The films produced by Arch Hall Sr. and starring Arch Hall Jr. are overall an entertaining lot, considering the low budgets. They made a juvenile delinquent film (the Choppers), a horror comedy (Eegah), a rock and roll film in the Jailhouse Rock vein (Wild Guitar), a gritty crime film (the Sadist), and eventually a western (Deadwood '76), so it's not a surprise that they would make a slapstick comedy, and since this was made right after IT'S A MAD MAD MAD WORLD, I'm assuming the filmmakers saw this as in that vein, with a little rock and roll thrown in. Arch Jr. plays Britt Hunter, a rock and roll singing spy who is assigned to defeat a Russian agent who is carrying a rabbit that is carrying a vial of lethal bacteria...or something like that. A bunch of Keystone Cops-style international spies--played as broad ethnic stereotypes reminiscent of Jerry Lewis's "japanese" characters--are also after the rabbit and the Russian. If I saw this at a rural drive-in with a few kids in the car and maybe a beer or two in my system, I think it would work quite well as a film. I remember seeing this on TV as a kid and thinking it was as funny as, say, a typical Beverly Hillbillies episode. Arch Hall, a bit nervous on-screen in The Choppers, his first film, was relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera by this time, and he does a good job, looking good and acting cool. I don't know why this film is bashed so much-- I'd put it on the same shelf with the 1966 rock and roll spy parody OUT OF SIGHT, except that that film had a much bigger budget and was made by a big studio, Universal. The Nasty Rabbit is MEANT to be a ridiculous, exaggerated slapstick comedy played on such a broad level that children would enjoy it. The color photography is nice (and the Rhino VHS video is letter-boxed!), and considering the small budget that the Halls surely had to work with, they made an entertaining product. Where else can you see Arch Hall Sr. in a dual role--in fact, near the end of the film, he is playing in the same scene with himself!
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django-120 February 2005
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El-Stumpo1 November 2007A few of us over the age of thirty five remember an Eighties spy spoof from the makers of Flying High. In Top Secret, a pre-obnoxious Val Kilmer stars as a pretty boy Sixties rock singer who heads behind the Iron Curtain, and engages in some espionage silliness mixed with fake Beach Boys tracks. Now, if Nasty Rabbit from 1964 wasn't its direct inspiration, I'll eat my fake fur hat.
It's another film from Fairway International, a next-to-no budget production outfit set up to promote would-be rocker and matinée idol Arch Hall Jr. In fact Nasty Rabbit, or Spies-A-Go-Go (its original title, still visible on a road sign during the opening credits) is more of a shameless vanity vehicle to showcase the fading though still ham-flavored properties of arch-auteur Arch Hall SENIOR as producer "Nicholas Merriweather", co-writer, and in not one but TWO roles as American government man Dr McKinley and a Russian submarine commander, who sounds like he found his accent in the bottom of a vodka bottle. He dispatches the painfully lovable Mishkin aka Agent X-11 to let loose a little white rabbit with a vial of bacteria around its furry neck to let loose on the Free World. With the bunny disguised as a camera box, he goes undercover on the Killdeer Dude Ranch, perched on the edge of the Continental Divide where the bunny can do the most damage. And, as cowboy "Laughing Moose O'Brien" (see how sophisticated the humor gets?), he believes he has the stupid decadent Americans fooled. Jackie Gavin, the Killdeer ranch owner's daughter, says to Mishkin "You're the first cowboy I ever saw who drinks vodka!" "Oh " he replies, "Because I'm half-breed Indian." Hmmmm Let's consider the racial implications of that comment for a moment! At this point Arch Hall Jr rides in on a white charger (read: chopper) as "dreamy" recording star and secret agent Brett Hunter to play a gig with his combo The Archers at the Killdeer Ranch whilst keeping an eye on the damned Russkies. Of course it's no Fairway picture without Arch-Baby, who tears through a musical number or two to a presumably bribed audience of admirers. But for once he plays more like fifth or sixth banana to a gaggle of fast-aging Vaude-Villains out-mugging each other as an international smörgåsbord of agents and counter agents in on the bunny caper. There's Japanese Colonel Kobayashi, still in his WW2 threads, dwarfish Israeli agent Maxwell Schtump, Senor Gonzalez from South of de Border, Heinrich Kruger Former "nutty Nazi" that old chestnut - now representing the West German team, and not to forget Chuckle the Wonder Dog. However it's the boxed bunny himself who gets the best lines of chipmunkish internal dialog courtesy of his Jewish speech writer.
Like every Fairway picture, it has a family ranch feel: The Sadist's James Landis is back in the director's seat, Eegah's Richard Kiel aka Jaws from The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker, plays a cowboy with gigantism, and the film looks fantastic thanks to Fairway's future Oscar-winning cameramen "William"/Vilmos Zsigmond and second unit "Leslie"/Lazslo Kovacs, but even they can't hide the boom mike shadows on the plywood walls. Real life Vegas showgirl, gangster's moll and perennial sex kitten Liz Renay plays Cecilia Solomon, love goddess in a halo of cigarette smoke, of no fixed allegiance other than the international community of Hopeless Romantics. As memorable as she is in Arch's final film Deadwood '76 and Ray Dennis Steckler's The Thrill Killers (both 1965) and John Waters' Desperate Living (1977), here she's plain painful, and over-enunciates each line like she's dictating the Kabbalah to a deaf monk.
It's as if Arch Sr saw It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World the previous year and tried to copy its "throw in a thousand jokes and a thousand cameos and one of them has to work" approach. Naturally it backfires on the Halls; whilst their earlier films are unintentionally hilarious, Nasty Rabbit has the exact opposite effect. Part of that idiotic pre-post-modern American idea of comedy, alternately described as "zany", "kooky", and a boatload of other obnoxious buzzwords, Nasty Rabbit's like an extended episode of Get Smart written by a small navy of sea monkeys, who moonlight as the creative team behind Laugh-In. Needless to say, I'd be checking those sea monkeys' credentials, if I wasn't shaking my head in disbelief over the sheer chutzpah of the 1964 spy-a-go-go saga Nasty Rabbit. -
LynxMatthews25 October 2004As stated earlier, there are only so many times one can watch a Japanese guy fall out of a tree. The slapstick in this is of such a desperate and unpleasant quality, it'll give you a headache. BUT...
If you are looking for reasons to watch, they are as follows:
Opening credits. They are painted on giant plywood rabbits that were placed outside and then filmed. It makes for a colorful and crazy opening.
Arch Jr. The guy actually shows some star power here. Casual and cool-looking, unfortunately he isn't in it very much. He sings only one song.
Last and not least: The girl, "Jackie". She is totally cute. Just gorgeous and photographed very well. Sort of Natalie Portman-esque in her charms. Why never in another film?? -
chuckc2 June 2004But those people haven't sat through this movie. I thought that "Hillbillies in a Haunted House" was the nadir of low-budget movies, but I'll be damned if Hollywood didn't dig itself a deeper hole with "Nasty Rabbit."
The plot is a bunch of idiocy (especially sad because it's supposed to be funny) involving a Soviet plot to infect the U.S. with a deadly plague via an infected rabbit. Of course, spies from many countries are involved, and every ethnic group (from both hemispheres) is demeaned and insulted. After about five minutes of this, you'll find yourself begging for Arch Hall, Jr., to stop and warble a few tunes.
By the end, if you make it that far, you'll be hoping that the rabbit completes its mission. -
cyoder-128 April 2006This could have been a funny movie, but it wasn't. More capable hands might have made it work. This is not the worst movie I have ever seen. I can think of at least that was worse; if memory serves me correctly, that one also starred Arch Hall, Jr.
The movie was full of demeaning ethnic stereotypes. Why foreign spies would run around wearing their native costumes, I have no idea.
There are a couple of halfway decent performances in this movie, or it may be that they only seem that way because of the atrocious acting they are surrounded by.
One of the few pleasures I received from watching this misbegotten movie was seeing the cars the spies drove. I once owned and have fond memories of a car similar to one of them. -
bkoganbing13 June 2010Those dastardly Russians have come up with yet another plan to wipe out those capitalist Americans. In The Nasty Rabbit they've outfitted your common every day bunny rabbit with some nasty germs in a barrel like the St. Bernards carry schnapps while on rescue missions in the Alps. They've sent a Russian spy outfitted like a cowboy and have pinpointed a location for him, a dude ranch on the Continental Divide where he is to let the rabbit loose where presumably he will multiply because he's a rabbit and spread the germs to humans.
Michael Terr plays the spy like a bad imitation of Mischa Auer. But the US government is on to those Russian tricks. They've sent a rock and roll agent in the person of Arch Hall, Jr. who looks great, but I can act better than him. Of course Hall also has a little time for romancing the rancher's daughter played by Liz Renay. Even Richard Kiel in his pre-jaws days can't save this film or give you a reason to watch.
Run if you see this one advertised. -
I have done well over 6000 reviews on IMDb and this might just be the first film I just couldn't bring myself to finish because it was so utterly horrible. Understand that I have watched SANTA CLAUS VS. THE MARTIANS, all of Ed Wood's films from the 1950s and countless other "bad films" (including EEGAH--also by Arch Hall Jr. and Sr.), so it's not like I don't have the stomach to sit through a bad film. However, this one just irritated me so much and the film was so pathetic that I had to turn it off to cleanse my mind! Trust me--the current rating of 1.9 is way too high!!
The film is a comedy(?) about a Soviet spy that has come to America to release a deadly talking bunny that has some sort of killer virus or something. The guy playing the Russian is an idiot and is one of the worst actors I've seen in some time....that is OTHER than most of the rest of the cast! In fact, one of the better actors was Arch Hall, Jr.--the acting(?) was that bad.
As far as comedies go, I have seen surgical films that were funnier. Another spy parody of the day, LAST OF THE SECRET AGENTS (starring the totally unfunny Marty Allen and Steve Rossi) is like a Merchant-Ivory production along side this turkey. Horrible writing, acting, directing and a talking rabbit--this film is even worse than most of the YouTube videos "clever" teens make and post online. I would rather have raw sewage poured on me than watch this film to the end!! -
gridoon202426 August 2012Like "The Fat Spy", which I first watched recently, I thought for a long time that "The Nasty Rabbit" was a spy spoof. But while it IS more connected to that genre than "The Fat Spy" (which has NOTHING to do with spies whatsoever), "The Nasty Rabbit" is really more of a country-Western comedy (apart from the first and the last 5 minutes, the entire movie takes place on a ranch). And an unbearable one at that. I thought about turning it off at several points, but I didn't - your endurance may vary. Mischa Terr, in his ONLY acting appearance ever, gives one of the worst comic performances in the history of cinema - he makes Franco and Ciccio look like models of subtlety. And nearly all of the supporting characters are exaggerated, bombastic ethnic stereotypes. I give "The Nasty Rabbit" 2 stars out of 10 - 1 for Melissa Morgan's juicy cleavage and 1 for the one amusing gag in the picture (two guys set a trap for a third, it doesn't work, but when they try it it does) which, of course, is stolen directly from the (immensely funnier than this movie) Wile E. Coyote cartoons.
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mark.waltz24 January 2016Wretchedly unfunny cold war spoof has a cute little bunny rabbit on the loose with the intention of spreading rabies and is about as dangerous as Roger Rabbitt drinking carrot juice and vodka. It all takes place on a dude ranch with the stereotypical Russian goof-ball trying to pretend that he is a cowboy. Really, nothing much happens but goofy sound effects and a bunch of adults acting like cartoon characters. I couldn't believe the outlandish attempts at comedy with tons of stereotypical characters. If it wasn't all so stupid, it would be offensive, but the only thing I found offensive was the waste of my time. Cult actor Arch Hall Jr. is totally wasted, and considering his lack of acting skills, that's not a bad thing.
There is more plot on a half hour sitcom than this pathetic attempt to ridicule the Russians. The voice of the cute bunny is actually the best performance in this, and it really only appears in a few scenes. Whoever put this together really needed to have their head examined. I really have to rate this as one of the worst comedies ever made. -
icaredor25 May 2015Everyone knows that bio-terror is really a good subject for a wacky slapstick comedy, so it's astonishing that this one, while fairly campy, isn't much fun. People who are "differently-talented" have made films like Eegah! that are wonderfully entertaining because they're unintentionally funny. Trying to make an intentionally funny film with little talent produces only sadness. Witness Nasty Rabbit (aka Spies-A-Go-Go), a comic Cold War espionage caper. The set up is promising enough: the Soviets plan to destroy the U.S. by releasing a biological weapon somewhere along the Continental Divide, Wyoming, perhaps. Spies from many countries descend on a dude ranch where a Russian spy, disguised as a cowboy, has the 'fernacious'(!) bacteria in a vial tied around a rabbit's neck. Thinking this up clearly exhausted the creativity of the writers (and there are three of them!). Minimal thought goes into the rest of the plot and seemingly none into the dialogue. After the set up, the film starts playing for time and fills an hour with every spy hitting every other in the head. You'll get the picture if you imagine a Three Stooges short dragged out for ninety minutes, and with the Stooges replaced by Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi. No, they would probably be funnier than the lead actors here. The film does have Arch Hall, Jr., (the cabbage-patch Elvis), and Richard Kiel. But don't hope for something as wonderful as Eegah! They do perk up the movie. Kiel appears only briefly and Jr., the titular star, after getting a great build up as a rock-n-roll star-slash-super spy, is woefully underused. And any film that would benefit from more Arch Hall, Jr. really is in bad shape. Still, instead of Arch, the camera focuses on a bunch of unknown, inexperienced and talentless actors as they repeatedly hit each other in the head. I kept wishing the film would cut to the chase and when it did I regretted what I'd wished for. Long after the Soviet Union has gone, this fernacious flick continues to threaten America.
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Woodyanders20 November 2013Inept Russian spy Mischa Lowzoff (a hopelessly dorky portrayal by Michael Terr) sneaks into America with a cute white rabbit that's infected with a lethal virus with the specific intent of destroying our country. It's up to rock singer and secret agent Britt Hunter (an earnest and likable performance by Arch Hall Jr.) to save the day. Man, does this absolutely horrendous honey possess all the right wrong stuff to qualify as a real four star stinkeroonie: The ham-fisted (mis)direction by James Landis (who previous did the superior suspense thriller "The Sadist"), an alarming wealth of demeaning ethnic stereotypes, the meandering narrative, the pitifully unfunny sense of blithely inane humor, a slew of lame slapstick gags, the exaggerated goofy sound effects, a cuddly bunny that talks in an annoying squeaky voice (!), a supremely idiotic over-cranked climactic slapstick chase set piece, the sprightly cornball film library score, and a positively ungodly consumption of vodka all ensure that this deliciously dreadful dud is entertaining in the best worst way possible. The enthusiastic cast have a field day with the asinine material: The ravishing Liz Renay delightfully vamps it up as sultry femme fatale Cecelia Soloman, Hal Bizzy rolls his eyes for all it's worth as evil Nazi Heinrich Krueger, Arch Hall Sr. offers a thick'n'juicy slice of undiluted ham as Mischa's overbearing superior Marshall Malout, and the diminutive Jack Little bumbles and fumbles with utmost aplomb as blundering squirt Maxwell Stoppie. The adorable Sharon Acker makes a favorable impression as spunky cowgirl Jackie Gavin while Richard Kiel has a sizable uncredited role as a hulking ranch foreman. Vilmos Zsigmond's vibrant color cinematography provides a satisfying bright look. A choice chunk of kitschy crud.
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stefanozucchelli10 April 2022Comedy about spies and rabbits, or rather about a single rabbit with a deadly weapon around its neck. I don't quite understand how it went from this to a love story between cowboys and cowgirls in a Texan ranch but let's say that logic is not the strong point of this film. Nice and interesting overall.
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If you thought that NIGHT OF THE LEPUS was the worst 'killer rabbit' movie out there, then you haven't seen THE NASTY RABBIT, an even dumber and more ridiculous comic cheapie of the early 1960s. It's about a Soviet plot to send a plague-infected rabbit to the USA, hoping to wipe out the population there, but it turns out to be a very broad spoof of the spy genre with lots of racist ethnic stereotypes and general goofy behaviour. It's also really dull, padded with mindless songs from Arch Hall, Jr. and with very little of note taking place.
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InzyWimzy15 November 2011Ouch, this was one of the most trying Fairway International experiences that I've had to endure. The movie never seemed to flow and I found a lot of reasons to hit the pause button to get a sandwich, read a book, vacuum, go for a quick run...
Why didn't it work? It was as if the weak storyline (thanks a lot William Waters!), a full color production, dude ranch, espionage, and a furry hare were put together in a blender and out came Nasty Rabbit. Much of the humor is forced and there's not even any unintentional humor to be found. There were too many scenes with the secondary characters who carry the film the way a 16 ton weight floats in the ocean (it doesn't). Add stereotypical caricatures including a Mexican bandito garbed in south of the border attire plus sombrero, a Japanese spy in WWII uniform, a German with the worst imitation of Colonel Clink...EVER. Throw in a Russian commander with the worst Russian accent ever attempted (thanks a heap Nicholas Merriwether) and you'll find yourself doing crossword puzzles or making crocheted doilies.
Perhaps if Nasty Rabbit focused more on Britt (Arch Hall Jr) and Jackie (Sharon Ryker), it would have been an improvement. I know I know, I'm asking for more Arch Hall Jr. Trust me, I've seen Eegah and I still think Cabbage Patch Elvis should've gotten more screen time here. More Arch Hall Jr songs (only one is played in the film) would've livened things up. I can't believe I said that, but this is the truth...and I've seen Wild Guitar and the Choppers. And bring back more Richard Kiel! He berates a pint sized calf rustler and then vanishes into film obscurity. Oh, and the Benny Hill chase scenes towards the end caused me spasmic terror to no end.
Still, the bunny credits signs were unique. -
Sherparsa3 April 2021How come i gave a movie i didn't like at first 10 ********** ?
Can't believe it myself either! :D
in fact, i didn't like this movie to the very end scene either because it's so corny and badly made, especially in the mediocre quality Betamax copy i watched, many times during watching i just wondered why don't i skip this bull and switch to another movie?
But in the very end, i just realized all the cheesiness and skunk at work here was actually on purpose! Hence the rise of no stars / one star to ten stars ... ;-)
a question: is there a blood relationship between James Landis and John Landis? There could be you know ... John Landis movies, early ones in particular, do have such a funky quality to them too ... -
madsagittarian23 October 2002Oh man, this film is a riot! Although not as well-known as other films in the Arch Hall Jr. canon, it's on a par with EEGAH and WILD GUITAR in terms of pure delirium. This wild fiasco concerns all these cartoonish-types who convene at a ranch for some espionage... all over a bunny rabbit which carries a plague that could wipe out the planet!
Director James Landis wisely doesn't take the material seriously. With candy colours, over-acting which would do Phil Tucker proud, undercranked chase scenes, and other gonzo touches, this is a wonderfully absurd delight. And because Arch Hall Jr. is in the cast, how can you not have a lot of great bad rock and roll too? The debonair Arch (cough) is not only a spy (in his trademark white dinner jacket), but he also is the frontman of a rock band that is just the living end for teenage girls everywhere. In fact, once the ranch owner's daughter learns that dreamboat Archie's band is going to show up, she flips... literally! And because it's an Arch Hall Jr. picture, his old man, Hall Sr., cannot help but give himself a showy role- a cameo mind you, but a pivotal one (thanks to Arch Hall Sr. the co-screenwriter).
Perhaps under Landis' direction, Arch Hall Jr. maybe made an effort to be an actor after all (which may explain why his final films, all directed by Landis, are obscure; they aren't BAD enough!). While he's no Olivier certainly, this and DEADWOOD 76 at least show the kid is trying, which is more than you can say about his snarly performances in THE CHOPPERS or EEGAH. Landis is truly an unsung B movie hero; he always made something out of nothing. (Check out his interesting little crime picture, STAKEOUT) But anyhow, if you're an Arch Hall fan (and how can you not be?), THE NASTY RABBIT is a must. It is a wonderful hallucination of bad cinema.
Rhino even released it on video... letterboxed! Now is that class or what? -
Tony-4112 November 2003As an Arch Hall, Jr., aficianado, I couldn't wait to play this film when I found it on DVD. Simply amazing--over-the-top performances, the usual strangely-themed Hall Jr. songs, characters who seemingly have no reason to be where they are (did Richard Kiel just want to get out of town for the day?), a talking white rabbit...the list goes on and on. Note the lack of continuity in the cabin-trashing and following scenes (the place must have excellent maid service)! See John Waters' star Liz Renay use power tools! Wonder how not one but TWO world-class cinematographers have lived down this disaster! And for being top-billed, Hall Jr. doesn't seem to actually appear all that much--even his band performs a song without him (which actually shows how good they are without their frontman, even while forced to sing ridiculous lyrics). And is it just me, or does the German character have an uncomfortable resemblance at times to Kenneth Mars in THE PRODUCERS?
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azathothpwiggins21 September 2020THE NASTY RABBIT is a "comedy / satire" that's almost as funny as a brain tumor, and far more irritating.
A Russian agent carries the titular mammal, which is carrying a deadly plague. Not surprisingly, the spy seeks to destroy America. Meanwhile, other stereotypical agents from other nations attempt to abscond with the rabbit. Enter super-duper secret agent / rock 'n' roll heartthrob / motorcycle enthusiast, Britt Hunter (Arch Hall Jr.) to save the world.
While the setup might sound somewhat entertaining, it's not. This is pure cinematic agony! Director James Landis proves beyond all doubt that his earlier film THE SADIST was a fluke. Hall Jr., also in THE SADIST, is as interesting as a hairball and as appealing as a flypaper sandwich!
This movie was supposed to be a vehicle for Hall Jr.'s crooning / guitar twanging songs. Well, these ditties will have you smacking your head between two hammers for relief!
Please, heed the warning!... -
Wizard-810 December 2014With this movie, I can now say that I have watched every Arch Hall Jr. movie. And with the exception of "The Sadist", I won't be watching any of them again any time soon, including this dismal movie. The first few minutes are goofy but watchable, but in short order the movie gets worse and worse. There's barely a plot to speak of, with long chunks of the movie passing by with no progress of the plans of any of the characters. Maybe that wouldn't be bad had the movie actually been funny, but except for one or two moments that made me smirk slightly, the humor is juvenile, heavy handed, and not the least bit funny. In fact, some of the attempts at humor will be considered to be quite politically incorrect to many modern day viewers. While the movie looks a heck of a lot slicker than most other Hall movies, it's just a speck of sugar on spoonful of medicine that's extremely sour.