We've all heard the
classic cliché that spring is the time when a young mans fancy turns
to love. Frankly I never understood that saying. When I was a young
man my fancy was focused on matters of romantic conquest year-round.
The same could still be said now that I'm a grown-ass-man. And what
of young women? Does their fancy turn to love come autumn? Could this
explain all the strife between the genders? Let's say you're fine
with the old saying however and live life with the notion that
blooming flowers equates to horny teenagers. Well what do you do when
that young man isn't quite normal? That's the question posed by the
next entry in our top 100 horror movie series, The Beast Within.
The film is
loosely based on a novel by Edward Levy which was supposedly being
worked on at the same time as the script with each having a different
focus. What serves as the bits of back-story in the film make up a
good portion of the novel. Main character, Michael isn't even born
until about the halfway point of the book. These are details I've
gathered through some light browsing as I've yet to actually read it.
There's an odd disconnect however with fans of the novel often
bashing the film and vice versa. Personally, I'm willing to consider
them as complementary works.
Behind the scenes
the film was directed Philippe Mora. While his name may not pop out
for most readers he is an absolute nut of a filmmaker having gifted
the world with the delightfully stupid Holwing II, and the
bonkers Christopher Walken alien abduction epic, Communion.
Mora plays things much more straight with this story, probably due to
the script by Tom Holland who worked on such classics as Fright
Night, Child's Play, and Psycho 2.
The film begins in
the 1960s with a honeymooning couple traveling down the road only to
encounter car trouble (this is a horror film after all). While the
man goes off in search of aid the woman is stalked and sexually
assaulted by some sort of creature. For any normal narrative this
situation alone could provide plenty of material but this ain't no
normal movie.
Years later the
couple are troubled as their son, Michael suffers mysterious health
issues. Yes indeed, the woman was impregnated during her ordeal but
the couple decided to raise the baby as their own. With nowhere else
to look, they return to the scene of the crime in search of answers
about the boys heritage. Imagine their surprise when Michael follows
them to this small town, setting off a chain of revelations and
gruesome murders.
It's probably a
good idea to declare up-front that I've got a bit of nostalgia for
this trashy little fright-flick. Turning it on takes me back to being
11 years old, camped out in the living room in a Pepsi fold-out beach
chair, demolishing a bag of Doritos while watching Monstervision. Yes
this is yet another of those special films ushered into my twisted
little heart by king of late night movie hosts, Joe Bob Briggs.
Admittedly it is a much stronger offering than other
nostalgia-inducing trash like Night of the Lepus or The
Monster Club. Just be aware that I bring a certain amount of
comfy memories into every viewing. With that warning out of the way
let's talk about what makes this one such a treat.
A big part of why
I enjoy The Beast Within so much is that it scratches a lot of
different itches in a very short amount of time. After the opening
assault the plot becomes a mystery, then something of a
possession/serial-killer affair, then we move on to body-horror, and
finally we arrive at creature-feature. If you've ever experienced one
of those nights where you crave a horror film yet can't decide on
what kind, this thing has got you covered. Couple that with the
small-town setting and a cast of characters that varies tremendously
in both age and moral backbone and your bases are covered.
Naturally a few
elements haven't held-up to the changing times. First off, it's not a
culturally diverse film with only one non-white character being the
deputy. On that front you will be surprised to hear the black guy
actually survives! That's an honor usually reserved for Busta Rhymes
and LL Cool J. And you'd better believe some of the special-effects
come across as a little cheap, though they are appropriately slimy
and gross.
While it's flaws
certainly mark it as a product of its time, the movie came out at the
best possible point for this sort of story. If it had been made a few
years earlier, the whole thing would have leaned too far towards
campy, years later and it would be too self-aware. That's largely the
reason why 1980's horror flicks resonate with so many viewers. It was
a time when you could make a movie where a teenage boy is possessed
by his father and turns into a cicada monster yet the movie is done
with a straight-face.
There's one more
thing that helps to make this one special, but it's something of a
geographic bonus saved only for certain viewers. For those of us who
live in places like Michigan this movie feels just like the early
days of spring. Everything's still wet and cold but it's all far
enough removed from the frozen wasteland of winter that it all feels
fresh and new. The bugs are chirping, and the need to be outside
doing anything is felt by all. I've seen only a few films that come
close to replicating that feeling which is why this movie always
comes back into rotation somewhere between March and May.
The Beast
Within may not be offer deep psychological elements like The
Entity, or be a tropical bloodbath like Zombi 2. It's
something more like a classic campfire tale complete with a
sympathetic monster and warnings about sex. It could also be used as
a pro-choice argument since we should really stop these cicada babies
at the source. If you're in the mood for some good, straightforward
horror this weekend, give this one a shot.
On the website
front, I will be heading to Wisconsin this week to attend a
trade-show/convention thing. Not sure how I get myself wrapped up in
these situations but look forward to a recap of the experience.
Sentai coverage will most likely be put off until early next week to
accommodate this little adventure. Wish me luck out on the road, and
I'll be back with something fun for you guys this weekend.
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