It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, hasn’t it? As someone who obviously loves movies as much as I do, there are certain kinds of movies that I have a preference for. Whether the film is action, comedy, drama, or science fiction, there are certain kinds of movies that I’m inevitably drawn towards. In particular, I’m a sucker for horror movies. There’s just something about having the hairs on the back of your neck standing up when you’re witnessing something terrifying in a movie. Sometimes, I’m drawn towards real-life horror with home-invasion films, or I go straight for the jugular with gory splatter-fests. It depends on my mood. There is a sub-genre of horror and science fiction movies that I adore almost above all others: The monster movie. These movies generally involve inhuman creatures that prey upon hapless human beings. That’s not always the case, but it generally follows that people are scared of things that they don’t understand. So, for this list, I’ll be going over some of my favorite creature features/monster movies. As a side-note, I’m going to try and avoid most humanoid monsters, so Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula, and those kinds of monsters won’t be on this list. So, let’s rustle up some monsters for this list, shall we?
Tremors
Tremors is a child-hood favorite of mine. Here’s a funny story for y’all: When I was a kid, my dad took my brother and I to a friend of his and we saw a few clips of Tremors. When we left my dad’s friends house, we high-tailed it to the car, thinking that the graboids were going to get us. It wasn’t until later that dad showed us the full movie, and we were just having a blast. When Tremors was first released, it bombed at the box-office, but because the VHS cassette market was taking off, the film got new life as one of the most rented movies ever. It’s one of the funniest monster movies I’ve ever seen. But a horror-comedy has to work as a horror movie as well, and Tremors does. There is something unsettling about giant man-eating worms that pull you underground. It was a clever idea to pull off some pretty goofy hijinks that included pole-vaulting. The reason the movie works so well is because of it’s eclectic cast of characters that included Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Michael Gross, and Reba McIntire. The characters are interesting and well-written, and the chemistry between them is off the charts. Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, in particular make for one of the best on-screen duos in movies. Tremors is a genuine cult classic film. It did so well on home video that it spawned not one, not two, but FIVE sequels, one prequel, and a one season show. The sequels really aren’t that bad, either. However, the original film is a real standout among genre fans.
Gojira(Godzilla)
When you think of Godzilla, your mind tends to drift towards the goofy Godzilla movies of the 60s and 70s, right? Well, Godzilla actually made his first appearance in 1954’s Gojira(Godzilla), a movie about a giant monster that resulted from the use of nuclear power. It makes perfect sense why and when this movie was made. It hadn’t even been a decade since Nagasaki and Hiroshima were obliterated by two atomic bombs. In a way, Gojira is a direct response to that. It’s a warning about the use of nuclear power. When you watch the movie, Godzilla isn’t really in the movie a whole lot, but his presence is felt throughout, so when he does show up, it’s brutal. The tone of the film is also very serious, considering the subject matter. While later films would take a more goofy approach the monster, the original film was a dead-serious affair. People often complain about the 2014 film not having enough Godzilla in it, but they clearly haven’t seen this movie yet. It’s a spectacular movie that does send chills down your spine at times. Gojira is often credited as the grandfather of what is now known as the Kaiju monster movie genre. It’s definitely a must-see for genre enthusiasts.
The Blob(1988)
There’s a reason I’m putting the remake of The Blob on this list as opposed to the original Steve McQueen film from 1958. I’m not saying anything bad about the original film. It’s a classic monster movie about an indestructible life-form that grows whenever it eats somebody. In the original movie, a lot was left to the imagination in terms of the monster killing people. It was all done off-screen. They had to. The idea of this shapeless thing absorbing people would’ve caused all sorts of problems across 1950s America. Still, it was a thrilling little film with a catchy little song that allowed to be more family-friendly. Well, in 1988, director Chuck Russell gave us a remake that leaves NOTHING to the imagination. What was only implied in the original film is on full and gory display here. While the original film featured a monster that looked like living Jell-O, the monster here is something more amorphous. The new movie also makes it clear that the US government is responsible for creating this thing, instead of having it being an alien. The practical and make-up effects of this new movie are still impressive. I’ve always preferred practical effects in my horror movies, because it allows for a more visceral response. In this remake, NOBODY is safe, not even kids. The film is also smartly written. It’s not only creepy and gooey, but it also has a dark and twisted sense of humor. Have you ever been in a movie theater where a person behind you doesn’t shut up? Well, this movie has a solution for that. It pokes fun at certain movie-going conventions without coming across as satire. It IS a horror movie after all, but it knows how to have some fun. The Blob is one of the three big remakes of the 80s that’s actually really good, with the other two being John Carpenter’s The Thing and The Fly.
Deep Star Six
I know I brought this one up in a previous list about underwater creature features, but it’s definitely worth having on this list. Deep Star Six is about a group of scientists at an underwater base that encounter a massive creature that takes them out one-by-one. While the actual creature doesn’t show itself until about an hour into the movie, you know it’s creating all sorts of havoc. The monster itself only directly kills two of them, the rest were a result of some pretty bad decision-making. Still, the creature itself is pretty interesting to look at and it’s a full-scale puppet. It’s massive. That’s one of the reasons why this movie is one of my favorite movies of this sort. It does understand that less-is-more, but it works. The characters are also interesting and the acting is really solid. If you love underwater creature features, this one is at the top of the list.
The Call of Cthulu
Say what you will about H.P. Lovecraft as a person, but his writing is incredibly unique. It’s creepy and has otherworldly vibes. One of his most famous short stories is The Call of Cthulu which involves a psychiatrist tracking down information about a mysterious cult that worships an ancient and malevolent deity. It’s a good story, but Lovecraft’s stories have been notoriously difficult to adapt to the big-screen, because his writing is oddly specific and peculiar about these cosmic beings that threaten humanity. This movie, The Call of Cthulu is perhaps the most faithful adaptation of an H.P Lovecraft story. It’s a short movie, not even an hour long, but it does leave an impression. It’s a very low-budget black-and-white silent movie made in the 21st century. You don’t see movies like this anymore, yet it’s one of a hundred different reasons why it works so well. The stop-motion animation is outstanding with some really unique visual styling. It’s spooky, atmospheric and intense. It manages to be more scary than most movies that have come out in the past 15 years.
Alien
I’d be remiss if I didn’t put this one on here. What else can I say about Ridley Scott’s science fiction/horror masterpiece that hasn’t been said before? Alien is one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time, and features a monster that is incredibly horrifying, not just in how it looks, but also in how it’s born. The film is definitely more psychological and atmospheric than anything else, but the creature itself is one of the most iconic movie monsters in cinema history. You can thank the late H.R. Giger for the monster’s design. The film takes great care in not actually showing the monster until it needs to. So, you’re left wondering where it is. Is it around the corner? The less-is-more approach is one of the reasons why this film is so successful. It’s not about what you see that scares you. It’s what you don’t see.
A Quiet Place
A Quiet Place is a movie that surprised the living hell out of me. It’s a movie set in a world that’s been devastated by monsters that hunt by sound. While Tremors was really the first movie to deal with monsters that hunt by sound, it was largely contained in a small setting. The creatures in A Quiet Place move faster, live above ground and come out of nowhere at the drop of a pin. As a result, the majority of the film’s dialogue is handled through sign language. There are moments where people verbally speak, but those are handled in a very specific manner. Throughout the film, we have no idea what happened or why these things showed up, but it’s apparently happened on a global scale. The moment the movie starts, you are on eggshells. It’s white-knuckle tension from beginning to end. It’s one of the best movies of its kind. A sequel is coming later this year, so I’m excited for it as it could provide some much-needed answers to certain questions. John Krasinski was brilliant in his direction here.
The monster movie is one of the most cherished sub-genres among horror and science fiction fans, and it’s one of the oldest genres in cinema. The idea of being hunted by a creature of unknown origin is pretty spooky if I do say so myself. But there is something really spectacular about seeing a monster doing exactly that. Monster movies are among my favorites and there are hundred upon hundreds of monster movies of varying types. Some are going to be goofy, while others are deadly serious and gruesome. It’s just a matter of what you’re in the mood for. These aren’t all of my favorite monster movies, but they are ones that tend to stand out the most whenever I think about the genre.