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Tuesday, October 24, 2017

It's Alive (1974)

In Los Angeles, a woman (Sharon Farrell) gives birth to a mutant baby that massacres the entire operating room! While the police hunt down the mutant infant, the baby struggles to find its way back to his mother ..... while killing a few people along the way. Written and directed by Larry Cohen, this low budget (and often ludicrous) horror film has several things going for it. Its screenplay is ultimately poignant and thought provoking about the bond between parents and child. There are also a few justified digs at the pharmaceutical community. Then, there is the underscore by the great Bernard Herrmann that automatically elevates the film. Cohen wisely shows the baby only in glimpses, never giving us a really good look which is smart because from the little we see, it's not very realistic looking. On the downside, with the exception of Farrell who overacts terribly, the film is indifferently acted. Barely released in 1974, the film got a re-release in 1977 with a new campaign and was a hit. With John P. Ryan as the baby's father, Andrew Duggan, Michael Ansara, James Dixon and Guy Stockwell.  

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