The Last Good Monster Movie? (1 Viewer)

[Winston T. Boogie]

 

[JohnRice]

I'm feeling a little dizzy.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm feeling a little dizzy.

Yeah, I know what you mean.

 

[BobO'Link]

I'm much more keen to modern revisions of the classic Universal horror films such as Dracula, Frankenstein etc. It is a winning idea I thought...
Then I saw they tried it with The Mummy, and wow

So you didn't see The Wolfman (2010) or Dracula Untold (2014)? Both were supposed to start a sequence of remakes of the classic monster movies with the later also launching a new shared universe franchise. At least The Wolfman is a fair remake. I don't know what to make of Dracula Untold. I've not yet seen The Mummy with Cruise but am in no hurry. It looks to be about as confused as what it is as is Dracula Untold.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Haven’t seen Howl, will look for it. Yes, Meg is a monster IMHO. I own the 3D version and watch it, but I feel I’m lowering my IQ when I do.

I feel exactly the same way about Meg. It’s entertaining but I had hoped for so much more.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I don’t think anyone has mentioned “Relic”. Now that’s a great monster. This movie really needs a 4K release since so much of it is so dark. Lighting-wise, I mean.

 

[Malcolm R]

I feel exactly the same way about Meg. It’s entertaining but I had hoped for so much more.

I don’t think anyone has mentioned “Relic”. Now that’s a great monster. This movie really needs a 4K release since so much of it is so dark. Lighting-wise, I mean.

Unfortunately, both were disappointments when compared to the original novels. I don't understand why Hollywood always buys novels to adapt for film, then does not use the story/characters in the book for which they paid millions. Their "alterations" are often not improvements.

Perhaps not a monster movie, per se, but Eight Legged Freaks is coming soon on blu-ray for the first time from Shout/Scream and does feature giant spiders. That's one of my favorite creature features that's been missing on blu-ray. I'd also like a 4K of Reign of Fire, which is my favorite dragon film.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Unfortunately, both were disappointments when compared to the original novels. I don't understand why Hollywood always buys novels to adapt for film, then does not use the story/characters in the book for which they paid millions. Their "alterations" are often not improvements.

Most novels have too much content for one movie, so stuff must be dropped. The most frequent criticism of Relic is there no Agent Pendergast. Well, there wasn’t room for a lead cop and Pendergast, IMHO. I’m sure there were other things deleted but it’s been a long time since I read the book. I think the movie is a good adaption of the book. I would love to see Relic as a limited series on Netflix.

The casting was poor for Meg. Statham I did not buy into and the female lead. She appeared to be speaking language she doesn’t understand. IMHO.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Perhaps not a monster movie, per se, but Eight Legged Freaks is coming soon on blu-ray for the first time from Shout/Scream and does feature giant spiders. That's one of my favorite creature features that's been missing on blu-ray. I'd also like a 4K of Reign of Fire, which is my favorite dragon film.

Oh it’s a monster movie. Giant spiders? They’re monsters. The movie was ruined for me that they turned the death of a cat into a humorous episode. I love Reign of Fire, what a unique take on dragons.

 

[Malcolm R]

The movie was ruined for me that they turned the death of a cat into a humorous episode.

Yeah, that was a little tasteless, but the cat fought valiantly. I was hoping the cat would re-emerge carrying one of the spider's legs in its mouth, and maybe see a 7-legged spider limping away. I think that would have been a good comic moment that fit with the overall humor of the film.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I feel exactly the same way about Meg. It’s entertaining but I had hoped for so much more.

Of course you feel the same way - you quoted yourself and agreed with yourself!

 

[Johnny Angell]

Of course you feel the same way - you quoted yourself and agreed with yourself!

No wonder that guy and I were so simpatico. In the past, there have been times when I disagreed with myself.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

No wonder that guy and I were so simpatico. In the past, there have been times when I disagreed with myself.

I can believe this!

 

[Johnny Angell]

I was quite surprised at how good and fun Tremors is. When I first saw it I was ready to write it off solely based on the actors involved. I was wrong... very wrong. While the first is the best, the entire franchise is quite fun.

So you think Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, and Bibi Besch are not good actors?

 

[Johnny Angell]

I think those old monster movies like Them and Taratula have a certain charm due to the generally outdated fx.

Them has charm because it’s got a good story, good actors, so I like it in spite of the clunky spiders. Tarantula is the best use of a real animal as a giant monster I can think of. This despite a few masking mistakes.

 

[TravisR]

Them has charm because it’s got a good story, good actors, so I like it in spite of the clunky spiders. Tarantula is the best use of a real animal as a giant monster I can think of. This despite a few masking mistakes.

Yeah, they're not all perfect by any stretch but Tarantula has a few shots that still work great. I think a few miniature shots in The Monolith Monsters work too. When they spent the money, Universal had some really good effects work back then.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Yeah, they're not all perfect by any stretch but Tarantula has a few shots that still work great. I think a few miniature shots in The Monolith Monsters work too. When they spent the money, Universal had some really good effects work back then.

Someone mentioned earlier that there was stop-motion in the Monolith, but I think not. It was all miniatures, and good miniature work. I listened to the commentary on the new blu and I think they said the MM were made of styrofoam, If I remember correctly.

Even in the scenes were there were matte mistakes, The Tarantula works well. I like the scenes where the T appears at the crest of a hill and pauses as if it’s making plans. Very spooky. This praise for T comes from someone who hates actual animals being used to represent giants. The are never convincing to me.

I wonder if they actually burned a living spider? Even for an insect, that would be a bad way to go.

 

[BobO'Link]

So you think Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, and Bibi Besch are not good actors?

FWIW - it was 1990. Kevin Bacon hadn't truly appeared in much and only a couple of films I'd seen where he was mostly supporting material (and I still don't think he's all that great). I couldn't have picked Fred Ward out of a lineup just by name and had only seen him in The Right Stuff. Michael Gross and Bibi Besch were primarily TV actors and then they throw in Reba McIntire, a country music star who'd done nothing to speak of acting wise. I looked at it as a made-for-TV movie with stunt casting (McIntire) that somehow made it to the theaters. I've never had much respect for made-for-TV movies, especially in the SF/horror vein as most are just not that good.

 

[Tino]

Them has charm because it’s got a good story, good actors, so I like it in spite of the clunky spiders.

Ants

 

[Johnny Angell]

Ants

Damn, I gotta proofread more.