80's Fun: The Being

First off, two notes to make. One- I apologize for not getting Blood Feast II done last night. My other blog took longer than I thought it would. Two- Thanks to Carl for giving me the push to finally see this movie.

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There is one horror movie catalyst that is often forgotten amongst the zombie outbreaks and vampire plagues- toxic waste. Many famous films have used this device- including The Horror of Party Beach- but it never caught on in a major way. In spite of that, this lost 80s film is actually quite interesting and deserves another look. Does it all make sense? No, not really. The pacing and rhythm is pretty weird too, but none of this really kills the movie. Besides, it has Martin Landau playing a corporate asshole- what's not to like? For more information, check out my review of...

The Being

The film begins with the 'trailer voice' guy talking about the town of Pottsville and how it is peaceful. I do have to ask: why is he in the actual film? He is supposed to be in the trailers, but that's it. After that much plot, we get several killings. No, I'm not kidding. Mind you, we do get a little plot, but it is mostly four or five kill scenes in quick succession. Not only that, but the means and method of killings vary. One couple is killed by seeping ooze, while one man is chased by a P.O.V. camera & a stoner is killed by a fully-formed monster (albeit not shown yet). Not that 80s horror films are the bastions of logic and common sense, but could you guys just pick a monster form and stick with it. Next, you are going to have a tiny monster baby sitting in a hole. Oh, come on! As this escalates, our two sub-plots begin to form. On one hand, we have a corporate lackey (Landau) who talks about how there is no problem with nuclear waste being dumped into the water resevoir! Life sure is fun on 3 Mile Island, huh? The other plot involves our hero: the sheriff. He does not buy into the whole 'monster' theory when he first hears it (mind you, it was from a stoner). Of course, when it chases him, he changes his tune- the hypocrite.

After his close encounter with the 'Evil Dead camera,' our hero wants to warn the locals about the threat. The local government- while appreciative of his Sheriff Brody impression- decide that it is not worth the risk for a theory. Meanwhile, more waste gets dumped into the water as part of the deal. Quick aside- we never really see said dumping. Why is that? It is just sort of an odd omission. Anyhow, a couple more people bite the dust, while the town celebrates their devotion to chastity and honor. I sense some irony in the film, but I just can't place it! Landau continues to be a complete and utter tool, until he sees evidence of the thing first hand. Faster than you can say 'lazy screenwriting,' he is helping our hero catch the beast. Their first attempt goes badly as the monster latches onto the moving vehicle and won't let go. They end up blowing up the car, but the monster is not dead. If exploding elevators won't kill the monster from Xtro II, what chance does a car have here? We get a couple of other subplots fighting for attention as well, including a love interest and a woman who lost her mind after she lost her kid to the monster. Who cares about that though when you have a monster battle?

If you thought that the weird pacing with the kills was something, wait until you see the ending of this movie. For over ten minutes, we get our two heroes trapped in a building with the monster. They don't really cut to much else of interest in this scene, so the pair have to handle the load. After so many quick kills, the monster is much more content to beat up and toss around our heroes. It finally kills off Landau- about time- but still wants to brutalize our sole surviving hero. Get used to it, people. He finally manages to defeat the monster and does the arduous task of climbing up a rope ladder to freedom. The film ends with an odd wrap-up sequence right out of Animal House- really- and the required sequel bait. Sorry guys, it didn't happen. The End.

This movie is good, but definitely a little bit twisted. So many killing scenes are jammed into the early part of the film, as if to layer the trailer with great moments. Mind you, these scenes are varied (like I said, maybe a little) and interesting. The movie is a bit daring to show you so little of the monster for so long, but that does come with a price. For modern horror fans, this may be a letdown, since it features so many perspective shots. Like Dead & Buried, it is not a perfect (it features Ruth Buzzi, after all) film, but it deserves loads more attention than it gets right now. Many one-off films from this era like this get lost in the wake of the Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th films. Give this one a rent if you have not seen it. If nothing else, it is unique.

Up next, a review that has been a long time coming. A zombie film like no other...in that it is uniquely-terrible. Stay tuned...