'It's Alive!' is an American film directed by Larry Buchanan and originally released in 1969. It's about a mad farmer who tries to feed a stranded couple to a dinosaur he keeps in a cave. Not to be confused with 'It's Alive!' that was released in 1974 which is an American horror film written, produced, and directed by Larry Cohen and is about a couple's infant child turns out to be a vicious mutant monster that kills when frightened.
I was a kid who loved monster movies, and from about the age of 7 I started collecting books and magazines about film monsters. I had heard about a movie called It's Alive, which had a man-eating monster baby in it, and from that moment I really, really wanted to see it.
I was about 11 when read in our local Detroit TV guide that It's Alive was going to be on the cleverly titled Sammy Terry. Sammy Terry was a late night "Horror Movie" show that aired on our local telivision station and featured horror movies.
I was excited to finally see the infamous man-eating baby, and thankfully I had parents that didn't mind me staying up late on a non-school night.
To sophisticated adult eyes it's pretty clear from the opening titles that It's Alive 1969 is not a movie featuring a man-eating baby, but I was a ignorant kid, and the titles read "It's Alive" so I was sure I'd be see some man-eating baby action soon.
I struggled to stay awake thru this HORRORble b-movie reject, only to be rewarded by the sight of the super phony cave monster. The cave monster was like a dime store version of the Gill Man, and had what looked to be ping-pong balls for eyes and soda straws for teeth.
I stayed up thru the entire movie fully expecting the man-eating baby to make it's appearance at any minute. After the end credits ran I had one of the most intense feelings of disappointment that I had ever had in my entire young life.
I soon learned there were two movies titled It's Alive, and it was It's Alive 1974 which featured the baby.
To save any of you from experiencing such disappointment I will tell you now that tonight's feature is not the movie about the flesh eating baby but rather the other, none the less cheesey and entertaining, movie by Larry Buchannan.
Larry Buchannan makes Ed Wood look like Preston Sturges but to his credit he conned his way into making more films and having them bought and seen on late night than Wood ever dreamt of.
If you've seen Zontar The Thing From Venus or Curse Of THe Swamp Creature you've basically seen the monster in one form or another since they're all culled from the same suit. One has a top fin,one doesn't,one is just a mask and hands and another is a full suit. Although the creature here is supposed to be a dinosaur man you don't get the feeling that it's supposed to be twenty feet tall until the mad farmer tells you it's twenty feet tall.
As others have stated this is solely a flick for those that are into cinematic badness and seeing every monster movie possible no matter what.The flashback scenes of torture with the chasing and the whistle wake ups are indeed a hilarious highlight.
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