It's Alive (2008)
Directed by: Josef Rusnak
Written by: James Portolese, Larry Cohen, Paul Sopocy
Starring: Bijou Phillips, James Murray, Raphaël Coleman
WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT?
When Lenore learns that she is pregnant, she leaves graduate school to set up a home with her boyfriend Frank in the country. The fate of the happy new family takes a gruesome turn when animals and people end up brutally dead—all with a strange connection to their newborn. Could their new child be the monster responsible for the gruesome murders?
THE HUGHES VERDICT
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA3iusK4p78[/youtube]
What is it with Horror and children these days. Over the last few years I have suffered from the peril’s of The Children, Cradle Will Fall, Inside, and Grace, I think its safe to say that the horror genre has found a new formula and has moved away from back-packers in danger lark!
What this film does carry on is with the recent tradition of yet another re-make, but only the die-hard of horror fans can remember the 1970’s shock horror that was daft as a brush and spawned a little franchise. The trouble with Its Alive, is that its following on from the outstanding Grace which shadow hangs over the entire running time of this horror!
This like all recent updates has received some awful reviews and as totally bypassed all cinemas and has found his way to straight to DVD shelves, and of course in my collection. Was I a mad fool to pay money for this, or was the unhype totally unjustified.
Bjou Philllips plays Lenore who leaves graduation school for the birth of her first son with her loyal partner Frank (Raphael Coleman) in a secluded small town in the countryside. A sudden problem with the pregnancy results in Lenore going into labour 3 months early, she has an emergency C-section, but when she is put to sleep, she awakes to find all the doctors and nurses dead all around her. Convinced a serial killer is on the prowl, and with mother and baby doing fine, they are released despite a lot of questions surrounding the grisly murders.
Events start to become weird when animals are found all around the house half eaten, is the mystery linked to the new born baby that grows faster and stronger each day and what are the strange noises around the house at night?
Its safe to say that by looking at the DVD cover will make you guess the answer to those questions. A killer new-born? sounds daft, a premise that was laughed at by the Larry Cohen original and probably find some sniggers with this.
To be fair, and I mean this, its not as ghastly as I thought it would be. I was expecting a sight of a baby running around, eating everything in sight in shitty CGI with his umbilical cord dragging around on the floor. Lucky, director Josef Rusnak is clever enough to keep the baby in the shadows. A decision that took me by surprise as it raised the film up a level. It keeps us interested in the film as all we get are fleeting moments and our imagination going into overdrive at what this thing looks like.
It also does not insult our intelligence by explaining why this baby is what it is. No daft plot, its more like it is what is, so get on with it.
To say I was shocked at some of the quality of the film is a huge understatement, but while it seems I am praising this film, then be warned, I am in the way, because there is some thought that has gone into the film, but that’s not to say the film is any good.
What lets the film down is that nothing much happens. There is good base and the writers create some great atmosphere out of a daft premise, but it does not go anywhere. A few killings lighten proceedings but they are done so quick there is no time for character development or for any tension to develop.
We also left with some stupid plot flaws that will frustrate the hardened horror fanatic, like how can the partner not realise what is going on in front of his eyes.
It may have got away with it more if they played it tongue in cheek, but the serious mood engulfs the film from start to finish, but despite the best efforts on show, the film sinks into the mire and you left more frustrated at what you are watching, for the only reason that its not at all bad as you thought it would be, but not as good as the initial set-up promised to be…
OVERALL: Not the complete horror show of crapness I was expecting, but unlike the baby on show, it lacks a bite and fails to either be serious or OTT, losing itself in-between
Rating: 
[pt-filmtitle]It39s Alive[/pt-filmtitle]
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