Baby Killer

IT'S ALIVE (1974) ** John Ryan, Sharon Farrell, James Dixon, William Wellman, Jr., Daniel Holzman, Guy Stockwell, Michael Ansara. Cult horror classic conceived by filmmaker Larry Cohen with his signature low-budget aplomb probes many fears (pregnancy, parenthood, chemically enhanced polutions et al) when a loving family's latest offspring turns out to be a murderous monstrosity. Subjective camera angles and quick interspersed cuts of the 'infant' (created by a young Rick Baker, Future Oscar-winning MonsterMaker!) give a few good chills in this fairly middling, tongue-in-cheek genre flick.

"It's Alive" is one of those cult horror films that I had heard a lot of great things about but didn't get around to seeing until just recently. I have to say that I was bored with it throughout most of the film, but started to catch on to its vibe as it got closer toward the end. I truly support what this movie has to say about the somewhat totalitarian world of medicine, and ended up liking "It's Alive" a lot more when I realized that it wasn't just some dumb movie with no real point or scares at all. I still have to admit that the movie didn't scare me at all, but it generated some good, healthy suspense, and the point is such a good one (and is so well done) that I do have to hand this movie some major support. It was more sad than anything else, but it wasn't too bad at all.

Director Larry Cohen creates a thoughtful script about the effects of our environment on our reproductive systems in this thoroughly predictable yet immensely entertaining film. A father and a mother expecting rush to the hospital to have their second child. The only snag is that when the baby comes out of the womb it has razor-sharp fangs and claws with which it kills every doctor and nurse in its reach before fleeing the scene. The special effects are nothing too special, particularly by today's standards, but the film is full of insights and revelations as to what may be someday as we abuse our environment and use chemicals to sustain life. The father has a conversation in the waiting room with other expecting fathers. This conversation covers the ill-effects of pesticides, drugs, and other additives we use in our daily lives. The film uses the baby as a means to move action. With a distorted camera lens, we see things in the world through the eyes of this mutated infant. Initially the father wants to kill his beastly progeny. The police want to pump it full of lead. The doctors and drug companies want it destroyed to negate any possible backlash. A university professor wants the carcass for study when captured. Cohen shows us the underbelly of humanity. The people surrounding this infant are often no better than the child. All they want is gain...and it matters not at whose cost. John Ryan plays the introspective dad and does a fine job with this rather difficult role. He plays an ad executive who begins seeing the good in things and then slowly sees only the stark horror of his own life, his family life, his job, and his child. The other actors all do credible jobs. Cohen obviously likes horror as he names the wife Lenore and has the father talk at length about the novel Frankenstein. The production values and budget are minimal, but the film has a lot of heart where it counts.

The pregnant Lenore Davis (Sharon Farrell) tells her husband Frank Davis (John Ryan) that she is in labor to have the baby. They leave their eleven year-old son Chris (Daniel Holzman) with their friend Charley (William Wellman Jr.) and they head to the Community Hospital. Lenore feels that something is wrong and delivers a monster that kills the team in the delivery room and escapes through a skylight. Lieutenant Perkins (James Dixon) comes to the hospital to investigate the murder and the press divulges the identity of the parents of the monster. Frank loses her job of executive in public relationship and accepts the offer of a university that wants to research the corpse of the baby to discover the reason for the mutation. Meanwhile the baby continues to kill people in town. Out of the blue, Frank discovers a dark secret about Lenore and the baby.

A couple of days ago I saw the awful remake of "It's Alive" and I decided to watch again the 1974 B-movie of Larry Cohen to reevaluate it in the present days. The original film is better and better than the lame remake of 2010. The analogy of Frank with Dr. Frankenstein is one of the good dialogs of this film. The madness process of Lenore Davis is more plausible than the ridiculous behavior of Lenore Harker of the new version. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Nasce um Monstro" ("A Monster is Born")

Note: On 25 March 2016, I saw this film again.

"It's Alive!" were the famous words of Dr. Frankenstein when he brought his monster to life. There was a Frankenstein reference in the movie as well. In fact, the main character, Frank (John Ryan), made reference to the fact that everyone confuses the monster with being Frankenstein when in fact the scientist was Frankenstein. Now, Frank, as the father of a miniature killer, may be confused with the monstrosity that's running around killing people because he sired it.

"It's Alive" is so creepy but flawed. Deeply flawed. I think many horror movies are riddled with flaws. In this horror a carnivorous baby that's more akin to a vicious predator is on the loose in southern California. Right out of the womb it began its killing spree. Apparently it has been born with the full capabilities to kill, hunt, and escape. Oh yeah, it's stealthy, can open doors, and is about as fast as a cheetah. How about that for a newborn.