My uncle took me and my cousins to see this movie when I was around 10 or 11 (1970's) and it's always stuck with me, although I couldn't remember the title. What I thought I remembered was a group of people in outer space (seems they're actually in an underground bomb shelter) and, oh yes, BATS. LOTS of vampire bats, to be specific! I almost was beginning to believe I had fabricated the entire thing in my mind, but I can so vividly remember the movie theater in Asbury Park, NJ and going with my uncle and cousins (he also took us to see Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Wars...). Loved going to the movies with him, needless to say, but this particular movie especially haunted my nightmares. So glad to finally discover the correct title and the IMDb reviews. Looks like the BluRay is going to be released THIS WEEK (Oct 4, 2016)! What amazing serendipity. Can't wait to revisit this horror (sci-fi?) flick from my youth. Interesting to read so many posts by others who had seen this as kids and who remembered it vividly.

"Chosen Survivors" is a rare film. It has a GREAT story idea but it's completely undone by bad writing. It's a shame, as the main plot is fantastic.A small group of people find themselves sedated and brought to a shelter more than 1700 feet underground. It seems that the dreaded nuclear apocalypse has arrived and the government has picked a few people to secure in various bunkers under the earth in order to propagate the human race. Much of the film concerns how these folks adapt to their new lives--or, rather, how some of them cannot cope. I loved the film up to this point and felt it was a brilliant study of human nature. Then, abruptly, the film took a detour to Stupidville! That's because without warning, insane vampire bats invade the bunker. I say insane because these bats in real life are NOT killers--but here in the film they are worse than killer bees, piranhas and Cobras combined!!! Bats just don't behave that way and then too much of a once-interesting story is spent focusing on how to survive with these murderous beasts flapping about....which is a shame, as the film has a wonderful twist that is lost in the process. A great example of a wonderful story idea that is ultimately ruined.

I recently seen this movie after many years of not being available.but thanks to midnight movies i was able to finally watch it.and it was'nt bad.a good cast headed by Jackie Cooper and Richard Jeackle.and a cast of bats,thousands of them.well these people are kind of forced into a bomb shelter about 2 miles under the earth.and have to fight to survive a horde of vampire bats that attack them one by one.its probably the best bat attack movie ever made better than nightwing and 1998's bats.the rest of the cast includes;Alex Cord,Bradford Dillman,Lincoln Kilpatrick,Barbara Babcock,and Diana Muldier.i remember when this was originally released as i believe the second feature at the theaters.its a rare film and worth a look.and if your squeamish about bats then you may want to skip it.

One of the most successful (and equally irritating) TV-formats of recent years is Big Brother, in which a bunch of people, complete strangers to each other, are put together in an isolated location and become forced to get along and accomplish ordeals together. Apparently this concept isn't so new or innovating at all, as the obscure (although less obscure now, with its recent release on DVD) and still criminally underrated 70's gem "Chosen Survivors" thrives on a similar premise. Only this movie is at least a gazillion times better than any Big Brother edition you ever saw, because it has genuine suspense, a formidable cast of characters, plot twists you actually don't see coming and – not to forget – thousands of bloodthirsty bats! Now, THAT is what they should do in the TV-series of Big Brother: unleash an army of aggressive and rabid bats on the attention-horny participants, ha! Ayway, "Chosen Survivors" opens with atmospheric images of the New Mexican desert and army helicopters approaching a secret underground lair. Eleven eminent persons, who achieved great things is different fields (sports, science, literature, business…) awake to hear they are the chosen survivors. On the earth's surface, a nuclear war has wiped out all humanity and they are to remain underground until it is safe again to re-populate the planet. But of course, the survivors don't get along as they should, some them behave overly hostile and suspicious and the hi-tech government designed lair isn't exactly bat-proof. The film offers a splendid combination of terrific character drawing, for psychological tension, and actual nail-bitingly tense situation with the bat attacks and the quest for freedom. H.B. Cross' script is excellent and Sutton Roley, usually a director of TV series episodes, does an amazing job providing the film with a genuine apocalyptic feeling. The acting performances are top-notch, with notably exceptional roles for Jackie Cooper as the arrogant Mr. Couzins and Bradford Dillman as the calm behavior analyst. Highly recommended Sci-Fi gem.