O Bebê Maldito

The Unborn is a very, very different film. James Karen & Brooke Adams are in the film and they performed quite well. this film is builds up solidly and it keeps you going. Though I think you must be a horror fan to watch this because of the scenes and the plot. There is one brief sex scene with no nudity that could have been left out and to some people this scene may disappoint someone like Me that's into the film and thinks that stuff ruins a good film but that's it when it comes to that. There is a scene where Adams' character goes nuts and kills a cat but you can tell its not real. The music is very different but very good. The Unborn in My opinion is a really creepy film that's superbly unpredictable and that's quite strange! I recommend all horror fans to this movie!

I had actually never heard about this 1991 horror movie titled "The Unborn" before now in 2023, as I had the opportunity to sit down and watch it. And of course I opted to watch it, on account of it being a horror movie that I hadn't already seen.

I didn't really have any expectations to writers John Brancato and Michael Ferris, so they had every opportunity to entertain and impress me here.

The movie was watchable, sure, but it was hardly an outstanding horror movie. So I hadn't been missing out on a cinematic gem in horror cinema. Not really a memorable horror movie in terms of script and storyline, and I doubt I will ever return to watch director Rodman Flender's 1991 movie a second time.

Something that was nice about "The Unborn", was the cast ensemble. I was really surprised to see the likes of James Karen, Lisa Kudrow and Kathy Griffin in a movie such as this. It should be said, though, that leading actress Brooke Adams was nicely cast for the movie.

Visually then "The Unborn" wasn't much to write home about. Fair enough special effects, but again, nothing outstanding really.

My rating of "The Unborn" lands on a five out of ten stars.

The unfertile Virginia (Brooke Adams) and her husband, Brad Marshall (Jeff Hayenga), decide to join an experimental in-vitro fertilization program developed by Dr. Richard Meyerling (James Karen). The trial succeeds, but along the pregnancy, Virginia finds that something weird is happening with the fetus.

"The Unborn" is a very reasonable low-budget horror movie. Bizarre in some moments, grotesque in others, and dark as a whole, this movie has a very strong and disturbing scene, when a pregnant woman stabs herself in the belly. Therefore, it is certainly not recommended to pregnant women watch this film. I do not agree with the comparison with the masterpiece "Rosemary's Baby", since the stories are totally different, having in common only the pregnancy of something weird. I found this movie a good entertainment. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "O Bebê Maldito" ("The Damned Baby")

A couple (Brooke Adams and Jeff Hayenga) who cannot have children joins an in-vitro fertilization program. While she is with child, she finds strange occurrences happening within her body.

Always nice to see James Karen ("Return of the Living Dead") in another genre film. Also, bit parts from both Lisa Kudrow (pre-"Friends") and the perpetual D-lister Kathy Griffin. Add to that Roger Corman as producer, and you have a few choice names...

The concept of the villain being an evil geneticist connected to the Human Genome Project... not sure if that is brilliant, silly or inadvertent fear-mongering. Looking back twenty years, we now know the Human Genome Project was completely safe and taught us many valuable things (and I did not know it used any human subjects). Maybe in 1991 they did not understand it?

The film seems to be strongly influenced by "Rosemary's Baby", as it follows a pregnant mother with who-knows-what growing inside her. Of course, this film is not about satanists... at least, not that I know of.

Slightly irrelevant and pointless, but nevertheless interesting little footnote to start off this user comment with: this movie contains a sex sequence that could have come straight out a Kama-Sutra encyclopedia. The couple makes love in a rocking chair and – believe it or not – but it's fairly elegant and passionately filmed, which is the last thing I expected to see in an obscure early 90's B-movie so kudos!

"The Unborn" revolves on the ever ongoing quest to create the perfect human being. Therefore, some sleaze doctors in an artificial insemination clinic are saddling up unsuspecting but desperately craving mothers with altered DNA that eventually grows out into evil mutant monster fetuses that communicate from within the womb. Argh, freaky! The patients, including the writer of children's books Virginia Marshall, soon begin to have strange side-effects, like a burning rash in their necks. Virginia, who has been rational and even somewhat skeptical about the whole in-vitro fertilization method since the beginning, quickly understands that this thing growing inside of her is something evil and uncontrollable and she becomes obsessed with the idea losing her baby. Of course, nobody – especially not her husband - believes her mad raving speeches about doctors trying to create a master race. Completely unexpected, "The Unborn" was a pleasant horror surprise! The film has an original and potentially very terrifying basic premise – particularly if you're a young parent yourself – and the execution is fair to very decent as well. The script contains a handful of highly imaginative little details, like for example the malignant doctor corresponding with his evil embryos through hidden messages in the specially prepared relax tapes. There are some unsettling special effects and make-up art for the horror fanatics to enjoy as well. Of course, it's fairly easy to show shocking images in a film dealing with pregnant women and unborn babies. Just one brief image of a mother with a bloodied belly and a pair of scissors in her hands looks genuinely disturbing. The monstrous fetus looks quite cheesy, but it's nevertheless a nice attempt and, besides, it's not everyday you watch a fetus attack someone with a needle.