{"id":70509,"date":"2021-03-14T00:52:59","date_gmt":"2021-03-14T07:52:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=70509"},"modified":"2021-03-14T00:58:10","modified_gmt":"2021-03-14T07:58:10","slug":"its-alive-1974","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=70509","title":{"rendered":"It&#8217;s Alive! (1974)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;It kills like an animal &#8212; and when we find it, we&#8217;re going to have to destroy it like one.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Poster-198x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-70515\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Poster-198x300.png 198w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Poster-675x1024.png 675w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Poster-84x128.png 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Poster-178x270.png 178w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Poster.png 717w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 198px) 100vw, 198px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAfter sending their 11-year-old son (Daniel Holzman) to stay with a family friend (William Wellman, Jr.), a man (John Ryan) and his wife (Sharon Farrell) go to the hospital so Farrell can give birth to their second child &#8212; but things quickly go awry with Farrell&#8217;s unusual mutant infant, who turns out to be murderously self-protective, and kills numerous people while seeking the security of its own home.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Evil Kids<\/li>\n<li>Horror Films<\/li>\n<li>Larry Cohen Films<\/li>\n<li>Living Nightmare<\/li>\n<li>Mutant Monsters<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary writes that this &#8220;cleverly written and directed&#8221; cult film by Larry Cohen is &#8220;at once terrifying and repugnant.&#8221; He asserts that it &#8220;deals with the relevant issue of doctors indiscriminately giving women unsafe drugs, but only so it can use the shameful baby-as-monster premise, which Cohen exploits to the nth degree.&#8221; I disagree that Cohen&#8217;s conception of a mutant baby on a rampage is &#8220;shameful&#8221;, given that his film &#8212; while silly, sloppy, often too slow, and badly made in some ways (how can the baby kill and wreak havoc so quickly?!) &#8212; carries multiple layers of meaning and subtext within its surprisingly complex storyline. Peary concedes that &#8220;at least Cohen has us rooting for the baby by [the] film&#8217;s end&#8221;, which hints at the fact that a form of connection has been made by those closest to the baby &#8212; but most definitively <em>not<\/em> by the host of outside actors who have ulterior motives for wanting the creature destroyed (ranging from covering up inhumane medical practices to wanting to study the infant). <\/p>\n<p>Peary points out that Ryan &#8212; a classically trained actor who spent many years of his career on stage &#8212; gives a &#8220;surprisingly fine performance&#8221;; indeed, he elevates the entire script up a notch, particularly during the touching moments near the end of the film. I like how the L.A. River Basin is used as a metaphorical watery womb for Ryan and his baby to bond within and emerge from (albeit to a fatally hostile crowd). Equally sympathetic and nuanced is Farrell as the creature&#8217;s mother, who knows something is &#8220;not right&#8221; but is ignored by the men-in-power around her throughout her pregnancy, during the birth process, and after her baby has gone missing. I agree with Cohen&#8217;s choice to not show much of Rick Baker&#8217;s mutant baby design, instead hinting at Its demonic appearance through quick flashes without dwelling on It; appropriately enough, It exists primarily in the shadows. (Cohen has cited Val Lewton&#8217;s horror films as an influence, and this makes sense.)  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>John Ryan as Frank Davis<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Ryan2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Ryan2-1024x574.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"359\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-70510\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Ryan2-1024x574.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Ryan2-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Ryan2-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Ryan2-768x431.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Ryan2-1536x862.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Ryan2-481x270.png 481w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Ryan2.png 1663w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Sharon Farrell as Lenore Davis<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Farrell2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Farrell2-1024x568.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"355\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-70511\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Farrell2-1024x568.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Farrell2-300x166.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Farrell2-128x71.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Farrell2-768x426.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Farrell2-1536x852.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Farrell2-487x270.png 487w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Farrell2-1038x576.png 1038w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Farrell2.png 1645w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Good use of Los Angeles locales (including the L.A. River Basin)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-L.A.-BluRay.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-L.A.-BluRay-1024x571.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"357\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-70512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-L.A.-BluRay-1024x571.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-L.A.-BluRay-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-L.A.-BluRay-128x71.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-L.A.-BluRay-768x428.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-L.A.-BluRay-1536x857.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-L.A.-BluRay-484x270.png 484w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-L.A.-BluRay.png 1669w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Rick Baker&#8217;s special effects and make-up work<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Baby.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Baby-1024x580.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"363\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-70513\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Baby-1024x580.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Baby-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Baby-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Baby-768x435.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Baby-1536x870.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Baby-477x270.png 477w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Its-Alive-Baby.png 1641w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Bernard Herrmann&#8217;s score<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as an unusual cult film. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cult Movie<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0071675\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/79570\/its-alive#articles-reviews?articleId=1083032\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aycyas.com\/itsalive74.htm\">And You Call Yourself a Scientist Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.moriareviews.com\/horror\/its-alive-1974.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;It kills like an animal &#8212; and when we find it, we&#8217;re going to have to destroy it like one.&#8221; Synopsis: After sending their 11-year-old son (Daniel Holzman) to stay with a family friend (William Wellman, Jr.), a man (John Ryan) and his wife (Sharon Farrell) go to the hospital so Farrell can give birth to their second child &#8212; but things quickly go awry with Farrell&#8217;s unusual mutant infant, who turns out to be murderously self-protective, and kills numerous&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=70509\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-70509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=70509"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70509\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70531,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70509\/revisions\/70531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=70509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=70509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=70509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}