Creature Features

‘They have weapons. So do we.’ – An Ironic Battle for Earth In the often grotesque and fear-driven landscape of 1980s horror, “Critters,” directed by Stephen Herek and released in 1986, offers a deceptively whimsical turn to the genre. Serving up a blend of comedy and horror, this film diverges from convention with its tale…

A School of Terror: “They’re eating the guests, sir!” The murky waters of 1978 swirled to reveal a fin-infested horror-comedy that continues to cause waves among genre enthusiasts. Directed by Joe Dante, “Piranha” unleashes a terrifying swarm from the depths of cinematic imagination. Without giving too much away, the film follows a simple yet compelling…

Unearthed Terror from the Sands of Time In the grand pantheon of horror vehicles, “Dawn of the Mummy” emerges from the catacombs to deliver its take on the fear of the ancient undead. Director Frank Agrama’s 1981 foray into the territory of Egyptian cursing places a bet on a tale as old as the pyramids…

Murky Depths: Unearthing “Creature from Black Lake” “It always happens in the middle of nowhere,” a chilling teaser for 1976’s “Creature from Black Lake,” directed by Joy Houck Jr., echoes the isolated dread synonymous with rural horror. As much a snapshot of 70s B-movie culture as it is an obscure entry in the cryptid canon,…

Beneath the Surface: A Terror Emerges “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” This iconic line from Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1976) perfectly encapsulates the realization that something formidable and terrifying has entered the peaceful life of Amity Island—a great white shark with a taste for the flesh of unsuspecting vacationers. Spielberg, a then-up-and-coming director, crafted not…

A Tape Worth Rewinding? – A Critique of “V/H/S” “I like you.” A bone-chilling whisper repeats in one of the more memorable segments of the 2012 found-footage anthology, V/H/S. This collaborative effort, orchestrated by directors Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, and the filmmaking collective Radio Silence, stitches together a series…

Under the Darkness, No One Can Hear You Scream “Don’t be afraid of the dark; be afraid of what hides in it.” This chilling statement encapsulates the haunting essence of the 2010 horror movie “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.” Directed by Troy Nixey and presented by the master of dark fairy tales, Guillermo del…

Awakening Ancient Terrors “Death… eternal punishment for anyone who opens this casket.” With these ominous words, The Mummy (1932) sets a chilling scene for its audience. Directed by the legendary Karl Freund, this pre-code horror film utilizes the mysticism of ancient Egypt to weave a tale of suspense and the supernatural. Unlike the blood-soaked revivals…

Unearthing the Terror of Ingenuity: A Look Back at Frankenstein (1931) “It’s alive! It’s alive!” This electrifying line from James Whale’s 1931 cinematic masterpiece, Frankenstein, marks the birth of one of horror’s most enduring figures. Based on Mary Shelley’s novel and released in the heyday of the Universal Monsters era, the film presents a tale…

Feasting on Fear: A Dive into Piranha 3-D’s Waters The Lure of Blood-Drenched Waters Imagine a serene lake disturbed by an ancient horror, a toothy terror lurking beneath its tranquil surface—this is the world of “Piranha 3-D.” Directed by Alexandre Aja and released in 2010, the film serves as a loose remake of the 1978…

Churning Waters, Gnashing Teeth: A Dive Into “Piranha 3-D” “They took a bite out of life… now it’s their turn.” This line from “Piranha 3-D” could not be more telling of the film’s unabashed plunge into the deep end of camp and gore. Directed by Alexandre Aja, the 2010 movie whisks us away to Lake…

“Nature’s Malevolent Ballet”: An Ominous Review of ‘The Birds’ “I hardly think a few birds are going to bring about the end of the world.” These words, spoken in Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds,’ could not be more ironic as they precede one of cinema’s most unnerving and eerie horror films. Released in 1963, the master…