Ben
Top
Plot
This sequel to the rampaging-rodent chiller Willard stars Lee H. Montgomery as young Danny Garrison, a neglected kid who finds a new little friend in Ben -- an intelligent rat whose furry minions managed to slaughter most of the cast of the previous film. Proving that one can't teach an old rat new tricks -- just variations on the old ones -- Ben displays his affection for Danny by directing his posse to off anyone who torments him... in the sweetest possible way, of course, since this is a PG-rated endeavor. This film's reputation was secured primarily by the inclusion of Michael Jackson's saccharine title tune, which seems to resonate more profoundly when regarded as a love song for a big greasy rat. ~ Cavett Binion, RoviCast
- Lee Montgomery - Danny Garrison
- Joseph Campanella - Cliff Kirtland
- Arthur O'Connell - Bill Hatfield
- Rosemary Murphy - Beth Garrison
Credit
Rolland M. Brooks - Art Director, Ray Harp - Costume Designer, Mina Mittleman - Costume Designer, Floyd Joyer - First Assistant Director, Phil Karlson - Director, Harry Gerstad - Editor, Walter Scharf - Composer (Music Score), Russell Metty - Cinematographer, Bing Crosby - Producer, Mort Briskin - Producer, Charles A. Pratt - Producer, Joel Briskin - Producer, Gilbert A. Ralston - Screenwriter, Moe DiSesso - Animal Trainer/Wrangler| Bemani (2002 Film), Belzec (2005 Film) | |
| Ben & Arthur (2002 Film), Ben 10: A Change of Face (2006 Film) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
Top
Ben (film)
| Ben | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Phil Karlson |
| Produced by | Mort Briskin |
| Written by | Gilbert Ralston |
| Starring | Lee Montgomery Joseph Campanella Arthur O'Connell Meredith Baxter |
| Music by | Walter Scharf |
| Cinematography | Russell Metty |
| Studio | Bing Crosby Productions |
| Distributed by | Cinerama Releasing Corporation |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Ben is a 1972 horror film about a young boy and his pet rat, Ben. The film is a sequel to the 1971 film Willard. The film is known for its sentimental theme song performed by Michael Jackson.
|
Contents
|
Plot
A lonely boy named Danny Garrison befriends Ben, the rat leader of the swarm of trained/telepathic rats found in Willard. Ben becomes the boy's best friend, protecting him from bullying and keeping his spirits up in the face of a heart condition.
However, things gradually take a downward turn as Ben's swarm becomes violent, resulting in several deaths. Eventually, the police destroy the rat colony with flame throwers, but Ben survives and makes his way back to Danny. The film closes with Danny, tending to the injured Ben, determined not to lose his friend.
Cast
- Lee Montgomery as Danny Garrison
- Joseph Campanella as Cliff Kirtland
- Arthur O'Connell as Bill Hatfield
- Meredith Baxter as Eve Garrison
- Rosemary Murphy as Beth Garrison
- Kaz Garas as Joe Greer
- Paul Carr as Kelly
- Richard Van Vleet as Reade
- Kenneth Tobey as Engineer
- James Luisi as Ed
- Lee Paul as Careu
- Norman Alden as Policeman
- Scott Garrett as Henry Gray
- Arlen Stuart as Mrs. Gray
- Richard Drasin as George
Theme song
The film's title theme song of the same name is performed by Lee Montgomery in the film and by Michael Jackson over the end credits. Jackson's recording of the song became a #1 pop hit single. Later included on Jackson's album of the same name, "Ben" won a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song (it lost to "The Morning After" from The Poseidon Adventure).
The song is calm and mellow, which contrasts with the horror content of the film. A live recorded version was released on the 1981 album The Jacksons Live! and eventually appeared on Jackson's Number Ones album in 2003.
Crispin Glover re-recorded a version of the song for the soundtrack of the 2003 remake of Willard.
Reception
Ben received mixed to positive reviews, currently holding a 57% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[1]
References
- ^ Ben at Rotten Tomatoes
External links
- Ben at the Internet Movie Database
- Ben at AllRovi
- Ben at Rotten Tomatoes
|
||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
TV listings
Copyright © 2012 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Movie Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.
Read more
