Jeremy Boyd Perhaps our nowadays writers and directors should start taking a more serious look at the way films were made in the past and learn some vital lessons. 'The Brood' has all the ingredients of a well-made film. The camera-work is excellent, and the story progresses at a steady pace that makes you want to keep watching, yet the plot is unusual in that it doesn't follow your normal 'monster movie' recipe; yet there are monsters, and there is blood, but this one is different. Perhaps some may notice the absence of giddy teenagers on the romp, but I for one prefer if the kids stay away...there is a kid, though, a cute little five year old.

Mr_Ectoplasma David Cronenberg's "The Brood" parallels the stories of Frank (Art Handle), a man attempting to assimilate his young daughter back into daily life after she was taken in by a cult her mother has joined; and the mentally ill mother, Nola (Samantha Eggar)'s time spent with a new age psychologist (Oliver Reed) who is treating her at his remote compound. I will be the first to admit that I am not typically fond of science fiction, so I had reservations going into the his film, but I'd heard so many great things about it over the years and purchased the DVD on a blind buy several years ago. I was absolutely blown away by this film, and re-experienced it when I watched it again on its recent Blu-ray release. This is one of those films that has such a cerebral, multi-layered core to it that it could supply an array of PhD theses on everything from cinema violence to child abuse, to feminism and motherhood.The film is set against the backdrop of a Toronto winter landscape, and Cronenberg captures the sombre chill of the winter with extreme effectiveness; the entire film is bathed in winter light, desaturated grey, and eerie nighttime photography. The chilling establishment of locale is merely the underpinning of the imaginative, cerebral script, and has a steady level of suspense that becomes more and more oppressive as the film drives toward its disturbing conclusion. Cronenberg uses parallel editing to tell the story, setting the father and daughter's lives against the isolation of Nola and her mysterious doctor.While the film is inarguably earns its category of science fiction, I believe the reason I found it so appealing was because the first two acts are set up almost like a slasher picture-meets-psycho thriller, albeit with bizarre monster kids wielding the weapons. The "whodunit?" element keeps the audience vested in the film, and the real psychological core comes to light in the phenomenal quasi-Shakespearean conclusion. The last fifteen minutes of the film are expertly done and truly cement the film as one worthy of the "classic" title. Samantha Eggar and Oliver Reed are fantastic here; Art Hindle is probably the weakest link, but his performance is still enough to keep interest maintained.Overall, "The Brood" is one of the most unique and intelligent sci-fi horror films I've seen. The material is expertly handled and the film ratchets suspense like clockwork. The cold, wintry backdrop gives the film an extra chill, and Samantha Eggar's performance alone is reason enough to watch. Highlights: the break-in through grandma's milk delivery door, and the utterly macabre conclusion featuring one of cinema's most disturbed mothers (Faye Dunaway, step aside). 10/10.

Christopher Reid I like the idea of horror movies but they're usually very disappointing and predictable and dull. This one was quite enjoyable. I was actually tense at many times and swore at the screen due to my confusion at what was going on. But I liked it. I would smile in relief after a weird or suspenseful scene.I don't know why, but for some reason, Cronenberg seems to have earned my respect. I've only seen a couple of his movies (The Fly and A History of Violence), but I feel like I understand his movies. He seems to take film seriously as an art form and tries to make interesting stuff without restricting himself. He seems to have a freedom similar to David Lynch who I also seem to click with - their movies are weird but make sense in some subconscious, twisted way. So you go on their dark journeys, restraining yourself from early judgement, trusting that somehow it all leads somewhere, means something even if you're not immediately sure what.I have to say the main guy's acting was not great (the father), however Oliver Reed was awesome and the crazy lady was intense (her eyes freaked me out BIG time). Horror movies often seem to suffer from terrible acting or, at least, a dull or dark mood. My brother dislikes them for that reason, Ebert seems to have had a similar opinion. The Brood partially suffers from this: the whole plot seems a bit depressing, like there's no hope at all. It would help if the father and daughter were happier or had more chemistry. Their lives seem very boring. There's no colour or laughter or smiles to contrast with the darkness brewing. The girl's simple innocence and vulnerability does work though - you feel more worried when things happen.The scary parts were very well done. They were completely bizarre and unexpected. I had no idea what was going on or what to expect next. But it was riveting and disturbing in an entertaining way. There were times I was definitely expecting something to jump out and nothing happened or vice-versa which is refreshing. There could have been a bit more comedy or even drama to give meaning to the horror though.By the end, most things were satisfyingly explained (or you can work them out for yourself). It generally all made sense and is probably more creepy once you know what's really going on. I think any horror fan would like this movie quite a lot. For others, it's still interesting for its strangeness. I'll always remember it for its many wtf and omg moments.

craigh01 This movie was very good, the concept is great, the horrible scenes are great but not "real" enough. IF ONLY they had great special effects back then, it could have been a 10!Cronenberg, (who directed one of my favorites, "The Fly", has a great idea here. He seems to have some actors he likes, for example one guy who had "an unfortunate experience" under the care of the psychologist, was also in "Scanners" (another favorite). This doesn't come close to as good as The Fly or Scanners, but it's still pretty good.IF ONLY the little mutant children looked more realistic, it would have been perfect... It's a little 70-ish, if you can't overlook the older style of filming and acting you may not like it...