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[tab title="Movie Review"]
Get the beer ready. You’re going to need it for this goofy (and gross!) after-birth of a horror flick.
The Unborn is a horror film allowed to go full-on gonzo with its killer baby motif as Brook Adams (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) discovers that the child growing inside of her is actually a mutant killer ready to kill, kill, and kill again. Talk about post-partum issues! There might be no getting over that sad fact for this mother.
Just go with it. From cassette tapes of ambient noises (just listen closely) to help baby grow (and kill and feel superior) to an actual scene of breastfeeding this little mucus-covered monster, the whole role of motherhood gets satirized (a bit) thanks to this little mad doctor tale. The film is written by the team of John Brancato and Michael Ferris (The Game, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator Salvation) and, as written, it is difficult to know whether they meant for it to be spoof.
As filmed, though, it becomes increasingly hard to take it seriously. I mean, you just can’t. All seriousness is thrown out the window when the supporting cast – Jeff Hayenga as the ultra-dense husband, Kathy Griffin as a gay pregnancy coach, and Lisa Kudrow as the physician’s assistant – shows up and takes command. The scene where Kudrow asks Hayenga for a sperm sample? Hilarious. The scene where Griffin takes a beating from her partner? Bloody and equally hilarious due to the context. {googleads}
But, with cinematographer Wally Pfister in charge of the film’s bloody look, one can’t deny that the film leaves an impression. It might be a woefully sordid tale of insanity as a mutant baby bites his grandmother’s ankle and causes a car accident on the way to freedom, but The Unborn isn’t easily forgotten. This is not a good flick but (drunk enough) it does have its moments.
Inspired by the insanity of the It’s Alive series and produced by Roger Corman, this tale of in-vitro fertilization gone wrong is actually quite hysterical. Even as it pounds upon the drums of horror with a maddening rhythm, you will find yourself chuckling as Adams comes to grips with the reality of a doctor (James Karen) who plans to take over the world with devil babies. Again, roll with the punches.
The Unborn doesn’t let up either. Scream Factory, rescuing this cult flick from the bargain bin of Blockbuster, presents director Rodman Flender’s flick on Blu-ray with a new 2K scan of the original film’s elements for this its Blu-ray debut. A new commentary from Producer/Director Rodman Flender and Filmmaker Adam Simon is also included.
Think you’ve got a problem child? Until you’ve seen The Unborn – with an unforgettable concluding scene – you probably need to think again.
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[tab title="Details"]
MPAA Rating: unrated.
Runtime: 83 mins
Director: Rodman Flender
Writer: John Brancato, Michael Ferris
Cast: Brooke Adams, Jeff Hayenga, James Karen
Genre: Horror | Thriller
Tagline: Having a baby can be a scream.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Rupture of the navel is common during pregnancy."
Theatrical Distributor: Califilm
Official Site:
Release Date: March 29, 1991
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: August 14, 2018
Synopsis: A young wife (Brooke Adams, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers) suspects that a mysterious doctor (James Karen, The Return Of The Living Dead, Poltergeist) has inseminated her with mutated sperm in an attempt to create a super-human fetus. Unfortunately, there are extreme side-effects.
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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]
Blu-ray Details:
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - August 14, 2018
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: English: DTS-HD 5.1 lossless Master Audio
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Scream Factory’s NEW 2K scan from the original interpositive is fantastic! The images on the 1080p transfer using the AVC MPEG-4 codec are presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio of its original release and absolutely explode with a crispness long since missing from the original presentations. The tones are natural and amped up on saturation and dark tones. Since this is primarily set at night, the dark tones are important and with this release they are dark and natural; effective in creating a sense of disturbing moodiness. The Blu-ray is presented in DTS-HD 5.1 lossless Master Audio and contains a good mix of levels for multiple channels requiring no tweaking from its audience in order for dialogue to be heard.
Supplements:
Commentary:
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The commentary from Producer/Director Rodman Flender And Filmmaker Adam Simon might be more enjoyable than the actual film.
Special Features:
Essentially, fans get the new scan, a new commentary, and a theatrical trailer.
- Theatrical Trailer
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