METTEL RAY

Thursday Movie Picks: Creature / Monster

halloween-editionThis week features no aliens, no zombies, no vampires and no werewolves – so that pretty much leaves all those horror movies with scary creatures I really don’t watch. But I have seen some very good ghosts over the years, and one creature pops into my head as well, so lucky for me, I could compile the following list.

 1. THE OTHERS, 2001

I’m pretty sure this was the first horror movie I ever enjoyed from start to finish. The slow burn of horrific things happening was its biggest appeal, and it feels like a thriller most of the time. The qualification for this topic are of course ghosts that are terrorizing a family in a very creepy house. And Nicole Kidman gives a very subtle and brilliant performance as the protective mother.

2. THE FRIGHTENERS, 1996

Oh boy, how much I adore this movie! Frank Bannister, after an incident, can see and communicate ghosts, and he uses his ghosts friends to scam the locals by being a ghostbuster of sorts. The movie gets a lot more serious when people start ending up dead, and demonic like numbers appear on their foreheads. But have no fear, beneath the terrifying movie is a heartfelt comedy that is lead by the always lovely Michael J- Fox

3. DONNIE DARKO, 2001

Who would have known a large bunny would make the list!? Donnie Darko is a twisted story, and the bunny makes it even more twisted. Accompanied by the young and fresh Jake Gyllenhaal, the movie is still somehow lodged in my brain even after all those years. And to think of it, this one deserves a rewatch, who knows what my old self will think of this little gem now.

* STRANGER THINGS, 2016-

This one is talked about a lot, and I will talk about it some more, because this one is amazing! Stranger Things features great performances, a horrific monster and so much love you will love it unconditionally yourself. If anyone out there still has not watched it, go watch it!

* SUPERNATURAL, 2005-2010, 2010-

Yes, I know, the damn series is still running and frankly, I don’t care for it being so long because the first five season wrap up the story line oh so well! Actually, it was meant to be five seasons in the first place, but it got so popular that Supernatural is still going strong and we might end up with 20+ seasons if the fans won’t stop fanning. But that being said, the first five seasons and some following that, are pretty decent, and filled with monsters, creatures, ghosts, angels and the devil himself!

THIS SERIES IS CREATED BY WANDERING THROUGH THE SHELVES

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17 responses to “Thursday Movie Picks: Creature / Monster”

  1. joelnox Avatar
    joelnox

    I like the perspective you took on the theme, I went strictly animal creature, and these are very inventive picks.

    The Others is the only movie that I’ve seen where I liked Nicole Kidman’s performance. She nails the deeply creepy almost morbid feeling of the film and the rest of it matches her work.

    I enjoyed The Frighteners and Fox in it but once was really enough for me.

    Id be stretching to say I enjoyed Donnie Darko, appreciated its skewed attitude would be more fitting. It is for sure a unique film with the cast really buying into its odd storytelling. Glad I watched it but another I’d never return to.

    And speaking of things I’d never watch again that would go for all of my picks, except maybe my bonus. I decided that since this isn’t really a genre of which I was fond I was going to scrape for the lowest of the low and came up with three that are pretty much there.

    I can’t even pretend that these are decent movies but the theme doesn’t really lend itself to top flight fare. Because of that I decided to go all out and scrap the bottom of the barrel.

    Tentacles (1977)-Balderdash about a killer octopus terrorizing a resort town, and not just in the sea but on land!!! Three Oscar winners, Henry Fonda, John Huston & Shelley Winters, and several other respected performers collect a paycheck.

    Empire of the Ants (1977)-Shady real estate agent Joan Collins and a bunch of potential suckers for her latest scheme land on an island in the Florida Everglades that thanks to toxic waste has been overtaken by giant mutant killer ants!! Crunch and munch.

    Night of the Lepus (1972)-Bizarre cheapie about a genetic experiment gone wrong. Killer rabbits terrorize the countryside!! Hilarity ensues. Poor Janet Leigh from Psycho to this in only a dozen years!

    Bonus-Killer Bees (1974)-Young man (Edward Albert) brings his fiancée (Kate Jackson) home to his family’s vineyard to meet the matriarch of his clan Madame Maria von Bohlen (Gloria Swanson), who has a strange bond with the bee colony that is the backbone of the family business. Worth catching for the cast alone. This is somewhat out of the perimeter since it was a TV Movie of the Week but it’s surely the best movie on the list!

    Reply
    1. mettelray Avatar
      mettelray

      That’s a very good theme because it allows so mant different angles for creatures/monsters, and I think I went with the first ones that came to mind – and ghosts was my first thought.

      Your picks are again unknown to me, but it feels like the late 70’s were the time for animal-creature films. But now that I think about it, Fly comes to mind as something that would go wel into your list. I haven’t seen it though, have you?

      Reply
      1. joelnox Avatar
        joelnox

        I have seen both the original The Fly with Vincent Price and the remake with Jeff Goldblum. The Price version has dated effects but tries to say something about responsibility in research and the Goldblum remake is one of the rare ones that improves on the original and has some really fine acting as well as F/X.

        They would fit into this week’s theme but both are far superior to the truly crappy movies on my list, which I have to admit was fun to compile. Most weeks I really try to come up with lesser known good films that are worth exploring but this particular subgenre is so loaded with junk I just decided to plunge into the deep end. Killer Bees isn’t too bad in that 70’s Movie of the Week way (and it’s available in full on YouTube) but if you never see those other three you have missed absolutely nothing!

        Reply
  2. Ryan Avatar
    Ryan

    Love this list! Especially dig your inclusion of The Frighteners, a perfect blend of creepy and humor and a total understated genre film.

    Reply
    1. mettelray Avatar
      mettelray

      Yay! That’s s o nice to hear! I remember watching The Frighteners as a kid, and years later, I was thinking “what was that movie where people had numbers on their foreheads, and there were ghosts”, googled it, watched it again, and realised it is a gem!

      Reply
  3. Brittani Avatar
    Brittani

    I didn’t even think about Donnie Darko, that’s a great choice!

    Reply
    1. mettelray Avatar
      mettelray

      I wasn’t surprised, though I don’t remember the entire movie anymore, I remember the rabbit… always.

      Reply
  4. Courtney Young Avatar
    Courtney Young

    Okay, so I keep seeing Frighteners pop up everywhere, and I’ve never seen it. My boyfriend has been bugging me to watch it with him, and after reading your post, I think I finally will. Awesome post and great choices!

    Reply
    1. mettelray Avatar
      mettelray

      Oh yeah, do watch it, if not to love it, just to enjoy it! Michael J Fox has a soft spot in my heart and The Frighteners is a lovely showcase of his skills.

      Reply
  5. Wendell Avatar
    Wendell

    Haven’t seen any of these, though I have been meaning to see The Others since the day it came out. Great picks. Gives me some movies to seek out.

    Reply
    1. mettelray Avatar
      mettelray

      The Others is a must! It’s a really good movie, that I still remember after all these years!

      Reply
  6. Birgit Avatar
    Birgit

    Love The Others! It’s so creepy especially near the end…I totally was freaking. I have not seen The Frighteners since it came out and remember it being creepy but then falling apart. I should give it a second watch. I have not seen the third film and will check it out. I also have not seen the tv series since I can’t get it. I should look at it. Have you ever seen the original film…The Haunting? Great movie!!

    Reply
    1. mettelray Avatar
      mettelray

      Yes, I remember the feeling in the end perfectly, which is to say the ending does stay with you.. for a long time. I remember it having a creepy opening, and then it slowly wanting to make things lighter, while the movie plot itself got darker. And I have not seen The Haunting.. that sounds .. scary! 😀

      Reply
  7. Katy Avatar
    Katy

    I love paranormal shows but can’t ever get creeped out by ghost movies – except The Others. The cast and script is so freaky. Awesome picks!

    Reply
    1. mettelray Avatar
      mettelray

      I get creeped out so easily.. but yes, The Others didn’t really scare me, but it .. it was something else.

      Reply
  8. Alex Withrow (@shiftingPersona) Avatar
    Alex Withrow (@shiftingPersona)

    The Frighteners doesn’t get talked about enough. That’s a fun and freaky movie!

    Reply
    1. mettelray Avatar
      mettelray

      Exactly! When I remembered I had seen it years ago, and rewatched it, I had the same feeling!

      Reply

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