Creature (1998) – movie review

Creature (1998) aka: Peter Benchley’s Creature

Craig T. Nelson
Kim Cattrall

This feels like an 80’s monster movie and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Both Nelson and Cattrall already had successful careers, it would seem unlikely they would show up in a made-for-TV monster flick. But there they were, providing above average acting to what should be a B-sci fi/horror film. The monster here is a genetically engineered mutation, half man/half shark, on steroids, a set of massive teeth on two legs chasing down his prey which consisted mostly of humans. The script was well-written from Peter Benchley’s novel and made the events seem plausible. Stan Winston’s special-FX team worked up a defined original creature, enjoyable for the monster fan. So why isn’t it well known and praised in the horror genre? Because it was over a decade too late. If this had come out in the mid-eighties, had a little more gore and skin, it would have made some waves. Unfortunately in 1998, it was little more than a ripple in a puddle. However that doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable, just don’t expect it to live up to today’s monster movie standards. Being a TV movie, it takes an hour for things to really start heating up but the pay-off is good. It certainly ain’t no ‘Jaws,’ so it’s best to think of it as an 80’s ‘B’ monster film.

 

 

 

Creatures from the Abyss (1994) – Movie Review

Creatures from the Abyss (1994)
(aka, Plankton)

This monster flick would even make Roger Corman smile. It solves the age old dilemma of B horror films – when we have a scientist create a man-eating monster, how do we keep the woman characters clad in bikinis for the entire movie? Answer: we put the scientist’s lab on a boat! Genius! (leave it to the Italians.) Five young partiers get stranded in their dingy and climb aboard a deserted ship. The boat’s motors don’t work but everything else does, lights, stereo,  computerized showers that talk to you. They discover that some scientist was working on resurrecting an ancient fish, one ugly SOB if I’ve ever seen one.

Confused by the whole scene, what does this group of revelers do? They party like there’s no tomorrow – for most of them there won’t be a tomorrow. So, it’s spring-break/girls gone wild! The fish/alien/whatever it is, is also a parasite and can take over a human body. There’s a nasty sex scene where the aroused  parasite-fish comes out of the guy, ala The Thing. The dialogue is laughable, almost as funny as the plot. Oh, did I say plot? If you’re looking for a plot, good luck.

In the end, the man-monster finally attacks; a half-human, half-fish, half-octopus with tentacles – a stop-motion clay-mation, B-monster mess, but I love it. The two survivors lock the monster fish-man in the lab, then set the boat ablaze. Roll credits. It’s a fun, campy, monster movie, not made to be taken too seriously. It’s so cheesy, you could swear it was made in the 1980’s.

Look! a camera…

dats some clean teeth

Vampire fish!

look at the size of his…

cue up theme song, ‘Rock Lobster’

My Top ‘Introduction to Horror’ Films – What’s Yours?

My Top ‘Introduction to Horror’ Films

The goal is to pick out films to show someone who has never watched horror films. Choose the movies you think would be best suited for them to understand the genre.

Started by Horrific Healing, several other bloggers have jumped in and offered their Top Introduction to Horror Films lists. We want you to post your list, too!

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My Top ‘Introduction to Horror’ Films
I went with 15 , Here’s My List:

1 – Frankenstein – early horror

2 – House of Wax (Vincent Price) – How can anyone know horror without VP

3 – Night of the Living Dead – the ultimate zombie film

4 – Dracula has Risen form the Grave – More modern than Lugosi and represents the 1960’s and Gothic

5 – Psycho – psychological horror and Hitchcock represented

6 – Texas Chainsaw Massacre – gotta’ have the chainsaw

7 – Jaws – nature horror and Spielberg

8 – Halloween – got to have a Carpenter film and slasher film represented

9 – Nightmare on Elm Street – Wes Craven’s best

10 – Alien – Sci-fi horror

11 – The Evil Dead – possession film and black comedy

12 – Hellraiser – Clive barker represented

13 – The Ring – Representing J-Horror style

14 – The Mist – S.King represented, not to mention Greg Nicoterra from The Walking Dead

15 – Quarantine or REC – representing the found footage/handheld style

So, I have represented here: gothic, slasher, ghost story, revenge horror, monster movie, found footage, J-Horror, black & white films, psychological horror, animal/nature horror, demonic possession, black humor and sci-fi horror. That just about covers it.

As you can see I’m partial to American films. After this introduction, I would have another list for foriegn horror films and cover Italian, Spanish and true Asian cinema for my unsuspecting friend to watch.

I know a lot of these are the usual suspects but, they are the best in their categories, why give a new viewer something sub par? Besides, these are all films I really love and wouldn’t mind watching again with somebody.

I say that if you do a list, you should link the other posts that have come before yours. So here are the links to the other posts:

Horrific Healing – – Top 10 introductory Horror Films

Fringevoid – – Introduction To Horror films

Inforthekills – – 11 Horror films for Newbies  

Vics’ Movie Den – Intro to Horror 101