Movie#6 It's Alive(1974) Directed by Larry Cohen

'It's Alive' is directed by Larry Cohen, who is responsible for films like 'Q', 'The Stuff' and 'God Told Me To'. He also had a hand in creating 'Maniac Cop', so already you know this is going to be a good flick.

'It's Alive' is about a family's journey from quiet, joyful expectation to nightmarish horror as their baby is revealed to be a freakish monster with a hard on for murder. And milk.

Fear

This movie felt like a crime drama from the seventies at times, I must admit. The music, scored by Bernard Herrmann (!), does an adequate job of reminding you that it is a horror film. There is a nagging sense of dread that repeats itself in his themes. The real terror in this picture is one I'm sure most expectant parents feel: will my child be normal, and what do we do if it isn't? I give this a 5.5 out of 10.


Death

Loads of death in this one. Kudos to Mr. Cohen for only showing us the aftermath of the baby's birth. The horror is much more palpable, and for the rest of the film you suspend your disbelief that all that carnage could be created by an infant. Choosing to show the creature either in dim lighting or through a distorted lens kept that going. I give it a 6 out of 10.


Sex

None, really. There is talk of childbearing, fertility drugs and abortion. I do really like the fact that everybody was remarkably average looking in this film. It made it seem more real. It get's a 3 out of 10.

Fun

I saw this movie on the big screen about a month ago and it was much more enjoyable this time around. It felt very seventies, a decade near and dear to my heart. The pacing of the film was better than I had remembered. I like the crime drama feel of the movie and the 'Frankenstein' references. I give the movie a 5.5 out of 10.

Quality

This is one of those movies that I would like to see a good remake of. Note that I said "good". I have seen the recent shitty remake and that is all I will say about that. The script and music in this film were superb and the acting (especially by John P. Ryan) was definitely above average. Something about this movie falls flat, like it was a t.v. movie of the week. A very good one, no doubt, but t.v. movie none the less. That being said, it gets a 5.5 out of 6.

Monsters

A really ingenious concept for a monster, a newborn baby. I'm picturing my two month nephew turning into a ravenous monster and it's kind of scary. Not to mention, this thing fucks people up. It severs limbs and disembowels with gnashy teeth and claws. Or the mid seventies equivalent of said disembowelment. I can only imagine what it would be like changing it's diaper. It get's a 6 out of 10.


Overall

If you want to see a horror movie that feels like a seventies crime drama or want to know where to start with for a Larry Cohen retrospective I can recommend no film more than 'It's Alive'. I give it a 5.25.