IT'S ALIVE
US, 1973, 91 minutes, Colour.
John Ryan, Sharon Farrell, Andrew Duggan, Guy Stockwell, James Dixon.
Directed by Larry Cohen.
It's Alive is ecological science-fiction - shades of John Wyndham's books, The Exorcist, creature features, Rosemary's Baby, and finally, The Third Man, as well as modern messages a-bout environmental contamination. This film is quite satisfying minor horror, competently written (avoiding the corniness one tends to expect) quite well acted and photographed - especially the double-visioned menace of the baby and the gradual revelation to the audience of the monstrous child. The whole thing is presented plausibly enough, although the American style of science-fiction is somewhat strident with police, cars, sirens and guns galore. Some points are well made about media curiosity and exploitation of the sensational and people's lives. Surprisingly good.
1. This film is considered as something of a minor horror classic. Why? Things, treatment, an American horror story? Overtones of ecology and science fiction?
2. Why do such horror stories appeal to an audience: the ingenious plot, the appeal to the imagination, to fears, the fable value of horror and science fiction? As illustrated in this film?
3. The presentation of an authentic atmosphere for the plot and the characters? Los Angeles locations, colour, music? The ordinariness of the city and the ordinariness of the people? Situations the audience could identify with - family, work, reporters, police? How important was the gradual transition visually to horror? The quality of the special effects, the gradual visualising of the mutant, the camera effects for the subjective view of the mutant child? Contribution to atmosphere?
4. The importance of setting an easy home atmosphere? Frank Davies as an ordinary middle-class man, PR work in Los Angeles, bond with his wife Lenore, love for his son Chris? The sequence of his waking his son up? A normal household?
5. The shift of emphasis to the pregnancy? Lenore and her going to the hospital, Chris and his being left off during his mother's time in hospital? The transition then to horror with the gory death of the doctor and the assistant nurses? Suggestions and puzzle about horror rather than explanations? How well and quickly did this involve the audience?
6. How important was it that the audience saw the child only gradually? Indications of the horror? Indications of the horror of the child? Devilish, monstrous, mutant? This combined with the lense-like view of the child itself?
7. The build-up of death - by suggestion, sudden intrusion of gore? The importance of the sequence with the milk truck?
8. Lenore and her attitude towards her child? The horror, her being persecuted in the hospital, inquisitive reporters, the police? Her maternal instinct and wanting to protect the child, her having the child at home? The bonds between the child and Chris, the possibility of his loving his brother?
9. Frank's reaction, his puzzle about the child, horror at what was happening, the experience of being sacked from his job and the double talk that was given, the journalists following him and pestering him, the tapes and the nurses trying to get exclusive interviews etc.? His decision to help the police and the consequences of this for the mutant child?
10. How important thematically were the sequences of discussion of Frank with his boss? The importance of PR, hypocritical attitudes, the lack of regard for personal situations? Smooth double talk?
11. The addition of the pharmaceutical issues? The causes for mutant children, pharmaceutics and executives from the companies and their worries? The critique implied?
12. The presentation of reporters and their right to the news, their pushy attitudes and invasion of privacy? The critique implied?
13. The build-up towards the climax of horror: the school situation and the toys ominously moving?
14. The shooting, Frank and his attitude towards the child, the child bleeding, the sequence in the sewers - why this particular location, atmosphere? Frank and his attitude of pity towards the child, throwing the child at the doctor and causing both deaths?
15. How good an example of contemporary science fiction, emphasising chemicals and genetics?
16. The them of genetics and mutants,' and of ordinary human relationships, family love?
17. How valuable is this kind of well-made science fiction horror fable? What do audiences learn by such an experience of fiction?
