Grizzly Night: Based on a True Story

In 1967, two women were mauled by grizzlies in Glacier National Park. Cocaine was not involved. This film suggests it was caused by good old-fashioned lack of human responsibility. Some experts speculate severe thunderstorms might have also contributed to the bears’ agitation. Regardless, fire prevention duties occupied most of the park rangers, leaving rookie ranger-naturalist Joan Devereaux to largely deal with the madness on her own in Burke Doeren’s Grizzly Night, which releases tomorrow on VOD.

This is not a remake of the animal attack exploitation movie Grizzly! or the Western survival yarn, Night of the Grizzly, starring Clint Howard.  However, it is based on the same events chronicled in Jack Olsen’s nonfiction book also titled Night of the Grizzly. Surprisingly, Doeren’s film follows the facts of the case quite closely. Yet, weirdly, that makes it not quite classifiable as horror, but still generally an “exploitation” movie.

Devereaux was an expert in the park’s plant life, not its grizzlies. She hadn’t given many tours either, but after the thunderstorm, she must fill in where she is needed. When she stops at a privately operated chalet (grandfathered-in, because it predated the park’s charter), she is appalled to discover the manager lets the grizzlies paw through his garbage, to serve as an attraction for the tourists (sort of like whale-watching).

You don’t need to be Marlon Perkins to recognize the danger and distastefulness of such practices. Sure enough, the sounds of people in distress rouse Dr. John Lindberg and his family that night. Dr. Lindberg, Devereaux, and several tourists manage to schlep one of the injured girls, but her fellow clawed camper is still out there.

Ironically, Devereaux receives a report of another grizzly attack, which due to distance and timing is unlikely to be the same bear. Yet, through a twist of fate, both endangered victims were schoolfriends, with different camping parties, because there wasn’t much for teens to do in late 1960s Montana.

It is very clear Grizzly Night has no idea what it wants to be. The cool opening credit sequence evokes the grindhouse as-far-as-you-know-this-is-based-on-a-true-story (which it is) vibe of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Yet, it then settles into a socially conscious environmental thriller bag, until the grizzlies strike. Yet, even the animal attacks are betwixt and between—too tame for horror and too graphic for network television.

Nevertheless, Oded Fehr is terrific as Dr. Lindberg, serving as a reassuring, humane presence. Lauren Call also quite credibly portrays Devereaux, even though the screenplay (credited to Katrina Mathewson, Tanner Bean, and Bo Bean) largely has her running around in circles. However, all the teens act like they are auditioning for a cheesy 1980s slasher references. To be fair, the stilted period references, particularly a cringingly one-sided debate over the Vietnam War doesn’t do anyone any favors.

Doeren and company are certainly correct when they suggest man failed the grizzlies in Glacier National Park, rather than vice versa. Indeed, it pains me to see my grizzly cousins in this situation, which is clearly the reaction they were going for. That is all fine and good, but the clumsy dialogue and messy tonal shifts still make it a rocky viewing experience. It you are in the mood for animal attacks, watch Coyotes or Primate instead. Just not good enough to recommend, Grizzly Night releases tomorrow (1/30) on VOD.