O Bebê

I went into this one totally blind- I was actually expecting a cheeseball, low budget ripoff of "Rosemary's Baby." Boy was I mistaken.

This movie is totally strange and uniquely disturbing; and I mean that in a good way. The image of the baby playing ball and trying to stand up will be forever burned into my psyche. The day after viewing, I found myself thinking of his awkward movements and his upsetting cries.

Nice little twist at the end- not on the level of some flicks today. but hey for '73, it definitely impressed me.

Recommended for fans of early John Waters, 70's TV horror movies, etc. Would make a good double feature with "Bad Boy Bubby." 8 out of 10, kids.

This is a low budget thriller about a bizarre family: a woman and her two grown daughters who are raising ?Baby,? a fully grown man in diapers. Supposedly he's mentally retarded, but a social worker who visits has her doubts. She starts to investigate the family. The film delivers some surprisingly good performances: the looks exchanged between the mom and her daughters and the social worker are terrific, and reveal a lot of creepy subtext. You begin to wonder about the motivations of everyone involved. The ending is a nice little twist that's unexpected and worth the wait. This not high caliber art, but it is fun, and delightfully twisted.

Don't bother looking for a single sane character in this twisted, demented sickie, because there isn't one; you just keep watching and waiting to see who will prove to be the most perverse of them all. If you can accept the hard-to-swallow premise, then the film is fairly entertaining. Plus, it has an AMAZING ending. You won't see it coming, no matter how good you think you are at predicting plot surprises. (**)

I first saw "The Baby" on a late night horror show called "Grimsley". It was on TV so of course they had to edit the very few graphic scenes, but it is still nonetheless disturbing. But as a 9 year old kid, watching a man-child in diapers didn't scare me a bit. Monsters scared me. So this movie was just goofy and at the same time interesting. Why would anyone be interested in such a warped conceit as "The Baby". It's just weird and intriguing. But it also has a sweetness to it. The outcome of course is a very eerie twist and touching outlook on love and compassion. Whether or not this film intentionally tried to freak you out or just paint a strangely humanistic picture, it succeeds on the freakish level. But its played with total seriousness. Serious and corny. Don't be surprised if you catch find yourself shaking your head repeatedly at this movie, you will also be surprised at how much it will mesmerize you.

Worthwhile,off beat, modern Gothic tale centering on a dysfunctional family that emasculates the only male in the family by keeping him a baby:even though he is fully grown. And lucky "Baby", all the women in the film want him for their own reasons. An unusual premise, with effective performances, efficient direction, and good use of location makes for an enjoyably twisted B movie. The movie drags a bit toward the end, and begins to seem a bit thin, but it remains compelling. A real find on budget DVD.

Comer is well-cast in the lead and Roman's performance is classic. As Roman's daughters, cult figure Marianna Hill (Red Line 7000,Medium Cool, High Plains Drifter,Dead People) and Suzanne Zenor are convincingly creepy. And did I mention Beatrice Manley Blau as Comer's mother-in-law? Now, she's scary!

Slick and sick little film that ends with a nice twist. Shelved by the studio;than given a limited theatrical release. A bit difficult to categorize but, definitely worth seeking out. The DVD, regrettably, has no extras but, the transfer looks good.