It's Alive

The very first film in the It's Alive trilogy that I watched was It's Alive III: Island Of The Alive back when I found a copy of it on VHS at Unique. To bad that thrift store closed a while ago-there were some great tapes in there to be had, and of course I never got around to acquiring them. Even though my personal favorite is the third entry, it had to begin somewhere and the 1974 original was played as a serious take on the public trust of doctors and hospitals who administer drugs and the like while patients are there. The new Davis baby ends up being born a mutant of some kind as a result of being exposed to an experimental drug that the mother was given whilst pregnant. Overall, she was basically being used as a guinea pig (what a shock) to try some new drugs that a pharm company needed tests done on, and their child was born aggressive, hungry and scared not knowing what to do except to kill to eat. Larry Cohen did an excellent job in this film keeping that actual baby out of frame to often because it's a total classic case of "being more frightened of what you don't see" that works to great effect and keeps the viewer on edge to get a glimpse of the baby. I'm not going to sit here and tell you zits and zombies that It's Alive is a masterpiece-but it is a 70's horror classic that is still very watchable even today. Especially in regard towards doctors and hospitals over-medicating and taking advantage of their patients. That shit needs to stop. 

This isn't the opposite to the opening of Look Who's Talking, is it?

Frank, I think I have to poop.

My bedroom would be a sneeze-storm if that cat was sleeping with me.

Who cares if she's Irish or Scottish, just go watch your kid be born already!

Dude, who stirs their coffee with a damn pencil!?

10-11 lbs. Crap, that's a big baby!

I can't even be upset. This baby did what I've always wanted to do in a hospital. I've said to much already.

It's the mainstream media. You shouldn't be to surprised.

No one should like taking shots. Good for you.

How does this baby see anything? It has double vision like it's drunk or something.

The original It's Alive isn't prefect by any means. It has it's own flaws for sure such as some of the editing in spots being jumpy, the acting can be dry and off center at times and Lenore Davis acts really bizarre in a couple of scenes. I suppose that's supposed to be her character coping with what's going on, but it just felt unnatural and really strange even in the context of what was happening. Those small nitpicks aside, though, It's Alive in and behind it's message is still just as relevant now as it was in the 70's-it's just the whole drug/hospital/people putting all of their faith in doctors epidemic has become way out of control. I believe it's pretty much at the point now where no one can stop it. Zits and zombies, please don't be duped by a medicine man. No one needs a child that craves flesh. No one.