Review by Stephanie Scaife
If you ever thought that the werewolf movie sub-genre was missing something, I’m pretty sure the first thing to come to mind wouldn’t be the addition of a “were-cicada” to the canon. However, that’s precisely what we get here in Philippe Mora’s The Beast Within. This bizarre film is scripted by genre stalwart Tom Holland (director of Child’s Play, Fright Night), who found his inspiration in the life-cycle of the cicada for this 80s cult classic that works more as a homage to schlocky 50s B-movies than is does as a contemporary to the likes of The Thing, which was released the same year. So, unless already a fan of this oddity don’t pick it up expecting something good per se, but instead as an incoherent but strangely watchable homage to I Was a Teenage Werewolf.
The Beast Within starts in the 1960s with newly married couple Eli (Ronny Cox) and Caroline (Bibi Besch) headed for their honeymoon, but while passing through Mississippi their car gets stuck in the mud leaving the young lovers stranded. When Eli goes to get help Caroline is attacked and raped by some sort of monster in the woods. Flash-forward 17 years and their teenage son Michael (Paul Clemens), who was conceived as a result of the rape, has been struck down with a mysterious illness. Fearing the disease may be genetic they return to the town Nioba, where the attack took place, to try and unearth any information about the man who assaulted Caroline. Without knowing where his parents have gone, Michael escapes from the hospital and instinctively travels to Nioba where he seemingly becomes possessed with a hostile presence before murdering a local named Edwin Curwin (Logan Ramsey).
Now, this is where things start to get really silly… as it transpires Michael has been possessed by Bill Connor, who as a result of his (inexplicable) mistreatment by the Curwin family turned into a hideous monster, the same monster who raped Michael’s mother. He has now precisely 17 years later taken control of his son and is slowly turning him into that same monster all over again. As bad luck would have it, Michael has fallen in love with Amanda Curwin but whenever they are together Bill takes over and Michael has to fight the urge to kill her; a bit of a bummer when you’re a lovesick teen just trying to get to second base. All joking aside though, it is all rather sad that Michael is this kinda sweet and dorky kid that meets a nice girl that likes him back but the two are never able to be together because of terrible things perpetrated by their relatives. I mean it must be bad enough to find out you’re the product of rape, let alone be taken over by a monster that wants to kill your girlfriend. Needless to say things don’t end too well for Michael.
When Holland was approached to write the screenplay he was told that the studio wanted to make a film with a transformation sequence; they didn’t care what just so long as there was a transformation of some sort. Hot off the back of An American Werewolf in London and The Howling (which had both been huge successes the previous year) combined with the innovation around the usage of air bags, hydraulics and latex in special monster effects it seemed like easy money could be made. The Beast Within was a huge flop upon release however, and it’s easy to see why because just by having a bonkers idea and some impressive special effects it doesn’t automatically guarantee a movie that people will want to go and see. In fact although fairly spectacularly ridiculous and excessive, the transformation isn’t all that compelling; it’s actually a frankly bizarre scene in which everyone stands around gawping whilst Michael undergoes a very lengthy transformation, only moving when he eventually starts to attack.
So what has all of this got to do with cicadas? To give you a quick natural history lesson they are a type of insect, benign to humans that feed on tree sap and make a distinctive chirping sound. What is unusual about them though is their lifecycle, which can last for up to 17 years and most of which is spent in the nymph stage submerged under the ground. When they rise to the surface, shed their skin, feed, mate and then die. This is essentially what happens to Michael, but within the construct of a traditional werewolf narrative where the transformation is a metaphor for puberty. The whole cicada thing is so ridiculous that it just doesn’t really work or pack much of an emotional punch.
As with all Arrow Video releases this comes with a host of special features, including two commentaries, a retrospective documentary, some deleted scenes and storyboards. Presented in 1080p High-Definition in the original 2.35:1 Panavision aspect ratio, the transfer is really great, breathing new life into the film. Detail is sharp and outstanding, with the textures bringing out all the crevices and sweat on the actors’ faces and colours are also exceptional, even the film’s darker scenes are so much clearer. Likewise, the DTS-HD Master Audio is solid making the sounds of the screeching cicadas really stand out! So overall a decent package for a mediocre film.
The Beast Within is available now on UK Blu-Ray from Arrow Video.