Godzilla 2000 (1999)

Is there any question in anyone's mind that Godzilla 2000 is superior in every way to Roland Emmerich's 1998 Hollywood version? Just from a quick glimpse at the trailer, we can tell that this new movie is the real thing. Instead of smarmy, overpaid Hollywood actors saying trite dialogue about an expensive and not-entirely-convincing CGI effect, we get horribly dubbed Japanese actors and a guy in a rubber suit (named Tsutomu Kitagawa). read more...

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Son of Frankenstein (1939)

Boris Karloff returned to play the monster in the third film in the series, even though director James Whale (of Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein) had moved on to other things. Son of Frankenstein (1939) is actually very entertaining and visually striking, and retains much of the humor from the first two films. Basil Rathbone stars as the titular son, who moves his family to his father's old castle, and finds the body of the old monster. He, of course, tries to resurrect it to restore honor to the family name. Fans of Mel Brooks will notice many elements in this film inspiring Young Frankenstein (1974). Bela Lugosi also turns up here (in his fifth of eight films with Karloff), giving a very fine supporting performance as Ygor, the assistant with the twisted, broken neck. Ward Bond appears in a small, uncredited role. Frank Skinner provided the terrific score. read more...

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• Viewed as Monsters ▶ Yes please

Christine (1983)

Many of our best directors have taken on works by Stephen King, and here is John Carpenter's attempt, based on King's novel published the same year. I love Carpenter, and I like Christine well enough, but I'm not as enthusiastic about it as I am about other King films. Maybe it's because the story is fairly ordinary, or maybe it's because its depiction of a bullied high school outcast is too brutal. Nevertheless, Carpenter was at the top of his game here, and his handling of suspense and tension is superb. read more...

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• Viewed as Monsters ▶ Yes please

Incarnate (2016)

This horror movie tries to set itself apart from other recent demon-possession movies by inventing an interesting new mythology, but eventually it gets tired, bogged down and lost in its own rulebook. Aaron Eckhart tries his best in the lead role, as a scruffy, wheelchair-bound man that has lost everything, but his efforts seem to exist in a void. No one else seems to have even shown up for work, certainly not director Brad Peyton (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, San Andreas), who mainly seems intent on keeping the horrors from stretching beyond the PG-13 realm. read more...

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• Viewed as Monsters ▶ Yes please
• Overall Depth ▶ Surface

The Blob (1958)

When I was little, my dad used to let me stay up late on Saturday nights to watch "Creature Features" on Channel 2. "Creature Features" was hosted by Bob Wilkins (and later John Stanley), a sober gent who really knew his bad sci-fi and horror flicks. read more...

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• Viewed as Monsters ▶ Yes please