The Being

1981
15
1h 22m

IMDb RATING

4.4/10

2.1K

YOUR RATING

A mutated creature is wreaking havoc in a small town in Idaho. A police chief and a government scientist team up to save their rural town from its menace.

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Horror Sci-Fi

A mutated creature is wreaking havoc in a small town in Idaho. A police chief and a government scientist team up to save their rural town from its menace.A mutated creature is wreaking havoc in a small town in Idaho. A police chief and a government scientist team up to save their rural town from its menace.A mutated creature is wreaking havoc in a small town in Idaho. A police chief and a government scientist team up to save their rural town from its menace.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

4.4/10

2.1K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Top cast34

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Martin Landau

Garson Jones

Marianne Gordon

Laurie

Bill Osco

Mortimer Lutz
(as Rexx Coltrane, Johnny Commander)

José Ferrer

Mayor Gordon Lane
(as Jose Ferrer)

Dorothy Malone

Marge Smith

Ruth Buzzi

Virginia Lane

Murray Langston

Kinky Friedman

Willis

Johnny Dark

John

Kent Perkins

Officer Dudley

Ellen Blake

Jenny

Roxanne Osco

Suzie
(as Roxanne Cybelle Osco)

Jerry Maren

Monster
(as Jerry Marin)

Eric Helland

Doper #1

Bill Rawlinson

Doper #2

Richard Marcus

Joe The Lab Assistant

Nancy Osco

Woman Motorist

Jay Sherlock

Golf Buddy

Director
- Jackie Kong
Writer
- Jackie Kong
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews38

Featured review

5/10

Not THAT terrible.

I actually enjoyed "The Being" for the most part. Obviously it's awful but isn't that the point? The basic plot is a small town in Idaho is victimized by a big, blubbering, wet and greasy, reddish-pink blob with one eye. He kills people at random and a determined detective is going to get to the bottom of it. Martin Landau plays a 'scientist' who is heading up a toxic waste dump research project who tries at first to stand in the detective's way, but then conceded that 'yes in fact, there is a problem in Pottsville...' Along the way we meet some awful actors and actresses and we are treated to many cheeseball performances and some lame killings. We get a nice view of the monster in the end and it actually is a little creepy. One thing we can say about this flick is that it is never really boring, no; it moves along pretty quickly with a decent amount of action.

All in all, I've seen worse, but I've definitely seen better within the genre. The genre of whence I speak being 80's drive-in trash, I mean what do you want?

5 out of 10, kids.

coldwaterpdh
Dec 11, 2008
Permalink

Trivia
Had its red carpet premier at the El Con Mall theater in Tucson AZ on May 8, 1981 under the title "Beauty and the Beast". Most of the stars, including Ruth Buzzi, Martin Landau and Marianne Gordon were in attendance.

Goofs
In the first scene where the creature is chasing the boy it starts off in broad daylight, but when he reaches the junkyard and steals a car it is night time.

Quotes
Laurie: But if this thing is actually killing people, then why is the mayor trying to keep it quiet?
Detective Mortimer Lutz: Potatoes
Laurie: Potatoes?
Detective Mortimer Lutz: Around here that means big money.

Crazy credits
Right before the end credits begin, the fates of the main characters is read on screen:

Virginia Lane: Was never found.

Garson Jones: Was donated to medical science by Mayor Lane.

Mayor Lane: Went on to become the first potato farmer in The White House.

Laurie: Is now waitressing in Akron, Ohio.

Marge Smith: Was last seen looking for Michael in Modesto, California.

Detective Mortimer Lutz: Moved to Hollywood and became a stunt man.