It's Alive Trilogy

Introduction

Back in the early 70s all the way through the late 80s, a legendary filmmaker by the name of Larry Cohen gave us the It's Alive trilogy. These films followed parents who gave birth to murderous mutant babies where, usually, the parents wanted to protect their children from evil government agents. These films gained a huge cult following over the years, thus having three feature films. Not only were the movies scary and entertaining, but they each had a subtle message to go along with the political times. The new 1080p HD transfers and lossless audio mixes are all fantastic. There are a few new extras as well that were made specifically for this release, along with some vintage commentaries and other extras. These films still stand the test of time and come Highly Recommended!

The Movie Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

It's Alive (1974)

Larry Cohen can be considered one of the godfathers of B-Movie horror films. He has a proven track record as a director, writer, and producer, often churning out low budget horror and other genre flicks under budget and on time. His films are never big blockbusters, but they all become cult classics that are beloved for many decades. In 1974, Larry made a film called It's Alive, which did very well overseas, even winning numerous awards. However, here in the states, it was received poorly. After a little while in drive-in theaters, It's Alive gained a big cult following and continues to wow genre fans to this day.

The film follows a couple who are having their second child in what seems to be a routine delivery. That isn't the case though, as the baby is born with severe deformities, complete with sharp fangs and big claws. The baby kills the doctors and nurses in the delivery room and escapes, leaving its mother alive. Everyone is shocked at the carnage, but the couple is allowed to go home and make sense of everything. Meanwhile, the baby is wreaking havoc as it makes its way towards its parent's house, as other doctors and law enforcement keep finding bodies, one being a milkman in a hilarious scene. I do believe that Larry was trying to tell a fun story that was also had a decent message of family sticking together and protecting their loved ones, while trying to shed some satirical light on the birth mothers and drug boom of the 1970s (asking if it ok was for pregnant mothers to use birthing drugs during pregnancy).

It's all done in a subtle way and never hits you over the head with its message. With this low budget movie, Larry Cohen managed to get composer Bernard Herrmann to liven up the soundtrack, as well as a very young Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London, Michael Jackson's Thriller) to deliver the practical visual and monster effects. The results are stunning for 1974 and bring this film to a better spotlight than it deserved. It's Alive also practiced the art of less is more, in which it showed very little of the actual monster baby, but rather just the aftermath and chaos it created, which made it even more terrifying if not a bit silly. It's Alive continues to impress some 45 years later and I imagine it will continue to do so for another 45.

It Lives Again (1978)

Some four years after It's Alive was released, Larry Cohen was back behind the camera again, making the sequel. At the end of It's Alive, it is said that there was a second monster mutant baby being born in Seattle, however, this new film takes place in the Southwest where another couple is celebrating at a baby shower. Here, the father from the first film shows up and warns them that they are about to have a mutant baby and that a group of villainous government agents is out to kill their baby.

Of course, this new couple doesn't believe him until they arrive at the hospital to give birth and there are quite a few government agents waiting for them. This is where the father from the first film helps this couple escape to a portable birthing van in order to deliver the baby safely, study it, and protect it. Of course, things go wrong when the baby escapes and the parents and government agents chase the little monster baby across the country. It's a solid sequel that captures the harsh political climate of the 1970s. In the film, the government is secretly recording and monitoring this couple, while trying to cover everything up, which was as relevant at the time as it is today.

I believe Larry was using this film to say a little something about that in the best Larry Cohen way possible. It Lives Again has some flaws, mostly in the new parents not really having a big story arc. They're just bland and as normal as they come, but that doesn't stop the film from being entertaining at all. 40 years later, It Lives Again is still a good sequel to its original story and furthers the mystery behind these monster babies.

It's Alive III: Island of the Alive (1987)

Almost a decade had passed before this third It's Alive film was made by the one and only Larry Cohen. From the title and poster of the film, you'd think this third movie would be a spoof of sorts. Did these monster babies all of a sudden want to go tropical? Yes, they did, but for good reason as Larry Cohen explains along with some dark humor and inside jokes. The film takes place several years after Part II where a father of one of the mutant babies is in a courtroom, pleading for law enforcement not to kill his mutant son. It should be known that the mother (Karen Black) wants nothing to do with her child or the father.

Fortunately, the judge decides not to kill the baby, but to send him and other mutant babies to a secluded island to live forever. A few years go by where the father is down on his luck, but is approached by someone to escort a team of researchers and scientists to the island and study and possibly bring back one of the babies to learn about them. Things go horribly wrong on the island, but the father is left alive as he sees his son now grown up with a kid of his own. He also learns how these mutants communicate and that they are not bad mutant people. It's a good twist and story with a fantastic message. I believe that the first two films were much darker in tone, but this third film had a sweeter message and lighter feel to it, which was a nice direction.

I also think that Larry Cohen wanted to play the satire up with his portrayal of the government deciding what to do with a menace to society as well as sexually transmitted diseases, which were rampant in the late 1980s. There are several scenes where the father cannot talk or flirt with women because they feel like he will transmit his mutant genes into them by touch. It's brilliant when you actually think about it. All said and done, this third and final film of the original trilogy is still a good one some years later, making this horror trilogy a fantastic discovery and nostalgic piece of horror cinema. 

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-rays

The It's Alive trilogy comes with three 50GB Blu-ray Discs that have their own individual plastic cases and artwork.  There is no insert for digital downloads here or even a booklet. All three hard, blue plastic cases come with a big cardboard sleeve.