PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I remember seeing the cover of The Being at the local video store when I was a kid, and it freaked me out. I thought that it looked absolutely terrifying, so I was beyond eager to see it. Unfortunately, it seemed like it was always rented out, so I had to wait for what seemed like forever to finally get my hands on a copy of it. I finally did one Sunday night, and I remember being so excited to watch it that I barely touched the Chef Boyardee Zoo-roni pasta that my mom had made me for dinner that night (Man, how I miss Zoo-roni, it was so good).
So, did it live up to my expectations? Did I love it and sleep with the covers over my head in fear that night or did I go to bed with an empty stomach and feeling extremely disappointed? Keep on reading to find out…
Synopsis
The sleepy little town of Pottsville, Idaho is terrorized by a mutant creature who is going around tearing the citizens to pieces as the local police chief tries to figure out a way to stop it.
While The Being may not be perfect, I still dig it and think that it is a fun little creature feature with a lot of heart. Written and directed by Jackie Kong (Blood Diner, Night Patrol) and starring Martin Landau (Alone in the Dark, Ed Wood) and Bill Osco (The Under Achievers, Cop Killers) is a funky little flick that has its moments of genuine scary moments as well as some awesome subtle black humor that made me laugh out loud.
The title character is as creepy as they come and just looks terrific in general. The movie also has an impressive body count and most of the death scenes are handled well and are just a lot of fun to say the least.
The premise is quite straightforward, so you don’t have to think too hard about it. A little boy mutated by toxic waste turns into a horrific monster that enjoys ripping people to shreds. The police chief-who has his own issues-is on the case though and is doing his best to try to stop the creature’s murderous rampage, eventually joined by a chemical safety engineer who seems to know a little more about the monster’s origin than he is letting on.
Sounds like the formula for a nice little monster movie, right? Believe me when I say that it is, and the results are guaranteed to satisfy any horror flick fan out there who is into movies about homicidal mutants.
One of the things that I have always dug about this movie is that the main creature looks great and is more than a little frightening. The effects look amazing, and as a result the title monster is the thing of nightmares. The special effect team did a wonderful job of bringing the creature to life, and trust me when I say that this is one beast that you definitely don’t want to come across in a dark alley because he is quite brutal and seems to love tearing into people. While we don’t see it a lot at first, we do get several good views of it later and it looks fantastic. He’s without a doubt a scary little fellow and has starred in some of my nightmares over the years.
In addition to having some genuinely unsettling and creepy moments, the film also does a great job of incorporating humor into the mix. The scene involving a little girl participating in an Easter egg hunt is comedy gold (especially what one of the other kids says off screen after she wins the contest which had me laughing my head off), and the bits with the town’s other cop-who is an incompetent goofball-are nothing short of hilarious, as is the scene at the drive-in movie theater.
I have a weird sense of humor, and it takes a lot to make me laugh, but I did several times while watching this movie. I appreciate the fact that the humor is quite subtle without trying too hard, and it is funny without being crude or obnoxious.
As you can tell, I am fond of The Being. I think that it has a lot going for it and I always enjoy it whenever I revisit it. While not everything about it works (such as some of the acting as it leaves a little to be desired at times) these flaws are easy to overlook, and they aren’t big enough that they impact the movie as a whole. The ending leaves the door wide open for a sequel, and I for one would love to see a continuation of the story someday (hey Jackie Kong, hit me up if you are reading this as I would love to write the script for the sequel for you).
If you’re in the mood for a kooky little monster movie that is just loads of fun, then check this movie out when you get a chance. You won’t be disappointed.
