The Unborn | |
---|---|
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 | March 29, 1991 |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $1,159,578 |
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.
Lisa Kudrow and Kathy Griffin have small roles.
The 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.
Writer 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 has 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]
Kevin 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]
The film was followed by a sequel, The Unborn 2 , released in 1994.
Roger William Corman is an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works that have an already-established critical reputation, such as his cycle of low-budget cult films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe.
Lisa Valerie Kudrow is an American actress, producer, and screenwriter. She rose to fame for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the sitcom Friends (1994–2004), which has since been named one of the greatest television characters of all time. Kudrow has received several awards, including one Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series from 15 nominations, two Screen Actors Guild Awards from 12 nominations, and one Golden Globe Award nomination.
James Karen was an American character actor of Broadway, film and television. Karen is known for his roles in Poltergeist, The China Syndrome, Wall Street, The Return of the Living Dead, Invaders from Mars and The Pursuit of Happyness, but was perhaps best known as the signature pitchman for Pathmark, famously appearing in commercials for the now-defunct East Coast-based supermarket chain from the late 1970s to the early 1990s which earned his nickname "Mr. Pathmark".
Daryl Haney, also known by the pen names Duke Haney and D. R. Haney, is an American actor, screenwriter, novelist, and essayist.
Sorority Girl is a 1957 film noir exploitation film directed by Roger Corman. It stars Susan Cabot as Sabra, a sociopath who plays a very disruptive role in a sorority, with Barboura Morris as Rita, and Dick Miller and June Kenney. It was released by American International Pictures as a double feature with Motorcycle Gang.
Clownhouse is a 1989 American slasher film written and directed by Victor Salva in his feature-length directorial debut. It stars Nathan Forrest Winters, Brian McHugh, and Sam Rockwell as three young brothers stalked by escaped mental patients disguised as clowns, portrayed by Michael Jerome West, Bryan Weible, and David C. Reinecker. Clownhouse marks the second collaboration for Salva with Winters and McHugh, who previously appeared in his short film Something in the Basement (1986), and Rockwell's first film appearance.
Stakeout on Dope Street is a 1958 American crime film directed by Irvin Kershner and written by Andrew J. Fenady, Irvin Kershner and Irwin Schwartz. It follows three teenagers who inadvertently get themselves involved in a drug ring. It was the directorial debut of Kershner. The film stars Yale Wexler, Abby Dalton, Morris Miller, Allen Kramer and Jonathon Haze. The film was released by Warner Bros. on May 3, 1958.
Walter C. Pfister is an American director and former cinematographer, who is best known for his work with filmmaker Christopher Nolan. Some of his collaborations with Nolan include Memento (2000), The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012), and Inception (2010). For his work on Inception, Pfister won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography and received a BAFTA Award nomination.
Lawman is a 1971 American revisionist Western film produced and directed by Michael Winner and starring Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, Lee J. Cobb and Robert Duvall.
Saturday the 14th is a 1981 American comedy horror film starring real-life husband and wife Paula Prentiss and Richard Benjamin, co-written and directed by Howard R. Cohen and produced by Julie Corman.
Rodman Flender is an American actor, writer, director and producer.
Wicked as They Come is a 1956 British film noir directed by Ken Hughes and starring Arlene Dahl, Philip Carey and Herbert Marshall.
The Secret Invasion is a 1964 American war film directed by Roger Corman. It stars Stewart Granger, Raf Vallone, Mickey Rooney, Edd Byrnes, Henry Silva, Mia Massini, and William Campbell. Appearing three years before The Dirty Dozen (1967), the film features a similar World War II mission where convicts are recruited by the Allies for an extremely hazardous operation behind enemy lines.
Machine-Gun Kelly is a 1958 film noir directed by Roger Corman, chronicling the criminal activities of the real-life George "Machine Gun" Kelly. The film was considered low budget, but received good critical reviews. It was the first lead role for actor Charles Bronson. Corman called it "a major turning point in my career" because it was from this film he began to get serious critical attention.
Sweet Kill is a 1973 B-movie written and directed by future Academy Award winner Curtis Hanson. The film was Hanson's directorial debut and was executive-produced by Roger Corman. It stars 1950s heartthrob Tab Hunter and was the last film of actress Isabel Jewell.
Target: Harry is a 1969 thriller film directed by Roger Corman.
A Time for Killing is a 1967 Western film directed originally by Roger Corman but finished by Phil Karlson. Filmed in Panavision and Pathécolor, it stars Glenn Ford, George Hamilton, Inger Stevens, and Harrison Ford in his first credited film role.
Summer School Teachers is a 1974 feature film directed and written by Barbara Peeters and starring Candice Rialson. It is about three female friends who all teach at a school over the summer.
Lullaby is a 2014 American drama film written and directed by Andrew Levitas, and starring Garrett Hedlund, Richard Jenkins, Anne Archer, Jessica Brown Findlay, Amy Adams, Jessica Barden, Terrence Howard, and Jennifer Hudson. The movie explores the right-to-die issues of a cancer-stricken Jewish patriarch who has decided to stop taking his medication and turn off his life support machines, and how his decision affects his family members' relationships with him and with each other.
Transcendence is a 2014 American science fiction thriller film directed by Wally Pfister and written by Jack Paglen. The film stars Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy and Cole Hauser, and follows a group of scientists who race to finish an artificial intelligence project while being targeted by a radical anti-technology organization.