The Deadly Spawn (1983) **1/2

1983's The Deadly Spawn, a homegrown rural NJ sci-fi horror film that could, is a micro-budget Alien (1979) (review) rip-off with a clear love of the genre. With its poor pacing, stilted dialogue, amateur filmmaking, slow as molasses monster, shots that linger too long, and padded runtime (it's an 80-minute movie that feels like 100), it's a big of a slog to sit through. But I did enjoy this second viewing more with an audience to laugh with. The resourceful Monster kid in the lead (a Tommy Jarvis precursor) is amusing, the playful synth score by Michael Perilstein (ha) is fun, and the gore and effects—though cheesy—are creative and a blast. The old biddy veggie party that gets overrun by the titular creatures is definitely the highlight.

Recommended for fans of Piranha (1978) (review), The Evil Dead (1981) (review), Basket Case (1982) (review), and Gremlins (1984) (review).