The Brood (1979)

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Nightmarish horror film from writer-director David Cronenberg, an early effort but one no less effective, was critically-panned at the time of its release but has since gained cult status with fans of the genre. A disturbed woman in a custody struggle with her estranged husband over their little girl is one of the in-patients at an institute run by an acclaimed psychotherapist. After her elderly mother and father are both found dead of violent beatings--apparently done by freakishly strong children--the husband believes the cool, imposing therapist knows the secret behind the mystery. Well-made and well-acted, "The Brood" is nevertheless uncomfortably (and unpleasantly) physical, particularly at the finale when the effects become too grisly. However, Cronenberg mounts his scenario meticulously; he knows how to grab a willing audience with his assured visuals, and the film is guaranteed to have fainthearted viewers holding their breath. ** from ****

Whenever one hears the name David Cronenberg, the two words that automatically come to his/her mind are 'body horror'. But what distinguishes Cronenberg's films from most other films belonging to the 'body horror' category is his ability to add weight, depth and thematic poignancy underneath the horrifying visual aspects of watching a person's body undergo violent and horrific changes.'The Brood' is a wonderful example of an early Cronenberg film where you see him honing his skills and yet managing to make a wonderfully layered and deep film including all the body-horror madness that he is known for. Thematically, 'The Brood' explores quite a number of issues under the supernatural cloak. Some of the themes that Cronenberg delves into are:1. Divorce and custody battles - This is I believe a prominent subtext running throughout the film. We see Frank and Nola Carveth tussling against each other over the issue of who gets to spend more time with their daughter. It is also well documented that this was a very personal film for Cronenberg as he himself had gone through a similar custody battle over his child and he has called 'The Brood' his version of 'Kramer vs Kramer' and this knowledge actually makes the film far more disturbing. The film is a cinematic representation of the chaos caused by a bitter divorce.2. Disintegration of the family structure - Cronenberg is subtly making a comment on the way the general and basic family structure is getting disintegrated with the passage of time. There is clear commentary in the film on the issue of how bad and abusive parenting can have potentially permanent scarring effects on the child caught in the middle of the broken family. But in true Cronenberg style, this mental scarring is represented through external bodily growths like rashes and blisters. 3. Pride - The character of Hal Raglan is immensely interesting. He uses the phenomenon of psychoplasm to compel his patients to let go of their inner repressed anger and rage, although this will lead to the growth of disturbing rashes on their bodies, but at least they will end up getting some mental relief. I don't think Raglan was a villain. I think he genuinely wanted to help his patients. But he had one big flaw - his pride and his arrogance in thinking that he could use Nola to prove his expertise and in a way show everyone the power of psychoplasmic techniques. In trying to do so, he let his pride blind him to the fact that he was worsening the mental condition of Nola. When he realised his mistakes, it was too late.4. Rage - Last, but by no means least, 'The Brood' is certainly about rage and how repressed and inner rage when released can lead to devastating consequences.Technique-wise, the film combines restraint and flashiness very well. In the initial scenes, Cronenberg keeps the setting and the tone reasonably realistic and only faintly flirts with supernatural elements. But as the story progresses, the supernatural elements keep becoming more and more prominent. When it comes to creating tension, some parts of the film are undeniably influenced by Hitchcock, especially a murder scene which is heavily inspired by 'Psycho' judging by the editing and the music playing over it. Oliver Reed has a dominant, charismatic presence. He is dramatic and uses his booming voice to full effect. Art Hindle provides the necessary understated performance in the film. Some might say that he is a bit bland, but I think it is his realistic and understated portrayal of Frank which allows the more dramatic and flashy performances in the film to work. But for me, the best performance in the film comes from Samantha Eggar. She exudes this air of creepiness that Cronenberg accentuates with his style of shooting her face up close with a lot of close-up shots. She uses her eyes brilliantly. She also shows range as she has to break into moments of vulnerability along with the moments of rage. The conversation scenes between Eggars and Reed are masterful with Cronenberg's brilliant camera placement and editing along with brilliant performances from the two actors.My only gripe with the film is the character of Jan Hartog. I don't really think this character works in the film. The introduction is awkward and the role he plays is completely perfunctory in the context of the screenplay, but he is not at all interesting as a character. 'The Brood' is an early example of Cronenberg mastering his skills at blending 'body-horror' with deep and cerebral issues to make the film not just visually disturbing, but also intellectually provocative. Some critics have accused the film of being anti- feminist. Now I don't agree with that thought as I think Cronenberg is attacking bad parenting as a whole and not just bad mothers, but it is the kind of response that Cronenberg's films can provoke out of people due to their nature and style. 'The Brood' is not for everyone and it is not flawless(I think), but it is a film that I can't help recommending big time.

David Cronenberg directs "The Brood" an interesting and original horror movie starring Art Hindle. Giving it the benefit of the doubt for its age, the movie is a good watch. Make-up and some of the horror is obviously not up to do todays standards, but the acting is passable, and especially good from Oliver Reed, playing a cool, calm, and collected doctor. The suspense is satisfactory, while the violence is somewhat perfunctory and far-fetched especially when considering the brood explanations. The story didn't really get into origins of the brood enough although it hints at the so-called therapy as related. The music was a bit dramatic and overcooked, but the settings were well chosen. Give it 6/10 for originality, and interesting for the genre.

I like the idea of horror movies but they're usually very disappointing and predictable and dull. This one was quite enjoyable. I was actually tense at many times and swore at the screen due to my confusion at what was going on. But I liked it. I would smile in relief after a weird or suspenseful scene.I don't know why, but for some reason, Cronenberg seems to have earned my respect. I've only seen a couple of his movies (The Fly and A History of Violence), but I feel like I understand his movies. He seems to take film seriously as an art form and tries to make interesting stuff without restricting himself. He seems to have a freedom similar to David Lynch who I also seem to click with - their movies are weird but make sense in some subconscious, twisted way. So you go on their dark journeys, restraining yourself from early judgement, trusting that somehow it all leads somewhere, means something even if you're not immediately sure what.I have to say the main guy's acting was not great (the father), however Oliver Reed was awesome and the crazy lady was intense (her eyes freaked me out BIG time). Horror movies often seem to suffer from terrible acting or, at least, a dull or dark mood. My brother dislikes them for that reason, Ebert seems to have had a similar opinion. The Brood partially suffers from this: the whole plot seems a bit depressing, like there's no hope at all. It would help if the father and daughter were happier or had more chemistry. Their lives seem very boring. There's no colour or laughter or smiles to contrast with the darkness brewing. The girl's simple innocence and vulnerability does work though - you feel more worried when things happen.The scary parts were very well done. They were completely bizarre and unexpected. I had no idea what was going on or what to expect next. But it was riveting and disturbing in an entertaining way. There were times I was definitely expecting something to jump out and nothing happened or vice-versa which is refreshing. There could have been a bit more comedy or even drama to give meaning to the horror though.By the end, most things were satisfyingly explained (or you can work them out for yourself). It generally all made sense and is probably more creepy once you know what's really going on. I think any horror fan would like this movie quite a lot. For others, it's still interesting for its strangeness. I'll always remember it for its many wtf and omg moments.