The Deadly Spawn [DVD] [1983]

I watched this film last night in Zombie Club (refuge for like-minded movie geeks with an unhealthy obsession for BAD horror films). I, like my ZC contemporaries, were mightily impressed. Vipco's presentation is awful (full screen / video quality - eugh!), but then again what's new?! The special effects, and indeed the whole film looked better than it should on its obvious micro-budget. But the best thing about the movie is the little kid (whose name I forget). Not only is he a wonderfully natural little actor, but his character kicks serious ass - better than anything the adult characters seem to achieve. If you like trashy b-movies from late 70's / early 80's, see it. But please, wait if you can, bacause apparently Blue Underground are gonna release this little baby PROPERLY, as it deserves.

Growing up in a small English village in Wiltshire --- from a child during the 1970s, through the teenage years of the 1980s --- you have to make your own enjoyment. When you're a kid, that's easy: building dens and a cool tree house, taking long walks through the woods and across the old train tracks, taking on the guise the hero of your favourite war film. However, once you hit that period where childhood gives way to the teenage years --- a little before girls become desireable instead of a nuisance and the idea of experimenting with a couple of cans of beer seems inviting [just to see what the big fuss is all about (!)] --- there is that period where you ''have'' to check out that other part of adulthood that you may have glimpsed on TV or heard your friends talk about, but are not allowed to [legally (!)] indulge in for another five years or so ... The Horror Film.

Luckily I had a friend who lived in a guest house on the periphery of the village and who had access to a video store in a neighbouring town. The two of us were 12 in 1983 --- a year before the Video Nasty Ban --- and that summer we trawled through all the now VHS classics and the detritus [the former --- to us, anyway --- being films such as ''Basket Case'', ''The Burning'', ''Creepshow'', ''Evil Dead'', ''Halloween 3: Season of the Witch'', and ''Zombie Flesh Eaters'']. Then there were the mid-listers --- bad, but not quite ''that'' bad --- like ''City of the Living Dead'', ''Night of the Demons'', ''Night of the Seaguls'', ''Visiting Hours'' and ''Zombie Lake''. ''Deadly Spawn'' falls into the latter category.

Directed by Douglas McKeown, ''Deadly Spawn'' tells of a spacecraft that crashes to earth during a thunderstorm and, out of which, crawls a hideous alien. Its first victims are a couple out camping and frolicking in the nearby woods. It then finds a hiding place in the basement of a house where it begins to grow ... and grow ... into a monster of mammoth proportions. The plot thereafter sees a gang of local teenagers battling the 'Deadly Spawn' and its offspring, as it picks off the townsfolk one-by-one. Significantly dated now this film is for fans of low budget horror flicks who crave both of blood-and-guts and humour: there are no prominent actors or evidence of top notch effects that would later be evident in films such as ''Critters'' and ''Gremlins''. And yet, the director manages to pull off a few noteable scenes of bloodshed whilst maintaining an acceptable plot and creepy atmosphere. Quite an achievement considering ''Deadly Spawn'' was shot solely on 16mm film and only at weekends.

''Deadly Spawn'' is an independent horror film - in the vein of ''Brain Damage'' and ''Evil Dead'' --- and despite its limited budget [$20,000] the creatures still manage to come across as realistic. Not as accomplished as ''Alien'', ''Black Christmas'', ''The Fog'' ''Friday 13th'' or ''Halloween'', the film delivers what I think the director was striving for --- a blend of 18-rated horror and humour. Those who grew up --- and fed off --- these movies during the early 1980s will know exactly what I mean. Newcomers? Give ''Deadly Spawn'' a whirl. You might be surprised.

Genre: Horror-Science Fiction
Release Date: 1983

Matt Lee-Williams

Anyway, the movie mostly takes place inside of a house. It has more preliminary victims than most horror movies before they introduce the main cast. The house is invaded by fish/tadpole-like aliens, and a larger alien that has three mouths and two very frail limbs, but somehow manages to break down doors.

Damn, I've been staring at the screen for a few minutes now, and I don't really know what else to say. I guess that's it.

I've just watched this movie and to be honest, I don't know what to make of it. It's very weird, even by the standards of things I usually watch.

Still, I didn't feel like it was a waste of time and I was in a bad mood to begin with since sometimes my DVD player takes many attempts to actually start working, so taking that into consideration, overall I think I should give it a positive score.