Parasite (1982 film)

Last updated

Parasite
Parasite poster.jpg
Original theatrical poster
Directed by Charles Band
Written byMichael Shoob
Alan J. Adler
Frank Levering
Produced byCharles Band
Starring Robert Glaudini
Demi Moore
Luca Bercovici
Cherie Currie
Vivian Blaine
Cinematography Mac Ahlberg
Edited byBrad Arensman
Music by Richard Band
Distributed by Embassy Pictures (1982, original)
Koch International (2000, DVD)
Release date
  • March 12, 1982 (1982-03-12)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$800,000 [1]
Box office$5.5 million [1]

Parasite is a 1982 American science fiction horror film produced and directed by Charles Band. The film is set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic future in which the United States has been taken over by a criminal organization which unwittingly creates an uncontrollable deadly parasite and sets it loose on the population. The film received negative reviews from film critics, who viewed it as a poorly written B movie with unconvincing special effects. The film features actress Demi Moore in her first major film role.

Contents

Plot

In the near future, an atomic disaster has reduced the world to poverty. Instead of a government, America is run by an organization called the Merchants, who exploit the degenerate remains of society. In order to keep control of the populace, the Merchants force Dr. Paul Dean to create a new life form, a parasite that feeds on its host. Realizing the deadly potential of such a being, Dean escapes the Merchants with the parasite, infecting himself in the process.

Now on the run, he travels from town to town, studying the parasite so that he can find a way to destroy it, all the while keeping one step ahead of a Merchant named Wolf, who is hunting for him. While resting in a desert town, he is attacked by a gang of hooligans-Dana, Arn, Shell, Bo, and Zeke, led by Ricus, former slave of the Merchants. The gang steal a silver canister containing the parasite, not realizing what it is. It escapes and infects one of the members.

Meanwhile, Paul befriends a pretty young lemon grower named Patricia Welles, who promises to help him destroy the escaped parasite. Ricus, trying to save the life of his friend, comes to Paul for help, only to be confronted by Wolf. Patricia, Paul, and Ricus evade Wolf, but when they return, the parasite has spread to another member and grown into a fleshy worm with a mouthful of deadly teeth. Ricus becomes a turncoat and attempts to help, but is killed by Wolf. A friendly diner owner, named Collins, comes to aid the group. After Patricia helps kill the parasite bonded to Paul by electrocuting it, the remaining parasite attacks Wolf who is then blown up by Patricia, Paul, and Collins.

Cast

Production

The film was envisioned as a remake of William Castle's The Tingler envisioned by Michael Shoob, Alan J. Adler, and Frank Levering that was further developed into what would become Parasite following an impromptu discussion between Adler, Charles Band, and Robert Glaudini. [2] A Chance encounter between Band and 3-D specialist Randall Larson convinced Band that shooting the film in 3-D would add commercial appeal to Parasite. [2]

Home media

The film was released on CED 1983 by Embassy Home Entertainment, with a VHS from Wizard Video around the same time. A DVD edition was released by Cult Video on July 6, 1999. Anchor Bay later re-released the film on August 6, 2002, and again on September 13, 2005, the latter was released as a six-disk combo pack. [3] A 3D Blu-ray disc was released in the US by Kino Lorber on October 22, 2019. [4]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 15% based on reviews from 13 critics, with an average rating of 3.3/10. [5]

Variety magazine, in their review, called the film "lethargic between its terror scenes, making it a test of patience for all but the most fanatical of horror cheapies." [6] In a similarly negative review, Time Out magazine called the script "banal" and the actors "uninspired," as well as calling the film "visually as uninteresting as a catfood commercial." [7] Janet Maslin from The New York Times wrote, "The movie winds up more gruesome than scary, especially because the 3-D tricks are both repetitive and infrequent. It provides only a few strong shocks, chief among them an Alien-inspired scene that has the creature bursting forth from the body of one victim. These thrills notwithstanding, this is a badly acted B movie without much flair for involving its audience." [8]

J. Doyle Wallis from DVD Talk gave the film 2/5 stars, stating that the film was "just for the nostalgic 80's horror film fan, and loony Demi Moore/Stan Winston stalkers". [9] Scott Weinberg from eFilmCritic awarded the film 1 out of 5 stars, calling it "[an] Amazingly BORING sci-fi horror". [10] TV Guide rated the film an abysmal 0 out of 5 stars, stating that the film was "[a] crushingly inane mess". [11]

In 2019, during an appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden , Moore named Parasite as "the worst movie [she had] ever been in". [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Faculty</i> 1998 American science fiction horror film

The Faculty is a 1998 American science fiction horror film directed and edited by Robert Rodriguez with a screenplay by Kevin Williamson. It stars Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett, Shawn Hatosy, Famke Janssen, Piper Laurie, Bebe Neuwirth, Robert Patrick, Usher Raymond, Jon Stewart, and Elijah Wood.

<i>Pitch Black</i> (film) 2000 American film by David Twohy

Pitch Black is a 2000 American science fiction horror film directed by David Twohy and co-written by Twohy and brothers Ken and Jim Wheat from a story conceived by the latter. The film stars Vin Diesel, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, and Keith David. Dangerous criminal Riddick (Diesel) is being transported to prison in a spacecraft, and escapes when the spaceship is damaged by comet debris and crash lands on an empty desert planet. When predatory creatures begin attacking the survivors, Riddick joins forces with them to escape the planet.

<i>The Wolf Man</i> (1941 film) American horror film

The Wolf Man is a 1941 American gothic horror film written by Curt Siodmak and produced and directed by George Waggner. The film stars Lon Chaney Jr. in the title role. Claude Rains, Warren William, Ralph Bellamy, Patric Knowles, Bela Lugosi, Evelyn Ankers, and Maria Ouspenskaya star in supporting roles. The title character has had a great deal of influence on Hollywood's depictions of the legend of the werewolf. The film is the second Universal Pictures werewolf film, preceded six years earlier by the less commercially successful Werewolf of London (1935). This film is part of the Universal Monsters movies and is of great cinematic acclaim for its production.

<i>Deadly Blessing</i> 1981 film by Wes Craven

Deadly Blessing is a 1981 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven. The film tells the story of a strange figure committing murder in a contemporary community that is not far from another community that believes in ancient evil and curses. It stars Ernest Borgnine, Maren Jensen, Susan Buckner, and Sharon Stone in an early role. AllMovie comments that the film "finds director Wes Craven in a transitional phase between his hard-hitting early work and his later commercial successes."

<i>Puppet Master</i> (film) 1989 American horror film by David Schmoeller

Puppet Master is a 1989 American horror film written by Charles Band and Kenneth J. Hall, and directed by David Schmoeller. The film stars Paul Le Mat, Irene Miracle, Matt Roe and Kathryn O'Reilly as psychics who are plotted against by a former colleague, using puppets animated by an Egyptian spell.

<i>Slither</i> (2006 film) 2006 American science-fiction comedy horror film by James Gunn

Slither is a 2006 science fiction comedy horror film written and directed by James Gunn in his directorial debut. Produced by Paul Brooks and Eric Newman, the film stars Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Tania Saulnier, Gregg Henry, and Michael Rooker. The film is set in a small town in South Carolina that becomes invaded by a malevolent alien parasite.

<i>Death Line</i> 1972 film

Death Line is a 1972 horror film written and directed by Gary Sherman and starring Donald Pleasence, Norman Rossington, David Ladd, Sharon Gurney, Hugh Armstrong, and Christopher Lee. Its plot follows two university students who find themselves at the centre of an investigation involving a man who goes missing on the London Underground.

<i>Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings</i> 1994 American film

Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings is an American supernatural horror film and a sequel to the 1988 horror film Pumpkinhead. In this film, thrill-seeking teens resurrect a demon and come to regret it. The film is very loosely connected to others in the series. The PC video game Bloodwings: Pumpkinhead's Revenge was released shortly after the film.

<i>The Slumber Party Massacre</i> 1982 film by Amy Holden Jones

The Slumber Party Massacre is a 1982 American slasher film directed by Amy Holden Jones and written by Rita Mae Brown. It is the first installment in the Slumber Party Massacre series, and stars Michelle Michaels, Robin Stille, and Michael Villella. The film follows a high school senior who gathers her friends for a slumber party, unaware that an escaped power drill-wielding killer is loose in the neighborhood.

<i>From Beyond</i> (film) 1986 film by Stuart Gordon

From Beyond is a 1986 American science-fiction body horror film directed by Stuart Gordon, loosely based on the short story of the same name by H. P. Lovecraft. It was written by Dennis Paoli, Gordon and Brian Yuzna, and stars Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Ken Foree and Ted Sorel.

<i>Deadly Eyes</i> 1982 Canadian film

Deadly Eyes is a 1982 Canadian horror film directed by Robert Clouse, very loosely based on the 1974 horror novel The Rats by James Herbert. The story revolves around giant black rats who begin eating the residents of Toronto after ingesting contaminated grain.

<i>Terror in the Aisles</i> 1984 film by Andrew J. Kuehn

Terror in the Aisles is a 1984 American documentary film about horror films, including slasher films and crime thrillers. The film is directed by Andrew J. Kuehn, and hosted by Donald Pleasence and Nancy Allen. The original music score is composed by John Beal.

<i>Mortuary</i> (1982 American film) 1982 American film

Mortuary is a 1982 American slasher film directed by Howard Avedis and starring Mary Beth McDonough, Bill Paxton, David Wallace, Lynda Day George, and Christopher George in his final film role before his death. It follows a young woman who, while investigating the death of her father, exposes disturbing secrets surrounding a local mortuary.

<i>The Boogens</i> 1981 American film

The Boogens is a 1981 American monster film directed by James L. Conway and starring Rebecca Balding, Fred McCarren, Anne-Marie Martin, Jeff Harlan, John Crawford, Med Flory, Jon Lormer, and Scott Wilkinson. The title refers to scaly turtle-like monsters that are released from an abandoned and boarded-up silver mine, and begin to wreak havoc.

<i>Straight into Darkness</i> 2004 American film

Straight into Darkness is a 2004 American horror war film directed by Jeff Burr and starring Ryan Francis and Scott MacDonald. It was produced by Mark Hanna and Chuck Williams.

<i>Cloud 9</i> (2006 film) 2006 film by Harry Basil

Cloud 9 is a 2006 American direct-to-DVD sports comedy film starring Burt Reynolds that was written and produced by Brett Hudson, Burt Kearns and Albert S. Ruddy. It was the last comedy in which Reynolds reprised and updated his role as the charming rascal made legendary in films like The Longest Yard and Smokey and the Bandit.

<i>Inn of the Damned</i> 1975 Australian film by Terry Bourke

Inn of the Damned is a 1975 Australian western horror film, directed by Terry Bourke. It has been called Australia's first "horror Western".

<i>Silent Night</i> (2012 film) 2012 slasher film by Steven C. Miller

Silent Night is a 2012 slasher film directed by Steven C. Miller and starring Malcolm McDowell, Jaime King, Donal Logue, Ellen Wong, and Brendan Fehr. It is a remake of Charles E. Sellier Jr.'s 1984 film Silent Night, Deadly Night and the sixth installment in the Silent Night, Deadly Night film series. The film was given a limited theatrical release on November 30, 2012, and was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on December 4, 2012.

Deadly Weapon is a 1989 American science fiction film directed by Michael Miner and starring Rodney Eastman.

References

  1. 1 2 "Parasite (1982)". AFI . Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Villard, Bob; Newsom, Ted (1981). "Parasite". Cinefantastique . Fourth Castle Micromedia. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Parasite (1981) - Charles Band". AllMovie.com. AllMovie. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Parasite 3D Blu-ray". blu-ray.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Parasite (1982)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Parasite Review". Variety.com. Variety. January 1982. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Parasite Review - Time Out". TimeOut.com. Time Out. September 10, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  8. ↑ Maslin, Janet (March 13, 1982). "'PARASITE,' A CREATURE IN 3-D". The New York Times. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  9. ↑ J., Wallis. "Parasite : DVD Talk Review of the DVD Video". DVD Talk.com. J. Doyle Wallis. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  10. ↑ Weinberg, Scott. "Movie Review - Parasite (1982)". eFilmCritic.com. Scott Weinberg. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Parasite - Movie Reviews and Movie Ratings". TV Guide.com. TV Guide. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  12. ↑ Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts w/ Demi Moore. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.