'It's Alive!'
| 'It's Alive!' | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Larry Buchanan |
| Produced by |
Ross Lynch (producer) Edwin Tobolowsky (associate producer) |
| Written by |
Richard Matheson (story "Being") (uncredited) Larry Buchanan (uncredited) |
| Starring |
Tommy Kirk Shirley Bonne |
| Cinematography | Robert B. Alcott |
| Edited by | Larry Buchanan |
| Distributed by | American International Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
'It's Alive!' is a 1969 American film directed by Larry Buchanan about a mad farmer who tries to feed a stranded couple to a dinosaur he keeps in a cave. It was filmed in the Ozark Mountain area of northern Arkansas and Tennessee and its tagline is: "Trapped In a Cave of Terror!". The monster suit that was used to portray the dinosaur was used in another one of Buchanan's older films, Creature of Destruction.
Norman and Leela Sterns are newlyweds who are driving from their home in New York City to Los Angeles. They become lost and are stranded in rural Ozark countryside because they are running out of gasoline. They meet a friendly paleontologist named Wayne Thomas (Tommy Kirk). Wayne suggests that they visit the nearest farm that could give them some gasoline. They find that the farm is run by a strange farmer named Greely, who tells them that the gasoline truck was supposed to arrive the previous day, but since it didn't, he expects it there any minute. Greely suggests that they go inside to the parlor, where it's cooler. On the way up to the house, he asks if they know anybody out here, in case they may be waiting for them. They say no, and when they get inside, Greely goes off to tell his "housekeeper", Bella to make some iced tea. She argues with him on what he will "do with them", but Greely smacks her, and threatens that she will "take their place" if she doesn't serve them some tea.
Wayne Thomas arrives and Greely goes outside. He tells them that their car won't start. Wayne decides to take a look at the engine and tells Greely to go back to his truck and get a tool. Greely instead beats him on the back of the head with it and drags his body off. Meanwhile, Leela appears to be worried about Greely, because he is acting strange and his eyes don't look right. She then compares his eyes to a stuffed lizard across the room. Greely comes back inside and tells them that he had to do a chore. Leela wants to go back outside, but Greely tells them that they could check out his "collection" while waiting for the truck.
He takes them out to the yard and shows them his "zoo", which includes ordinary animals like turtles, rattlesnakes, a bobcat, and some coyotes. Greely then tells them that they should have a look at his "prize", which is located deep in a mountain cave system behind his home. He puts them in a small room which he claims he had set up for tourists while he goes to turn on the rest of the power. However, it was a trap, as Greely pulls a lever and drops some bars down, blocking their way out. Greely leaves the cave, laughing as Leela discovers that Wayne Thomas is inside the cell as well, badly wounded but alive. He tells them that Greely threw him into another cavern below them, and left him there, but he found a way out and crawled in the cell, right as they arrived.
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Wikipedia