Evil Spawn (1987)

User Rating:

2.5/10   

Directors:

Kenneth J. Hall
Ted Newsom

Writers:

Kenneth J. Hall (writer)
Ted Newsom (writer)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Tonight she will love again and kill again.

Plot:

Microbes are brought back to earth via a space probe from Venus. A scientist is using them in experiments on ageing...

Plot Keywords:

Remake | Female Nudity | Independent Film

Cast

Richard Harrison	...	Max Adrian
Gordon Mitchell	...	Dan Thorn
Jay Richardson	...	Samanski
Suzanne Ager	...	Erin West
Dawn Wildsmith	...	Evelyn Avery (as Donna Shock)
Melissa Moore	...	Monica Roarke
Crystal Shaw	...	Secretary
Bobbie Bresee	...	Lynn Roman
Drew Godderis	...	Ross Anderson
John Terrence	...	Brent Price
Fox Harris	...	Harry Fox (as Jerry Fox)
Michael Deak	...	Symanski
Pamela Gilbert	...	Elaine Talbot
Mark Anthony	...	Mark Randall
Forrest J Ackerman	...	Pool Man

Also Known As:

Alien Within
Alive by Night
Deadly Sting
Metamorphosis (Australia) (video title)

Runtime:

USA:70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

American Independent Productions

Trivia:

Producer Fred Olen Ray is the only constant throughout the history of the project. He directed and produced the ambiguous scene between John Carradine and Dawn Wildsmith (then Mrs. Ray), ostensibly for a Frankenstein film; he produced (but did not direct) the whole of "Evil Spawn," written to include pre-extant Carradine footage; and he produced the re-edited "remake," "Alien Within." The approximately 35 minutes of new footage was shot in and around his home in Hollywood.

Well, it's bad, but I like it!

I rented this with a friend about 10 years ago. True, it is awful and cheesy, but in a strange way I kinda like it! Bobbie Bresee plays has-been actress Lynn Roman, who finds herself too old to be cast in the starlet roles of her past. In order to regain her youth, she begins taking injections given to her by Evelyn Avery, the mad assistant to the equally mad doctor played by John Carradine (Sad to see how bad he looks in this one.) Well, the injections restore Lynn's youthful appearance, but as an unfortunate side effect they also transform her into a giant rubbery insect which proceeds to suck the blood out of anyone unfortunate enough to cross its path! Before each transformation scene Lynn also spits out an enormous quantity of white fluid which kinda looks like... uh, anyway, you get the idea! The second half of the movie is basically devoted to Lynn, as the insect, taking revenge on every one who ever crossed her. About the worse thing any of these people did to Lynn was cast someone else in the roles she wanted, but that doesn't stop her from the low budget, and often quite funny, killing spree that follows. At one point she kills her shapely, youthful assistant for having long dark hair and the physique that Lynn is lacking. In the token gratuitous nudity scene, the assistant takes a nude swim that goes on for about five minutes before being killed. Funny how this giant rubbery thing, about twice as big as Lynn is, can come up behind someone and not be seen or heard until it is too late, despite the weird sounds it makes. In another scene, Lynn transforms and kills her agent. Moments later she is human again, and clothed, despite the fact that she ripped out of her clothes only seconds before. These are just a few of the many flaws that gives this film a warm place in my heart. Most of the gore is of the dimestore variety, indeed most of the budget appears to have gone into the monster effects. there is one very nasty scene in the beginning where a typical 80's yuppie has his arm torn out of the socket! Ugh! Still, if you like "so bad they're good" movies, you could do worse. This has become almost impossible to find, by the way. I had to do a great deal of searching before finally finding a website that had this for sale. Apparently there's another version of this called "The Alien Within", and I wouldn't mind seeing it either! Worth a look if you can ever find it. I'd love to see this on Joe Bob Briggs Monstervision show.