Review of The Brood (1979) by Alex S — 18 May 2009

Science dictates that allowing your anger to manifest itself into a deformed midget in a red windbreaker that goes around violently assaulting and murdering your sources of frustration is generally a bad idea.

When it is used in the pursuit of scientific growth, however, that's cool, as this early Cronenberg works shows. Sort of. The Cronenberg staples are here -the limits and connections of body and mind, disturbing imagery and uncomfortable situations- but so is a lot of unintended comedy.

Look, for 1979, I'm sure this was terrifying. I just couldn't help but laugh at some of the absurdities here. Hissing demon babies, a cardboard hero who is annoying, a villainous doctor played with ferocious intensity yet requiring me to practically turn on CC to understand what exactly he is saying and a potential premise that stems from "mommy issues" and ends so stupidly its like the budget for the film ran out all add up to several comedic moments for me.

But at the end of the day, this is still a Cronenberg movie and accounts for some slick ideas and thought provoking concepts.