OLIVER REED & ART HINGLE IN DAVID CRONENBERG'S 'THE BROOD'

Year: 1979 Rating: ****

The term “watch your temper” has never been so relevant and palpable than in THE BROOD, where Oliver Reed’s Dr. Hal Raglan, a psychiatrist in complete control of his mentally childlike subjects, has a favorite patient with serious issues: Enter Nola Caverth, played by THE COLLECTOR actress Samantha Eggar, intensely listening to the doctor’s advice… But who's really in charge?

Well neither British actors are the main stars despite top billing: The investigative buried lead is third-billed INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS patient-x Art Hindle as Nola’s separated husband and father of a vulnerable little girl, Candace, played sublimely by Cindy Hinds, aesthetic precursor to Heather O’Rourke from POLTERGEIST...As dad pieces clues together, various characters are stalked by what look like psychotic school kids combined with the pint-sized literal little devil from DON'T LOOK NOW and/or a taller yet equally aggressive TRILOGY OF TERROR's Zuni Fetish Doll: shifting the aura from an intriguing psychological thriller to a genuinely frightening horror flick...

Art Hindle in THE BROOD

With distorted, nightmarish faces and the power to kill anyone connected to Nola’s bitter dream-state, the origin and purpose of the evil tykes should be kept secret. But anyone familiar with THE BROOD already knows what's up. Let’s just say, catharsis has rarely been as creepy, vicious and grotesque.. Horror auteur David Cronenberg keeps the story moving with a dark, ominous pace even though much of the film occurs in the dayligh

Despite too much scientific dialogue between bloodshed, not always enhancing the storyline, with Oliver Reed spouting exposition, it's forgivable. But humans aside, those killer mutants really steal the show: Too bad they didn’t have a larger playground to wield their lunacy as the best scenes include their body count hunting spree: first with Nola's parents, and then the perfect woman/school teacher (Susan Hogan). And the very, very end, involving a bizarre form of childbirth, should send men right back into the waiting room, chain smoking cigarettes while anticipating the outcome.

Oliver Reed in THE BROOD

Oliver Reed in THE BROOD

Oliver Reed in THE BROOD with Art Hindle

Nuala Fitzgerald  in THE BROOD

Oliver Reed in THE BROOD with Samantha Eggar

Oliver Reed in THE BROOD

Art Hindle in THE BROOD

Oliver Reed in THE BROOD

Nuala Fitzgerald in THE BROOD with Cindy Hinds

Susan Hogan as Ruth Mayer in THE BROOD

Nuala Fitzgerald and Art Hindle in THE BROOD

Art Hinkle and Susan Hogan in THE BROOD with Cindy Hinds

Samantha Eggar as Nola Carveth in THE BROOD

Nuala Fitzgerald in THE BROOD

Susan Hogan in THE BROOD

Nicholas Campbell later in David Cronenberg's Dead Zone w/ Samantha Eggar The Brood

Oliver Reed as Dr. Carl Raglan in THE BROOD

Bloodstains on the staircase in THE BROOD

Oliver Reed in THE BROOD

Cindy Hinds as Candace Carveth in THE BROOD

Cindy Hinds turns up in David Cronenberg's THE DEAD ZONE

Cindy Hinds turns up in David Cronenberg's THE DEAD ZONE with Christopher Walken

Art Hinkle and Susan Hogan in THE BROOD with Cindy Hinds

Felix Silla in THE BROOD