The Magnetic Monster (1953)

This has been a couple of hot and humid days and unfortunately, it looks like I have to start my grass cutting odyssey all over. Man, that has been rough. But, after going to the Naro Cinema today to watch Jaws, I felt like watching a classic Sci-Fi flick.  So, I settled on the 1953 entry, the Magnetic Monster.

Plot: The Office of Scientific Investigation sends A-Men agents to investigate reports of unusual magnetic activity in various communities.

Having never watched this one before, I found this was one of the better low budget Sci-Fi  flicks of the era. This one featured some decent performances, an interesting (and intelligent) storyline, solid pacing, and a realistic approach to the subject matter. From director Ivan Tors (Science Fiction Theater), this one comes complete with an outstanding ending, making it one that should be seen. Yes,  the film did feel a little dated today, but for something that is pushing 70-years-old, it is well worth watching. CHECK IT OUT!

The Thing from Another World! (1951)

While the pickings were slim this weekend in the great vintage toy quest that I am working on and the weather was mostly miserable, I decided that I would spend some time catching up on many of the films I have watched in the past few months and have not reviewed. To get back in the swing of things, I decided that the 1951 classic The Thing from Another World would be my next film for review.

Plot/ Scientists at an Arctic research station discover a spacecraft buried in the ice. Upon closer examination, they discover the frozen pilot. All hell breaks loose when they take him back to their station and he is accidentally thawed out!

This must be one of the best Sci-Fi films of the 1950s and a movie that I believe every fan of science fiction must see. In many ways, this film laid the foundation for everything we see in the genre today and as one would expect, it holds up quite well after all these years. Produced (and likely directed) by Howard Hawks, this film starts slow but rises beyond expectations featuring solid performances, an outstanding script with near perfect dialog, and a heavy atmosphere that does a great job at painting a picture of isolation.  Sure, the monster isn’t seen near enough and there is somewhat of a documentary feel, but those are easily overlooked in films entire body of work. In the end, if you have not seen this one, you are missing out. Find it and give it a shot, I highly recommend it.

Metamorphosis (1990)

With Halloween around the corner, it is nice to finally see the weather changing. In fact, the chill has been a refreshing change from the heat we had a few weeks ago. It is also a great excuse to watch horror movies of some type every night. My next selection is the 1990 entry Metamorphosis.

Plot/ Dr. Peter Houseman is a brilliant geneticist who is working on a serum, which will stop human aging, but his colleagues don't believe in his work. When his skeptical benefactors threaten his university funding, the doctor takes a desperate measure to justify his work. He administers the serum to himself, but the results are unexpected and horrendous.

This is one that I had no recollection of from my formidable years in the late 1980s, so I expected some low budget cheese. Guess what, that is exactly what I found with this one, and therefore, it may not have been quite as disappointing as many other viewers will say. While this is nowhere near a good movie, it isn’t terrible either. Sure, the production values may not be the best with the movie feeling like it was produced a decade earlier, but it still was not that bad. The performances were decent, the storyline (while predictable) was interesting, and there were a few moments where everything seemed to come together. Unfortunately, the pacing was terrible, which drug the movie down tremendously, the special effects were bad, and the overall feel of the movie was uneven. In the end, there was potential in this one, but they never came close to being achieved. Yes, the movie isn’t terrible, but I wouldn’t recommend watching it more than once (if you decide you want to give it a shot).

The Mummy (1932)

After watching an entire series last night in Lore, I decided that I wanted to go back to the roots of horror for my next movie and review. My viewing choice for the evening is the 1932 Universal Studios classic The Mummy.

Plot/ In 1921 a field expedition in Egypt discovers the mummy of ancient Egyptian prince Im-Ho-Tep, who was condemned and buried alive for sacrilege. Also found in the tomb is the Scroll of Thoth, which can bring the dead back to life. One night a young member of the expedition reads the Scroll aloud, and then goes insane, realizing that he has brought Im-Ho-Tep back to life. Ten years later, disguised as a modern Egyptian, the mummy attempts to reunite with his lost love, an ancient princess who has been reincarnated into a beautiful young woman.

People who suffered through the latest reboot of The Mummy should definitely head over to Shudder and revisit the 1932 Universal Studios classic to burn the modern monstrosity out of their minds. While this is not a straight horror film with it actually feeling more like a gothic romance/drama only in a different location, it does have all the elements needed to make it an entertaining and memorable trip into darkness. This movie screams atmosphere and creates a dreamlike state that takes the viewer to a different place. The performances are outstanding, especially horror icon Boris Karloff in one of his most memorable characters, what little make-up effects that are used are tremendous, and the cinematography, setting, and the set pieces are remarkable. Of course, many viewers that watch this will not like the slower pace and lack of action, but those elements just help bring the story to life in a way that ties the entire movie together. In the end, this may be one of the most subdued horror films from that early 1930s Universal catalog, but it is still an amazing watch. If you have not seen it, there is no way you can call yourself a true horror fan. Head over to Shudder and watch it. It is a must see.

The Creeping Terror (1964)

After a couple of days of Italian Horror, I decided to venture back into one of the box sets that I have been going through. This one is from the 12 Creature Features set and it is the 1964 entry The Creeping Terror. 

Plot/ A newlywed sheriff tries to stop a shambling monster that has emerged from a spaceship to eat the citizens of an American town.

Some movies are bad, and yes, some are really bad. Then you get to movies like this one that take you to a new low. If you have read my blog regularly, you already know hat I am a sucker for classic sci-fi and horror from the 1950s and 1960, and that I can often look past the inherent flaws that comes along with those creature feature. Unfortunately, this movie, while hilarious, has no such appeal. Honestly, this may be the worst movie I have ever watched regardless of the budget. There is really nothing that it can lean on to save itself. The acting, the lighting, the cinematography, the sets, and the effects are absolutely laughable and do not have any redeeming qualities. Yet, there is something with this one, and the bizarre nature of the entire production that makes it a fun watch every so often. In the end, if you decide to make the jump and give this one a shot, then be warned, it is nowhere near a good movie (although the MST3K edition is decent) and you may regret your decision.

Gammera the Invincible (1966)

All right, I had planned to review a film that I rented at Family Video, however, that movie was even worse than some of my latest selections. Needing to clear my mind, I decided to head back into some of the schlockfests that came with my 12 Creature Features set, after some debate, I decided on the 1966 American release Gammera the Invincible.

Plot/ An atomic explosion awakens Gammera--a giant, fire-breathing turtle monster--from his millions of years of hibernation. Enraged at being roused from such a sound sleep, he takes it out on Tokyo.

Fans of no-budget monster flicks from the 1960s and 70s should already know what expect from this one; a lower budgeted Godzilla type flick full of cheese and schlock. In fact, this one offers that and more. Yes, there are the cheesy effects with a rubber suit and miniature cities, the storyline is unfathomable and hilarious, the dialog and dubbing while bad and uneven make this one extremely entertaining and laughable. Plus, the soundtrack is awesome and the Cold War tensions are perfect! Of course, for non-fans of this genre, they will say this is a miserable movie with very few redeemable qualities; to them, I say grab some popcorn and free your mind. In the end, technically, there are definitely many flaws, but then again, that was part of the charm of these movies when watching them on the Saturday morning creature features on a UHF channel. If you are from that generation, you should definitely agree with me on that. This one is easy to find in the bargain bins, find it and check it out.

Shin Godzilla (2016)

As I was relaxing last night doing some last minute paperwork for Prestige tryouts today, I thought about working on a second review. Instead, I waited for today to review one of the best monster movies I have seen, 2016s Shin Godzilla (AKA Godzilla Resurgence).

Plot/ An unknown accident occurs in Tokyo Bay's Aqua Line, which causes an emergency cabinet to assemble. All of the sudden, a giant creature immediately appears, destroying town after town with its landing reaching the capital.

The last few modern creature features I have watched have been pretty good and I hoped that Shin Godzilla would be the same. This was especially the case after hearing that Toho was behind the film and taking the famed creature back to its roots. What I found was both enlightening and entertaining with a darkness that seems to create something deeper than most of the stylized Godzilla flicks from my youth. The storyline is intriguing with an interesting look at the flaws in the way the Japanese Government is set up. I have to wonder if this is somehow a message about the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that destroyed the Fukushima nuclear plant. Even after the initial scenes with the monster, Godzilla morphs into something amazing and more devastating than one would expect, the performances are solid, and the soundtrack works really well. Yes, the character development is lacking, there are some head scratching moments, and the audio dubbing is not the best, but those flaws were somewhat expected. In the end, this was one of the best monster movies I have seen in some time, and I could only hope that this is the creature that ends up facing King Kong. Sure, it is not quite the typical Godzilla flick, but it is well worth watching.

The Crater Lake Monster (1977)

Yesterday, I decided to pick up a great collection of low budget gold in the 12 Creature Feature box set. For me, this is a perfect set of movies that fit with the mindless entertainment binge I have been on when not watching Twin Peaks: The Return. The first movie from that set that graced my screen was the 1977 entry The Crater Lake Monster.

Plot/ A meteor that crashed into Oregon's Crater Lake unearths a dinosaur egg. The heat from the meteor causes the egg to hatch, and the emerging dinosaur takes to snacking on the locals.

Before I start this review, if you watch this and expect something phenomenal and/or Oscar caliber, it is time for you to turn away. That is not saying that this is terrible, but it is a no-budget creature feature from the 1970s and it definitely comes with the typical flaws that plague this type of schlockfest. There was a lot to like with some tremendous stop-motion animation considering the budget and the era. Plus the decision to use a Plesiosaurus was awesome considering the connection to some of the Loch Ness Theories that exist. Yes, the performances the film feels dated, were uneven, the lake is definitely not the real Crater Lake, and the storyline is all over the place and incoherent at times, but that just adds to the classic drive-in campiness that came with this eras low budget creature features. In the end, this is a movie that any fan of 1970s stop-motion animation will love. Sure, the schlock factor is high, but if you can suspend reality for a short period of time, you may get a kick out of this sci-fi creature feature.

Night of the Demon (1980)

Once I finished with some classic 1950s sci-fi/horror, it was time to find something a little different last night to finish off my holiday weekend. After some searching, I settled on the 1980 exploitation/creature feature Night of the Demon from 1980.

Plot/ Professor Nugent and his students try to track down Bigfoot, but end up uncovering something more sinister at work.

This is the epitome of the classic no-budget drive-in exploitation flicks of the 1970s and early 1980s. While it is extremely flawed on almost every level, it is full of sporadic moments that make you laugh and keep you entertained. Yes, the micro-budgeted flick has a laughable and conflicting script, flat performances, uneven editing, rough special effects, and a myriad of head scratching moments, but that seems to only push this closer to the exploitation/grindhouse cinema of the day. Fortunately, the storyline is interesting with an interesting combination of creature feature and occult driven horror that take on many of the taboo narratives of the era. There are also some remarkable cinematography elements that work well with the soundtrack and gore, making it somewhat memorable in comparison to some of the other films from that period. In the end, if you are in the mood for a mindless piece of low budget exploitation schlock find this one. Sure, it isn’t close to perfect, but for what it is, it will hit the spot.

The Alligator People (1959)

After spending the weekend dealing with rain and heat at a USSSA Memorial Day Super NIT softball tournament, I needed some down time today to recover (and I didn’t even play). Having some time before heading out to grab the kids, I decided to kick back and watch something different. I decided on the 1958 creature feature The Alligator People.

Plot/ A woman in a hypnotic state recounts to two doctors the details of a horrific experience from her past life that began with the mysterious and sudden disappearance of her husband.

After talking with my youngest brother earlier today, I was in the mood for a classic 1950s creature feature and I settled on this one. I am glad that I did because what I found was much more entertaining than I expected. Complete with a solid cast including Beverly Garland and Lon Chaney, this film offered an interesting storyline, inspiring cinematography, and some decent effects for the era and budget. I definitely looked like a film that would have been done on a larger scale. Yes, there are some rough moments and some of the performances are uneven, but honestly, that is part of the charm with the classic no-budget creature features of that period. In the end, if you are looking to pass 75 minutes, this is a great choice; it is one of the better 1950s Creature Features out there.

XX (2017)

As I sit here on the holiday weekend hoping for the rain to leave, it was nice to take a break from movies as I have spent time in Twin Peaks and American Gods this week. After two days of investigations and research posts, I decided to get back to a movie with the 2017 anthology XX.

Plot/ XX is a new horror anthology with a gender twist - all segments will be helmed by female directors and will star female leads. The directors have been given free creative rein within budget and time constraints, but all of the segments themselves will involve the horror genre.

Having spent the past couple of days working on a few different pieces of material for the blog, it was nice t get back into some horror. When I saw this anthology at Family Video, I thought the idea of watching a modern anthology would be perfect. While this one did have some positives, I don’t feel that it totally reached its potential. The animation used as the bridge between installments was amazing, the stories had some interesting moments, and the overall feel was entertaining. Of course, the four different segments will have different fans, my favorite was the fourth, Her Only Living Son (although The Box was pretty good), but they all have different attributes that could appeal to a viewer (The Birthday Party and Don’t Fall are just okay). Unfortunately, there are a lot of clichés sprinkled in, the strict run-time limits the depth of the stories, there is no flow or connecting elements to the shorts, and the atmosphere never reaches a tense level. Overall, leaving this a somewhat flawed anthology. In the end, this is not the worst movie out there, but that is not saying to run out and grab it. If you are a fan of indie horror or anthologies, you can do much worse.

The Beast Must Die (1974)

Sometimes I like to stem into something different when I sit back to watch a flick. Last night was one of those nights, as I wanted something that was both fun and interesting. After some thought, I decided on the 1974 werewolf flick The Beast Must Die.

Plot/ Eight people have been invited to an island estate for the weekend. One of them is a werewolf. Can you guess which one?

I love mysteries and this one was a bit of a surprise. Plus, this is definitely a different take for a werewolf movie being both entertaining and intriguing. The concept was tremendous (yes, somewhat clichéd and familiar in other genres), but it works well as a whodunit. Led by Peter Cushing, the cast is awesome and the scripting works in their favor with a great combination of action and schlocky dialog. On top of that, the decision on how to create the werewolf is perfect for the lower budget, the pacing flows well, and there are just enough twists to make it fun. Sure, the “Werewolf Break” does not really fit (not enough clues) and the some of the baseline theories do not make sense, but those are easy to overlook. In the end, this werewolf flick from Amicus is a fun trip into the genre and a great way to pass some time. Give it a shot if you are in the mood for something a little different.

How to Make a Monster (1958)

Having recently signed up for a free week of Shudder from AMC, it is a refreshing trip into some of the different ages and genres they offer. Being in the mood for something different, I decided to take a trip back in time to catch the 1958 American International entry How to Make a Monster.

Plot/ When a master monster make-up artist is sacked by the new bosses of American International studios, he uses his creations to exact revenge.

This was a perfect trip back into the days of the classic creature feature, where even if a storyline was somewhat cliché, the overall quality of the film seemed to set it off. This one has everything a horror fan could ask for. There is Frankenstein’s Monster, a Wolfman, and an interesting trip into the mind of a psychopath out for revenge (I loved the hypnotic aspects of control he used). Done on a meager budget (even for that time), the scripting, performances, and overall flow of the movie make it an enjoyable flick to watch. Yes, there is a lack of suspense, the atmosphere is more comedic than horror, and it is predicable, but those factors really do nothing to bring the film down. In the end, this film is a perfect Saturday afternoon creature feature, and a great trip to the classic age of horror cinema. Give it a shot!

Southbound (2015)

As I sit here tonight having finished my homework earlier in the evening, I decided to get back to the reviews. I know that the majority of my selections lately have drifted toward Sci-Fi; my next selection is nowhere near that genre. Next up for review is the 2015 horror anthology, Southbound.

Plot/ Five interlocking tales of terror follow the fates of a group of weary travelers who confront their worst nightmares and darkest secrets, over one long night on a desolate stretch of desert highway.

Horror anthologies are often fun reminders of my earliest memories of the genre back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This anthology movie is definitely one of the better ones that I have seen in some time. While Southbound is not perfect, it does offer some solid storylines, decent characterization with believable performances, and a tightly written script that does a great job at crafting a coherent horror film. Yes, the effects do vary in quality and there are a few uneven scenes, but that does very little to bring the movie down. In the end, this is one of the better horror flicks that I have watched in some time and a pleasant surprise. If you have not seen it, do yourself a favor and check it out!