a throwback...

Rating: 8/10 (3 December 2002)

old movies bring back memories, let's face it. it's not the quality of the story line, acting, music score or cinema photography that necessarily draws us back in, it's instead what the film represents in terms of remembering where we were, who we were with and what we were doing in our life at the time of the films original release.
I watched this movie again the other night, 20 years after I saw it in the theater. In 1982 it scared the hell out of me and I felt it was one of the most suspenseful films I had ever seen (to that point). Re-watching it, this time with my 16 year old, I found it somewhat hokey, and my daughter's laughter (at the gruesome parts) reconfirmed what I already knew: what scared people in '82 is not what keeps them on the edge of their seats in '02. Our kids are used to a world of realism (a.k.a. terrorists) and mutating organisms just don't hold them spellbound.
Still, I really like this movie, even after all this time has elapsed. In an age where most special effects are 100% computer generated, I found this film's most gruesome scenes original and refreshing (for they were 'state of the art' back then). At the risk of dating myself (I've already done that!) I have to say that I'm more drawn to this genre of film circa early 80's style, than I am to most of the content that comes from Hollywood today. I also love the character development on display here. It's great stuff.
I never saw the 1950's version of this flik. I was plenty satisfied with this one.