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The Being
The Being
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The Being
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJackie Kong
Written byJackie Kong
Produced byBill Osco
StarringMartin Landau
José Ferrer
Dorothy Malone
Ruth Buzzi
Marianne Gordon
Bill Osco
CinematographyHanania Baer
Robert Ebinger
Edited byDavid H. Newhouse
Music byDon Preston
Production
company
Cybelle Productions[1]
Distributed byBest Film & Video Corp.
New World Pictures
Aquarius Films
Crest Films[1]
Release date
  • November 4, 1983 (1983-11-04)[1]
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Being is a 1983 American horror film written and directed by Jackie Kong in her directorial debut, starring Martin Landau, José Ferrer, Dorothy Malone, comedian Ruth Buzzi, Marianne Gordon, and exploitation film producer Bill Osco, who is billed as "Rexx Coltrane" in the opening credits and "Johnny Commander" in the closing credits.

It focuses on a detective who is trying to solve a string of grisly murders and disappearances. Kong, a recent college graduate, was given a $4.5 million budget from her then-husband Bill Osco to write and direct a film. Principal photography began in 1980 under the title Easter Sunday.

Plot

[edit]

In the town of Pottsville, Idaho, citizens begin disappearing. Young Michael Smith, son of Marge Smith (Dorothy Malone), is the first to vanish. A young man is decapitated while fleeing from an unseen assailant, and three patrons at a drive-in theater are brutally murdered. At each scene, green slime is found. Wanting to get to the bottom of the disappearances but afraid that the publicity might damage the town's potato business, Mayor Gordon Lane (José Ferrer) hires chemical safety engineer Garcon Jones (Martin Landau) to investigate. Also investigating the disappearances is Detective Mortimer Lutz (Bill Osco), who suspects that something terrible has befallen the town.

Meanwhile, more people disappear, and a puddle of green slime is found at each site. With this new string of disappearances, Lutz suspects that Jones knows more than he will admit. His suspicions grow when he's attacked by something monstrous at home, and he barely manages to escape. Lutz confronts Jones about the incident but is told there's nothing wrong in the area.

The following night, while Lutz takes his waitress girlfriend Laurie (Marianne Gordon) home, they're suddenly attacked by a hideous creature. After holing themselves inside a diner, they lock it inside a freezer. The couple then contact Mayor Lane, however, when he arrives, they discover that the creature has vanished, leaving behind a puddle of green slime. In light of this recent attack, Lutz confronts Jones again, who then admits that a highly radioactive creature is responsible. It's revealed that the town is home to one of 2,000 nuclear dump sites in the U.S., and the creature (who's implied to be Michael Smith) is the resulting mutation due to repeated exposure to the site's radioactive materials. The mutant, while intelligent, is completely psychotic but sensitive to light and is inactive during the day.

Arming themselves with shotguns, Jones and Lutz eventually track the creature down to an abandoned warehouse, where the hungry mutant stalks them. Jones is soon attacked and disemboweled by the creature, leaving Lutz alone to fend off the creature. Donning a gas mask, Lutz attempts to kill the creature with poison gas, but it seems unfazed by the poisonous fumes and tosses Lutz around like a ragdoll. As the creature advances, Lutz manages to toss a beaker of acid into the creature's face, momentarily stunning it. Taking advantage of the creature's distraction, Lutz grabs a nearby axe and hacks the creature to death, ending the reign of terror.

A new mutation is seen bursting from the ground.

Cast

[edit]

Cast notes:

  • Marianne Gordon was married to singer Kenny Rogers at the time, and is billed as "Marianne Gordon Rogers"[2]
  • Robin Stille is featured in the drive-in movie.

Production

[edit]

Kong, a recent college graduate, was given a $4.5 million budget from then-husband Bill Osco to write and direct a film, despite the fact that she had no professional film-making experience. She stated that she impressed Osco with storyboards and shot breakdowns. Kong wooed Martin Landau by pretending to be an actor interested in his theater workshop, and using the opportunity to give him her script. Impressed with her straightforwardness, he accepted the role.[3] It would mark producer and occasional actor Osco's departure from his previous sexually explicit films such as the 1974 sexploitation film Flesh Gordon.[4] Principal photography began in 1980 under the title Easter Sunday.

Release

[edit]

Theatrical release

[edit]

During the film's production it was intended that the film would be released on Easter in 1981.[1] However, the film could not find a distributor for three years, and was finally released on November 18, 1983 under its new title.[5][6][7] The Being was a commercial failure, performing poorly at the box office.[8][9]

Home media

[edit]

The Being was released on DVD on September 13, 2005 by Shriek Studio in widescreen format with no special features. Shriek Studio released it again on July 31, 2007 as a part its Mutant Monsters Triple Feature which combined it with The Dark and Creatures from the Abyss. It was last released by Code Red as a double feature alongside Cop Killers.[10]

Critical response

[edit]

Critical response for The Being has been mostly negative, with many criticizing the film's acting, script, editing, and poor lighting. Scott Weinberg from DVD Talk was among the film's detractors calling the film "Grungy, muddy-looking" he also called it a "blatant Alien ripoff".[11] J. Read from Monstersatplay.com called it "cheap, rushed, and an incongruous mess" stating it as a perfect example of all the bad movies that came out in the 1980s.[12] Allmovie called the film "abysmal", with "clumsy, ham-fisted" direction,"lack of focus", "goofy" effects, and a "leaden, noncharismatic" performance from lead actor and producer Bill Osco. Nevertheless, the reviewer calls it "worthy of note for cinematic trash-fiends", because of its cast, flashes of humor and "oddball qualities".[13] TV Guide gave the film a negative review awarding it a score of 1 1/2 out of 4, stating, "The biggest mystery about this mystery-horror film is how the producer ever managed to persuade two Oscar winners (Dorothy Malone and Jose Ferrer) to appear in such cinematic Valium".[14]

Robert Firsching from New York Times panned the film, calling it, "abysmal".[5] Leonard Maltin awarded the film 112 stars out of 4 stating that humor was the film's only saving grace, stating that "it wasn't enough to overcome its Z-grade script and production".[15] Jack Sommersby from eFilmCritic.com gave the film a negative review, writing, " it's not the worst of its type but not quite good enough to warrant a recommendation".[16] Brett Gallman from Oh, the Horror! wrote, "The Being manages an odd, offbeat quality despite its familiarity. It’s a film that features an amorphous killer alien but also takes the time to consider Pottsville’s other plights, such as the impending arrival of a massage parlor that has the moral majority in a tizzy. Osco’s voiceover narration and interior monologues abruptly stop midway through the film, and even the Easter setting is entirely incidental".[17]

Legacy

[edit]

In spite of the film's critical and commercial failure, The Being would gain a small cult following over the years since its release.[18] Kong would go on to direct Night Patrol (1984) and the 1987 cult horror film Blood Diner.[19]

References

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Bibliography

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
is a American independent written, produced, and directed by in her feature-length directorial debut. The story revolves around a hideously deformed creature, resulting from a teenage boy's exposure to , which emerges to perpetrate savage killings in the small town of Pottsville, . Featuring a cast including as the town , as a , and as a supportive figure, the film blends elements of slasher horror with undertones, including demonic influences suggested in its narrative. Despite its low-budget production and mixed critical reception—often critiqued for uneven pacing and —the movie has garnered a niche following among horror enthusiasts for its grotesque creature design and Kong's bold entry into genre filmmaking. No major awards or widespread commercial success marked its release, though it exemplifies independent horror trends emphasizing practical effects and local terror.

Synopsis

Plot summary

In the small town of Pottsville, , residents express growing concerns over a new nuclear waste dumping facility amid a series of unexplained disappearances and brutal murders. Detective Mortimer Lutz investigates the cases, discovering victims mutilated and accompanied by trails of , leading him to suspect a monstrous entity originating from the contaminated dump site. Initial attacks include the slaughter of a couple and a bystander at a , followed by the killings of three teenagers in an abandoned building and a on patrol. Lutz faces resistance from Mayor Gordon Lane, who prioritizes the town's potato industry and downplays the threat to avoid economic fallout, while government scientist Dr. Garson Jones initially dismisses risks but eventually joins the after mounts. The creature, revealed as a hideously mutated human—once a local boy exposed to —continues its rampage, claiming the mayor's wife and evading traps set by Lutz, his girlfriend Laurie, and Jones. In the climax, the investigators confront the beast in the dump, using chemicals to destroy it in an explosion, though a final glimpse suggests the mutation's persistence.

Cast and characters

Principal cast

portrays Garson Jones, a investigating anomalous events linked to a nuclear waste site.
plays Mayor Gordon Lane, the local official skeptical of the creature's existence and prioritizing town stability.
appears as Marge Smith, a resident affected by the creature's rampage.
depicts Virginia Lane, the mayor's wife entangled in the unfolding horror.
stars as Laurie, a key figure in the narrative confronting the mutated threat.
embodies Mortimer Lutz, the lead pursuing leads on the attacks.
ActorRole
Garson Jones
Mayor Gordon
Marge Smith
Virginia
Laurie
Detective Mortimer Lutz

Supporting roles

portrayed Mayor Gordon , a self-serving who prioritizes concealing the monstrous incidents to safeguard his potato farming profits over public safety. dismisses reports of attacks, pressuring investigators to downplay the events amid rising body counts in Pottsville, . Ruth Buzzi played Virginia Lane, the mayor's wife, who appears in domestic scenes and a hallucinatory sequence as a witch-like figure with bleeding eyes, heightening the film's dread. Dorothy Malone depicted Marge Smith, the mother of Michael Smith, the boy mutated into the titular creature following exposure to dumped near the town. Her role underscores the human origins of the horror, linking familial neglect and environmental negligence to the rampage. Murray Langston, known as , appeared as a television reporter covering the disturbances, injecting comedic elements into the chaos through his bumbling on-air presence. Kinky Friedman was cast as Willis, a minor townsperson entangled in the creature's path, while Johnny Dark played John, contributing to the ensemble of victims and witnesses. These peripheral figures amplify the film's portrayal of small-town vulnerability to the unseen predator.

Production

Development and pre-production

Jackie Kong wrote the screenplay for The Being, her directorial debut, centering the story on a young boy mutated by into a monstrous creature terrorizing a small town, blending 1950s-style sci-fi horror with environmental themes. As a 23-year-old recent graduate, Kong developed the project through her production company, securing backing to helm the independent feature. The film was produced by and Kent Perkins, with Kong overseeing creative elements from inception. Pre-production advanced rapidly, with principal photography beginning in 1980 under the working title Easter Sunday. Casting secured high-profile talent, including Academy Award winners Martin Landau as the police chief and José Ferrer as the government scientist, alongside character actors like Dorothy Malone and Ruth Buzzi, elevating the low-budget endeavor. By February 1981, the completed film drew bids from several major studios for distribution rights, though Kong withheld specifics on the interested parties. Despite this early buzz, the project encountered delays, remaining unreleased until distributor Best Film & Video handled its theatrical rollout in November 1983.

Filming

for The Being took place primarily in , with key locations in Meridian and Boise to capture the small-town American setting of the fictional Pottsville. These sites included in Meridian for street scenes, aligning with the film's depiction of rural Midwestern life disrupted by events. Additional filming occurred in and , likely for interior shots, establishing sequences, or logistical reasons typical of low-budget independent productions. Robert Ebinger handled the visuals, employing a gritty, naturalistic style suited to the horror genre's emphasis on atmospheric tension in everyday environments. As Jackie Kong's directorial debut, the shoot prioritized practical creature effects and on-location authenticity over elaborate sets, though specific production timelines or on-set challenges remain undocumented in available records.

Post-production and effects

The in The Being relied on practical techniques typical of low-budget horror cinema, emphasizing makeup prosthetics, , and on-set mechanical elements rather than optical or digital enhancements. The titular creature—a slimy, mutated humanoid spawned from —was depicted through a combination of full-body suits, tentacles manipulated during attacks (such as whipping actor in one sequence), and residue at crime scenes to suggest its presence. Gore makeup effects, including depictions of acid maiming and , were handled by effects artist Mark Bussan, whose work on the film's kills and creature injuries was executed effectively despite budgetary limitations, contributing to the monster's uncanny, humanoid terror. Post-production editing integrated these elements with to heighten tension in creature reveal scenes, where director Jackie maximized the limited effects budget by focusing on shadowy glimpses and practical bursts of violence rather than extended exposures that might expose seams in the prosthetics.

Music and soundtrack

Score composition

The musical score for The Being was composed and realized by Don Preston. Preston, a keyboardist with experience in experimental and rock music, crafted cues emphasizing tension through string sections including violins alongside early synthesizer elements, aligning with the film's low-budget horror tone and 1980s production constraints. These electronic and orchestral hybrids supported key sequences of suspense and creature attacks, though no full recording of the score has been commercially released. Originally, composer Larry Cansler was contracted for the score, as announced in a Daily Variety report dated August 7, 1980, but he received no onscreen credit and appears to have been replaced during production. The final music integrates Preston's original compositions with licensed songs, such as "I Don't Want to Know" by and , used in non-score contexts like end credits or diegetic scenes. This shift reflects common challenges in independent filmmaking, where budget and scheduling often alter creative teams mid-project.

Notable tracks

The soundtrack of The Being features an original score composed by , a musician known for his work with Frank Zappa's , which employs synthesizers and violins to underscore the film's suspenseful and grotesque sequences. Preston's contributions emphasize atmospheric dread, aligning with the low-budget horror's emphasis on practical effects and creature reveals, though no commercial release of the score tracks exists. Featured songs provide diegetic and background elements, including "Sold American" and "Western Union Wire," both performed uncredited by , who also appears in the film as the character Willis. These tracks, drawn from Friedman's country and outlaw music style, play during transitional scenes, offering ironic contrast to the monster's rampages. Another notable inclusion is "I Don't Want to Know," written by and performed by , which integrates 1980s sensibilities into the narrative's interpersonal tensions. These selections reflect the film's era but were not highlighted for chart performance or awards, consistent with its independent production constraints.

Release

Theatrical distribution

The Being underwent a in the United States on , 1983. Distributed by Best Film & Video, the film faced challenges in securing widespread exhibition, following a three-year delay after completion due to distributor difficulties. Despite the involvement of established actors such as and , it failed to generate significant revenue and was regarded as a commercial disappointment. No international theatrical distribution details are documented in primary records.

Home video and digital

The film was initially released on in 1983 by distributors including , coinciding with its limited theatrical run. A DVD edition followed on September 13, 2005, from Shriek Show, featuring the original of 1.78:1 and special features limited to the film's trailer. In the subsequent decade, Code Red produced a Blu-ray edition, which included improved video transfer from original elements and stereo audio, though both the Shriek Show DVD and Code Red Blu-ray have since gone , making physical copies scarce on secondary markets. As of 2024, The Being became available for digital streaming on platforms such as , including ad-supported free tiers via Prime Video Free with Ads, as well as and Fawesome TV, expanding beyond . No official digital purchase or rental options from major distributors like or have been documented, with availability primarily through subscription or free ad-based services.

Reception

Initial critical reviews

Upon its limited theatrical release in October 1983, The Being garnered mostly negative reviews from the few critics who covered it, with complaints centering on its lack of and failure to deliver sustained tension. The catalog summarizes that reviewers acknowledged some comical elements in the film's low-budget execution but found these aspects wearing thin rapidly, while the horror thrills proved unconvincing and derivative of earlier monster movies like Alien (1979). The picture's shelving for three years after principal photography in 1980 contributed to its minimal initial press, reflecting its status as a direct-to-video caliber production amid the era's slasher-dominated horror landscape. Critics also noted the uneven pacing and reliance on clichéd small-town tropes, which undermined any novelty in the demonic creature premise.

Modern retrospective views

In the 2020s, retrospective analyses of The Being have highlighted its status as a quintessential low-budget creature feature of the early , often appreciating its gonzo energy and practical effects despite narrative shortcomings. A 2025 review described the film as delivering "genuinely unsettling and creepy moments" blended with humor, crediting director Jackie Kong's debut for balancing horror with absurd small-town antics involving a toxic-waste . Similarly, a 2021 assessment noted its "odd, offbeat quality" amid familiar monster tropes, portraying the creature's rampage as "nuts" yet earnest in execution, appealing to fans of unpolished genre fare. Critics have frequently pointed to the film's derivative elements, drawing parallels to Alien (1979) and Jaws (1975), with a 2022 review dismissing it as a "regular of the era" lacking innovation, though acknowledging strong performances from and . A 2020 critique labeled it "incredibly dry" and "unoriginal," faulting amateurish lighting and pacing while recognizing its place in the horror subgenre popularized post- (1977). These views underscore a divide: enthusiasts value its schlocky charm and gore effects, such as the creature's maiming, as entertaining B-movie relics, whereas detractors see it as sluggish and echoing better predecessors like rampage films. Home media releases, including Shriek Show's 2017 Blu-ray and Code Red's editions, have sustained niche interest, prompting reevaluations that emphasize Kong's subversive style—evident in the film's blend of sci-fi horror and dark —as a precursor to her later works like (1987). Overall, modern discourse positions The Being as a cult-adjacent oddity rather than a landmark, with its 82-minute runtime and setting evoking regional Americana horror, though it remains overshadowed by contemporaries like The Thing (1982).

Box office performance

The Being was produced on a $4.5 million budget, funded by producer for director Jackie Kong's debut feature. The film received a limited theatrical rollout, with initial screenings on 4 October 1983 in , , and , followed by a opening on 4 November 1983 and further distribution in in 1984 via Aquarius Films. Handled by independent distributors such as Best Films and Video and Crest Films, it achieved no and lacks recorded domestic or international grosses in industry trackers like The Numbers, underscoring its minimal commercial footprint relative to production costs.

Cultural impact and legacy

Influence on horror genre

The Being contributed to the niche subgenre of low-budget by combining practical gore effects with an offbeat, campy tone that anticipated the trashy horror-comedy hybrids of the era, particularly in director Jackie Kong's subsequent work on (), where the loose narrative structure, eccentric characters, and bursts of absurd violence were refined from elements first evident here. This stylistic precursor helped underscore the appeal of intentionally schlocky, effects-driven monster movies amid the decade's trend, though its influence remained confined to cult enthusiasts rather than mainstream horror evolution. As Kong's directorial debut at age 23, the film highlighted rare female-led contributions to horror production, a period dominated by male directors in the genre, thereby informing later feminist analyses of horror that emphasize overlooked women filmmakers experimenting with B-movie conventions like mutants and small-town sieges. Its practical creature design and midwestern setting echoed earlier atomic-age sci-fi horrors but updated them with Reagan-era environmental anxieties over waste dumps, fostering retrospective appreciation for how independent productions sustained the creature feature's longevity despite critical dismissal. Over time, this has bolstered cult revivals of overlooked entries, encouraging modern viewers to value unpolished, genre-blending efforts that prioritized visceral effects over narrative coherence.

Cult status and fan appreciation

Despite modest initial box office returns and mixed contemporary reviews, The Being has garnered a niche among fans of 1980s B-horror and , valued for its unpretentious drive-in entertainment and quirky execution. Retrospective analyses praise its practical effects, including the slimy, multifaceted creature design, and sequences of monster-driven mayhem that blend genuine tension with campy humor, such as a trucker and an hunt gone awry. This appreciation stems from the film's ability to deliver high body counts and straightforward terror within severe budget limitations, evoking nostalgia for video store era schlock. Home video re-releases, including Blu-ray editions from Code Red in 2017 and subsequent MVD Visual transfers featuring 2K scans of original elements, have sustained interest among collectors and genre enthusiasts. These formats highlight underappreciated aspects like the cast—featuring Oscar winners Martin Landau and José Ferrer in eccentric roles—and director Jackie Kong's early flair for blending horror with subtle black comedy, positioning the film as a precursor to her more overt cult hit Blood Diner. Fans often cite its replay value for late-night viewings, where flaws like uneven pacing enhance its so-bad-it's-good allure rather than detract from it.

Director's career significance

The Being served as Jackie Kong's directorial debut, released in 1983 when she was 23 years old, marking her transition from aspiring filmmaker to established genre director. The low-budget independent production, originally shot in 1980 under the working title Easter Sunday, featured high-profile actors such as and , demonstrating Kong's resourcefulness in securing talent and executing practical creature effects on limited resources. Despite initial critical dismissal for its uneven pacing and execution, the film's blend of gore, mutant monster premise, and emerging humorous undertones established Kong's voice in horror, setting a foundation for her career in irreverent, low-fi genre fare. This debut proved pivotal in Kong's professional trajectory, as its offbeat elements—such as self-aware absurdity amid splatter effects—prefigured the trashy horror-comedy style that defined her later successes, including (1987). Undeterred by The Being's modest reception and distribution challenges, Kong leveraged the experience to helm (1984), a comedic cop spoof that achieved commercial viability and expanded her portfolio beyond pure horror. Over time, The Being's accrual of a dedicated audience reinforced her legacy as a trailblazing director in a male-dominated field, contributing to honors like the 2016 Etheria Inspiration Award for empowering women in filmmaking.

References

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