Director
Jackie Kong
Cast
Martin Landau - Garson Jones
Marianne Gordon - Laurie
Bill Osco - Mortimer Lutz
Jose Ferrer - Mayor Gordon Lane
Ruth Buzzi - Virginia Lane
If I throw out the words "toxic waste", "monster" and "small town" I think the anyone could put in the missing pieces to figure out the plot. Everything about the movie The Being seems cut and dry. It centers around those three classic horror/ sci-fi tropes.
The small town in this flick - fictional Pottsville, Idaho. And the gore starts off right away with the decapitation of a young guy we see running for something unseen.
The deaths continue as drive-in movie goers end up dying gruesomely inside their cars by something unnatural.
Det. Mortimer Lutz (Bill Osco) is investigating these strange going-ons, and finds some green sludge at the crime scenes.
People continue to disappear with deadly POV shots. Pottsville mayor Gordon Lane (Jose Ferrer) links the disappearances to the presence of toxic waste in his town. So, not wanting to smear the image of Pottsville, and its potato industry, Lane seeks the help of Garson Jones (Martin Landau). Although his name makes him sound like he's a pirate, Jones is really a chemical safety engineer.
Lutz is on top of this case like a bum on a bologna sandwich. And after he's attacked by a horrific creature inside his home, he's even more on top of it like there's two bologna sandwiches instead of one. Only this "sandwich" has it all - some whole grain mustard, the soft green lettuce, maybe some light mayo, and a bag of BBQ chips on the side....and a Cherry Coke. It's the type of thing an investigator drools over.
Of course, governments (even local governments) being absolutely pathetic at the art of lying, Jones and Lane tell Lutz there's nothing wrong despite the blatantly obvious. No sooner do they feed Lutz this lie, he and his girlfriend, Laurie (Marianne Gordon, Rosemary's Baby) are attacked inside the diner Laurie waitresses in.
They manage to trap the creature in the freezer. But when they bring Lane in to show him the monster, all that's there is a puddle of that tasty green sludge. And that's not the kind of "sandwich" Lutz wants to be on top of.
The deaths, the slime puddles, and the investigation lead up to an all out mutant versus human match in the end. And it seems nothing Lutz can throw at this intelligent yet psychopathic monster can stop it. On top of that, the movie leaves room for a sequel. Is anyone still waiting for that?
The movie is blood, guts, and slime from beginning to end. But most of the actors don't seem too invested in their roles. And in some scenes, I can't tell if the movie is trying to be purposely comedic, or if it's an accident.
There's one scene where a group of children are participating in an Easter Egg hunt at a local church. The lucky child to find the big egg wins a prize. Kids ramble picking up eggs, while one toddler, unlucky and slow at this activity, wanders into some bushes and finds a small hole in the ground where the prize egg...and some nasty monster hands...are hiding. She reaches in, in a scene of anticipation of who will get what first. It's pretty much the only intense scene in the movie. But when one of the church ladies (played by Ruth Buzzi) finds the toddler, she announces to everyone that she's the winner. Among the clapping, someone can be heard dropping an F-Bomb. That could have been a mistake, but was it? It's a scene I had to keep rewinding for laughs.
I'm not familiar with the writer and director, Jackie Kong, but her work in the genre seems worth looking into. According to IMDB, she's known for other horror movies such as Blood Diner (1987), and The Under Achievers (1987). The Being was her film debut. And she's cited on IMDB as being known for irreverent comedy and over-the-top horror. If that's the case, than she started off on the right foot with this picture, but practice definitely makes perfect. And kudos to her for scoring Martin Landau in her first movie.
As far as entertainment goes, this movie delivers for all practical purposes. But in some instances, the entertainment seems to be elsewhere than what the movie intended.
For instance, the time of day changes constantly in single scenes. One scene can start off at night, and unrealistically last several hours into dusk. And then it transfers back into night. It's a real trip. Make a drinking game out of it. Every time the time of day changes in one scene, take a shot. You won't miss anything important in the end, anyhow.
The gory visuals were satisfying, especially during a scene where that green slime oozes from the air vents and dashboard of a car. That was creative, and nasty!
Martin Landau is certainly not a nobody in the movie industry, having made is film debut in Alfred Hitchcock's film North by Northwest. He went on to star in other major movies, and worked with some big names such as Francis Ford Coppola, Steve McQueen, and Al Pacino. He also won an Oscar for his portrayal of horror legend Bela Lugosi in the Tim Burton movie, Ed Wood.
Though Landau was a fantastic actor, his work in this movie doesn't necessarily stand out. His presence seems to be above a picture like this. This is an actor who coached Jack Nicholson and Angelica Houston. And (SURPRISE!) he starred in the 1983 horror/ sci-fi film, The Being! I guess they can't all be winners. That's not to say he didn't do a good job. His acting definitely stood out in this supporting role.
Most horror movies of this caliber are merely popcorn/ drive-in type flicks. It doesn't matter if you didn't pay attention in the middle because you dozed off, or were making out with your date, or took a potty break and didn't bother pausing, you won't miss anything important.
I'd put this movie a notch or two below popcorn flick due to several continuity errors, bad or over-the-top acting, and the creature really looking like a knock-off version to the aliens from Alien. It's a movie worth attention on a Friday night, unless there's something else to watch. Chances are, there will be. Nevertheless, I'll keep my eyes open for other Jackie Kong movies. There is talent there.
People continue to disappear with deadly POV shots. Pottsville mayor Gordon Lane (Jose Ferrer) links the disappearances to the presence of toxic waste in his town. So, not wanting to smear the image of Pottsville, and its potato industry, Lane seeks the help of Garson Jones (Martin Landau). Although his name makes him sound like he's a pirate, Jones is really a chemical safety engineer.
Lutz is on top of this case like a bum on a bologna sandwich. And after he's attacked by a horrific creature inside his home, he's even more on top of it like there's two bologna sandwiches instead of one. Only this "sandwich" has it all - some whole grain mustard, the soft green lettuce, maybe some light mayo, and a bag of BBQ chips on the side....and a Cherry Coke. It's the type of thing an investigator drools over.
Of course, governments (even local governments) being absolutely pathetic at the art of lying, Jones and Lane tell Lutz there's nothing wrong despite the blatantly obvious. No sooner do they feed Lutz this lie, he and his girlfriend, Laurie (Marianne Gordon, Rosemary's Baby) are attacked inside the diner Laurie waitresses in.
They manage to trap the creature in the freezer. But when they bring Lane in to show him the monster, all that's there is a puddle of that tasty green sludge. And that's not the kind of "sandwich" Lutz wants to be on top of.
The deaths, the slime puddles, and the investigation lead up to an all out mutant versus human match in the end. And it seems nothing Lutz can throw at this intelligent yet psychopathic monster can stop it. On top of that, the movie leaves room for a sequel. Is anyone still waiting for that?
The movie is blood, guts, and slime from beginning to end. But most of the actors don't seem too invested in their roles. And in some scenes, I can't tell if the movie is trying to be purposely comedic, or if it's an accident.
There's one scene where a group of children are participating in an Easter Egg hunt at a local church. The lucky child to find the big egg wins a prize. Kids ramble picking up eggs, while one toddler, unlucky and slow at this activity, wanders into some bushes and finds a small hole in the ground where the prize egg...and some nasty monster hands...are hiding. She reaches in, in a scene of anticipation of who will get what first. It's pretty much the only intense scene in the movie. But when one of the church ladies (played by Ruth Buzzi) finds the toddler, she announces to everyone that she's the winner. Among the clapping, someone can be heard dropping an F-Bomb. That could have been a mistake, but was it? It's a scene I had to keep rewinding for laughs.
I'm not familiar with the writer and director, Jackie Kong, but her work in the genre seems worth looking into. According to IMDB, she's known for other horror movies such as Blood Diner (1987), and The Under Achievers (1987). The Being was her film debut. And she's cited on IMDB as being known for irreverent comedy and over-the-top horror. If that's the case, than she started off on the right foot with this picture, but practice definitely makes perfect. And kudos to her for scoring Martin Landau in her first movie.
As far as entertainment goes, this movie delivers for all practical purposes. But in some instances, the entertainment seems to be elsewhere than what the movie intended.
For instance, the time of day changes constantly in single scenes. One scene can start off at night, and unrealistically last several hours into dusk. And then it transfers back into night. It's a real trip. Make a drinking game out of it. Every time the time of day changes in one scene, take a shot. You won't miss anything important in the end, anyhow.
The gory visuals were satisfying, especially during a scene where that green slime oozes from the air vents and dashboard of a car. That was creative, and nasty!
Martin Landau is certainly not a nobody in the movie industry, having made is film debut in Alfred Hitchcock's film North by Northwest. He went on to star in other major movies, and worked with some big names such as Francis Ford Coppola, Steve McQueen, and Al Pacino. He also won an Oscar for his portrayal of horror legend Bela Lugosi in the Tim Burton movie, Ed Wood.
Though Landau was a fantastic actor, his work in this movie doesn't necessarily stand out. His presence seems to be above a picture like this. This is an actor who coached Jack Nicholson and Angelica Houston. And (SURPRISE!) he starred in the 1983 horror/ sci-fi film, The Being! I guess they can't all be winners. That's not to say he didn't do a good job. His acting definitely stood out in this supporting role.
Most horror movies of this caliber are merely popcorn/ drive-in type flicks. It doesn't matter if you didn't pay attention in the middle because you dozed off, or were making out with your date, or took a potty break and didn't bother pausing, you won't miss anything important.
I'd put this movie a notch or two below popcorn flick due to several continuity errors, bad or over-the-top acting, and the creature really looking like a knock-off version to the aliens from Alien. It's a movie worth attention on a Friday night, unless there's something else to watch. Chances are, there will be. Nevertheless, I'll keep my eyes open for other Jackie Kong movies. There is talent there.
Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading my review!
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