There’s a vast spectrum of cinema to love out there, from pre-Code salaciousness, to grimy grindhouse flicks, to the masters of film in the Criterion Collection. Today, I’m to review one of the more indie, DIY movies to come out of the early ‘80s, The Deadly Spawn. There are a few versions of this release from boutique genre company Synapse Films: a limited edition of 5,000 4K/Blu-ray with slipcover; a Blu-ray standard edition, and a 4K standard edition, which is what I received for review. The street date is November 10th, and as of this review, all editions should be available, but I only see the 4K/Blu-ray combo limited edition and older DVD release for order on the Synapse website. I did find the Blu-ray on Diabolik DVD, which is a Synapse partner, however. (Links to order at the bottom of this review.) Official synopsis from Synapse:
A pair of campers stumble upon the remnants of a meteorite and discover some fanged, worm- like creatures have hitched a ride to Earth. After the “appetizer,” the deadly alien spawn take refuge in the basement of an isolated house and prepare for the main course! With the people in the neighborhood now becoming the entrees of an intergalactic monster buffet, a group of teenagers, led by a small boy, decide to take this matter into their own hands! Will they be able to stop the creatures from reproducing and rid the Earth of the deadly spawn once and for all? Featuring practical creature creations by John Dods (Spookies, Black Roses, Monsters TV series), The Deadly Spawn has been totally remastered in 4K from the original 16mm camera negative. With hours of supplementary material compiled from the personal collections of the cast and crew, The Deadly Spawn can finally invade your home theatre in the best version ever released to home video. Just try not to put this disc in the basement… you might be surprised at what you find down there!
Released in 1983, The Deadly Spawn was former actor and film, literature, and theater teacher Douglas McKeown’s only feature. Sadly, he’s no longer with us, but the wild little creature feature he made in New York state is.
Shot on 16mm, The Deadly Spawn opens with one of those dastardly meteorites filled with evil aliens crash-landing on Earth. There’s a low-res matte painting opening and closing the film that feels as charming as can be, at least if you love ridiculous, scrappy cinema that feels hand-hewn.
From there, red, tentacled aliens with massive mouths (and appetites to match) lined with dangerous, pointy teeth make themselves at home in the basement of kid protagonist Charles’ (Charles George Hildebrandt) home. At least, he’s the closest we have to a protagonist, among the summer stock theatre actors in the cast. The big house he lives in with his parents, an uncle and aunt visiting, his older teen brother and his plethora of friends, is the main setting for the unspooling alien carnage.
And that, friends, is the standout which makes The Deadly Spawn worth watching --- the creature effects and gore by John Dods (Spookies, Black Roses) still hold up over 40 years later. You’re not going to find top-level acting or storytelling here, but you will find a fun, sci-fi gorefest and cult classic that soothes the itch for a certain scratch. The ridiculousness is the point. Basically, the aliens eat and maim until Charles stops them, which comes at a high cost. It’s the inherent imagination within a DIY project and glee everyone has along the way --- viewers included --- that make The Deadly Spawn special. Bonus if you invite a bunch of friends over for a party or low-key group watch. Astute viewers will notice future, prolific FX artist Gabe Bartolos (Basket Case 3, Darkman, Dolls) in the credits as an extra.
Special features are mainly for diehards only, though I always love seeing an alternate opening, included here. The full list:
- New, Digitally Mastered Windowboxed Transfer in the Original Filmed Aspect Ratio of 1.33:1
- Two Audio Commentaries
- Extensive Still Galleries of Behind-the-Scenes Photos, Make-Up Effects, and the Premiere in New York City
- A Comic-Style Prequel with Its Own Musical Score
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Alternate Opening Sequence with New Effects and Credits
- Animated Menus
- Outtake Reel
- Cast and Crew Biographies
Picture and sound are as good as can be, particularly the image; it can be grainy at times, but again, that’s part of the charm. Someone thought to include a warbled collection of VHS actor auditions, which I feel is better seen as a time capsule than anything else.
Feeling a little bit DIY in your monster cravings? Head over to Synapse here to order The Deadly Spawn or to Diabolik DVD for all releases and international orders.