Movie Info
Movie Name: The Being
Studio: Bill Osco Productions
Genre(s): Horror/B-Movie
Release Date(s): November 18, 1983
MPAA Rating: R
I kind of can tell what I’m looking at….
Pottsville, Idaho has become a new experimental dumping grounds for nuclear waste. While Garcon Jones (Martin Landau) has been sent to the city to reassure the people that the nuclear waste is safe, people begin disappearing and rumors swirl. Detective Mortimer Lutz (Bill Osco) is investigating the disappearances and suspects that the nuclear waste might be behind it. A monster has been born, and it is hungry.
Directed by Jackie Kong and produced by Bill Osco (who stars in the film as Lutz), The Being is a low-budget monster horror film. The movie was released to negative reviews.
The poster for The Being is probably the best part of The Being. I remember the VHS box, but even that did not make me want to rent it. Watching The Being now, it is generic ’80s monster fodder.
I am going to be an Oscar winner!
The story for The Being is pretty cheap horror. You have a generic creature stalking and killing people. The film weirdly interjects a “decency” storyline into the film that doesn’t really seem to have anything to do with it (other than the irony contrast of an ’80s horror film that is filled nudity). The movie is relatively short and aimless through most of the story…and it even has a weird dream sequence that extends the short runtime.
The cast of the movie is pretty weak. Producer Bill Osco has himself as the “lead” which is always a bad sign for a movie (with the bad stage name of Rexx Coltrane). Martin Landau plays the scientist who can’t seem to decide what side he is on and it is in a weird part in his career with it being post-Mission: Impossible and Space 1999 but pre-Oscar recognition in Tucker and Ed Wood. José Ferrer is the mayor of the small town that takes his cues from the mayor from Jaws, and Ruth Buzzi plays his wife who wants only decency.
I was just thinking that this movie needs a Ruth Buzzi dream sequence!
The movie smartly doesn’t show the monster much because the monster is pretty poorly constructed from what you can see. It is “allergic” to light so it can’t be shown (which is maybe the smartest move this bad movie made). It pretty much involves slime whenever it does attack anyone (or I guess it is toxic waste).
The Being isn’t good, but if you are a fan of ’80s horror and B-Movies, it is in that vein. I like that it is a monster movie in a period where slashers were really taking hold, but the monster isn’t very interesting or memorable (other than its appearance on the poster). It is a strange blend of ultra-low budget, low-level star power, and a bland script. Beware of Alien rip offs that don’t have the same scares!
