Saw this last nite on TCM too.

Not surprised that they would show this before Night of the Lepus. This movie is a cut-rate "Prophecy", the John Frankenheimer bear-sausage thriller only late director William Girdler was no Frankenheimer. The movie begins with Robert O. Ragland's beautiful music with it's sweeping chords which is totally inappropriate for a movie about a 15 foot monster grizzly. I found Ragland's music exceptional, perhaps Girdler did too but you don't open what is suppose to be a horror movie with that kind of music. I liked that Ragland music so much that while I was watching the movie last nite I went to a website where I knew the Grizzly soundtrack music could be had. As to the film, the late William Girdler's direction is adequate but the horrific killing scenes are amateuriah and gratuitous...and ineffectual. Oh sure there's blood and gore but no fear or suspense is generated. Lets see, the parade of victims: a naked babe bathing in a stream, a blonde perfuming herself for her husband inside a tent then an uninvited furry interloper strikes. Then a little blonde moppet playing in his own yard with a bunny rabbit...and the kid's mother too. All reduced to bear food. Later the grizzly knocks down a forest watchtower with a hapless ranger in it. I guess a 2,000 pound 15 foot grizzly could do it? I think. Our 3 heroes are stalwart Kelly the head ranger (Christopher George), his bear impressionist buddy Scott (Richard Jaeckel) and and his helicopter flying pal Stober, a southern-accented Andrew Prine, Slim Pickens or Dub Taylor would've been better. Scott runs into the bear first. The grizzly decapitates his horse then attacks him but does not quite finish him off. A bloodied Jaeckel awakens covered with forest floor debris but ah-oh the grizzly is still right there. Exit Jaeckel. Then George and Prine buzz the critter in their helicopter and off goes the grizzly in a sprint. And here is where Christopher George the head ranger hero guy gets positively brilliant. He suggests to Prine that they land because George thinks the grizzly is scared simply because the have the animal sprinting. No sooner do they set down than the helicopter starts spinning courtesy of the scared grizzly. Prine goes flying. The grizzly raises itself up on it's hind legs like it has been doing thru the whole picture and heads for Prine who is poised to fight off the creature using his rifle as a club. Silly. Prine ain't all that muscular to begin with. After a unpleasant bear hug Prine is with his friend Jaeckel. Meanwhile George who thought the grizzly was sufficiently scared enough to order Prine to set down into the meatgrinder has been ineffectually backshooting the beast. Then George grabs his bazooka and the grizzly is immediately reduced to a bonfire. End of movie.