Movies At Dog Farm Retrospective: The Beast Within (1982)

The Beast Within (1982)

     For Halloween 2006 I created a week long series of drive-in double features for my friends and co-workers, seamless programs of shorts, trailers, ads, cartoons, and movies.  The logistics of trying to mount such a program outdoors in October were untenable, but we did a pretty good job creating the vibe indoors.  I had an LED moon on my living room wall, and I created shadow lanterns with popcorn containers and candles to create flickering "stars" on the living room ceiling.  We had a "refreshment stand" set up in the kitchen with hot dogs, boxed candies, sodas, and popcorn.  Each night was themed, and the trailers shown during intermission advertised the movies scheduled for the following night.  The final double feature was Motel Hell (1980) and The Beast Within (1982), both of which I had the good fortune of seeing for the first time at the Skyline Drive-In.  The Beast Within is the epitome of a drive-in creature feature.  It's roots extend all the way back to the likes of I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1957), but with more rape, gore, and 1980s style bladder FX (all the rage at the time).  The Beast Within is incoherent, unrefined, and tacky.  It's a movie that simply wouldn't be made today.  Shortcomings notwithstanding, I love it dearly.

Eli and Caroline MacCleary (Ronny Cox and Bibi Besche)

     The Beast Within is the story of young Michael MacCleary (Paul Clemens), the now seventeen year old product of a wedding night rape near the small town of Nioba, Mississippi.  Eli and Caroline MacCleary (Ronny Cox and Bibi Besche) have raised Michael as their own.  They've kept the details of the rape - perpetrated by a humanoid creature of some sort - to themselves in the intervening years. Now young Michael, seemingly normal up to this point, has become gravely ill owing to what his doctor describes as an out of control pituitary gland.  The doctor suggests Michael's illness may be genetic, and so Eli and Caroline return to Nioba to solve the mystery of who - or what - fathered Michael in the hopes of finding some insight into Michael's illness.

Michael MacCleary (Paul Clemens), obviously feeling a little ill

     Several of Nioba's locals behave suspiciously when questioned about the rape, and it becomes clear that they know more than they're sharing about the particulars of Caroline's assailant.  Michael soon shows up in Nioba, as well, and the aforementioned locals begin to die in spectacularly gruesome fashion.  Michael shows himself to be his father's son during a show stopping transformation, then crashes through the wall and into the woods to track down another rape victim and repeat the cycle.  I've left the specifics of Michael's condition deliberately vague, because careening through the Scooby Doo style mystery surrounding Michael's true providence is half the fun.  It's also pretty freakin' vague in the movie, too, though it would seem that Michael is some kind of were-cicada.  Yeah, you read that correctly.

     Truth be told, The Beast Within has its fair share of flaws, not the least of which is the lack of narrative clarity.  Director Philippe Mora claims that United Artists cut several scenes that clarified key narrative points, and I'm inclined to believe that.  Screenwriter Tom Holland later wrote and directed both Fright Night (1985) and Child's Play (1988), as well as having written Psycho II (1983).  He's no hack, so I have to believe that whatever went wrong wasn't at the script level.  On the other hand, Philippe Mora later directed Howling III: The Marsupials (1987), so maybe . . .

The beast comes out

     In fairness, though, Mora does give The Beast Within a nicely grotty southern gothic vibe throughout, and I have to assume he's at least a little responsible for the earnest and mostly pitch perfect performances that serve to elevate the movie above most others of its ilk.  One of the things I appreciate most about The Beast Within is that it's played completely straight, despite its inherently silly B movie creature feature pedigree.  It's refreshing to see a movie like this that doesn't wink at the camera or revel in how clever and meta it is.  There's a place for that, but it's nice to see a sincere attempt to just tell a story occasionally, too.  I think the fact that so many genre movies now are consumed with being self aware parodies is often just a cop out.  Filmmakers try to excuse ineffectual film making by hiding behind the notion that it's o.k. for their movies to be bad as long as they know they're bad.

Michael MacCleary, now obviously feeling a lot worse

     Of course, I've thus far tiptoed around the very best reason to seek out this particular creature feature, and that would be its creature.  More precisely, it would be Michael's transformation into said creature.  The creature itself is a perfectly adequate man in a suit affair, but Michael's final transformation into that creature is an orgy of latex, slime, bubbling bladders and excess.  Masterminded by FX vet Rob Burman, it's one of those glorious, only in the 80s examples of the narrative just coming to a halt so the FX man can show off his wares.  Burman pulls out all the stops, and the results are horror movie gold.  They just don't make 'em like this anymore.

     One final note:  when I was a youngster I purchased a special "magazine" published by Fangoria made up of horror movie postcards.  I distinctly remember that one of the postcards was an image of a black lab with a human arm in his mouth that had been culled from The Beast Within.  I tried unsuccessfully to find any record of this magazine, nor could I find an image of the postcard itself.  If any of my readers remember this or could point me in the right direction, I'd be much obliged.

Creature Feature Week Has Commenced! Call The Authorities! Multiple Sites Crawling With Monsters, Madness And Mayhem!

Wriggling, writhing grossness consumes the internet!

     My buddy Bob Mallett at Candy-Coated Razor Blades is coordinating a multi-site Creature Feature Week!  Check it out here for updated links to all the new content.  You'll see posts from me, Bob, and other members of the The Incredibly Strange Horror Bloggers Network, as well links to new friends The Big Gay Horror Show and Kweeny Todd.  Take the bait!

Ray Harryhausen 1920-2013 R.I.P.

     I cried when I read the news at work today, and I'm misting up again as I write this.  It's heartbreaking to see your heroes pass on.  Thank you so much, Mr. Harryhausen.

Ray Harryhausen - R.I.P.

      
     Clash Of The Titans (1981)                          
     Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger (1977) 
     The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad (1973)
     The Valley Of Gwangi (1969)
     One Million Years B.C. (1966)
     First Men In The Moon (1964)
     Jason And The Argonauts (1963)
     Mysterious Island (1961)
     The 3 Worlds Of Gulliver (1960)
     The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad (1958)
     20 Million Miles To Earth (1957)
     The Animal World (1956)
     It Came From Beneath The Sea (1955)
     Mighty Joe Young (1949)

              

             
 
        The world is an immeasurably richer place thanks to the gifts that you shared.

Manborg (2011) - This Is The Sort Of Thing You'll Like If You Like This Sort Of Thing

Manborg (2011)

     . . . but what sort of thing is Manborg (2011)?  Well, take a long, hard look at that poster.  Did it stir the geeky, adolescent boy in you?  Did you just snicker like a twelve year old  at the unfortunate semantics of the preceding question?  If the answer to either of those questions is "yes", then you probably owe it to yourself  to watch Manborg.

     Created by the five person collective known as Astron 6 (reportedly for a mere $1,000?!?), Manborg is a loving ode to the sort of earnest, often silly sci-fi action movies that littered video store shelves in the late 80s and early 90s.  You'll know whether you're going to love it or loathe within the first five minutes, and you'll only be sacrificing an hour of your time if you choose to commit.  I loved it.  Adrienne immediately rolled over on the couch and chose to commit instead to an hour long nap.  Clearly, this wasn't her sort of thing.

     Filled to overflowing with monsters, mayhem, and a mother lode of way cool stop motion animation, every frame of Manborg crackles with the genuine and refreshingly unironic love of its creators for "this sort of thing".  I'm not going to get all movie blog critical about it here.  If you should see Manborg . . . well, you know who you are.  Enjoy.

     Not for nothing, I just glanced at the clock and realized that composing this post carried me past midnight and straight into my forty-third birthday.  Forty-three years of beating my brain to pudding with genre movies has come to this.  I can still sit down to watch movies like Manborg and be thoroughly entertained.  Good.  Maybe there's still the heart of youngster beating in my chest after all.

     Check out the pics below to whet your appetite, then grab yourself a copy of Manborg when it releases on disc April 30.

Movies At Dog Farm Remembers: The Early Scares And Formative Horrors

"They're here."  Poltergeist (1982)

     I'm edging up on my 43rd birthday at the end of this month, and that means I've logged about 43 years watching genre movies.  I started young.  Of course, when I was starting out there were a lot less genre movies to watch.  They weren't quite as accessible, either.  You had your drive-in, your theater (not multiplex - a crucial distinction) or your thirteen channels of broadcast television.  One of those thirteen channels was PBS, and all the others were snow after a certain hour of the night - that would be snow like what Carol Anne watches on her family's sweet-ass tube television in Poltergeist, kids.  You see, back then television stations still ended their broadcast days at around 2:00 or 3:00 a.m.  Then you'd get "The Star Spangled Banner", then some sort of quasi-religious daily affirmation, then snow.  At least once a week, though, I'd get a shot of late night genre goodness delivered before the snowstorm.

The nameplate on Bowman Body's casket.

     Most of my earliest recollections of exposure to genre movies were tied to once weekly viewings of Shock Theater hosted by The Bowman Body.  I've written fondly of Shock Theater in the past here.  It was preceded each Saturday night by Soul Train.  As such, I was one of what I'm sure was a legion of surprisingly funky lower middle class pre-teens well-versed in the old black and white Universal horror movies and sci-fi B movies straight from the 1950s.  I watched whatever was on, but a few stand out.

Scary stuff, right?

     Many of the movies dealt with the traditional werewolves, vampires, and mummies.  Most of the others dealt with anthromorphic horrors of some sort, because a guy in a monster suit usually still pretty much looked like a guy in a monster suit.  Occasionally, though, something a little different would come along, and those were always the ones that had the most impact.  The Blob (1958) actually terrified me as a child.  If something with a more or less human form came after me, there were safe places to hide.  The Blob could get me anywhere.  The lyrics to the deceptively catchy Burt Bacharach song "Beware The Blob" that played over the opening credits said it all:  "Beware of the Blob! - It creeps and leaps and glides and slides across the floor - Right through the door and all around the wall - A splotch, a blotch - Be careful of the blob!"  Now where in the hell was I going to hide from a monster like that?

The monster challenging the world, one closet door at a time.

     The Monster That Challenged The World (1957) was another favorite.  I just rewatched this a few days ago, and giant prehistoric mollusks from the Salton Sea still hold up pretty well.  The movie actually builds up to some solid chills, and it boasts an impressive monster design that gets its fair share of screen time.  Secretary Gail MacKenzie telling her little daughter Sandy to close her eyes as one of the monsters tears through the door is still strong stuff.  I don't recall too many children being placed in harm's way in the old horror movies, so that moment really hit home for me.  Again, too, this was a monster that didn't possess a recognizably human form.  Apparently, I was just sophisticated enough a viewer to demand a bit more from my monsters in order to buy the premise.  So how about a monster that still keeps me from going into ocean water more than knee deep?

Easily one of the best movie scares ever.  Jaws (1975)

     Jaws (1975) is a seminal horror for a lot of viewers, and I was young enough to be completely gobsmacked by it. Jaws was a little too upscale for Shock Theater, and I know that first viewing was a prime time network broadcast.  I know this because I almost didn't see it.  You see, my mother had found some boogers wiped on the underside of the kitchen table, and when I was confronted about this I tried vainly to convince her it had been my father who'd left them there.  The booger issue was less serious than the fact that I lied about it.  I was punished for lying, my punishment being no TV for a month (seems a little harsh, doesn't it?).  I knew nothing of Jaws, but my father - God bless him - did.  He knew I'd want to see it, and he brokered a one night reprieve for me.  Because the network television premiere of Jaws was a special circumstance, he convinced my mother to let me off the hook for just one night.  Thanks, Dad.

     I've been thinking about all of these special movies because we old people always tend to wax nostalgic on birthdays.  I've also been thinking of them because I anxiously await the day I get to introduce my little baby Gunnar to genre movies.  Adrienne says I have to ease him into it because she doesn't want to be left to contend with the nightmares.  I envy Gunnar.  If only something as innocent as The Blob could still breed nightmares for me . . .  I'll get to see everything old become new again through Gunnar's eyes, though, and that's going to be pretty freakin' awesome.

     What movies gave you your first nightmares as a child?

I'm Still Sucking Air - Don't Be Alarmed, I'll Be Back Soon . . .

     Don't be fooled by the lack of new content on Movies At Dog Farm.  I'm still sucking air, and this site hasn't died on the vine.  As some of you already know (or could easily infer from some of the more recent posts), I've recently welcomed a little guy named Gunnar into my life.  Time to devote to the Dog Farm has been scarce.  Although I'm loathe to let the site sit dormant for so long, I'm going through what might politely be called a period of adjustment. 

     Continue to check here or at The Incredibly Strange Bloggers Network Fan Page on Facebook for links to fantastic new content from my friends in the blogosphere.  Please take advantage of this hiatus to dig through the archives here at the Dog Farm, as well.  I'll be back soon.  I promise.

The Power Of The Incredibly Strange Horror Bloggers Network Compels You . . .

There's no need to adjust your monitor.  The Incredibly Strange Horror Bloggers Network has seized control of your laptop.  We dare you to click the spiral and be transported to another dimension (or at least another URL address).

     Readers will remember Blood Sucking Geek's Ultimate Gore-A-Thon from back in February.  The Ultimate Gore-A-Thon was a two week multi-blog event orchestrated by JD at Blood Sucking Geek. It included his blog, this blog, and seven other contributing blogs.  We all thoroughly enjoyed working with one another, and we decided to keep doing so.  Enter The Incredibly Strange Horror Bloggers Network . . .

     The Incredibly Strange Horror Bloggers Network is a group of these nine predominately horror themed blogs that have banded together to consolidate their individual strengths, support each other's efforts, and present a unified identity to the public.  In particular, fans of any of the participating blogs can go to The Incredibly Strange Horror Bloggers Network Fan Page on Facebook and find updated info and links from all nine blogs gathered together in one tidy, convenient pile.

     The graphics associated with The Incredibly Strange Horror Bloggers Network will likely change in the near future (Maggie at MK Horror is working on something a little spiffier than what I came up with), but the Facebook Fan Page is already up and running.  Bob at Candy-Coated Razor Blades is brainstorming our next group effort, as well.

     Watch the Fan Page for updates, and feel free to post there to let us know what you think.  In addition to promoting the blogs, we also hope to foster an active community there - we'd like all of our readers to be part of that!