The Return...

I'm back. Not exactly brand new, but sorry if anyone has missed me... (cue sound of crickets)

Anyway, I've been working hard, trying to earn money and working on some personal projects.
Starting another blog as well, but here's some Monsterism.

Monster: Count Orlock
Movie: Nosferatu

Nosferatu is one of those rare cases where you can legitimately look at it and say "This is cinematic art." It's a beautiful movie, visually striking, and completely and utterly unnerving as well. The sequence the above still is taken from is one of the creepiest moments ever put to film, and Graff Orlock is, hands down, the ugliest vampire of all time.

Monster: The Grundel

Movie: The Real Ghostbusters

Okay, so it's not a movie, but the Grundel was probably the scariest thing ever to be featured in a cartoon show. The Grundel was a parasitic demon that preyed on children with the potential for bad. Rebellious kids. Punks. Brats. You get the idea. Anyway, he'd appear at their windows at night and convince them to let him in, promising to show them a good time, claiming to understand how the child feels, that the grown-ups will never understand, the works. Anyway, should the kid let the Grundel in, the Grundel will slowly turn that child into a Grundel, and the cycle will continue. The voice is frightening and when you see him fully animated (and the half Grundel children for that matter) you realise how truly horrifying this thing is for a kids show.

Monster: Dilophosaurus
Movie: Jurassic Park

I love Jurassic Park. I also love physical special effects. I love the Dilophosaurus. Though not entirely accurate in terms of presentation, it still looks damn nice and was one of the biggest surprise moments of the movie (I read the book after). Suck on that, Newman!

Monster: The Troll
Movie: The Cat's Eye

Ah! The Cat's Eye! How I love this movie! It's an unsung horror classic of the 80's! Three short stories by Stephen King are all brought together and bridged by a homeless tabby who is driven by haunting visions of a very young Drew Barrymore pleading for help. James Woods is great in the very disturbing adaptation of Quitter's Inc. and the second story is a nailbiter too, but the final story comes so far out of left field you have no choice but to accept it. A tiny troll living in Drew Barrymore's bedroom turns out to be the chief antagonist of the piece! Voiced by the legendary Frank Welker, the troll is brought to life perfectly, using a number of visual tricks to bring him to life. Just see it!

Monster: The Martians
Movie: Mars Attacks!

Switch off your brain and gaze at theirs as they sadistically wreak havoc on our planet. Mars Attacks! doesn't claim to be anything but shits and giggles, and if you've got a bit of a dark streak running through you, you're going to love it. Lord knows I did!