pun!) pace of its start couldn't be maintained. An intriguing premise, of a clandestine germ-warfare experiment gone awry, and both the government and police being in on the ultimate 'Plan Q'--destroying all life (people and animals) in the city--claiming it's 'better to kill 1,000 early than have to kill 1,000,000 later'.

With the right budget for makeup and acting, and in the right screenwriting and directorial hands, this could have really been something, far more than the 'so-bad-it's-good' territory 'Panic' holds. I thoroughly enjoyed the attempt, however--the homages to 'Psycho', 'The Third Man' and other great films really brought a smile to my face. Movies like THIS, in which the ambition far outrun the result, are ones that should be remade, in my humble opinion.