Parasite (1982)

Director:

Charles Band

Writers:

Alan J. Adler &
Michael Shoob ...
(more)

Release Date:

12 March 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Once it gets inside you, it will do anything to get out!

Plot:

Paul Dean has created a deadly parasite that is now attached to his stomach. He and his female companion...

Plot Keywords:

Parasite | Desert | Scientist | Beautiful Woman | Blood

Cast

Robert Glaudini	...	Dr. Paul Dean
Demi Moore	...	Patricia Welles
Luca Bercovici	...	Ricus
James Davidson	...	Wolf the Merchant
Al Fann	...	Collins
Tom Villard	...	Zeke
Scott Thomson	...	Chris
Cherie Currie	...	Dana
Vivian Blaine	...	Miss Daley
James Cavan	...	Buddy
Joannelle Nadine Romero	...	Bo
Freddie Moore	...	Arn
Natalie May	...	Shell
Cheryl Smith	...	Captive Girl
Joel Miller	...	Town Punk

Directed by
Charles Band

Writing credits
Alan J. Adler		&
Michael Shoob		&
Frank Levering

Produced by
Charles Band	....	producer
Richard Marcus	....	associate producer
Michael Wolf	....	associate producer
Irwin Yablans	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Richard Band

Cinematography by
Mac Ahlberg

Film Editing by
Brad Arensman

Casting by
Johanna Ray

Art Direction by
Pamela B. Warner

Set Decoration by
Robert Howland		(as Robert L. Howland)
K.C. Scheibel		(as Karen C. Scheibel)

Costume Design by
Lesley Neufeld		(as Lesley Lynn Nicholson)

Makeup Department
Karen Kubeck	....	makeup artist
Peter Tothpal	....	hair stylist
Allan A. Apone	....	special makeup effects (uncredited)

Production Management
J. Larry Carroll	....	production supervisor
Charles Newirth	....	unit production manager (as Charles J. Newirth)
Joseph Wolf	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Betsy Magruder	....	second assistant director
Peter Manoogian	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Marcus Drury	....	assistant set decorator
Deborah Harris	....	assistant set decorator
Robert Howland	....	property master (as Robert L. Howland)
K.C. Scheibel	....	assistant art director (as Karen C. Scheibel)
Brian Hanish	....	props: biocanister (uncredited)

Sound Department
Don Cahn	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Don Kahn)
Warren Chadwick	....	looping editor
Jim Cook	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mark Hanes	....	boom operator
Robert L. Harman	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Bob Harmon)
Robert Jansen	....	assistant sound editor
Richard Raderman	....	supervising sound editor
Wendi Jill Raderman	....	assistant sound editor
Allan Schultz	....	sound editor (as Alan Schultz)
James Thornton	....	sound mixer (as James Thorton)

Special Effects by
Lance Anderson	....	designer & creator: parasite effects
Richard Davison	....	parasite effects assistant
Roger George	....	pyrotechnician
James Kagel	....	designer & creator: parasite effects
Francisco X. Pérez	....	parasite effects assistant (as Francis X. Carriosa)
Douy Swofford	....	special effects prop designer
Michiko Tagawa	....	parasite effects assistant
Alan Taylor	....	parasite effects assistant
Douglas J. White	....	special effects (as Doug White)
Stan Winston	....	designer & creator: parasite effects

Stunts
Steven Chambers	....	stunts (as Steven D. Chambers)
Steve M. Davison	....	stunts
Gene Hartline	....	stunts
Buddy Joe Hooker	....	stunts
Hugh Hooker	....	stunts (as Hugh M. Hooker)
Chris Howell	....	stunts
Rick Seaman	....	stunts (as Richard D. Seaman)
Harry Wowchuk	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
John Buckley	....	best boy electric
Alan Caso	....	electrician
Tony Cunha	....	still photographer (as Anthony Cunha)
Warren Burke Gerrard	....	electrician (as 'Burke')
Richard Groetchen	....	gaffer (as Richard H. Groetchen)
Dwight Joseph Lavers	....	best boy grip (as Dwight J. La Vers)
Ron McCausland	....	key grip (as Ronald J. McCausland)
Woody Perkins	....	grip (as Haywood Perkins)
David Smith	....	first assistant camera
Michael Wilson	....	second assistant camera
Terry Wimmer	....	grip (as Terrance Paul Wimmer)

Editorial Department
Julie Ahlberg	....	post-production coordinator (as Julie Bilson)
Susan Dudeck	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Richard Band	....	conductor
Donald W. Ernst	....	music editor (as Don Ernst)
Don Perry	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Roger Mattmuller	....	technician: cinemobile

Other crew
Alan J. Adler	....	production associate
Bennah Burton-Burtt	....	assistant to producer (as Bennah Burton)
Chris J. Condon	....	additional 3-D consultant
Chris J. Condon	....	stereovision 3-D camera & optics designer
Susan Deutsch	....	production assistant
Debra Dion	....	production coordinator
Gabriel Elias	....	production assistant
Richard Fezzey	....	production assistant
Veronica Flynn	....	script supervisor
Eric A. Holst	....	production assistant (as Eric Holst)
Susan Jeter	....	production assistant
Shirley Johnson	....	production assistant
Michael Lacoe	....	production assistant
Randall Larsen	....	3-D consultant
Steven Logan	....	production assistant
Ricardo Méndez Matta	....	craft service (as Ricardo Mendez)
Amy Rabins	....	production executive
John Rhode	....	location manager
Barbara Slifka	....	production secretary (as Barbara J. Slifka)
Lisa Zeigler	....	craft service (as Lisa D. Ziegler)

Production Companies

• Embassy Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Embassy Pictures Corporation (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• Wizard Video (1983) (USA) (VHS)
• Hollywood Vidéo (1983) (France) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Cult Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Entertainment in Video (UK) (VHS)
• New World-Mutual (Canada)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Shadow Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)

Special Effects

• Makeup Effects Laboratories (uncredited)

Other Companies

• Dick Brooks Unlimited  publicity
• Don Perry Enterprises  music production
• Animal Actors  animals provided by
• Executive Coachcraft  Lamborghini Countach provided by
• Cinemobile System  locations equipped by (as Cinemobile Systems)
• Glen Glenn Sound Company  sound by (as Glen Glenn)
• Stereovision  3-D system

Also Known As:

"Parasite 3D" - USA (poster title)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park - 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Rd., Agua Dulce, California, USA

Company:

Embassy Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Originally shown in 3D.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When the first gang member gets infected by the parasite, they refer to it several times as 'that thing on his arm' despite the fact that it is on his chest.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ban the Sadist Videos! Part 2 (2006) (V)

Unlike Demi, has aged poorly...

Let's take a moment for total and complete honesty: there is essentially no reason for you to go through the same pain that I have just done. Avoid 'Parasite' like the plague it is and lead a much happier life. Friends, I watch these films to protect you. They've taken their toll and done irreparable damage to my psyche. Make my sacrifice worthwhile and don't follow in my footsteps. If there were -- and this is a very big if -- any reason to watch 'Parasite' I will suggest three. They are as follows:

1. This is one Demi Moore's first films. Die hards might want to watch her in this although I hope they possess better judgement.

2. Fans of gore might find it interesting since the pay-offs are frequent -- albeit extremely well telegraphed -- and gruesome.

3. 3-D made a return to theatres briefly in the eighties and fans of the sub-genre might want to check it out.

Unfortunately my three reasons can be quickly countered. Moore isn't bad but she's still working on her craft here. I also suspect that this is one of those films where a fresh young actor concedes that, yes, the film is total garbage but hey, I'm in the pictures ma! Top of the World! Demi was just working on her reel and building some footage to use as audition material for superior projects.

3-D is an interesting sub-genre but a movie that employs the technique suffers damage at the same time. Very rarely has it been done well (Hitchcock's 'Dial M for Murder) and very often it has been done poorly. The main weakness is that it tends to telegraph when a 3-D scene is about to happen. If things are starting to go slo-mo, break out the glasses. In the 50's it was quaint; in the 80's just corny and bad. 'Parasite' is one of those films in a distinct class. It managed to rekindle and destroy the 3-D gimmick in the painful stretch of 84 minutes.

Which brings me to the part of my review I like to call 'product endorsement': I was able to last through this movie by using a DVD player that has a countdown clock feature. There was comfort to be had in knowing that I only had to tough it through another *shudder* forty-three minutes.

The acting in 'Parasite' is about what you would expect from Z-Grade garbage like this. Actually, that's not entirely fair and I should give credit where it is due. The cast is mostly game for the film and put up a brave performance in spite of ludicrous script and story elements. Unfortunately for us this film is a horrendous and cheesy 'Alien' rip-off. Or 'Alien' meets 'Mad Max' rip-off since they throw in the post-apocalyptic wasteland thing. and the biker gang. And the goofy costumes.

Many movies are so bad they are funny. This is not. It's just plain bad.