Daniel Mann

Willard / Ben Daniel Mann

Double bill of US horror films. In 'Willard' (1971), frightfully timid and completely submissive to both his aggressive boss, Al (Ernest Borgnine), and his controlling mother, Henrietta (Elsa Lanchester), Willard (Bruce Davison) finds comfort in the colony of rats which has taken up residence in his backyard. Led by Socrates and featuring a highly aggressive rat named Ben, the rats seem to heed Willard's wishes and, given confidence by this new-found power and the romantic advances of work colleague Joan (Sondra Locke), Willard vents his frustration at those who have held him down.

However, things soon get seriously out of hand thanks to Ben's violent streak. In 'Ben' (1972) Ben is taken in by sickly young boy Danny (Lee Montgomery) while his colony amasses beneath the ground. Despite reports circulating of people being attacked by swarms of rats, Danny, whose life is on a timer thanks to a serious heart condition, soon begins to form a strong bond with Ben.

However, Ben soon finds himself in grave danger as the police start hunting down the rest of his colony which has turned violent and begun terrorising the rest of the town's residents.