d_m_s Always on the lookout for obscure 80's horror, I was excited by the prospect of The Beast Within this weekend as it sounded like it could have been a hidden gem. Unfortunately I was underwhelmed and would say this is a very average film. The special effects were impressive and the film was very competently directed but it was missing that je ne sais quoi that would have elevated it to hidden gem level. I think the IMDb score of 5.4 (at time of writing) is about right.However, I scored it less because I thought it was a bit dull, didn't really contain any interesting or likable characters and some unexplained parts in the story meant it was confusing (I've noticed the lack of explanation issue mentioned in a few reviews so am glad to see I am not alone). I feel that a lot of the rave reviews have inflated their scores for this film because a) they are reacting against the films obscurity and its low rating (I bet the same people would be criticising this film if it were well known and had a high scoring), b) they are impressed by gore effects and, c) (less so) the music.It was OK. A bit bland. I wouldn't watch it again. There aren't many under-appreciated horror films out there but (IMHO) a few of them are: Strange Behaviour (1981), Strange Invaders (1983) and Primal Rage (1988).

BloodTheTelepathicDog The changing into a monster of a young man is used as a metaphor for boys growing into men. The body goes through changes and urges become more primal. Suddenly playing center field for your baseball team is less alluring than chasing skirts. THE BEAST WITHIN perfectly captures this sentiment.The film focuses on teenage Michael (Paul Clemens) who has an illness that the doctors can't identify. It seems that young Michael is changing into a beast--one that resembles a humanoid creature that sexually assaulted his mother seventeen years ago. His parents, played by Ronny Cox and Bibi Besch, try to learn more about what happened seventeen years ago and venture to the town where she was raped by the monster: a sleepy, backwoods Mississippi community. They leave Michael at the hospital but he breaks out and some urge lures him to the small town his parents are visiting.While in this small Mississippi hamlet, Michael begins to succumb to urges: eating flesh and chasing the local hotty (Kitty Moffat). But these urges aren't your normal teenage male pursuits and Michael fears for Amanda's (Moffat) safety when he learns that members of her family are being targeted by a serial killer--the beast within.STORY: $$$ (The story is quite interesting. We get a nice little isolated setting with eccentric hillbilly characters who all seem to harbor a dark secret. Cox and Besch as the concerned parents try their hardest to uncover the secrets so they can save their child. The script builds enough suspense to sustain interest but the falling down of females in the woods seems a bit foolish. Bibi runs into a tree and Kitty looses her bearings too easily).ACTING: $$$$ (A helluva lot better than you see in the usual B-Rate film. Clemens is terrific as young Michael. His scenes where his body changes are brilliant displays of acting. He masterfully portrays agony. L.Q. Jones shines as the town sheriff, Mike's parents only real ally in the backwoods community. The underrated Ronny Cox is great as Mike's dad. He knows that Michael isn't his son but still shows him the amount of love he'd show a boy direct from his loins. Don Gordon and John Dennis Johnston are effectively slimy as backwoods villains and Kitty Moffat is solid in the role of Michael's forbidden fruit. But the best piece of acting belongs to Bibi Besch. There's little for her to do in the script but Bibi gets more out of this character than most actresses could extract. There's a scene, in which Miss Besch has no dialogue, where she learns that her son is becoming something akin to the monster that raped her years ago. Bibi exhibits such raw emotion in the scene that you, the viewer, know exactly what is going through her mind without her having to say a word. Give Bibi a standing ovation).NUDITY: $$$ (What would be a movie about teen lust without a little titillation? Bibi is stripped bare in the woods by a monster at the beginning of the film while Kitty Moffat suffers the same treatment at the close of the film. Creepy morgue attendant Luke Askew also spends some time ogling a buxom dead body in his morgue).

AngryChair One of the better, and most overlooked, monster films of the 80's is this fun and effectively creepy B horror film.On a dark and stormy Mississippi night, a woman is attacked and raped by a mysterious monster. Now, seventeen years later, her ill teenage son is starting to display some murderous behavior that keeps getting worse...The Beast Within (based on the Edward Levy novel of the same title) is too often bashed by critics. Many complain that the storyline is convoluted, but frankly if everything were explained it would lose its sense of chilling mystery. There is much to be enjoyed in this off-beat creature flick. The story is nicely creative with a hint of old school horror and a good dose of building tension - all of which is dotted with some startlingly good murder scenes. The gruesome makeup effects aren't bad, this film has one wild transformation scene. Direction wise Philippe Mora does well in giving the film a great southern Gothic vibe as well as an oppressing atmosphere of dread.The cast holds their own too. Ronny Cox (of Deliverance fame) and Bibi Besch do solid performances as the understandably troubled parents of our title character. Paul Clemens is also good, and strangely alluring, as the teen with the savage side. Supporting performances from Don Gordon, R.G. Armstrong, Katherine Moffat, and L.Q. Jones are good too.The Beast Within is one under praised horror film. So what if there's a few plot holes, so what if it doesn't follow the book it's based on to the letter - it's a truly memorable horror ride that never has a dull moment. Check it out creature feature fans.*** 1/2 out of ****

entlerjl After first watching this 80's horror B film on The Movie Channel at a slumber party at the age of 13, it scared the be-Jesus out of me. I recently purchased a copy on DVD to relive the slumber party days. What a slimy little movie. I still enjoy it. While it's not a gore fest by any account, it still is pure fun. The story is a little convoluted, but it still seems original for some of the older B movies out there. After watching it one night, I purchased an out of print copy of the Novel by Edward Levy. While certainly not Edward Lee, Richard Laymon (inspiration for the Beast House series maybe?..Hmmmm?..), or Stephen King, it was still cool for it's monster-ly story, however it is dated but a short read. I watched the movie again after reading the book, and I found I enjoyed the movie on a different level. The Novel is different as it goes into more background of how the "Connors" monster came to be and goes a bit beyond the ending of the movie. I look at movie as a companion to the book. Anyone who has enjoyed this late night, low budget, goo fest, should find a copy of the book, read it and watch the movie again. You will be glad you did.While this seldom viewed movie certainly has a fan base, I don't think it will ever gravitate to cult status. I'm just glad I have my copy to remind me of all the scary slumber parties I went to as a pre-teen. While I like the ending of the movie and it "fits", I wouldn't mind a continuation of the story if done properly with an 80's flare. Anyone game? Recommend for pure 80's horror/late night horror cheese buffs only. For those are the people who would only appreciate this low budget monster fest.