AtoZ2018 - D is for ... #MovieMonsters #AtoZChallenge

D is for ... Dinosaurs

Half way through the first week of the AtoZChallenge, pat yourself on the back for getting this far. I hope you are enjoying my choices of movie monsters, today I have my first theme within a theme post. All of my monsters today are dinosaurs of some description, even if they are mutant ones. There were many to choose from, but I have selected 3.

Scariness Rating

The little skulls by their name are my scariness rating as to how monstrous and scary I think the creatures are when seen in their films.

•  1 skull (not scary at all) - 5 skulls (very scary)
•  and there is a special rating for a few - 5 red skulls (utterly terrifying)

Velociraptors (Jurassic Park)

So the T-Rex in Jurrasic Park was magnificent and scary, but, let's face it, the Velociraptors were more so. The whole stomp, stomp chasing the car and eating the lawyer put the T-Rex on the map, but the scariest scene in the movie is in the kitchen.

The fact the raptors are so intelligent and work as a team makes them that much more scary. They are big (compared to a human) and fast and so very, very deadly. They are the perfect predator and make us squishy humans looks so incredibly pathetic.

I don't think I know anyone who hasn't seen Jurassic Park, or at least heard of it. It's one of those movies that is so iconic it's mainstream.

Rhedosaurus (The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms)

The Rhedosaurus is a Ray Harryhausen classic from 1953. This beasty was frozen in ice in the Arctic and held in suspended animation, until released by a nuclear bomb test.

One of the test team actually saw it thawed out, but he was the only survivor, so, of course, they think he's delusional. Meanwhile this stop motion monster goes on a spree of sinking ships and buildings, until it reaches Manhattan. Here they try to kill it, but it bleeds and shows it is twice as deadly, because there is an ancient contagion in its blood. How will they stop it? (I feel there should be a dun dun dun in here :)).

What with all of us being used to CGI, sometimes the stop motion effects can seem corny, but they are so beautifully produced. This is not a very scary monster, but he is a classic.

Godzilla (Gojira)

How could I have a D is for dinosaur without mentioning the greatest dino-style monster of them all - Godzilla.

I first saw Godzilla in the 70s cartoon Godzilla, which was a staple of my childhood. To this day I can still sing the theme tune (see below). However, it is much older than that. Godzilla started in 1954 and it is a huge, prehistoric monster, who has been given greater power by nuclear radiation.

Godzilla's skin is deliberately inspired by keloid scars as seen on survivors of Hiroshima.

Over the years Godzilla has been played by men in suits, been animated in pen and ink, and of course had been CGI'd into existence. As an iconic monster, Godzilla has gone down in history and all should beware its 'atomic breath'.

Indominus Rex (Jurassic World)

And so back round the the Jurassic universe to Jurassic World. Now many people disliked this movie for various reasons (I rather enjoyed it), but either way, the Indominus Rex is a great monster.

She is a genetically engineered hybrid, has the size of the T-Rex, the intelligence of the velociraptors and the arsenal of both plus some, and she can convince other raptors to join her cause. She can mask her heat signature and camouflage herself, making her so very, very dangerous.

This is one truly special monster.

Q: What is your favourite dinosaur monster? Have you ever seen the 70s cartoon and can you hear the theme tune in your head without rewatching it?

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AtoZ2018 - C is for ... #MovieMonsters #AtoZChallenge

C is for ...

We've made it to day 3 of the AtoZChallenge and it's time for more monsters. Now I did consider doing C is for Clown and having my first theme within a theme post, but I changed my mind, because there were some other great monsters for C too.

Scariness Rating

The little skulls by their name are my scariness rating as to how monstrous and scary I think the creatures are when seen in their films.

•  1 skull (not scary at all) - 5 skulls (very scary)
•  and there is a special rating for a few - 5 red skulls (utterly terrifying)

Clown (Poltergeist)

I may not being doing C is for Clown, but my first monster is a clown, because clowns are freaky and scary.

This delightful beasty is from Poltergeist, the original movie, and he is scary. He lives in Robbie's (Oliver Robins) room and, during the day, he looks completely harmless. However, at night, during a storm, he is far more sinister.

At first the clown is almost funny - a young boy's fear as he throws a jacket over it. Only when the spirits of the house possess it and it comes to life it is a much more sinister prospect.

Poltergeist is still a scary film for me, with scary monsters. This one had thrills and spills and is good for a late night scare. The clown gets a red 5 skulls from me because clowns are just that scary.

Cessair (Doctor Who - The Key to Time)

Cessair is an alien in the Doctor Who universe. She escaped from a prison ship after having been convicted for stealing the Great Seal of Diplos. The ship is stuck in hyperspace above a stone circle in Cornwall.

Cessair has been masquerading as the deity the Cailleach, for hundreds of years, using the power of the seal to perform acts of seeming magic. She is quite happy to have her minions the Ogri, alien blood drinking stones, kill anyone who gets in her way.

She is without conscience and uses people and things to get what she wants.

Cessair is from the Key to Time episode, The Stones of Blood, and is a very clever opponent for the Doctor.

William Corvinus (Underworld Evolution)

William Corvinus, son of Alexander Corvinus, the first Immortal who survived a plague. William was bitten by a wolf and became the first Lycan (werewolf). Unfortunately, William is completely feral, as were his early creations. Ravaging the countryside he killed and cursed others indiscriminately until he was imprisoned by vampires.

Being truly immortal and virtually invulnerable, he cannot die from being locked up for centuries, but that doesn't stop him being very annoyed when he is finally freed.

IMHO the first two Underworld films are superb. They have everything, vampires, werewolves, squishy humans to get in the way, and a fabulous female protagonist in Selene (Kate Beckinsale). William is a great monster for the second movie, which, of course, has to somehow escalate from the first while staying true to the universe.

Clown (Ghoulies)

And I shall finish as I started with another clown. This one from Ghoulies. Jonathan Graves (Peter Liapis) inherits a dilapidated house and discovers his father had supernatural powers and could summon demon like creatures to do his bidding. Jonathan decides to emulate his father.

However, in doing so he puts all his friends in danger when daddy (Michael Des Barres) turns out not to be quite as dead as he should be. This clown is once again an innocent doll in a bedroom, until it is possessed and becomes a mannequin of evil before turning into a monster.

Ghoulies is a classic 80s horror film, with physical special effects, modelled monsters and a 15 rating. It has humour, it has supernatural danger, but it's not trying to scare the pants off you. This clown gets 4 skulls mostly because he's a clown :).

Q: Do you have a favourite 80s horror movie from way before they used CGI? Any C monsters to add to the pile?

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AtoZ2018 - B is for ... #MovieMonsters #AtoZChallenge

B is for ...

Welcome back for day 2 of the AtoZChallenge. I hope everyone is enjoying April so far. Today I have lots of different types of monsters for you. Some are monstrous to look at, some are very human, others only hide in a human guise.

Scariness Rating

The little skulls by their name are my scariness rating as to how monstrous and scary I think the creatures are when seen in their films.

• 1 skull (not scary at all) - 5 skulls (very scary)
• and there is a special rating for a few - 5 red skulls (utterly terrifying)

Belial (Dylan Dog: Dead of Night)

Belial is the ultimate monster. He is immortal and cannot be killed unless the person who raised him, his master, is destroyed first. As we can see in the piccie, he's not very pretty, and his favourite things are death and destruction.

This nasty comes from the film Dylan Dog: Dead of Night, which is a film I love, but which critics didn't receive well. It's based on a comic book and set in New Orleans, where Dylan Dog, P.I. extraordinaire, used to specialise in supernatural cases, but who now refuses to have anything to do with them. Of course he gets dragged back into the world of zombies, werewolves and vampires because of a murder and a mystery.

The production values on the movie are high, the effects believable, and the actors are good. This is a movie with lots of monsters, but not designed to scare.

Fulton Balcus (The Guyver)

Doesn't look very scary, does he, but you have to wait until he sheds his human disguise. Fulton Balcus is the head of the Chronos corporation. He is in fact a Zoanoid, a human, genetically modified to be able to be able to turn into a monster. He is actually the Zoalord, the big boss of Zoanoids.

What he really wants is the Guyver unit. An alien armour that bonds itself symbiotically to a host, making them all but invincible. Unfortunately for him, Sean Barker (Jack Armstrong) accidentally bonds himself to it before Chronos can get to it.

When I originally saw this film it was under the title Mutronics, but it's been The Guyver every other time I've seen it. It is a movie full of action and adventure and the monsters are men in suits - very good suits, but still suits. However, the stunt work and martial arts are superb and this is a fun watch. It also has Mark Hamill, so what is not to love?

Boone (Nightbreed)

Aaron Boone is the hero of Clive Barker's Nightbreed. He starts as a normal human, but dreams of a place called Midian, where monsters are accepted. Mistakenly believing he is a killer he seeks out Midian, but is refused entry and attacked. However, killed by police who also believe he is guilty, he returns from the dead, now properly a monster.

Nightbreed is a classic. It has high production values, a great cast and a great director. Of course, it being Clive Barker it is also very dark. Boone and the other Nightbreed are fantastic monsters, but this is a world of misunderstood creatures who wish to live quietly in peace, but are hunted by humans.

There is the theatrical version and the director's cut now available on blu-ray, but only on US format.

Batty (Blade Runner)

Roy Batty is a human made monster. He is a genetically engineered being, a replicant, specifically a Nexus-6. Designed to be a soldier in off world situations. He and four of his fellow Nexus-6 replicants have come to Earth seeking a way to extend their limited life spans.

He is a very sympathetic monster, in that he is fighting for his life, but he kills without regret. He is ruthless and has been trained to have a disregard for the lives of his enemies.

Blade Runner is a brilliant film. Of course it has its issues, but it is a science fiction classic of the first order. This is a must see for all sci-fi fans.

Blake (The Fog)

So we come to the first monster I have ranked at 5 skulls. The Fog is a movie that still freaks me out, even now, and the reason is Blake.

Blake was a rich man who contracted leprosy. An outcast, he and his fellow sufferers wished to create a colony along the coast from Antonio Bay. However, they were betrayed and their ship, the Elizabeth Dane, was sunk with all hands, their gold stolen by the new town.

On the 100th anniversary of Antonio Bay Blake and his crew return as revenants to have their revenge. The way they come out of the fog is so very, very creepy, and if the fog gets in, so do they.

When I first saw The Fog, many years ago, it scared the bejeezus out of me, and it still does, especially on a dark night with all the lights off. The book of the film is also well worth reading, although hard to find.

Q: Do you have any monster movies you saw when you were younger that can still scare you? Any B monsters to add to the list?

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AtoZ2018 - A is for ... #MovieMonsters #AtoZChallenge

A is for ...

Hello and welcome to the first day of the AtoZChallenge. My theme this year is movie monsters and I will be introducing everyone to some of my favourites. Some will be scary monsters, some monsters who wish they were scary and others will be simply silly. Happy AtoZ to one and all, let's have a great April.

Scariness Rating

The little skulls by their name are my scariness rating as to how monstrous and scary I think the creatures are when seen in their films.

•  1 skull (not scary at all) - 5 skulls (very scary)
•  and there is a special rating for a few - 5 red skulls (utterly terrifying)

Anders Raeborne (Darklight - The Legend of Lilith)

The anti-hero and then hero of Darklight is Lilith (Shiri Appleby), a demonic entity who hates the pious and kills at will. She is captured by The Faith, an organisation set up specifically to destroy her. When they capture her, however, they don't kill her, they block her memories and turn her into a good guy.

However, Anders Raeborne (David Hewlett), a mad scientist, helped by a traitor to The Faith, uses an extract of her blood because he wants to become immortal. It turns him into the Demoicus, a terrible demonic creature who spreads plague with his bite. Elle, the persona The Faith created for Lilith, is the only one who can stop him.

This film is fun and terrible all at the same time. It has some of my fav TV actors, with John de Lancie (Q from STNG), David Hewlett (Stargate Atlantis), Shiri Appleby (Roswell) and Richard Burgi (The Sentinel), and the plot is entertaining, but the special effects are terrible. The CGI is plain bad. This is a monster movie for those who prefer their monsters PG.

Agent Smith (The Matrix)

He may have a human guise, but Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) is definitely a monster. His sole motivation is the protection of the matrix and the suppression of all resistance within.

Being a machine he never tires, never sleeps and can be anywhere at anytime. He is unbeatable and kills without a second thought. He is also insidious, turning enemies into tools.

The Matrix is a modern classic, with its bullet time special effects, and Hugo Weaving's sinister Agent Smith is a perfect villain.

Athan (The Lair - season 3)

The Lair is a gay-themed vampire show from the here! production company. It had three seasons and I love it to bits. The Lair is a gay sex club that the vampires use to find victims, so this is a very not PG show.

Athan (Steven Hirchi) appears in season 3. He is an antiquities expert who is looking for an artefact because he is under the curse. Within him is the spirit of a male gorgon and he can turn people to stone. In fact, he has to. All he wants is to live a normal life, which is what the artefact can give him, if he can only find it. Meanwhile the body count grows.

There are no two ways about it, The Lair is wonderfully terrible in places. Some of the actors were also definitely not hired for their acting ability, but because they look good without their clothes on. However, I think it's awesome. Also one of the lead vampires is called Colin, which makes me laugh because Colin is so not a sexy name in the UK.

Anubis (The Pyramid)

Anubis is the most monsterly monster I have for you today. He's ancient. gnarly, very, very evil and enjoys slaughtering people to weigh their hearts and see if they are worthy of the after life. He doesn't seem much interested in whether they were dying before he got to them.

The Pyramid is something of an average supernatural slasher movies. An archaeological team uncover this pyramid during the 2012-13 uprising in Egypt and, even though they are told to leave, they go in anyway. Then they start dying in lots of nasty ways.

The effects are pretty good and Anubis is a reasonably scary monster. At least he looks evil.

P.S. I'm sorry, I probably won't be around today to chat because it's Easter Sunday and I won't have much time, if any, online, but I promise I will get to is as soon as I can. Mostly today I will be cooking :).

Q. Do you have any favourite monsters that would fit in to the letter A? If you watch monster movies, do you watch them from behind a cushion like I have been known to do? :)

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