Parasite 3-D (Special Edition) [Blu-ray]

Never this film in 3D. A very big surprise

This is exactly what you want out of a B-movie: the plot and acting isn’t too bad (actually, it’s fine), the gore is abundant and solid quality, and the creature effects transcend the low budget. Oh, and it’s got LOADS of action and effects scenes providing excellent pacing.IMDB synopsis: “Paul Dean (Robert Glaudini; Wavelength, The Alchemist) has created a deadly parasite that is now attached to his stomach. He and his female companion, Patricia Welles (Demi Moore; Bunraku, Ghost, The Seventh Sign), must find a way to destroy it while also trying to avoid Ricus (Luca Bercovici; Frightmare, The Granny, Scanner Cop), his rednecks, and an evil government agent named Merchant (James Davidson).”Director Charles Band (Meridian, Doctor Mordrid, Hideous!, Head of the Family) gets this low budget Alien-riff off to a solid start with excellent pacing—a most unusual perk for low budget horror of its era… or most any horror of any era. I’m so accustomed to opening a film with a solid scare or death or gore scene, followed by 40-60 minutes of dragging exposition before the monsters are on screen and the deaths finally stack up.In the present case, we open with a nightmarish scene of someone tied down probably for some sort of experiment; after a laboratory accident a scientist is parasitized by a leech-like-tadpole-thing that uses its acidic fish slime to dissolve through his skin; slow-motion fist fights and laser guns garner a kind grindhouse throwback; and exploitation shots (although this is no exploitation film, really) featuring nudity and sexual assault and even a topless fight with a feral woman. That’s a high level of action and effects to kick things off, and all this happens in the first act. Bravo, Charles Band. You have my attention!These old B-movies make me giggle so much. Welcome to “the future”—1992! The world is populated by 80s punk-gangs of miscreants, silver is the main currency, and we have laser guns! Doctor Paul Dean is wandering the modern wasteland, staying in seedy B&Bs doing hotel room research to find a cure for his ever-growing stomach parasite. But once the local gang takes an interest in him, they steal his coffee Thermus which contains a much larger acid-slimy facehugger-chestburster-tadpole thing that, of course, kills someone in a goofy creature effects scene.Hot on Dean’s infected trail is the laser-pointer-toting Merchant, who drives around in a mega-luxury car and lases the crap out of everyone. That pen-laser thing is deadly! Meanwhile Dean is racing to find a cure to save himself and keep the monster from reproducing millions of spores that would surely mean the end of mankind. All the while the parasite has grown to the size of a small dog and looks like a tadpole and a deep sea hagfish produced a toothy-mawed nightmare spawn similar to a juvenile larva in The Deadly Spawn (1983). Effects-wise, it’s a slimy rubber hand puppet, and I love it! Just about the right size for Dean to try to capture it with a blanket as if it were a stray feral cat.The gore is actually just as fun as the creature effects. We see monstrously emaciated victims after the parasite feeds and it bursts out of their face (much like in Alien 2: on Earth), there’s stomach-bursting gobbledygook, and the closing shot of a flesh-melted char-broiled burn victim is just excellent.As far as B-movies go, I just love this. And Demi Moore plays a major role in it. Enough said.

I bought this to give as a gift. It arrived in a timely manner and was what I expected.

For reasons never explained, a mad scientist creates a deadly parasite for an EVIL corporation and then regrets it after the parasite decides to inhabit him. Oh sure, now you’re sorry. He packs up his cares and woes and takes the parasite on a road trip. Along the way he kills a couple of miscreants then runs afoul of a gang of dimwitted hooligans who want what he has. No sooner said than done…call it an early Christmas present. The parasite grows bigger and roams from body to body. Meanwhile, a loony in a black car, wearing a black suit, in the desert, in all that heat, shows up to relieve people of their body parts. He too wants what the scientist has. No sooner said than done.The only star of note in this film is Vivian Blaine as the nosy landlady. A star of Broadway and the big screen.

Parasite is not exactly an Alien rip off as most people claim it to be. I find it annoying how every movie about a monster with a large head or one that inhabits the insides of human is labeled a rip off of Ridley Scott's Alien. Maybe it's inspired by it, but not a full blown rip off. Sure its got similarities but for the most part it's got some originality.PLOT: In the future, America is run by an organization called Merchants. In order to keep citizens in check, a scientist is hired. He creates 2 parasitic creatures, one inhabits his stomach; the other is kept in a capsule of sorts. Realizing the danger at hand, the scientist makes run for it, eventually entering a small town. He runs afoul of a local gang of punks, a bar keeper, and a young woman. Meanwhile he's pursued by a Merchant. The punks steal the capsule and unleash the parasite...I first saw Parasite when I was roughly 7 or 8 years old. For years all I could recall was a catfish like monster and the film's climax. After revisiting it, I find it still pretty enjoyable. It's your standard monster movie with some interesting elements. The post-apocalyptic setting is unique and promising. The film's major highlights are effects by Stan Winston. Demi Moore stars in her first major role as well. It was directed by the legendary Charles Band, who does a pretty solid job in the director's chair. A sequel had been planned but never materialized. The score was composed by Richard Band.REVIEW: Parasite seems to be beaten and attacked unfavorably quite often which I find quite sad. Sure it's a b-movie but it's actually not that bad. The effects are stellar and the story is fairly interesting. The dialogue isn't too bad and the acting pretty good for the most part. The characters are peculiar but fairly intriguing and pretty likeable. The desolate landscape serves as a sense of dread and doom. At times the film musters up suspense and atmosphere. I find Richard Band's score to be pretty gloomy and it suits the film nicely. Near the film's end there's pretty good twist.Parasite was originally release in 2-D and 3-D in 1982 by Embassy Pictures and runs 85 minutes. It has been released on home video several times. In 2002 Anchor Bay released it to DVD as did Cult Video in 1999. In 1990 it received a VHS release by Paramount. A laserdisc was released by Shadow Entertainment as well.Anchor Bay Features:Widescreen versionTrailerChapter InsertCult Video Features:Behind the ScenesTrailersFull Screen versionRATINGS:Parasite (1982)-3.5/5- Plagued by a couple dull moments, but overall fun little creature feature.Anchor Bay DVD-3/5-Nice transfer and widescreen format with a trailer and insert. Would've been better had it included a 3D version and the behind the scenes featurette.Cult Video DVD-3/5-Okay transfer with some good features.