The Deadly Spawn (1983)

Director:

Douglas McKeown

Writers:

Ted A. Bohus (writer)
John Dods (story)

Release Date:

22 April 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Horror

Tagline:

They Came To Earth To Feed On Human Flesh!

Plot:

Alien creatures invade a small town and a group of four teenagers, plus one little boy, try to escape from them.

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Alien | Creature | Teen | Violence

Cast

Charles George Hildebrandt	...	Charles
Tom DeFranco	...	Pete
Richard Lee Porter	...	Frankie
Jean Tafler	...	Ellen
Karen Tighe	...	Kathy
James Brewster	...	Sam
Elissa Neil	...	Barb
Ethel Michelson	...	Aunt Millie
John Schmerling	...	Uncle Herb
Judith Mayes	...	Bunny
Andrew Michaels	...	Camper #1
John Arndt	...	Camper #2
Diane Stevens	...	Nibbs
Darlene Kenley	...	Hilde
Madeline Charanis	...	Ju Ju

Also Known As:

Deadly Spawn
Return of the Alien's Deadly Spawn (USA) (alternative title)
Return of the Aliens: The Deadly Spawn (UK)
The Alien's Deadly Spawn (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

78 min | USA:81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Australia:R | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

New Jersey, USA

Company:

Filmline

Trivia:

The location for the shoot was the house of fantasy illustrator Tim Hildebrandt in Gladstone, New Jersey. Some effects sequences were shot by a second unit in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Quotes:

Aunt Millie: [the black cat in the house crossed her path] Where did he come from?
Pete: That cat is crazy!
Aunt Millie: [closes the basement door] What is with the basement this morning?

Movie Connections:

References The She-Creature (1956)

The Ultimate "Home-Made" Horror Movie

Extremely low budget, but lively sci-fi horror movie about a group of people trapped in a house full of toothy extraterrestrial monsters, hatched from a fallen meteorite, which look like a cross between a giant salamander and H.R. Giger's creation from the ALIEN movies.

The shoestring budget actually adds to the movie's charm, as it appears to have been written, shot and designed by a bunch of talented kids who had nothing better to do with the weekend (which is actually not far from the truth).

The dialog and performances, in general, are fair at best, but the swift pace, campy atmosphere and enthusiastic carnage balance out the shortcomings. Great music score, too. At any rate, you get the feeling that the filmmakers have a true love of the horror genre. It's creepy, gory, and a lot of fun, and would be a perfect flick for a Halloween horror-thon.