Tag Archives: monsters

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“Alien Factor” (1978) – Look On The Bright Side

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A very low budgeted entry here, reportedly costing $3,500.00 back in the early 1970’s, this is an ambitious if very flawed work but enough about that.

There are three aliens on display terrorizing the countryside and a lot of interesting special effects work including stop motion animated creatures and pulsing prisms of color that are kind of cool.

Another gnarly attraction is the appearance of a rock power trio named “Atlantis” playing a tune in a bar. An awesome moment!

I also am a fan of the grating electronic soundtrack for this flick. Check it out. You can get a copy on green vinyl through ebay. I’m there!

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“The Night Strangler” (1973) – Monsters Find Him

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We first stumbled into rabid newspaper reporter Carl Kolchak in 1971’s “The Night Stalker”. Kolchak sniffed out a marauding vampire in fun town Las Vegas. His dogged pursuit of the truth and the dire implications it posed to the town’s populace were Kolchak’s undoing as the Powers That Be were decidedly opposed to his efforts. A coverup thus remains as such and Kolchak ends up ruined as a result. Kolchak is forced out of town but eventually blows into Seattle, Washington, trying to peddle his “bizarre” tale of vampirism existing in the modern age. He has no takers until he runs into old managing editor Tony Vincenzo who also got the boot from Vegas. Inexplicably, Vincenzo takes a gamble on Carl again and gets him hired to his Seattle paper. It isn’t long before a beast emerges from the dark, engaging in diabolical activities that Kolchak tracks down. It appears this time that an ancient alchemist is regaining his lost vigor and youth through the murder of young women in order to extract bodily fluids to combine with other ingredients to cook up an “elixir of youth”. Leave it to Kolchak to uncover these creeps or do they (un)naturally gravitate toward him?

Entertaining TV movie which continues the exploits of Carl Kolchak. Not as dread inducing as “The Night Stalker” but definitely engaging. Darren McGavin plays the character more for laughs this time out but his is a very endearing portrayal of the pesky reporter. Simon Oakland returns as harried editor Vincenzo and horror vet John Carridine plays the Seattle paper’s owner. Remember Carridine’s own turn as the undead vampire Dracula in the 1940’s? Haha! Dan Curtis of “Dark Shadows” fame directs.

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“Chernobyl Diaries” (2012) – People Shouldn’t Play with Radioactive Things

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I am divided on this movie. It has a cool premise: a group of kids decides to charter a guide to take them to the restricted site of Chernobyl, Ukraine, where a nuclear reactor plant experienced a meltdown and rendered the surrounding countryside exposed to high levels of radiation. Definitely a place that the local government has made unavailable to public access because of health concerns. Well, our group gets through the blockaded area and explores the abandoned ruins of the town left behind. The guide notices that there is evidence of activity in the supposedly dead place and urges the group to return to their Jeep and exit the premises before night falls. Surprise, surprise! The Jeep conks out with darkness descending. Before long, strange sounds are heard and the apprehensive tour guide goes to investigate. You should all know that nothing good can come of all this and sure enough, the guide doesn’t return to the vehicle and it is decided to go find out where he ended up. Suffice it to say that radiation has played a very nasty trick on the animals and humans who have been exposed to it. It appears that a league of zombies inhabit the surrounding area.

The movie soon devolves into a story we have seen many times before. The group numbers dwindle as they are systematically picked off by the radiation mutants and die in various horrible ways. This may sound like your cup of tea but I can say I have seen it done much more effectively elsewhere.

ghost story, halloween, haunted places, Horror, mysterious places, mysterious sounds, unexplained phenomena

Rusty West’s “A Collection of Strange Wilderness Stories – January 2019”

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Rusty West’s You Tube videos and books talking about missing people, weird occurrences and Bigfoot have become some of my favorites.  I just like his writing style and narration.  I think it is very direct and entertaining.  But also very spooky!  Case in point, in this collection of tales, is the tale of the raided chicken coop.  That one gives me the chills.  Check out Rusty.

action, end of the world, monster movie, mysterious places, science fiction, science fiction films, suspense

THEM – (1954) – Regular Ants Are Bad Enough!

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A real creepy premise in this flick:  giant, mutated ants are on the loose and stalking victims in isolated areas of the God forsaken desert!

I bring you this cinematic, sci-fi gem because of a recent summer time invasion of the small variety of ants in our house in pursuit of the cat’s food.  These little beasts are annoying enough in their present miniature state as they scamper in all directions as you try to eradicate their presence inside your home.  In addition to the trouble of getting them picked up and removed, you get the sinister feeling that the insects are crawling all over you!  Imagine how you’d feel if the ants in question were 10 or more feet in length?

This is a classic science fiction film from the 1950’s that postulates that exposure to radiation could mutate a small ant into a formidable, potentially man destroying monster.  And what if there were a nest of these giants?

You get the idea.  Arm your self with a flame thrower and an automatic weapon and you may stand a chance of survival against these denizens from some unnamed Hell!  Give it a look and drink up the lovely desert studio set ups!  Some definitely scary set pieces crop up in this engaging science fiction thriller.

Horror, horror movie, monster movie, mysterious places, science fiction films, suspense, unexplained phenomena

THE MIST (2007) – PHANTASMAGORICAL BUMMER

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Watching “The Mist” again recently got me to thinking about the original source material, Stephen King’s novella, and the faint memories I had of reading it.  I watched the movie and then reread the story.  The movie is very faithful to the story.  But then there is that ending of the movie….

Once of the single most downer conclusions in popular culture storytelling, I would have to say.  Granted, the scenario is imagined in the story but not actually executed.  That grim prospect is dutifully carried out in the movie.  Oh, it is an awful choice to go down that path.  I suppose there is some solace for the rest of the town’s or country’s inhabitants by concluding it this way but there is also a great devastation for a few characters.

Anyway, the story concerns an unexplainable fog or mist descending on a Maine town and the unseen, monstrous “things” which hide in the white cover and attack the unwary.  A definite sense of dread hangs over this story and the hard choices which have to be made in order to survive the shadowy beasts and the crumbling humanity which results from the dire circumstances the characters find themselves in.  There truly is no easy way out of the situation.  Or answers.

I advise you to take the time to read King’s story and to also watch the movie.  Decide for yourself if one is preferable over the other.  I choose King’s written work.  Because the movie just kicks me in the balls.

haunted places, Horror, horror movie, monster movie, mysterious places, mysterious sounds, paranormal, unexplained phenomena

Are These The Worst Horror Films?

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Hello.  Back after a long absence of laying around.  So as not to strain myself too much, I am sharing a link for an article I found which talks about what the article considers the worst horror movies of all time.  I have to agree with a lot of them and then there are the many that I haven’t seen so I can’t really comment on those.

For one, I thought “The Darkness” was not that terrible.  I thought it had some good sequences which built up the tension of an unexpected demon settling in to a family’s home.  Slightly gave me the creeps.  It’s no “The Grudge” but then not every movie can make you shit your pants.

Go look at this:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/gallery/50-worst-horror-films-of-all-time/ss-BBHSTlH?ocid=spartanntp

The actual video featured here is a very cool compilation of some of the most terrifying horror films.  If that makes any sense.  I haven’t done this for awhile.

 

action, haunted places, horror movie, monster movie, mysterious places

THE CAVE – 2005

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What happens when you go to explore a massive underground cave/water way and you get about three miles in and one mile down from the surface of the earth?  Naturally, you run into hulking, ravenous monstrosities that can see in the dark better than you and are intelligent enough to trap and hunt you.  And, much to your dismay, there is no dependable way out of this cave and the nightmarish situation you find yourself in.  (Sounds like work.  Just kidding.)  Very effective horror/thriller that stays engaging until about the last 10 minutes of the movie.  By that point, we become well aware of the true appearance of the monstrous underground dwellers.  Maybe not so scary after we get more familiar with the beasts.  Prior to that point, creepy!