Rats: Night of Terror (R 18+) PRESENTED IN 35MM FILM

Rats: Night of Terror (R 18+, 1984) Presented in 35mm Film by The Revival House Perth

Deep in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, decades after nuclear war has decimated civilization, a gang of scavenging outlaws stumbles upon what appears to be an abandoned underground bunker, seemingly untouched since the devastation above. Believing they've discovered a sanctuary stocked with valuable supplies, the group settles in for what they hope will be a peaceful respite from the harsh world outside. Their relief proves catastrophically short-lived: the bunker is infested with a monstrous, mutated colony of rats, grown massive and ravenous from generations of radiation exposure, who begin hunting the intruders with terrifying speed and ferocity. Trapped underground with no clear means of escape, the desperate survivors must find a way to fight off the swarming horde before they're overwhelmed entirely.

Director Bruno Mattei delivers a gleefully grotesque entry in the Italian post-apocalyptic horror boom of the 1980s, embracing low-budget practical effects and relentless creature-feature spectacle over narrative sophistication. The film's massive, mutated rat puppets and makeup effects work commit fully to their gruesome, over-the-top premise, delivering the kind of committed genre excess that has made Mattei a cult favourite among fans of Italian exploitation cinema. Blending post-apocalyptic wasteland aesthetics with claustrophobic creature-horror tension, the film revels in its own trashy excess, offering unpretentious, gore-soaked thrills for genre enthusiasts. Rats: Night of Terror stands as a beloved curiosity of the era's international horror boom, its committed absurdity and practical creature effects earning it lasting cult appreciation.

Original format and audio experience of this film faithfully reproduced by The Revival House. Presented in 35mm film unless noted otherwise.

When: Sunday, November 1st at 2:00PM
Where: The Revival House at the Como Theatre
Rating: R 18+ (The content is high in impact)

Mattei's gloriously trashy creature feature delivers post-apocalyptic mutant rat mayhem—experience this beloved cult curiosity on 35mm film.