La Créature du marais

"Swamp Thing" is beautifully photographed in authentic swamps, and directed with a nice comic-book sensibility by Wes Craven, but the script is flat, boring and (eventually) silly, and the title creature is too human-like to inspire much awe. However, Louis Jourdan is enjoyable as the suave, cultivated villain, David Hess is in his element as one of his goons, and there is also a black kid who's the epitome of "coolness". (**1/2)

The American Alice Cable (Adrienne Barbeau) travels to a secret governmental bio laboratory of research in the swamp to replace a missing scientist. Soon she befriends the leader of the research Dr. Alec Holland (Ray Wise) and his sister Dr. Linda Holland (Nannette Brown) and she learns that Alec is developing a hybrid plant combined with animal with the intention to solve the world hunger. However, the ambitious and wealthy Arcane (Louis Jourdan) sends a paramilitary team to steal the research and kill all the team. But there is an accident and the formula spills on Dr. Alec Holland and set him on fire. He disappears in the swamp and Alice is the only survivor of the laboratory team. She hides the seventh notebook with the Alec´s formula and runs to the forest and soon she notes that something is protect her.

"Swamp Thing" is a different film by Wes Craven based on a D.C. Comics. The IMDb rating is unfair since the movie is highly entertaining. One of the greatest attractions is Mrs. "John Carpenter" Adrienne Barbeau, for whom the Swamp Thing falls in love. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Monstro do Pântano" ("The Swamp Monster")

Hilarious campy cheesefest "Swamp Thing" is an interesting look on Wes Craven's work as a director. people call him a hit and miss director, but i think he just says once in a while "damn it, lets just have fun on this movie". or maybe when studio execs are breathing down his neck he just makes things the opposite of what he wants. a good example would be "Cursed", he hated the studio interference according to the man himself. and he made an in-joke gester about it in the film. the werewolf giving the finger. Hilarious. in my opinion Craven is a great director. sometimes he'll make deadly serious horrors and sometimes he makes them funny. And trust me Swamp Thing is funny!

After a violent incident with a special chemical, a research scientist (Ray Wise) is turned into a swamp plant monster.

We have iconic director Wes Craven, the great actress Adrienne Barbeau, great actor David Hess and the composer Harry Manfredini. How can a horror fan watch this and not be in some kind of heaven?

Roger Ebert says this film is "one of those movies that fall somewhere between buried treasures and guilty pleasures." He further says it is "an off-the-wall, eccentric, peculiar movie fueled by the demented obsessions of its makers." He means this in the nicest way possible, and I love him for that.

Author John Kenneth Muir notes that Swamp Thing differs in many respects from Craven's usual work, in that Craven's intent was to show the major Hollywood studios that he could handle action, stunts and major stars. Craven substituted his usual focus on the problems of the family and society for pure entertainment. And you know what? He did it flawlessly.

Why is this film in French on Netflix? There has to be a good reason, but I have no idea why. Also, this film needs a decent DVD release. The Netflix one looks like a VHS transfer. I know it was released a few years ago, but how about a 30th anniversary edition in 2012 with some good features?

And lastly, how this scores a PG rating with three topless women is beyond me. But, well played, Wes.

Wes Craven, who's normally known for his horror films that bring terror and fright, here with this 1982 entry he toned it down a lot. 1982's "Swamp Thing" is certainly campy as you can tell from the scenes it's cheap made and the sets look unrealistic and finally the costume of the creature is much to be desired. Still for a 1982 film well before the big computer and special effects graphic boom it held up pretty good and it's still a fun little watch and it was nice to be treated to Adrienne Barbeau's performance. Set in the muggy and swamp land of the deep southern US a scientist Alec Holland(Ray Wise)meets up with a sexy federal government agent Alice Cable(Adrienne Barbeau)and they develop a cure thru chemicals that is supposed to end hunger. A bad guy nemesis Arcane(Louis Jourdan)plans to steal the serum potion and use it for his own deadly benefits, yet it backfires one day and Holland becomes Swamp Thing a half man and half plant superhero. From then like your typical comic book fashion the good guy against bad guy chase and adventure starts with the hero saving mankind, the planet, and the damsel. Overall good yet nothing great, an extra treat is the lake river bath of Adrienne when she gets topless! A good sexy performance from Barbeau that freshens up the dull camp and cheesy feel of this sci-fi cult film.