It's Alive (1974)

Man, it's movies like this that make me feel so very happy about being a man. “It’s Alive” is solely responsible for my inquiring upon meeting to any pregnant woman, “are you sure your baby is normal and healthy, and not a genetically altered mutant that will, upon birth, choose to painfully rip itself out your stomach and slash your throat with it’s genetically deformed teeth and claws?” This 1974 film by director Larry Cohen is one that everyone seems to have some knowledge of, even if they have never actually seen the movie. I think people simply assume that through the years someone had to have made a killer mutant baby flick, it’s just a natural premise for a horror film you know?

Anyway, this one opens up with husband Frank and wife Lenore all set to give birth to their second child. While waiting in the hospital, Frank notices an orderly stagger out of his wife’s room where he sees the entire crew of doctors and nurses have been ripped to shreds, and with his wife lying spread eagled on the table screaming “where’s my baby...who took my baby?” Soon the police arrive and come to the conclusion that only a killer mutant baby could have caused this mess, resulting in a citywide manhunt for the little tyke. To make matters worse for Frank and Lenore, the media is now going crazy with the story of the killer infant and the parents who produced it. Freshly fired from his public relations job (think about it) Frank spends his time denying the baby is his to anyone who will listen while tending to Lenore who’s now just a tad off her rocker with motherly love for her murdering infant. Meanwhile, the little fella is intent on a family reunion, making his way back to the family house (can you say mutant baby instincts?) and offing any go-go dancer or milkman who gets in his way. Eventually the chase ends in the city’s sewers where Frank just may or may not have come to terms with his mutant offspring.

The film succeeds in good performances from John P. Ryan and Sharon Farrel. Farrel as the mother who loves her baby no matter what it’s eating habits are, and Ryan as the dad trying to come to grips that such an ugly little bugger could spring from his loins. As for Junior, director Cohen only gives us brief glimpses of the thing since it’s really just a stiff rubbery puppet that well, looks stiff and rubbery. It also screams like a tortured possum and amazingly enough, retains some level of sympathy since sharp teeth or not, it’s really just a scared little monster. Poor guy. Director Cohen’s trademark humor is on display as well with the typical comments on society (pollution, family values) that one typically expects from him. Pacing wise, the flicks starts out with a bang, then tends to bog down towards the middle of film as we get one baby false alarm after another. The end however, with father and baby trapped in the sewers more than makes up for the lagging middle section. While it’s hardly a perfect film by any means, “It’s Alive” is the quintessential killer baby movie and required viewing for any expecting couple.