Netflix Adds Lost Horror Movie Starring George Clooney, Charlie Sheen and Laura Dern
The horror genre has long served as a launching point for emerging talent. Oscar winners Brad Pitt and Tom Hanks both got their start in horror movies. So did Johnny Depp, Kevin Bacon, and Paul Rudd. I think the genre serves as a logical entry point to the film industry because horror pictures can be made somewhat cheaply and don’t necessarily rely on bankable stars. That makes it feasible for fledgling talent to gain a foothold and showcase their abilities.
Though both Charlie Sheen and George Clooney descend from Hollywood royalty, they still had to prove their worth like any other up-and-comer. Each appeared in low-budget genre pics early in their careers. Sheen starred in the supernatural horror film The Wraith, and Clooney appeared in the campy genre comedy Return to Horror High. Their horror credentials don’t stop there, though.
The actors both make brief appearances in André Szöts‘ Grizzly II: Revenge, a low-budget horror sequel shot in the early ‘80s. The picture, which also features Laura Dern, faced a troubled road to release and didn’t even see the light of day for several decades. The production was plagued by issues, including misappropriation of funds, a malfunctioning mechanical bear, and a number of other challenges. In the face of such adversity, the shoot wrapped well before the film was even finished.
Grizzly II, which follows the exploits of a pissed off bear who goes on a violent rampage at a concert in Yellowstone National Park, would likely have remained incomplete indefinitely if not for the perseverance of producer Suzanne C. Nagy. Nagy held on to the footage after production halted and endeavored to see that it was finally assembled several decades later. However, that was no easy task. She was short 17 minutes of footage and had to source thousands of clips to prep the picture for its eventual release in 2020.
The end result, which is now available to stream on Netflix, is a noticeably flawed labor of love. Most reviews call the film an incoherent mess. Yet, bad movie enthusiasts seem to have a soft spot for it. Check out the social media reactions below to see what I’m talking about.
If you’re in the market for a film that’s so bad it’s good, Grizzly II ranks up there with the best, or should I say worst, of them. After a decades-long wait, you can finally see it for yourself. Make your way over to Netflix to see what you think.
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