The Unborn is a 1991 American science fiction horror film directed by Rodman Flender and starring Brooke Adams, Jeff Hayenga, James Karen, K Callan, and Jane Cameron. The film's plot concerns a couple who cannot have children; they attempt in-vitro fertilization, but strange things start happening to the mother while she is pregnant.
| The Unborn | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Rodman Flender |
| Written by | John Brancato and Michael Ferris (as "Henry Dominic") |
| Produced by | Roger Corman (uncredited) Rodman Flender |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Wally Pfister |
| Music by | Gary Numan Michael R. Smith |
Production company | Concorde-New Horizons |
| Distributed by | Califilm |
Release date |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,159,578 |
Lisa Kudrow and Kathy Griffin have small roles.
Plot
editThe story centers around a married couple. The infertile wife Virginia (Brooke Adams) and her husband Brad Marshall (Jeff Hayenga) decide to join an experimental in-vitro fertilization program developed by Dr. Richard Meyerling (James Karen). The trial succeeds, but during the pregnancy Virginia finds that something unusual is happening to the fetus. A further investigation shows that she is part of an experiment conducted by an insane doctor.
Cast
edit- Brooke Adams as Virginia Marshall
- Jeff Hayenga as Brad Marshall
- James Karen as Dr. Richard Meyerling
- K Callan as Martha Wellington
- Kathy Griffin as Connie
- Angelina Estrada as Isabel
- Jonathan Emerson as Mark Robinson
- Janice Kent as Cindy
- Lisa Kudrow as Louisa
Production
editWriter John D Brancato says the film was inspired by "killer mutant baby stories like It's Alive". They had previously written Bloodfist II for Corman.[1]
Filming took place in October 1990.[2] It was the first film directed by Flender who described it as a cross between Rosemary's Baby and The Fly.[3]
It was the first feature film as cinematographer for Wally Pfister who worked for Roger Corman for a number of years. He later recalled, "I had something I wanted to try with color and light. But it’s ghastly. At the same time, I cut myself slack, because my creative reach went beyond my skill level. That’s a really important thing to note. I had great ideas. But if you don’t have the skill level, you’re never going to master the artistry. That’s where I was early on. And I needed to put the hard work in and slowly work my way up."[4]
Adams said the film was a "pleasant surprise" for her and at one stage discussed with Corman the possibility of directing the sequel.[5]
Reception
editKevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times called the film "an efficient, scary sci-fi thriller", commending its screenplay as well as Adams's character and performance;[6] he concluded that the film "is laudable adult entertainment on all counts except one: There is a gratuitous, sneering put-down of lesbians who are in turn ignorantly stereotyped as man-haters."[6] Joan Bunke of The Des Moines Register gave the film a score of one out of five stars, calling it "as predictable as the phases of the moon", and writing: "Flender's movie, clearly made on a low budget, looks underdressed and underlit – as cheap as its story framework."[7]
Sequel
editThe film was followed by a sequel, The Unborn 2, released in 1994.
References
edit- ^ Chris Nashawaty, Crab Monsters, Teenage Cavemen and Candy Stripe Nurses - Roger Corman: King of the B Movie, Abrams, 2013 p 219
- ^ THE MOVIE CHART: [Home Edition] Pecchia, David. Los Angeles Times 14 Oct 1990: 42.
- ^ Cinefile: [Home Edition] Honeycutt, Kirk. Los Angeles Times 14 Oct 1990: 42.
- ^ Romano, Andrew (17 April 2014). "How 'Transcendence' Director Wally Pfister Became Christopher Nolan's Secret Weapon". Daily Beast.
- ^ STAGE `Lost' and Found Brooke Adams, appearing in Neil Simon's `Lost in Yonkers,' is exactly where she wants to be-personally and professionally: [Home Edition] Simpson, Blaise. Los Angeles Times28 June 1992: 40.
- ^ a b Thomas, Kevin (May 10, 1991). "'The Unborn' Works Off Genetic Fears". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. F4. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bunke, Joan (April 18, 1991). "'The Unborn' is inconceivable". The Des Moines Register. Des Moines, Iowa. p. 5D. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
edit- The Unborn at IMDb
- Review at Los Angeles Times
- Review of film at Den of Geek
- The Unborn at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Unborn at Box Office Mojo