The Principals: David Allen Brooks, Rod Steiger, Amanda Pays, Talia Balsam, Kim Hunter, Peter Frechette, Julia Montgomery, Bunki Z.
The Premise: Dr. Amanda Hollins (Hunter), is a dying molecular biologist who asks her son, John, to fulfill her final wish that all of her experiments, including her “Anthony journals,” be destroyed. All that she’ll tell John about Anthony is that he’s his brother. What she doesn’t tell John is that Anthony is half of John’s DNA, and half sea creature. And Anthony doesn’t exactly have the best attitude. When he gets loose, the typical ’80s monster flick hijinks ensue.
“Jou slimy bastardo!”
Taglines: Some things are best left unborn. God created man. Wait till you see what Amanda’s done. Anthony isn’t your typical bottle baby… We’re not all the same creature under the skin. John’s got a half brother… half human…half something else!
Is it Good: See here’s the thing. I saw this movie when I was 15, and haven’t seen it anywhere since. Checking Amazon, the damn thing’s only available in used VHS. One aspect of the film that I distinctly remember, though, is a sequence where Anthony (or one of his pals, I’m pretty sure there were more than one of them), hides in a watermelon somehow, gets taken into a nubile young thing’s back seat, “hatches”, and makes with the tentacled Hentai action, causing her to crash and burn. Good times.
Yeah, Corbin Bernsen pretty much shit himself on his wedding night…
Is it Worth a Look: Again, only going off of 20-year-old+ memory, but I remember sneaking into this film and being pretty satisfied with the experience coming out of the theatre. Upon re-inspection today, I see that Rod Steiger, Kim Hunter and Amanda Pays were all in it. Which would mean that, along with this film and Leviathan, Pays was in two slimy, tentacled monster movies within a couple years of each other. I wonder if she fired her agent afterward? Anyway, I know if this film were readily available, I’d definitely give it another look-see. Plus it’s ’80s monster goodness and has a guy named Bunki Z acting in it. What’s not to like?
UPDATE: Thanks to tb87fu below, I now know you can find it up on Youtube in 9 handy installments. Here’s the first:
Random Anecdotes: Did I mention there’s real life pseudo-Hentai in the film?
Cinematic Soulmates: Leviathan, Species, any Olsen Twins film.
The Tally So Far:
8 comments
I remember seeing the trailer for this before loads of videos when I was a kid. Kind of freaked me out but I never got round to watching it (much like Xtro and indeed CHUD itself).
Are you sure this isn't on netflix? — Looks like it's on Youtube in 9 parts if you're desperate – or for the sake of review. Please delete this if that's against the site's ToS. I'd have sworn this was earlier than 1987 though…1983 more like. Same era as the godawful Xtro…
#2: No, that's great, thanks. Didn't know someone threw it up on Youtube. Quality doesn't seem to be too bad either.
Cool. Look forward to reading pt 2 of this review. Memory vs Reality!!
There are several copies on a particular private movie site that specializes in the obscure, weird, and awful.
I am a proud owner of one of these VHS tapes.
You hotlinked to one of my images – bad netiquette. This movie, however, rules. Director Jeffrey Obrow came to our New Beverly screening of The Dorm That Dripped Blood a few months back and was quite surprised when I mentioned how much I loved this movie.
Totally! I too watched this when I was 15 or so, haven't seen it since, and I have fond memories of it. I recall the ending with a big ol' monster bursting out of the floor, or something. Always loved that poster image of the monster in the baby bottle. I am going to have to watch this shit on the YouTube.
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