The newspaper at the University of Florida has been trying to get an animal cruelty story on the privately-funded work of Professor Ethridge (Bo Svenson). The experimental baboon has a violent reaction to the experimental drug Ethridge has been using to regenerate cells. Sensationalistic editor Duffy (Mitch Watson) breaks into the lab and is bitten by the crazed baboon that escapes and is promptly hit by a police car. Infected, Duffy bites Debbie (Sarah Buxton, who also starred in WELCOME TO SPRING BREAK/NIGHTMARE BEACH directed by Umberto Lenzi who scripted this film) before going on a violent rampage. After being forced to shoot a crazed Duffy, his photojournalism major friend Sam (Patrick Lowe) and Debbie's roommate Lauren (Cheryl Arutt) team up with Ethridge to try to save Debbie who has since infected three frat guys who tried to rape her. Debbie escapes from Ethridge and while Sam and Lauren try to find her, they also have to contend with the three frat guys who are are mutilating their way through the costumed extras at the Halloween Dance (showcasing a live performance of the film's theme song by The Facade Band just in case you wanted to hear it again). An Italian production shot in Florida (and shot at the same time as WELCOME TO SPRING BREAK/NIGHTMARE BEACH with which it also shares a Claudio Simonetti soundtrack and a cheesy Greg Bonham-penned theme song), PRIMAL RAGE is a somewhat entertaining piece of late eighties Italian horror; less gory than other Italian horrors but gorier than American genre entries of the time. The detached Svenson performance and the competent lead performances are to the detriment of the film but it has in its favor Carlo Rambaldi (E.T.) animatronics, gore (courtesy of Rambaldi's other son Alex), and some truly horrid supporting performances (notably the 3 rape-happy frat guys). Besides the familiar Simonetti synth score and credits vocal "Say the Word", the soundtrack also features two heavy metal tracks previously used in Dario Argento's OPERA and the Simonetti-produced disco single "Love is My Mania" by The Fast Food Girls.