Review by Chris Rennirt
There’s nothing like a good B-grade sci-fi/horror fick from the 80s! Yes! From bygone times comes the best in practical monster effects, no-holds-barred guts and gore, and a charm to it all that never gets old, despite the dated music, titles, all else. The Deadly Spawn (written and directed by Douglas McKeown) is one such film that I fondly remember and watch more than most. Along with the nostalgia are my memories of being a lot younger, and a lot more appreciative of films like The Deadly Spawn, even with its undeniable cinematic shortcomings.
A Brady Bunch buffet of 80s horror, leaving no friend or family member left out!
What’s it all about? A couple of teenage campers find a meteorite (or so it seems to be). Yeah, right! This other-worldly rock harbors a creature that Little Shop on Horrors would envy, if not add to its cast. Yes! This creature is like Audrey II on steroids (without the musical numbers), with rows of teeth enough to rival the deadliest Great White. With the campers being only appetizers, our intergalactic predator is on the hunt, soon in the home of a hapless family unaware. At light speed, The Deadly Spawn wastes no time giving us the cosmic carnage we crave.
Charles George Hildebrandt (as Charles, the monster fan) in The Deadly Spawn
And, what would the best 80s sci-fi/horror be without a creature that spawns endless offspring with spores? Yes! With this form of reproduction, there’s no need for another, and the monsters multiply fast. With endless rows of teeth, a tube-like body, and voracious appetite, this is one lean, mean eating machine. More like a stomach with a mouth, this monster does the one thing that all good monsters do–eat, eat, and eat more!
The Deadly Spawn, with it’s huge mouth and endless teeth is one lean mean eating machine!
One of the qualities of The Deadly Spawn that makes it better is how much the actors are invested in the movie, delivering above-the-genre performances, (maybe better than necessary), even when the horror is visibly cheesy and, at times, even a bit comical. (The movie thus also becomes an effective, even if not intentional, dark comedy.) One of the protagonists, Pete (Tom DeFranco), is an aspiring astronomer; his budding romance with equally-nerdy coed cutey Ellen (Jean Tafler) ends, impressively, with something you won’t see coming. It’s as if director McKeown is saying, “So, you thought you knew how this would end, didn’t you?” Also unexpected is a second protagonist, Charles, who is exceptionally well played by the young Charles George Hildebrandt. The movie’s endless victims for the slaughter add ever more to the thrill count. With nearly a dozen disposables in an 80-minute movie, gorehounds are sure to be well fed! Yummy, yummy!
No! Not even your girlfriend is safe in an 80s horror film!
The creature effects are an obvious labor of love, with great attention to detail. Looking back on movies like this, I’m reminded yet again of how much better practical effects really were. Yes! I’d take the real deal (even if a bit cheesy) over CGI animation any day. The organic texture of really-there, latex creations can never be beaten. CGI, often rendering the details too perfect, honks its computer-generated origins in your face; but, the imperfections of an actual prop look just as they should–real!
Oh, the horror, and oh how I miss the 80s!
The Deadly Spawn, true to its 80s expectations, gives us the gore without holding back. Newly-spawned creatures worm their way through eye sockets, cracked craniums, and rib cages galore, as if UNCUT and UNRATED are the goals. Never has “They don’t don’t make ’em like they used to,” been more true in horror. So, break out the popcorn, cokes, and theater snacks, and settle down for some fun. If you’re like me, The Deadly Spawn is a savory (albeit, bloody) snack, every time.
Chris Rennirt (the author of this review) is a movie critic and writer in Louisville, Kentucky, as well as editor in chief at Space Jockey Reviews. He has been a judge at many film festivals, including Macabre Faire Film Festival and Crimson Screen Film Fest, and he attends horror and sci-fi conventions often. Chris’ movie reviews, articles, and interviews are published regularly on Space Jockey Reviews and in Effective Magazine. His mission statement (describing his goals as a movie critic and philosophy for review writing) can be found on the “Mission” page, here at SJR. For more information about Chris Rennirt (including contact details, publicity photos, and more), click here.
You may also like these!
