Thursday, October 2, 2014

"The Deadly Spawn" Special Edition DVD (2004 Synapse Films)

"The Deadly Spawn" Special Edition DVD (2004 Synapse Films Issue)

2004 DVD Cover Art.

PREFACE:

This is the first installment of 1980's blood-splattered cinema. Let's go with a favorite of mine 1983's "The Deadly Spawn"!


PRODUCTION:

Who would have thought that a really cool horror film could be made in 1983 for $23,000? Ted A. Bohus, Jon Dods & Tim Hildebrandt did, that's who! Jon Dods, a huge fan of the classic horror films of his youth, loved to create monsters - so his buddies all got together and made a creature feature for creature fans BY creature fans! The results are pretty amazing and pretty gory!

The central location is the actual family home of the Hildebrandt family! Even the family cat gets in on the movie action with a little help from some marijuana smoke! (Alluded to in the Commentary Feature!)

Theatrical Release Poster from 1983.



Jon Dods sprays clear coat on the teeth of the Spawn.


Dods working on the Mother Spawn.

Dods showing how the small spawns move thru the water.




THE STORY:

A meteorite falls from space and crashes near a couple of campers. They venture out to find the remnants and are eaten alive by small, slug-like creatures. These small creatures make their way to a nearby house.

The alien spawn then take refuge in the homes basement. With the people in the house begin being eaten by the now growing in size spawn, three teenagers and a little boy must take action and stop the monstrosity!


The meteorite spawns in a watery basement.

The babies gotta eat something...er, someone!


Charles (Charles Hildebrandt) meets the Spawn face-to-face.


The Spawn in all it's glory....until the end anyway!

Never go into the basement in a horror movie.

These jokers will even eat you when you're asleep!

This movie is a fun & gory romp through the monster genre! I really think it's a cool little film. I also really had fun listening to the Directors, Cast & Crew Commentaries- they're funny as hell. It's kinda obvious that they had some kind of issue with Ted A. Bohus. Bohus went on to make a pseudo-sequel called "Metamorphosis: The Alien Factor". 

Any horror fan of good old monster blood & guts will enjoy this one!


THE DVD:

Synapse Films (2004 Issue) Rated R    Region 0

Special Features:

New Digitally Mastered Windowboxed Transfer in the original filmed aspect ratio of 1.33:1
Two audio commentaries Featuring the Producer, Director, Cast & Crew
Extensive Still Galleries of Behind-the-Scenes Photos, Make up FX & the Premiere in NYC!
A Comic-Style Prequel with it's own Musical Score.
Alternate Opening Sequence with New SPFX & Credits.
Animated Menus 
Outtake Reels & Audition Tapes
Cast & Crew Biographies.

CAST: 

Charles George Hildebrandt as Charles

Tom DeFranco as Pete

Richard Lee Porter as Frankie

Jean Tafler as Ellen

Karen Tighe as Kathy

For more info go to www.synapse-films.com

No comments:

Post a Comment