It's Alive (1974 film)

I assure you, Mrs. Davis, that your baby is very much alive. - Dr. Norton

From the mind of one of my favorite directors, Larry Cohen, comes the killer mutant baby epic, It's Alive.  I can remember seeing bits and pieces of this film when I was little, and of its sequels, and my mom telling me a bit about it, as well, but I didn't see it all the way through for a while.  I picked the film up at Wal-Mart when I saw it for sale in the cheapie bin.  I just opened it tonight just so I could bring you a review for it!  Take note, the film was remade a few years ago, but this is the original version!

The film starts with an expectant mother, Lenore Davis, waking her husband, Frank, up to take her to the hospital to give birth.  When they get there, everything seems to be fine.  The doctor comments about how large the baby is, but expects that the delivery will be smooth.  Meanwhile, Frank sits in the waiting room, talking to three other guys.  The talk turns to chemicals and additives to water and smog, when Frank gets up and walks down to see the new babies in the nursery through the window.  While standing there, he sees, out of the corner of his eye, an orderly stumble through the double doors, covered in blood, who promptly collapses.  Running through the doors, he races down to his wife's delivery room, a doctor and orderly in hot pursuit.  Getting there, Frank finds the doctors and nurses dead, the umbilical cord chewed through, and a hole in the skylight above.  There's something not quite right with the Davis baby...

Let me start out by saying this film was done on a budget.  Larry Cohen is a master of shooting amazing things with not alot of money, and it shows through on this film.  Whether it's using his own home for the Davis' house's interior, using a real hospital, delivery room, AND doctor in the hospital scene, using real police in other scenes, Mr. Cohen did very well here.  Also done well were the makeup and puppet effects by Rick Baker, who went on to win Oscars for make-up in American Werewolf in London, Harry and the Hendersons and Ed Wood, among other films.  Lastly for behind the scenes, the film's composer was Bernard Herrmann who scored Psycho, North by Northwest, Citizen Kane, and his last movie, Taxi Driver.

John Ryan played Frank Davis, father of the killer baby.  He was also in Futureworld, The Postman Always Rings Twice and probably his best known film, Runaway Train, among many, many others.  Sharon Farrell played Lenore Davis, and she definitely portrayed the role well, as the woman seems to slowly slip off of the deep end as the movie goes.  Her other roles include Night of the Comet, Arcade from Full Moon, and television appearances in Freddy's Nightmares and a long-running role on The Young and the Restless.

One thing I found interesting in the commentary was this.  When Cohen first made the film, he had the backing of Warner Bros.  When he finished the film, the leadership at the studio had changed, and Warner had wanted to focus more on higher budget, more uplifting type films, and here came a killer baby movie.  Warner did as little as possible with the film, giving it an ad campaign that didn't really focus on what the movie was about, trying it in test markets where it really wouldn't do well.  It actually did better overseas than it did in the US.  Three years later, Warner's regime switched again, so Cohen resubmitted his film.  This time, the head liked the film and gave it a wide release, with a better ad campaign, and it managed to make a fortune for Warner Bros. and Larry Cohen.

This film was an interesting ride.  The only problem I really have with it is that a cat gets harmed in it.  (Obviously, the cat wasn't hurt in real life, but as a cat owner, it's hard for me to see it even if it's made up.)  With that, I give it a 4 out of 5.  Tune in next time for some more interesting horror films.  We're going slightly more recent tomorrow!  Until then, take care of yourselves, and this is Red Hawk signing out!