The Beast Within
Encyclopedia
The Beast Within is a 1982 horror film
directed by Philippe Mora
and starring Ronny Cox
, Bibi Besch
, Paul Clemens
, L. Q. Jones
, Don Gordon, R. G. Armstrong
, Katherine Moffat, and Meshach Taylor
.
The film is a very loose adaptation of Edward Levy
's 1981 novel of the same name
. The screenplay was written by Tom Holland and an uncredited Danilo Bach
; it was Holland's first feature film script. It was dismissed by critics upon release as being cheap and exploitative. In more recent years it has gained a cult following.
Seventeen years later, their son Michael (who was conceived as a result of Caroline's rape) has become gravely ill, and the doctors have no idea what is causing the sickness, only that a pituitary gland
has gone out of control. Theorizing that the sickness might be genetic, Eli and Caroline finally confront the past and return to the small town where she was attacked to hopefully discover some information about the man who assaulted her. The local townspeople are reluctant to help, with both the newspaper editor and the town judge brushing aside their questions. But then Eli and Caroline hear a story about a local man who was murdered 17 years earlier, his body partially eaten and his house almost burned down.
Meanwhile Michael has escaped from the hospital and returned to the same town, unbeknownst to his parents. His personality undergoes a frightening transformation, and he quickly begins to attack and kill specific people in the community, including the paper editor and the local mortician, both of whom were related to each other.
After several more revelations, including the discovery of a swamp filled with bodies whose bones show signs of having been gnawed on, Caroline and Eli finally discover the terrible truth about the creature that attacked her those many years ago. And what's worse, it appears that the creature is about to be reborn through Michael, and its murderous actions are the direct consequence of a carefully concealed secret.
, who considered it to be one of his finest. James Horner
was rumored to have contributed to the film's score with elements from his music used by Baxter; this was later proven false.
by United Artists
in February 1982. It grossed $7,742,572 at the box office.
The film was released on DVD
in the United States
by MGM Home Entertainment
as part of their Midnite Movie line in 2001. This version is currently out of print
.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by Philippe Mora
Philippe Mora
Philippe Mora is a French-born Australian film director. Born in 1949 to a German Jewish father and a French Jewish mother, he began making films while still a child.- Career :...
and starring Ronny Cox
Ronny Cox
Daniel Ronald "Ronny" Cox is an American character actor, singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Personal life:Cox, the third of five children, was born in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, the son of Lounette and Bob P. Cox, a carpenter who also worked at a dairy. He grew up in Portales, New Mexico...
, Bibi Besch
Bibi Besch
Bibiana "Bibi" Besch was an Austrian/American actress.-Early life:Besch was born in Vienna, Austria, the daughter of theater actress Gusti Huber, who starred in German films during World War II and left Austria in the mid 1940s. Besch had a stepfather, Joseph Besch, a radio executive and former...
, Paul Clemens
Paul Clemens
Paul Clemens was a general officer in the United States Army. During World War I he served as Chief of Staff of the 32nd Infantry Division. Later he was given command of the 64th Infantry Brigade of the 32nd Infantry Division...
, L. Q. Jones
L. Q. Jones
L.Q. Jones is an American character actor and film director, known for his work in the films of Sam Peckinpah.-Life and career:...
, Don Gordon, R. G. Armstrong
R. G. Armstrong
Robert Golden "R.G." Armstrong is an American actor and playwright. A veteran character actor who appeared in dozens of Westerns over the course of his 40-year career, he may be best remembered for his work with director Sam Peckinpah....
, Katherine Moffat, and Meshach Taylor
Meshach Taylor
Meshach Taylor is an American actor.He is perhaps best known for his role as Anthony Bouvier on the sitcom Designing Women. He also had a major role on the sitcom Dave's World, playing Sheldon Baylor, and appeared in Buffalo Bill.-Personal life:Taylor was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of...
.
The film is a very loose adaptation of Edward Levy
Edward Levy
Edward Levy is an American horror novelist with three books published. Came a Spider was written in 1978, and The Beast Within followed in 1981. Reprints of both books are available at iUniverse.com. He wrote The People Next Door in 1983, but copies are very scarce...
's 1981 novel of the same name
The Beast Within (novel)
The Beast Within is a horror novel written by Edward Levy. It was published in 1981 by Arbor House. The novel was selected for the Doubleday Book of the Month Club when published, and appeared on the New York Times Best Seller List for seven weeks....
. The screenplay was written by Tom Holland and an uncredited Danilo Bach
Danilo Bach
- Awards and nominations :* Best Original Screenplay for Beverly Hills Cop, 1984- Filmography :* The Beast Within , writer * Deadly Drifter * Beverly Hills Cop , Writer...
; it was Holland's first feature film script. It was dismissed by critics upon release as being cheap and exploitative. In more recent years it has gained a cult following.
Plot
While driving through Mississippi on their honeymoon, Caroline and Eli MacCleary (Bibi Besch and Ronny Cox) are stranded on a deserted road when their car is stuck in the mud. Eli is forced to walk several miles down the road to a service station they stopped at earlier to get a tow. While he is gone, Caroline is attacked and raped by a mysterious creature.Seventeen years later, their son Michael (who was conceived as a result of Caroline's rape) has become gravely ill, and the doctors have no idea what is causing the sickness, only that a pituitary gland
Pituitary gland
In vertebrate anatomy the pituitary gland, or hypophysis, is an endocrine gland about the size of a pea and weighing 0.5 g , in humans. It is a protrusion off the bottom of the hypothalamus at the base of the brain, and rests in a small, bony cavity covered by a dural fold...
has gone out of control. Theorizing that the sickness might be genetic, Eli and Caroline finally confront the past and return to the small town where she was attacked to hopefully discover some information about the man who assaulted her. The local townspeople are reluctant to help, with both the newspaper editor and the town judge brushing aside their questions. But then Eli and Caroline hear a story about a local man who was murdered 17 years earlier, his body partially eaten and his house almost burned down.
Meanwhile Michael has escaped from the hospital and returned to the same town, unbeknownst to his parents. His personality undergoes a frightening transformation, and he quickly begins to attack and kill specific people in the community, including the paper editor and the local mortician, both of whom were related to each other.
After several more revelations, including the discovery of a swamp filled with bodies whose bones show signs of having been gnawed on, Caroline and Eli finally discover the terrible truth about the creature that attacked her those many years ago. And what's worse, it appears that the creature is about to be reborn through Michael, and its murderous actions are the direct consequence of a carefully concealed secret.
Cast
- Ronny CoxRonny CoxDaniel Ronald "Ronny" Cox is an American character actor, singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Personal life:Cox, the third of five children, was born in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, the son of Lounette and Bob P. Cox, a carpenter who also worked at a dairy. He grew up in Portales, New Mexico...
... Eli MacCleary - Bibi BeschBibi BeschBibiana "Bibi" Besch was an Austrian/American actress.-Early life:Besch was born in Vienna, Austria, the daughter of theater actress Gusti Huber, who starred in German films during World War II and left Austria in the mid 1940s. Besch had a stepfather, Joseph Besch, a radio executive and former...
... Caroline MacCleary - Paul ClemensPaul ClemensPaul Clemens was a general officer in the United States Army. During World War I he served as Chief of Staff of the 32nd Infantry Division. Later he was given command of the 64th Infantry Brigade of the 32nd Infantry Division...
... Michael MacCleary - Don Gordon ... Judge Curwin
- R. G. ArmstrongR. G. ArmstrongRobert Golden "R.G." Armstrong is an American actor and playwright. A veteran character actor who appeared in dozens of Westerns over the course of his 40-year career, he may be best remembered for his work with director Sam Peckinpah....
... Doc Schoonmaker - Katherine Moffat ... Amanda Platt
- L. Q. JonesL. Q. JonesL.Q. Jones is an American character actor and film director, known for his work in the films of Sam Peckinpah.-Life and career:...
... Sheriff Bill Pool - Logan RamseyLogan RamseyLogan Carlisle Ramsey, Jr. was an American character actor of television and film for nearly 50 years. Largely a TV actor, he appeared on, among others: The Edge of Night, Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, Hawaii Five-O, M*A*S*H, Charlie's Angels, Mork and Mindy, Knight Rider and Night...
... Edwin Curwin - John Dennis Johnston ... Horace Platt
- Ron Soble ... Tom Laws
- Luke AskewLuke AskewLuke Askew is an American actor best known for his role in the 1969 film Easy Rider.Askew was born in Macon, Georgia. He made his film debut in Otto Preminger's Hurry Sundown , but was first noticed as an actor for his role in the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke...
... Dexter Ward - Meshach TaylorMeshach TaylorMeshach Taylor is an American actor.He is perhaps best known for his role as Anthony Bouvier on the sitcom Designing Women. He also had a major role on the sitcom Dave's World, playing Sheldon Baylor, and appeared in Buffalo Bill.-Personal life:Taylor was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of...
... Deputy Herbert - Boyce HollemanBoyce HollemanJesse Boyce Holleman was an American war veteran, attorney, politician, and actor.Boyce Holleman was born in Fruitland Park, MS, to a family that made their living in timber and construction. As a Naval Aviator in World War II, he was shot down while making a bomb run during the invasion of Saipan...
... Doc Odom
Music
This film score was the final feature-length score for composer Les BaxterLes Baxter
Les Baxter was an American musician and composer.Baxter studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory before moving to Los Angeles for further studies at Pepperdine College. Abandoning a concert career as a pianist, he turned to popular music as a singer...
, who considered it to be one of his finest. James Horner
James Horner
James Roy Horner is an American composer, orchestrator and conductor of orchestral and film music. He is noted for the integration of choral and electronic elements in many of his film scores, and for frequent use of Celtic musical elements...
was rumored to have contributed to the film's score with elements from his music used by Baxter; this was later proven false.
Release
The film was released theatrically in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
in February 1982. It grossed $7,742,572 at the box office.
The film was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by MGM Home Entertainment
MGM Home Entertainment
MGM Home Entertainment is the home video and DVD arm of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.-History:The home video division of MGM started in 1979 as MGM Home Video, releasing all the movies and TV shows by MGM. In 1980, MGM joined forces with CBS Video Enterprises, the home video division of the CBS television...
as part of their Midnite Movie line in 2001. This version is currently out of print
Out of print
Out of print refers to an item, typically a book , but can include any print or visual media or sound recording, that is in the state of no longer being published....
.