This article contains spoilers for “It: Welcome to Derry” episode 1.
“It: Welcome to Derry” is a scary and gruesome series that pulls no punches, and the show wastes no time in telling viewers that no characters are safe. The first episode’s opening scene sees a family experience peril while driving into the titular town, resulting in the pregnant mother giving birth to a monstrous baby in the car before everyone meets a tragic end. Later on in the episode, that same infant returns to terrorize a group of children in a movie theater — and let’s just say they don’t go applying for babysitting jobs afterward.
The shock factor is strong in “It: Welcome to Derry” episode 1, but it isn’t the first horror property to turn infants into evil savages. In 1974, the late Larry Cohen’s “It’s Alive” — one of the two horror movies James Gunn tried (and failed) to remake — shocked and entertained viewers with a story about a mutant newborn that escapes from a hospital and embarks on a deadly rampage across Los Angeles. A hunt for the child subsequently ensues, while its parents must deal with the wrath of the public and the media.
“It’s Alive” has fun with the idea of a homicidal baby wreaking havoc, but the same sentiment doesn’t apply to “It: Welcome to Derry,” where the horror is dark, brutal, and disturbing. In fact, the baby sequences might even make some viewers feel afraid to be around babies after viewing the first episode. However, while “It’s Alive” isn’t as terrifying as the “It” prequel series, the film is so much more than a lurid exploitation flick.
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It’s Alive lambasts Big Pharma
A fanged baby attacking a man in a park in It’s Alive – Warner Bros.
Larry Cohen was the master of making outlandish horror movies with biting social commentary. Throughout his legendary career, he was especially distrusting of Big Pharma and corporate America, a sentiment that’s evident in the “It’s Alive” trilogy (yes, there are sequels) and “The Stuff,” a goopy horror classic about a dessert that turns its consumers into zombie-like creatures.
In “It’s Alive,” the monstrous newborn’s deformities and killer tendencies are brought on by the mother, Lenore (Sharon Farrell), taking a contraceptive drug that proves to be toxic. What’s more, the company that produces the drug is out to find the rampaging child in an effort to prevent a scandal that will damage its reputation … and profits. The message is far from subtle, but Cohen’s movies never are, and that’s why they’re awesome.
With “It: Welcome to Derry” episode 1 echoing “It’s Alive” to some extent, now is the perfect time to revisit the underrated film. It’s the crème de la crème of homicidal infant movies, as well as one of many great, zany, thought-provoking gems in Cohen’s impressive filmography. That said, I don’t recommend watching the Josaf Rusnak-directed 2009 “It’s Alive” remake, which was met with negative reviews and disowned by Cohen. Stick to the O.G., and you won’t be disappointed.
New episodes of “It: Welcome to Derry” begin streaming Sundays on HBO Max.
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Read the original article on SlashFilm.
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