MovieChat Forums > It's Alive (1974) Discussion > It' Alive! fans - general discussion

It' Alive! fans - general discussion

posted 22 years ago by objectivist47
82 replies | jump to latest

Hi there!

Since nobody has started any threads here, I thought I would post the first "general discussion" subject...

I assume anyone here would see the absolute greatness in this film, regardless of the semi-pro production values and other oddities. It's Alive! (IA) is Cohen's greatest film, and perhaps his most creative writing (Best Seller would be a very close second)...

To get things rolling, how about some general discussion points:

(1) How old were you when you first saw IA? Any recollections of the viewing? Did it affect your life after that?
I was 6 or 7 when I saw the film, at a twin theatre :) BAD MISTAKE!
According to my parents, I practically demanded to be taken to the film!!! All I remember is being extremely scared and refusing to turn around to the screen (see #2 below). And, of course, being a great sibling, my sister insisted we stay for a second showing (yep, let's just pile on the trauma!). The movie affected me quite a bit. Like another viewer's comments stated, I was also certain the "baby" was hiding under the table at the head of my bed - those odd sounds in the middle of the night also made me worried! It took me a while before I could squarely look at the "baby" and not be frightened out of my wits. I know, extreme...but IA is definitely not a children's film.

(2) What do you believe are the most effective things in the film?
First and foremost, the music, the music, the music!!! Second, the absolutely blood-curdling, sickening scared/attacking baby sounds. Referring to the first question, I believe the music is what made me so very frightened to start out with, and is what has stayed with me through this very day. I think all of Bernard Herrmann's music is brilliant, and is one reason I became a musician. If the IA score does not have an effect on you, then you have no idea of what effective music is in the first place, IMO.
The "baby sounds" are incredible. Want to scare away a burglar, just use one of those attack sounds when the alarm is tripped! I recall reading that Rick Baker (and his wife) did the sounds...I would love to know more details if anyone has any!

(3) How about the acting?
It's truly a shame that a brilliant actor like John P. Ryan didn't become a huge star - he is truly one of the most, if not the most underrated American actor of the past 30 years. I cannot imagine one of the current big-time actors taking this role and making it so believable, and so passionate. I'll discuss the rest in the next post.

Hopefully, someone will follow up here and share their thoughts!

objectivist47

[–] Bflicklover 21 years ago

It is good to know there is some decency in this world, and that is in the form of us 2. personnaly, there should be at least a STANDARD DVD with the picture cleaned up.

[–] noirfilms5 21 years ago

I am also a huge fan of this amazing picture. I am also happy to see atleast one thread started for this fantastic piece of cinema. I'm watching the flick again as I type. The performances are amazing expecially from John Ryan. I loved Rick Bakers baby dezine. On that front I found this site which will be selling the "IT's Alive" baby puppets. Not the original of coarse. I'm definetly going to order it. A great piece to own. http://www.bumpinthenightproductions.com/ I am very surprized there hazent been a DVD release yet, I can't even seem to find an import dvd of it. I'm hoping Blue Underground would release a "It's Alive" box set since they released three other Larry Cohen classics. I bet the disks would have great audio/video and extra's too.

[–] votok 21 years ago

Good news - I've heard that DVDs of all three movies will be released around Halloween this year!

This movie always was one of the most terrifying I've ever seen- I was fifteen at the time and was pretty much scared to death at the delivery room carnage. It was way ahead of it's time and even holds up today for shock value.

The quick shots of it chewing meat were particularly gruesome.

And I agree, it's squalling had me completely un-nerved. It's Alive has always been up there in the top 3 scariest movies of all time for me.

[–] 21 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Left Coast 20 years ago

This is the weirdest post for me.

After reading it, I had to check the name on the top because surely I must have written it and just forgotten. Wow, too similar.

I was also only six when I saw this film and I also begged my mother to take me. The only reason she did was because my older cousin was visiting and he was a horror film nut so she reluctantly took us.

This movie very much traumatized me. I had nightmares about the baby. I even had nightmares were I was the baby and people were trying to kill me.

I think the image that scared me the most was the creepy cover picture with the cradle and that hand. The fact that I was only six played a big part in my fears but I am actually reluctant to rent it today.

[–] Running_sandman 20 years ago

When I was about seven years old the movie was re-released (around 1977). I remember watching the commericial and taking off running down the hall scared as hell. I ran into a wall decoration that my mom for reasons unknown had at seven year old eye level. I still have the scar on my forehead.
This was Cohen's best film ( Next to Black Ceaser). Watching it now, it looks dated. I don't know if a remake would work but I would like to see an attempt. Looking forward to a DVD release.

[–] MecuryMars 8 years ago

The commercial terrorized me as a kid, I'd leave the room when it would come on. Just seen the movie for the 1st time today and kept thinking about that ad

[–] livekrad 20 years ago

I was 10 when I first saw the original film. My best friend at the time and I went to see the film together, and I don't think either of us were ever the same afterwards. I had nightmares for at least 10 years after seeing it (of course I had to see it and ILA several times when they came out on VHS).

Didn't care for IA3. The adults just weren't scary. There's something about small, fast moving, ugly creatures that's just plain scary (why I don't like spiders, I guess)!

A couple years ago, I was outside at my house at about 10:30, letting the dog out before heading to bed. I heard this God-awful cry that seemed to be coming from the other side of my fence that just triggered something in my brain, and immediately re-planted the IA baby in my head. Turned out it was just a red fox (if you don't know what they sound like, look it up on the web, there is a moderate similarity), but it scared the crap out of me!

Anyway, I just purchased a baby puppet from Bump In The Night Productions, and am having a great deal of fun with it. I'm eagerly awaiting the release of the DVDs in October.

[–] RealPanteon 20 years ago

I´m totaly agree with all of you!
I saw this movie when I was little too, and the babies have been haunted me since then! The music is awesome, only by remind it, I get very scared, this theme is terrific!
The babies are so cool, I still have nightmares about them, and I can tell you the "alives" are the only thing that really makes me get frighteened.
The two first movies are great, they have everything, but the third is very dissapointing; but, I want to mention that the secuence when they discovered that one of the babies tried to baptize itself is REALLY good!
I´m not a believer, but the feeling about the baby realizing that he never enters the heaven if it´s not baptized, makes me understand the feeling of what they must feel about it´s very existence.
Some dorks think this movies are bad, but they don´t understand the real nature of the babies, they don´t want to kill, they only want to live!
Remember that the first baby, the "Davis Baby"? It forgive it´s own father, just for a moment of feeling beloved.
In the second movie, the "Scott Baby" searches for its parents, and when they took in, it fells good and stop killing. Only when it sees in danger again, it goes rampaging again, just to be killed by it´s own father...
The babies rules!

[–] 20 years ago

[deleted]

[–] HorrorMovieLuvinChick 20 years ago

I wasn't born when this movie came out ( I didn't make my great entry until 1979) and watched it as an older teen (maybe 16 or 17) but OMG...I still had nightmares and to this day I don't babysit for kids...especially babies. People think I'm weird cause I don't babysit my neices and nephews, but the sound of a baby crying sends a panic through me that...uuugh I can't think about it.

Kia
"Anyone can own a POODLE, a real woman owns a DOBERMAN."

[–] 20 years ago

[deleted]

[–] SteveW67 20 years ago

FINALLY, IT'S ALIVE, IT LIVES AGAIN and ISLAND OF THE ALIVE have come to DVD!!!!!! I saw the original when I was a preteen on HBO and it scared the crap out of me! Before Chucky there was the IT'S ALIVE baby! That thing was scary!! In fact, the trailer alone scared me.

I am thrilled that all of the IT'S ALIVE films have finally come to DVD, but my one disappointment was they did not include the trailer I remember from HBO, with the cradle in the dark room with the camera slowly circling the cradle and then we see the baby's claw hanging on the other side. The dialogue went something like, "The Davises are having a baby. But they're not making any announcements. Most people are a little scared when they have a baby. The Davises are terrified. (heartbeat sounds begin here) You see, there's only one thing wrong with the Davis baby.....It's Alive. (baby's strangled cry)". I will never forget that, it stayed with me! The trailer they used wasn't that scary and kind of long. They used short clips of this original trailer in that for ISLAND OF THE ALIVE and the IT LIVES AGAIN trailer was as I remembered, with the birthday cake and the three cradles. As Count Floyd from SCTV NETWORK would say, "OOOH, scary kids!!"

Anyhow, thank you for this thread. It's finally on DVD and we can all rejoice. I still have the first two films taped off TV when it was on CBS LATE NIGHT back in the 80s!

Steve
Stoneham, Massachusetts

[–] 20 years ago

[deleted]

[–] MuzikNFilm 20 years ago

Yes the scariest trailer of all time!! I was scared by this one and Black Christmas when I was a 7 year old kid. The trailers are chilling in their own right! I remember It's Alive being very mysterious and slow moving around the bassinet, til the narrator said "..theres one thing wrong with the Davis' baby...It's Alive!"-- the thing would scream out as the claw drooped on the side of the cradle. It was followed by a tagline that stays with me to this day cause of the way the man read it. He said, "It's Alive. Don't see it alone. Pleease!" It scarred me for life.

[–] vtcavuoto 20 years ago

I was about 12 or 13-still, I couldn't watch the whole movie. It wasn't until years later that I saw the whole thing. I still get chills looking at the damn thing, even though it kinda looks stupid at various parts of the movie.

[–] The-Atlantean 20 years ago

Well, I've seen the movie tonight, on DVD, and th copy i saw had the original trailer for each of the 3 movies.
The trailer to the original movie flahsed a very seventies 'It's Alive!' on the screen a number of time, and then basically explained the whole film to you. It finished with about two minutes of random scenes form the film. Odd.
The second trailer lasted about 30 seconds - very mimimalist, but it was around 1978, and Jaws had just set the scene for trailers then - short and ominous.
The third just said some stuff about an island (and gave away the ending of the second in the process) - 'where they could grow. And now they're homesick. And hungry!"
Wonderful B-movie schlock, and an hilarious script. How some of those lines could be said so deadpan - I take my hat off to them, I really do.

'What's this look like to you, soldier?'
'It looks like something sucked out his brain, sir.'
Starship Troopers.

[–] neiltek 20 years ago

I saw it when I was 10 in '74. Me and two friends walked to the theatre without really knowing what it was about. We sat throught it and walked home in the dark. The older friend could make a sound just like the baby so he stuck up behind me and my other friend and did it and my other friend fainted and I took off running.

[–] timdm 19 years ago

I saw the movie when I was about 10.. I remember laughing and being grossed out at the same time, and for the same scenes.

The milk and the blood coming out of the truck was priceless.

I could do the Davis baby cry perfectly. (at least used to be able to). I did it for years, people said it was scary. One halloween(maybe 1980) I wanted to make a scary sound tape to play under a bush in the front yard, for the trick or treaters. of course I did the baby cry, when I played the tape back, I scared myself! My Mom said "What the H*LL is that!" and she couldn't believe it came from me. so I repeated the sounds 'live'.

[–] janilani 18 years ago

A serial (or should I say cereal or formula) killer infant!!!

I love 70's & early 80's horror flicks! The Incredible Melting Man, Phantasm, The Fog, The Thing, Gargoyles, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, The True Story of Frankenstein, the first Terminator, et al. I prefer cheesy over just gratuitous (sp?) over-the- top violence like Hostel.

Never vomit in a wicker trashcan.

[–] dobbin-1 20 years ago

I saw this film when it was originally released, at age 11. I'm watching it for the second time, on DVD, tomorrow.

I doubt it will scare me like it did thirty years ago, but I expect to enjoy it nonetheless.

The fact of the matter is I still hold very distinct memories of this film after thirty years. I think that speaks volumes.

Some will say it just made a big impression on a very impressionable, eleven year-old boy. And that may be true. But, aside from the graphic birth scene, and the oh-so-memorable milkman scene, what impressed me most was Herrman's score and Ryan's acting. Without those elements, It's Alive! is nothing more than umpteen-jillion other b-flicks that fall from memory five seconds after you leave the theatre.

My opinion may change after tomorrow's viewing, but somehow I doubt it.

[–] indigus67 20 years ago

(1) How old were you when you first saw IA?

Well, I have read the whole thread, and I think I have everyone beat on the age thing...5! IT WAS THE FIRST MOVIE I EVER SAW! Now what type of sick twisted parent would actually take their kid to see this sort of thing?! Well my Dad.. he used to drink a lot. But it totally freaked me out, and twisted my little impressionable mind. I had my shirt pulled up over my head for a lot of it.

After effects? I got a paper route when I was ten, a morning route, so I was usually out at about 4 am. Have you ever heard two cats fighting? Oh my God!! Sounds just like the IA babies! I crapped my pants, and carried a BB gun from then on when I was out delivering papers.

(2) What do you believe are the most effective things in the film?

The Baby and how it killed people. THE MILKMAN! No one has mentioned the Milk Man gag. The blood and milk running out of the truck and mixing on the street?! SWEET!

The Baby sounds too, truly creepy

(3) How about the acting?

Well.... the one true weak point. If think the acting was a little overdone, but I have seen much worse.

Thanks for starting this thread, brought back some good/bad memories from my childhood!
=)

[–] dobbin-1 20 years ago

^ I referenced the milkman scene.

I watched this again yesterday and it did not disappoint. Though it is interesting what a difference thirty years makes. What I noticed most:

The film is rife with incontinuity, but that only improves it's camp value.

The first basement scene is classic. When Frank is checking the light bulb and the pinata bursts forth truly made my heart jump in my throat.

Bernard Herrman's score made me feel like I was watching Hitchcock's 'Vertigo' all over again.

The milkman scene is absolutely the best scene in the whole film. I love how the truck is parked on a hill so the milk and blood can run down, and the milkman's legs twitching uncontrollably as he dies...a perfectly executed horror film scene.

John Ryan and Sharon Ferrell's performances were perfect for a freaky, campy horror b-flick. Ferrell was fabulous as the cracked mother, and Ryan is easily one of the most underrated actors of his time.

No, it didn't scare me this time, but it's still one heckuva film!