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The Invisible Man: 1933 Edition.
The Invisible Man is another classic creature feature that starts with science gone wrong. What it’s really about is identity and perception. Early on, a police officer says it most plainly: “He’s invisible, that’s what’s the matter with him”. There’s a lot to unpack in that line, and The Invisible Man covers so much of what that really means. The Invisible…
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Crawl: Alligators in a Hurricane
Crawl is a very American movie, mostly in that it’s about alligators attacking people stranded by hurricane floodwaters in Florida. It’s another “man vs. Nature” creature feature, similar to Rogue, but one made with very American sensibilities in mind. To get the most important point out of the way: in Crawl, the dog lives. Now that we’ve covered that,…
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Rogue: Everything in Australia Wants You Dead
Rogue is an Australian movie about a lot of people getting eaten by crocodiles. It’s a simple concept and not a new one. But it’s not the story it’s how it’s told. Does Rogue bring something new to the angry anime subgenre? Creature Feature Rule Number 1: the guy in the suit gets humbled by his…
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The Wolf Man: The 1941 Original.
I’m not shy about my love of the original Wolf Man. Or werewolf movies in general. While it wasn’t my entryway to creature features, it’s been the monster that resonates the most. This is especially true as I grow older and more aware of the interconnectivity of the world around me. It’s a simple story with…
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The Mummy: From 1932 to Recent Remakes
It would be impossible to look at any of the Mummy movies without first addressing the glaring racism and imperialism present, since they start with the premise that Ancient Egyptian artifacts are better in the hands of white man. Of course, the white man suffers greatly for this, but the movie presents this not as justice, but horrific. 1932…
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Del Toro’s Frankenstein: The Closer We Get, the Farther We Are
For years, Frankenstein had been Del Toro’s dream project. It was perhaps one of the most- hyped releases of last winter. How could it not be? The director best known for Gothic visuals, taking on THE gothic horror story? The results are spectacular, but not the 100%-faithful adaptation of Mary Shelley’s story I was looking…
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Lisa Frankenstein: An 80’s Monster Mash
Lisa Frankenstein was written by Diablo Cody. If you’ve seen Juno, or one of my personal favorite feminist horror movies, Jennifer’s Body, then you know to expect catchy, stylized dialogue and themes that feel relevant. While a bit of a jumbled mess of genre, Lisa Frankenstein manages to be entertaining and clearly takes a lot…
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Universal Monsters’ Frankenstein: New Year New Body
2026 – The Year of the Monster Before we get into Frankenstein, I’d like to talk a bit about 2026, or as it will be called, “The Year of The Monsters”. I’m starting with the Universal classic monsters, but not in any chronological order, since that would be too easy. I’ve spent some time on the…