The Deadly Spawn

"They came to Earth to feed on human flesh!"

1983 1h 21m EN

😐

5.5

MID

★5.5TMDB · 113

HorrorScience Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When a meteorite touches down in the New Jersey woods carrying a monstrous alien slug, it’s up to four teens to stop it before its terrifying brood consumes all life on Earth!

“They came to Earth to feed on human flesh!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Charles George Hildebrandt
Charles
Tom DeFranco
Pete
Richard Lee Porter
Frankie
Jean Tafler
Ellen
Karen Tighe
Kathy
James Brewster
Sam
Elissa Neil
Barb
Ethel Michelson
Aunt Millie

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Douglas McKeown
Writers: Ted A. Bohus, Ted A. Bohus, John Dods
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

81 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

43 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Deadly Spawn Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Douglas McKeown, shot by Harvey Birnbaum. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Marc Harwood shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Charles George Hildebrandt and Tom DeFranco and Richard Lee Porter carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "They came to Earth to feed on human flesh!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0087998 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Douglas McKeown directs. Harvey Birnbaum behind the camera. Marc Harwood cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

181 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
243 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Part of the "Deadly Spawn Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Douglas McKeown, shot by Harvey Birnbaum. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Marc Harwood shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Charles George Hildebrandt and Tom DeFranco and Richard Lee Porter carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "They came to Earth to feed on human flesh!".
8IMDB entry: tt0087998 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Harvey Birnbaum
Editing: Marc Harwood
Makeup / hair: Arnold Gargiulo
Runtime: 81 min · 1h 21m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Deadly Spawn (1983)

Part of

Deadly Spawn Collection

Series of films about carnivorous, fanged, worm-like alien creatures that land on Earth. The Deadly Spawn was shot on 16mm film with a budget of $25,000 and released theatrically in 1983. Deadly Spawn II: The Transformation was produced in 1990 and ultimately released for the direct-to-video market under a revised title, Metamorphosis: The Alien Factor.