IT'S ALIVE

Larry Cohen, 1974

Starring: John P. Ryan, Sharon Farrell, James Dixon, William Wellman Jr, Shamus Locke

In all honesty, IT'S ALIVE is a movie I want very much to dislike. The monster is disgusting, thoroughly unsexy, and, speaking as a person who hates babies, totally unsympathetic. Most of the main characters are either sentimental idiots or total assholes. Plus, did I mention that I hate babies? And pregnant women?

Despite all these things, I can't help but love IT'S ALIVE. Written, directed, and produced by the the great Larry Cohen, this film has heaps of gore, charm, absurd violence, and a pinch of that magic that made the '70's the great filmmaking decade it was.

Frank and Lenore Davis are expecting their second child. Cutting immediately to the chase, he's born fanged, clawed, and hideous. When one of the doctors tries to smother the baby, he kills everyone in the operating room (except his mother) and flees. While the police are harassing the family and searching for the baby, he heads slowly towards home, leaving a trail of corpses in his wake. Of course there's a side plot about how Lenore was on some prescription drugs that are really responsible for the monster-baby. The disgusted Frank is actively a member of the search team determined to find and stop IT. But first, the baby finds his way home and wins Lenore over. She hides the child in the basement and vows to protect it. Will the baby win Frank over? Or will he kill his own deformed offspring?

Banned in several countries, though I have no idea why, IT'S ALIVE does sport some truly gruesome effects and gore, all designed by the wonderful Rick Baker. This is one of those weird films that works despite its flaws and comes recommended for the right sort of audience. Normally, I hate any movies that involve pregnancy or childbirth, but IT'S ALIVE (and its sequel) are notable exceptions. The plot and dialogue aren't the most genius, but it's basically a combination between gorefest and cheesy exploitation that should please most horror fans.

I don't usually like to include images of the promotional art with my reviews, but I love this poster AND it has a good story. Apparently when the film was initially released it tanked in the box office. Warner Bros decided to redo the marketing campaign and gave it a scary new poster and tagline and then re-released it in theatres almost three years later to much greater acclaim. Really? I'd like to see someone try that now.

Pick it up on a cheapo DVD from Warner or get the trilogy. And you can just watch it on youtube, should you feel the immediate urge. Don't forget to check out the robust score by Bernard Hermann, a regular Hitchcock collaborator.