Baby Selwyn is a minor antagonist in the 1992 New Zealand horror-comedy film Braindead.
Two zombies, Father McGruder and Nurse McTavish, copulate while trapped in Lionel's basement, producing a mischievous zombified baby overnight.
Appearance
Baby Selwyn resembles a human infant with grotesque proportions and diseased skin. The right side of his face is covered in tumorous scabs that have rendered the eye on that side closed, and the left eye has a yellow sclera. At some point, Lionel dresses him in a red and white striped babygrow, which he wears for most of the film.
Powers and Abilities
Baby Selwyn possesses the following powers and abilities:
- Sharp teeth
- Superhuman strength
Behaviour
Baby Selwyn is often seen throwing tantrums, mainly when his attempts to terrorize or attack unwitting victims are thwarted. He also bears a certain level of intelligence, recognising Lionel as a threat to his freedom. (During Selwyn's park rampage, he panics upon seeing Lionel sprinting towards him, and rushes to attack a child before he's caught, at which point he throws a tantrum.) This is also seen when he knowingly goes out of his way to taunt Lionel's uncle, and lead him to his death.
When Paquita attempts to puree him in the blender, Selwyn cries. He then takes advantage of her split-second hesitation, spewing vomit in her face to escape.
Despite being both undead and an infant, Selwyn is acutely aware of his surroundings. He wields a severed leg to kick Uncle Les in the groin, and leads him on a roundabout chase through the house to his death. When he vomits in Paquita's face, he immediately grabs onto the hanging lampshade above him, indicating that he had considered his escape beforehand.
He most enjoys witnessing or inflicting injury. In these cases, he utters his distinct, high-pitched giggle. The extent of this is best seen during Uncle Les's death, where he hides in a corner and giggles while the undead Vera tears his head from his shoulders.
Fate
Selwyn is last seen at the end of the film, trapped in the burning house. His ultimate fate is unknown.
Trivia
- Selwyn was portrayed by both a fake baby, a puppet, and a man in a suit made to look smaller via forced perspective.
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