Very well executed

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

When I used to go to the local Mom and Pop video store I would be confronted by cheap pieces of film disguised as entertainment such as this. One look at the cover tells you all you need to know. The correct reaction is "I don't want to see THIS movie!"Bingo. If you're like me, that is incomplete. I don't want to see this movie. I NEED to see this movie. I will do whatever it takes to buy this movie which I am now enjoying on my copy on VHS with the oversized case.A labor of love produced on a $30,000 To $50,000 budget backed up by a serious love of old time schlock cinema.Ted Bohus did graduate to some better budgets, such as Vampire Vixens from Venus which via friendship with Fred Olen Ray did include Michelle Bauer in the cast, but this work including nobody you ever heard of is one of the best cult movie classics you can get a hold of.As usual with reviews of this type of movie, do not expect high art. Just turn you brain off and enjoy the ride.

After being told by a fellow IMDber that UK DVD company Arrow was having a sale on Amazon Uk,I decided to take a look at the titles on sale,and I spotted a fun-looking, slimy alien monster movie,which led to me getting ready to see death spawned.The plot:Whilst camping in the woods,some campers notice an meteor fall nearby.Going to investigate the crash site,the campers discover that aliens have landed on earth,who brutally kill them the moment they get their first glimpse of the campers.Living near the crash site is a family consisting of Sam,Barb and their 2 kids Pete & Charles.After his mum and dad have gone on holiday, (talk about good timing!) Sam decides to check if a recent rainstorm has flooded the basement.Fearing that the basement has been flooded with rain,Sam soon discovers that the basement has been flooded by murderous aliens. View on the film:Before I get to the title it self,I have to mention that Arrow have given the film a terrific transfer,with the natural grit of the Video being kept,whilst offering a clear soundtrack and filling the DVD with detailed extras.Covering the full cost of the title at just $18,000,co-writer/(along with Ted A. Bohus/John Dods & Tim Sullivan) director Douglas McKeown takes advantage of shooting the film on video by covering the movie in low-lights,which along with building a creepy atmosphere for the aliens,also emphasises the fuzzy grain that the format offers.Along with displaying the video dirt,McKeown also runs down the film with ultra-gory alien/monster killings which McKeown presents with a real glee,which go from the delightfully rubbery,mega-tooth "final boss" to the surprisingly creepy, eel-like mini aliens.For the screenplay the writers attempt to cross mad alien/monster antics with teens in a mysterious peril.Whilst the writers do well in slowly increasing the horrific nature of the outrageously grisly murders,the teens in peril/mystery sadly slows the whole film down,due to the cast being shockingly flat,and being unable to express any sense of terror in even a mildly convincing manner,which leads to this spawn not being as deadly as it should have been.

I admit to having a certain liking for the many toothed monsters. Unfortunately, there is little else to get excited about. The plot is boring, the acting amateurish, and the talky dead spots are many, especially for a film that seems well padded to only 81 minutes. Almost the entire movie takes place in one house, leading to a claustrophobic feeling throughout. The puppets with teeth eventually wear out their welcome, and the whole thing just sort of dissolves with an outdoor scene that appears only added on to push the running time. You can admire what they got out of a $25,000 budget, but that cannot hide the fact that "The Deadly Spawn" is a tedious movie to watch. - MERK

I guess I expected too much from this low-rent independent cult Sci-Fi horror favourite, as it delivered on the cheesy gore and monster effects (an infestation of outer-space slug parasites with imposing pearly whites) that was like something of a old-school 1950s monster throwback, but when that wasn't the case the characters that the story concentrated on were awkwardly dull (outside the young lad) and the dialogues just as mundane. Sometimes you can look over that fact, but the main problem lied in some slow stretches with nothing but trivial exchanges which added nothing new than to prolong the outrageously tacky, but icky action with annoying stoppages. In that aspect the film didn't outstay its welcome at only 80 mins long. Some inventive flourishes (dramatic camera angles springing up) and nasty shocks (a surprise or two in the carnage filled deaths), in somewhat a familiar plot structure. Kids trapped inside their home with hideous, unfriendly monsters. The material kind of finds inside in both camps; serious but not without a touch of humour. Leading the way is a resourceful young boy (a fan of horror films) with a wild imagination, but who might just be the only one who can rid earth of this threat. His first encounter in the dank, darkly lit basement is a surreal treat. The creature effects start off nothing more than POV shots, shadows and silhouettes… but that's not for too long. They are impressively effective and also goes for it boldly inspired closing shot. Director Douglas McKeown's mechanical handling shows up some patchy traits but for its low-scale production, he creates some crafty atmospheric stages and the accompanying music score packs an eerily spacey touch. Trashy, but mildly fun.