Cloverfield (2008)

With Halloween inching closer, it reminds me of just how awesome this time of the year is. The weather is cooling, the nights are growing longer, and there is so much creepiness surrounding everything out there. I love this time of the year, as I feel so alive everyday. Even the voices in my head feel that way, as they seem to quiet some, as I delve into the myriad of Horror and Sci-Fi that surrounds me. My next selection for this weekend is the 2008 monster flick Cloverfield.  

Plot/ five New Yorkers take you on a trip through the streets of New York City fas a strange monster is terrorizing the Big Apple.

Cloverfield is such an interesting flick, at times even conjuring similar parallels to the real life terror that NYC has endured throughout history. Of course, that is done is a subtle yet fascinating way, truly great work. There was realism to this one that echoed throughout, and the use of the handheld camera was a perfect choice for this type of flick. The action scenes were solid, the effects worked and the use of a monster was so much more than one could have expected. Yes, I did grow up on a steady diet of Godzilla with Super Host on Saturdays, so I have seen my share of bad monster movies. There was one thing that brought it down a little, the short run time, but that is only a small flaw. In the end, Cloverfield is one of the better monster movies to come out in some time and one that should be seen. Yes, some may not like the camera work, which is understandable, but even they should try it. 

Pacific Rim (2013)

The trip to the drive-in Friday night was awesome. Not since watching The Amityville Horror and Sin City together did I find a more enjoyable double feature. While The Conjuring was all that I imagined, I was truly impressed by a movie outside my normal viewing cycle, the blockbuster creature feature Pacific Rim.

Plot/ As a war between humankind and monstrous sea creatures wages on, a former pilot and a trainee are paired up to drive a seemingly obsolete special weapon in a desperate effort to save the world from the apocalypse.

Growing up, I loved to watch creature features on Saturdays with Super Host. I can remember being amazed that Godzilla could pull off a drop kick… After some time, I lost interest in these flicks, as they became repetitive and anticlimactic. Pacific Rim may be the best creature feature I have seen. This blockbuster had it all, action, monsters, suspense, really, everything you need for a great Sci-Fi flick. More importantly, it featured solid acting, superb visuals, a detailed storyline that featured a remarkable amount of characterization and some tremendous CGI action sequences that created an amazing atmosphere. Sure, there were some minor pacing issues, but overall it was one of the better blockbusters I have seen. It also should go a long way at solidifying Guillermo Del Toro as one of the best filmmakers of the generation, as this is another one of his visual epics.  In the end, this was a bit outside my norm, but I thoroughly enjoyed it (although, I like The Conjuring more) and believe this is a movie that must be seen. Check it out!

The Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

I was going through Netflix today and stumbled upon the 1975 Godzilla entry The Terror of Mechagodzilla. For me, this was truly a blast from the past because every Saturday morning the great Horror Host, Super Host, used to always show these classic “B” Movies on the weekend.

Plot/ Godzilla comes to the rescue when an alien race rebuilds Mechagodzilla to destroy Earth's cities. A traitorous scientist gives them a second weapon: Titanosaurus.

Let me start by saying that while this is the last original Godzilla flick, the famed monster is not in this one as much as he should be. All-in-all, the monsters are pretty good and the fight scenes are done rather well (considering). The acting is solid and actually, the storyline is interesting (albeit not much different from the series model). To me, this is one of the more underrated Godzilla films and if you liked Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla then you should love this one. Yes, the dubbing is bad and there are the typical issues that seem to plague these lower budgeted schlockfests, but that is part of the fun. In the end, if you love the classic Godzilla flicks, you should see this one. It is a fun trip into the crazy creature features that made Saturday mornings fun.