The cradle of evil
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The cradle of evil |
| Original title | It's Alive |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1974 |
| length | 91 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 18 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Larry Cohen |
| script | Larry Cohen |
| production | Larry Cohen |
| music | Bernard Herrmann |
| camera | Fenton Hamilton |
| cut | Peter Honess |
| occupation | |
| |
The Cradle of Evil (original title It's Alive ) is an American horror film from 1974 . Filmmaker Larry Cohen wrote the script, directed and produced the film.
action
Frank and Lenore Davis are expecting a child. On the evening of the birth, they leave their first son Chris in the care of their friend Charley on the way to the hospital. There are some complications in childbirth, the baby is unusually large. It is born malformed and extremely aggressive. This is due to the experimental fertility pills Lenore took before pregnancy. After the birth, the newborn kills all doctors and nurses present in the delivery room and escapes from the hospital. Lenore survives the birth severely traumatized.
Police, led by Lieutenant Perkins, attempt to capture and kill the murdering baby before it can do any more damage. Frank and Lenore return to their home just days after giving birth. They hide the terrible incidents from their son Chris and leave him in Charley's care. At home, the Davis couple are besieged by the police and the press. In a conversation with Lieutenant Perkins, Frank remembers the movie Frankenstein and compares his baby to the monster and himself to Dr. Frankenstein, since he created the monster.
Meanwhile, the monster baby makes his way to his parents' house unnoticed. On the way, it kills passers-by who cross its path. The doctor who prescribed the fertility pills to Lenore is visited by a professor who plans to examine the baby to prevent further births of this type. To do this, however, the child must be killed. If Lenore's doctor succeeds in killing the baby and taking the body to the university, he is allowed to participate in the investigation. Shortly afterwards, Frank also agrees to have the baby killed and takes part in the hunt himself.
After a police operation in a school that kills a police officer, the baby makes his way to his parents' house. Lenore takes it as her son and hides it from her husband. At the same time, Chris sneaks out of Charley's house and runs to his parents, since he learned of their fate from the media. When Charley notices the boy's absence, he follows him. Meanwhile, Frank finds out that his wife is hiding the baby in the basement and wants to shoot it. Lenore tries to stop him, claiming that the child is just scared and will not harm the family. Nevertheless, Frank sticks to his killing intentions and enters the basement. Chris has also entered the basement and discovers his disfigured brother. Frank opens fire, but can only wound the baby. It escapes from the basement and falls on the approaching Charley, whom Frank accidentally shoots.
Frank and the police chase the baby down the sewers. As Frank approaches his baby, he realizes that it is scared and will not hurt him, even though he shot it before. He takes the child and tries to escape, but is caught by the police. Frank begs the police officers to let the child live. When Lenore's doctor urges the cops to open fire, the baby jumps off Frank's arm and attacks the doctor. Both the baby and the doctor die in the hail of bullets from the police.
When Frank is driven home by the police, the birth of another monster baby is announced over the radio.
Reviews
"Technically experienced, but extremely macabre, horror is raised to an end in itself in a questionable manner."
Sequels and remakes
The film was followed by two sequels, The Cradle of Satan (1978) and The Cradle of Terror (1987). Larry Cohen also wrote, directed, and produced both sequels. In 2008 the film was remade under the title It's Alive . Josef Rusnak took over the direction .
Web links
- The cradle of evil in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The cradle of evil in the German dubbing index
Individual evidence
- ↑ The cradle of evil. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .