In the wake of the phenomenal success of ALIEN and FRIDAY THE 13th came a glut of slasher/monster films in the early 1980's, such as "The Boogens" and "Humongous", which ranged from barely entertaining to absolutely abysmal. Down the road a bit from this time TV veteran Martin Landau would make a splash in Hollywood in "Crimes & Misdemeanors" and "Ed Wood", but first he paid his dues in the schlock monster romp THE BEING.

And so, we are introduced to the small town of Pottsville, Idaho. A town like many others in the United States - a close community away from the stress of urban life. However, all is not perfect in this bucolic setting; people have gone missing, including children. The narrator informs us: The ultimate terror has take form, and Pottsville will never be the same! Well, it seems this sleepy town has been selected as a depot for the government's excess nuclear waste, stored at the dump on the edge of town. A kid has broken into the area, and now is being chased by 'something'. He manages to hotwire a car and makes his escape...only to have 'the being' land on the roof of his speeding vehicle - the kid literally loses his head over it.

When the cops, lead by Detective Lutz, make the scene, there are no signs of the kid or his assailant. However, when Lutz is called away, 'the being' who hid in the trunk chomps the crime scene inspector. It soon makes its way to the local drive-in where it continues its feast on Bobby, his girlfriend and a stoner. Meanwhile, government lackey Dr. Jones swears on the TV that the radiation dump is safe; he even drinks water from the aquifer under the site and declares it perfect. Det. Lutz doesn't buy Jones' claims - he knows something ain't quite right around his town. He is attacked later that night at his home, pretty much confirming his suspicions. Lutz manages to escape, but when he informs the mayor next day, he is scoffed at. The Mayor does bring in Dr. Jones to help Lutz investigate, although the duo is commanded to keep it 'under the radar' to avoid unnecessary panic from the townsfolk.

That night, Lutz escorts his lady friend Laurie home, concerned for her welfare with this 'being' about. Meanwhile, the town's resident crazy lady Marge Smith wanders around looking for her lost son Michael, who was the first to disappear at the dump site. Dr. Jones reiterates to the press of the site's safety - he even decides to camp at the dump. Yet the death toll continues to rise. Can Lutz find the monster devouring his town? Will Jones realize the folly of the radiation site? Or will 'The Being' make the town pay for their hubris?

A cautionary tale for environmental responsibility like "Prophecy"? No. An effectively moody slasher/thriller like "The Brood"? No. When all is said and done, THE BEING is an extremely dopey film. To start with, the script does not hold together at all; plotlines are brought up and never resolved. Potentially interesting concepts, such as the environmental angle or the mystery of Michael, are forgotten and there are more loose ends than a porno convention. Amazingly, even though the radio DJ updates the mounting number of missing people, the regular townsfolk seem to carry on their affairs as if there's nothing unusual happening. Don't you think that with a dozen or so MIA neighbors, including children and cops, someone would give a damn?? As one would expect with such a substandard script the direction is uninspired and editing choppy and problematic. The sense of 'time' is non-existent. I had the worst time trying to keep track of when events happened - and the film itself flubs several times. Special effects? Man in a slimy suit - about as frightening as Grandma before she puts her dentures in. Landau, Jose Ferrer and fav rave Ruth Buzzi must have really needed the paychecks, but again, when the producer is the star of his own film.... THE BEING, in the hands of a Cronenberg or Carpenter, could have made a statement, but any possible impact is lost in this filmatic cacophony.

THE BEING is presented on DVD in wide screen, which has minimal effect on the film, but the quality is pretty good, there are a few dropouts (reel changes!)and some of the scenes aren't particulary well-lit which makes them somewhat grainy, but I've seen a lot worse from this time period. The boys in production did their job to make the best of this situation. Audio is decent and clear. The score is bland - typical 'horror' soundtrack (just press a button!)

Media Blasters has released THE BEING with only a smattering of DVD extras. There is a trailer and a set of production stills. The pictures have no captions, so good luck figuring out who everyone is. There is also a series of previews for other catalog titles, and a Spanish language option. Gee.

THE BEING came along when everyone with a camera was out to cash in on the success of the slasher/monster genre. This time period produced so many crappy gore-fests one loses count, and for what it's worth, THE BEING is a 'good' example of this cinematic car wreck. THE BEING is a cheap, rushed, incongruous mess and a waste of some talented actors. And I'm trying to be nice. Where have you gone Alan Ormsby?