The Terror Within (USA, 1989) 88 min color DIR: Thierry Notz. SCR: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver. PROD: Roger Corman. MUSIC: Rick Conrad. DOP: Rohn Schmidt. CAST: George Kennedy, Andrew Stevens, Starr Andreeff, Terri Treas, John Lafayette. (Concorde Pictures)
This begins as an agreeable post-apocalyptic rip-off, as survivors of a military outpost (with loads of cool retro analog gear like reel-to-reel machines used as art direction) search for life that hasn’t been mutated by the radioactive fallout. They encounter a pregnant female survivor who appears to be normal and bring her back to the compound. Before long her pregnancy accelerates and a slimy alien baby pops out. It is here that this pretty good post-apoc movie turns into yet another Alien clone, as this baby all covered with blood and goo quickly grows to humanoid size with one goal in mind… to perpetuate the species with the other females in the compound. As well made as the movie is on a tight budget, all credibility goes out the window when the surviving humans do battle with somebody in an obvious latex suit. (I kept looking for the zipper up the creature’s back.) In true B-movie fashion, the first-billed veteran star (George Kennedy) has little screen time. Hunky Andrew Stevens, who quickly went from a promising supporting player in A movies to top-billing (and sometimes director) in B movies (often ending up between the sheets with Shannon Tweed), directed himself in the inevitable sequel The Terror Within II.